Brady: "This is the best I've felt in a while"

News of Tom Brady’s three broken ribs and one broken finger broke on Sunday, making a miserable day for the Patriots sound worse.

But mostly overlooked in these reports was how old the injuries were.  Brady reportedly broke the ribs in the preseason, then re-injured them in Week Two.  The finger injury occured a month ago.

Speaking on WEEI Monday, Brady insisted the injuries were in the past. “I’m feeling really good now,” Brady said.  “Everyone breaks bones over the course of the year.  This is the best I’ve felt in a while.”

(Actually, Brady first asked the hosts what the injury report said to laughter before expounding.)

There are many good reasons the Patriots are only 3.5 point favorites at home against Baltimore, but Brady’s injuries don’t seem high among them.  Wes Welker’s torn knee ligaments, however, create a major obstacle. After talking about Welker glowingly for a while, Brady tried to spin it positive.

“We’re going to evolve a little bit as an offense now.  This was a Wes Welker-oriented offense,” Brady said.  “And now, maybe part of the advantage is Baltimore doesn’t really know what they’re going to see from us now.”

Riiight.  Can’t blame the guy for trying.

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Former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler may be temporarily finished with football, and apparently nothing he heard lately was enough to keep him from taking a broadcasting job.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Cutler talked to the Jets and Texans about continuing to play prior to taking the job with FOX.

The conversations with the Jets were termed “real discussions,” while the ones with the Texans were termed “less-promising.”

Of course, the Texans didn’t really need Cutler, after trading up to take Deshaun Watson in the first round last week. They’ve said Tom Savage will go into camp as their starter, but there’s an obvious plan for the future there.

The Jets’ quarterback situation is less clear, with journeyman Josh McCown promising to work with Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty.

It’s hard to argue that Cutler wouldn’t have been the most immediately talented quarterback in either place, but one side or the other didn’t feel like pursuing.

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Jay Cutler is done playing football and ready to start talking about football.

Cutler has joined FOX, where he will work as an analyst in a three-man booth with Kevin Burkhardt and Charles Davis, according to FOX sideline reporter Peter Schrager.

The move comes after Cutler’s agent had previously said the former Broncos and Bears quarterback would play this season. But perhaps the offer Cutler got from FOX was better than any offer he received from any NFL team.

A 2006 first-round pick of the Broncos, Cutler spent three years in Denver before he was traded to Chicago. In 11 NFL seasons he passed for 32,467 yards, with 208 touchdowns and 146 interceptions.

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The Panthers start their rookie minicamp on Friday and they may have their entire draft class signed before breaking for lunch.

After announcing that they’d signed three players on Thursday night, the team added two more to the list on Friday morning. Second-round wide receiver Curtis Samuel and third-round defensive end Daeshon Hall are the latest to agree to contracts.

Samuel joins first-round pick Christian McCaffrey as offensive additions designed to expand the options for the Panthers on that side of the ball. He played out of the slot and the backfield at Ohio State and averaged 7.5 yards per carry and nearly 12 yards per catch during his time in Columbus. Those numbers may be beyond his reach as a pro, but his explosiveness is something the Panthers would like to unleash this season.

Hall, who played opposite first overall pick Myles Garrett at Texas A&M, was drafted after the Panthers traded up last Friday. He will vie for snaps behind veterans Julius Peppers and Charles Johnson as a rookie and will look for a bigger role down the road.

Fifth-round cornerback Corn Elder and seventh-round kicker Harrison Butker are the remaining unsigned Panthers draft picks.

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When the Bengals drafted Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon last week, the general reaction was along the lines of “of course they did.”

Bengals owner Mike Brown has admitted being perhaps too generous with second chances in the past, but defended the decision to select the man who was caught on video punching a woman in the face. Mixon later reached a civil settlement with the woman, and Brown sounds like he believes that Mixon is a changed man.

Brown wrote a letter to fans published by the Cincinnati Enquirer, in which he referred to Mixon as “a very talented football player who did a terrible thing his freshman year at college.”

“The Bengals take pride in our hometown and want to provide winning football on the field and successful players off the field,” Brown wrote. “That is the reason we drafted Joe – he is a rare football talent, and his conduct over the past three years leads us to believe he can help us win football games and also become a productive member of this community.

“In making our decision, we took a risk. In this case, the risk has an upside as well as a downside. We believe Joe has put this behind him and that he can turn into the player and community member that creates a plus for Cincinnati. We are going to do everything in our power to make this happen. Our hope is that time will prove that this opportunity is deserved, and perhaps – if given a chance – Joe can write a chapter in Cincinnati sports history that both he and Cincinnati can be proud of.”

It’s good that Brown at least acknowledged the obvious — that they drafted a woman-puncher because he was very good at playing football. And their defense of Mixon is either a noble gesture of forgiveness (if he stays out of trouble and plays well) or just another chapter in Brown’s tradition of taking in players other teams won’t touch (if he doesn’t).

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Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman officially declared this week that the team will not pick up the fifth-year option on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s rookie contract, and he says that decision was all about the knee injury Bridgewater suffered in practice last summer.

Spielman said on PFT Live that Bridgewater may still have a future in Minnesota, but for now the team just can’t count on him being healthy enough to play.

“It doesn’t mean Teddy wouldn’t be a Minnesota Viking, it just means, where his health is at this point, we wouldn’t pick up his option,” Spielman said.

Spielman noted that the Vikings picked up 2013 first-round pick Sharrif Floyd’s fifth-year option and are now on the hook for his $6.757 million salary this season even though he suffered a knee injury that could be career ending. The Vikings had some bad luck with first-round picks in both 2013 and 2014 suffering very serious knee injuries while still on their rookie contracts, and they think picking up Bridgewater’s option would risk making a bad situation even worse.

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Linebacker Shane Ray had eight sacks while making eight starts for the Broncos last season, but he’ll be starting twice as many games this season if he’s healthy and productive.

If he does remain in the lineup the whole season, Ray is shooting to at least double his sack total as well. DeMarcus Ware’s retirement has opened a spot for Ray across from Von Miller on the first team and Ray has set a goal of

“I want to be an All-Pro player,” Ray said, via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. “That’s something that I aspire to every day. I feel like every big goal that I make, I’ve made smaller goals that can attain that for me. One goal that I said, I went back to how I was thinking in college. I said in college my junior year that I can average a sack a game. Nobody can honestly stop me from getting one sack a game. I look at that in the NFL and honestly I feel the same way. Nobody can block me for a whole game. One sack a game for me is equivalent to 16 games — that’s 16 sacks. That could lead the league, not to mention playoffs or any of that stuff. That’s how I break stuff down for me, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Sixteen sacks would have led the league last year and would put Ray at or near the top of the list in 2017. Ray’s teammates and coaches have expressed their belief that he has that kind of ability and he should have ample opportunity to show it off this year.

Ray’s chances of getting to that number won’t be totally up to him, however. If the Broncos can’t score more points on offense or do a better job of stopping the run than they did last year, they may not put Ray and Miller in position to pin their ears back on obvious passing downs often enough for Ray to realize his goal.

AP

No part of the Seahawks roster is as synonymous with their success as their secondary.

And even though they drafted an entirely new one, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said they weren’t trying to move past the Legion of Boom era.

The Seahawks drafted four defensive backs, headlined by cornerback Shaquill Griffin and safety Delano Hill in the third round.

Coupled with the fact they listened to trade offers for cornerback Richard Sherman this offseason and have safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor coming off surgeries, it makes it natural to wonder about the future. But during an interview with 710 ESPN, Carroll said they simply wanted to delve into a deep secondary class in this year’s draft.

“This was a very strong draft in the defensive back section so it just kind of happened that we had opportunities to get guys,’’ Carroll said. “We may put together one of the great backup groups you’ve ever seen and that may be what this is for the future. That would be a great thing that happens. We love the guys that we play with. But meanwhile we are going to allow these guys to compete to start and that pushes Earl and pushes Kam and pushes Sherman and that’s how it goes.

“They know that this whole program is built on competition.’’

They also know the clock is ticking.

Thomas turns 28 this weekend and Sherman and Chancellor are 29, putting them closer to the end than the beginning. Thomas is recovering from a broken leg and Chancellor had surgery on both ankles. And considering the open discussion of trading Sherman, it would be irresponsible of them to not have a backup plan in place for all three.

For the moment, that appears to be just what they have, and the competition this year will likely dictate how long Seattle’s headline group stays together.

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When the Patriots acquired wide receiver Michael Floyd late last season, some thought they were hoping he’d sign with another team in the offseason, which would bolster the Patriots’ chances of gaining compensatory draft picks in 2018. But it probably won’t work out that way.

The compensatory pick formula counts only free agent signings made by May 9, and Floyd remains unsigned as of May 5.

Floyd is currently talking to the Vikings and other teams, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. But he’s expecting to have a deal near the end of next week, which wouldn’t help the Patriots in the compensatory pick formula, nor would it hurt his new team in the compensatory pick formula.

The 13th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, Floyd was a disappointment for four seasons in Arizona, with the Cardinals finally cutting him after a drunk driving arrest in December. The Patriots picked him up at the end of the season and he caught four passes in the last two regular-season games, then caught one pass in the one postseason game he played.

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A look at the new approach the Bills have established this offseason.

Dolphins DE Charles Harris hung out with Sasquatch on draft night.

The Patriots introduced their draft class to Gillette Stadium on Thursday.

The Jets feel S Marcus Maye improved in pass coverage throughout his career at Florida.

Jameel McClain has returned to the Ravens organization in player development.

Former Bengals S Chris Crocker is trying his hand at the memorabilia business.

The Browns are looking for growth from their young wide receivers.

The Steelers showed they value long snappers by drafting one.

Breaking down Texans rookie RB D’Onta Foreman’s running style.

An early crack at setting the Colts’ depth chart.

LB Telvin Smith said that he and other young Jaguars veterans are ready for bigger leadership roles.

Former Titans coach Jeff Fisher has moved back to Nashville.

A look at the Broncos offense in light of their additions in the draft.

The Chiefs made a couple of promotions in their front office.

Raiders rookie RB Elijah Hood is excited about playing with Marshawn Lynch.

The Chargers’ gamble that they could stand pat and draft G Forrest Lamp paid off last week.

What can the Cowboys expect from DE Taco Charlton during his rookie season?

Giants S Landon Collins offered some advice to a pair of Jets rookie safeties.

Predicting the impact that the Eagles’ draft picks will have as rookies.

T Morgan Moses‘ patience paid off in a big new contract with the Redskins.

Bears G Kyle Long told QB Mike Glennon to “get your competitive shoes on and get ready to kick some butt” when the team drafted QB Mitchell Trubisky.

A call for the Lions to go after free agent RB LeGarrette Blount.

Josh Jones is preparing to play a hybrid safety role for the Packers.

DL Datone Jones believes the Vikings will prove to be a better fit for him.

Falcons C Alex Mack will have someone new on his right side this season.

The Panthers are holding their rookie minicamp this weekend.

Injury concerns exist for several members of the Saints’ draft class.

Bucs tryout player Christophe Mulumba Tsimanga is your run-of-the-mill Congolese hockey player who took up football when he was 16.

The Cardinals will honor former QB Jim Hart this season.

The Rams’ depth chart may be starting to come into focus.

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is impressed with how LB Navorro Bowman has recovered from a torn Achilles.

The Seahawks plan to use DL Malik McDowell in a similar way to how they use Michael Bennett.

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The Broncos are going to sign 15 undrafted rookies soon, but they had to make room for them first.

Via Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post, the Broncos released three players to make room for all the new additions.

Denver waived defensive end Iosia Iosia, wide receiver Mekale McKay and long snapper Jeff Overbaugh.

Iosia spent the last week of last season on their practice squad, and he and the other two signed future contracts in January.

With those moves and the addition of Jamaal Charles, the Broncos would be up to the 90-man roster limit.

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Ben Roethlisberger is glad to have Martavis Bryant back with the team. But it’s going to take some time to know whether the Steelers quarterback can trust the twice-suspended but just-reinstated wide receiver.

According to Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Roethlisberger supported Bryant during his first suspension, but “felt betrayed and even lied to” by the wideout before his second suspension.

Roethlisberger said he wanted to have a private conversation with Bryant, but the onus for getting back in the team’s good graces was on him.

“It’s more than just me. He has to win back everybody’s trust,” Roethlisberger said. “I would hope he comes up to me and we go somewhere to talk in private. After that, he has to show with his work ethic and by staying clean that he cares — really cares — about us. If he does that, it’ll be huge. He can really help us. He can be so great.”

And of course, Roethlisberger cares because he himself has recommitted to the Steelers, after scaring some fans with talk of retirement early this offseason (talk which few took seriously).

But the 35-year-old said he was all-in this year, and will look at things annually from this point forward.

“Just because you think about your future doesn’t mean you have to retire,” he said. “A lot of guys think about their future. Look at James Harrison [who retired briefly in August 2014] …

“I hope the people of Pittsburgh know me well enough to know I love football, I love Pittsburgh and I love the Steelers. My teammates and Steelers fans are going to get 110 percent from me. They don’t need to worry about getting anything less.”

And he’s going to make sure he gets the same thing from his teammates, if they want to come back to the family.

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At some point in the days leading up to the two Browns-Steelers games each year, we get a reminder that the Browns had an opportunity to draft the Ohio-born Ben Roethlisberger in 2004 and chose tight end Kellen Winslow instead.

That might not be such a recurring storyline if the Browns ever drafted and developed a quarterback who became a long-term answer at the position, but they haven’t found that guy yet. They hope that changes with this year’s second-round pick DeShone Kizer, who is a tall quarterback that showed a big arm and ability to keep plays alive with his feet while at Notre Dame.

Those are attributes that call to mind another quarterback and Browns coach Hue Jackson expects people will be comparing him to the longtime Steelers quarterback.

“I don’t know that I’ve coached a guy with this kind of skill set,” Jackson said on WKNR 850 AM, via Cleveland.com. “But he’s a big powerful man, so I know he’s going to get compared to another guy on another team in our division. I’m not going to talk about [Roethlisberger] because he’s that big and he has that kind of arm. He’s very mobile. So again, I don’t like to compare players and I know people will, but he’s got to come in and do what he can do and be the best version of him and that’s what we’re going to allow him to do.”

Roethlisberger didn’t open his rookie season as a starter, but an injury to Tommy Maddox in the second game of the year opened a door that’s yet to close in Pittsburgh. Browns exec Sashi Brown said there’s no pressure for Kizer to play right away and that “ideally” he’d have time as a backup, but Kizer is going compete for the job and Jackson said Thursday that he’s “not going to stop him from being out there” if it’s clear he’s the right choice for the job.

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Former Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will be facing the Vikings on the first Monday night of the season. And Peterson is looking forward to showing the Vikings defense what he can do against them, after years of boasting that “I’ll hit you guys for 150 or 200 yards.”

So how will Peterson do in that game? It’s the PFT Live question of the day.

Pick an outcome below, argue it out in the comments, and then check out Friday’s show, which includes visits from Jets quarterback Josh McCown, Vikings G.M. Rick Spielman, and Hall of Fame receiver Tim Brown.

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With drafted rookie contracts becoming increasingly boilerplate, the pace of signing them continues to speed up.

According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Dolphins fifth-rounder Isaac Asiata signed his four-year deal Thursday night, making him the first of the team’s picks to sign. He’ll make around $2.6 million on the deal.

The guard from Utah was chosen 164th overall. He’s the cousin of Vikings running back Matt Asiata.

He has a chance to compete for playing time in Miami soon, since the team is relatively thin at his position and he’s known as a good run blocker.

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The fastest player in the NFL is in Cincinnati, now that the Bengals have drafted John Ross, who set the record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine. The fastest player in Major League Baseball was already in Cincinnati in Reds centerfielder Billy Hamilton, who leads the league in stolen bases. So which man is faster?

Hamilton says he’s hoping to race Ross to find out.

“It’s something I look forward to. I’m a competitor, if something happens with him, it happens,” Hamilton said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We’ll do it for a charity event. I’m willing to do it.”

Ross’s 4.22 40-yard dash is far faster than Hamilton has ever run, but Hamilton believes he’s quite a bit faster than he was the last time he ran a timed 40, in ninth grade.

“I think we could do 40 and I think it’d be a good race for the city and for me and him to get our names out there,” Hamilton said. “It’s something we could look forward to looking into, our agents [could talk] and see how it goes.”

Ross has not yet responded.