Darius Butler wins AFC defensive player of the week

AP

Colts cornerback Darius Butler is on his second team of the season, but just won his first award.

Butler was named AFC defensive player of the week after a standout performance in the Colts win over the Jaguars. He had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, along with a fumble recovery and breaking up two passes.

Butler picked off both Jaguars quarterbacks, taking Blaine Gabbert’s pass to the house and getting Chad Henne later in the game to help the Colts win their fourth straight game.

It’s the first player of the week award for Butler, who was cut by the Panthers prior to the start of the regular season.

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When the Steelers were sifting through the wreckage of their 2012 season, Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley came in for criticism for his work ethic.

Steelers coaches said they wanted to see him work harder during the offseason while an unnamed teammate said that Woodley was “awful” in 2012 while opining that he was always hurt because he wasn’t working out hard enough. That led to other members of the Steelers complaining that the comments broke the code of the locker room, although Woodley says that the whole affair

“It doesn’t bother me at all. They’re coming at the wrong person when they try coming at me. I don’t listen to nothing,” Woodley said, via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Playing football my whole life growing up, and you’re in the spotlight sometimes it comes with the good and the bad. You just have to know how to accept it. I’m one of those guys, I don’t pay attention to much at all. I just go out there and do what I’m supposed to do. And these guys on the team know what I go out there and do each and every day.”

Woodley, who says he’s healthy after last year’s ankle injury, claims he took no motivation from his critics, but teammate Larry Foote told WDVE that he’s seen an “extra-motivated” Woodley at workouts this spring and thinks he could put up a “defensive MVP-type” season. The Steelers will surely take that kind of production regardless of what inspired it.

AP

The agent community is buzzing in the aftermath of the decision of Jets quarterback Geno Smith to hire a previously unknown agent who happens to be employed by the sports agency owned by Jay-Z.

It’s fairly obvious to the neutral observer that Smith picked Roc Nation to represent him not because of the previously unknown agent but because of the man who owns the firm.  If Jay-Z wasn’t involved in the recruitment of Smith, Jay-Z’s ownership of the firm wouldn’t be a problem.  But if Jay-Z helped persuade Smith to hire Roc Nation not only for off-field deals (which aren’t covered by the NFLPA rules) but for his football contract (which is), Jay-Z possibly ran afoul of the NFLPA’s prohibition on the use of non-certified agents in the recruitment of clients.

One of Smith’s advisers, former West Virginia and NFL defensive lineman John Thornton, essentially admitted that Smith picked Jay-Z, not the agent, and that Jay-Z was directly involved in persuading Smith to hire Roc Nation.”It really all came down to who he was most comfortable with,” Thornton told CBSSports.com.  “I was in those meetings and Jay-Z connected with him on many levels.”

Jay-Z connected with Geno Smith, not the previously unknown agent Jay-Z has hired to work for Roc Nation.  And so the facts at a minimum suggest that Jay-Z recruited Geno Smith to sign with the agent, which if true would be a violation of NFLPA rules.

The most important question is whether the NFLPA will do anything about it.  The union has not responded to a request for comment sent via email on Wednesday afternoon.  Previously, the union allowed Jay-Z to be involved in the recruitment of Giants receiver Victor Cruz by CAA, based on Jay-Z’s pre-existing friendship with Cruz.

While plenty of agents are looking at this as a way for the NFLPA to knock Jay-Z down a few pegs as he encroaches on their turf, others simply want guidance as to what is and isn’t allowed.  If Jay-Z was indeed involved in recruiting Smith, a potentially gaping loophole in the rules has been created, which could prompt other agents to partner with non-agent celebrities who then would help attract clients.

Essentially, the now-defunct “runner” industry would be resurrected, with artists, actors, and entertainers replacing the anonymous figures who previously operated in the shadows.  Maybe that’s a better alternative.  For now, other agents want to know whether that alternative will be acknowledged as valid.

AP

The Bengals must have plans for Memorial Day weekend.

According to Geoff Hobson of the team’s official website, the Bengals have signed second-round pick Giovani Bernard. That leaves just two unsigned picks from their 10-man class, first-rounder Tyler Eifert and third-rounder Shawn Williams.

Bernard, a running back from North Carolina, has an opportunity to have a significant impact for the Bengals this year.

He averaged 5.87 yards per carry in college, topping 1,200 yards in each of the two seasons he played at UNC. He’s small, but has explosive ability in the open field, adding something to the backfield the Bengals lacked.

AP

When the Cardinals lost running back Ryan Williams to a season-ending shoulder injury last October, the general reaction in Arizona was an unhappy one since it meant Williams would wind up missing all but five games in his first two seasons. 

Williams had a different reaction, though. The 2011 second-round pick was feeling less than comfortable with the state of his right knee after a torn patellar tendon wiped out his rookie season. Williams described being struck with fear in the second game of the season when the Cardinals called a toss play that would leave his knee exposed to a hit that Williams wasn’t sure it could take. It’s unusual to hear a pro be that honest about playing scared and even rarer to hear one say he felt relief about a season-ending injury.  

“It’s sad to say, but honestly I was happy because the first thing I thought about was getting my knee right,” Williams said, via Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic.

Williams says he feels the healthiest he has since the initial knee injury, but knows that he’s “considered damaged goods” after the last two years. The Cardinals added Rashad Mendenhall in free agency before drafting Andre Ellington and Stepfon Taylor, so it is safe to say that the team’s new regime isn’t proceeding with the expectation that Williams will be the same back that the previous brain trust envisioned coming out of college. 

They aren’t blocking him from reaching that level, though. None of the newcomers present an insurmountable obstacle if the absence of fear and a return to health allow Williams to start fulfilling his potential. 

AP

The Browns used the roster spot created by waiving quarterback Thaddeus Lewis by extending the career of a guy who has been with more than 20 percent of the league already.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns signed wide receiver Tori Gurley.

Gurley was viewed as a promising prospect, hanging around on the Packers practice squad as an undrafted rookie in 2011. Since then, he’s spent time in camp with or on the practice squads of the Vikings, Raiders, Buccaneers, Chargers and Ravens, all without appearing in an NFL game.

At some point, he should really catch up with quarterback Aaron Corp, they’d be unstoppable.

AP

When linebacker Aaron Curry went fourth overall to the Seahawks in the 2009 draft, analysts hailed the Seahawks for selecting a player who was considered the safest bet for stardom at the top of that year’s draft.

Things never worked out that way. Curry was ineffective with the Seahawks and wound up being traded to the Raiders in 2011. Things didn’t get any better in Oakland and Curry signed for the veteran minimum with the Giants this year. That may be a good thing for Curry’s chances of turning his career around because he admitted Wednesday that the $60 million contract he signed as a rookie wound up taking away his motivation to play his best.

“I knew I could do it,” Curry said, via Tom Pedulla of the New York Times. “I knew I would do it. At the time, I wasn’t motivated to do it. Football wasn’t my top priority, to be honest. I think earlier in my career I was real selfish and self-centered. I was more about me than the Seahawks.”

Curry copped to not playing at full speed if there was a defensive call that didn’t cater to his strengths, a trait that helped him fail to live up to the lofty predictions that accompanied his entry to the NFL. A knee injury in Oakland dropped the opinion of Curry even further, leaving him to try to rehabilitate his career with the Giants.

Motivation shouldn’t be a problem for Curry, who also acknowledged that he’s overweight right now, if he wants to continue playing in the NFL since suitors will be slim if he fails with a third team in five years. If he isn’t able to make things happen now, it’s hard to imagine it’s ever going to happen for him.

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Two future Hall of Fame middle linebackers have retired this offseason, but if they go into the Hall of Fame together when they both become eligible in 2018, Brian Urlacher has no illusions about who the best middle linebacker in their class will be.

In fact, Urlacher says that not only is Ray Lewis the best middle linebacker of his era, but Lewis is the best middle linebacker ever to play the game of football.

“If I am lucky enough to go in with Ray, I will say this about Ray: I think I was pretty good, but Ray is the best of all time,” Urlacher told Andrew Siciliano on NFL Network. “His numbers, to the guys that played with him, you watch him, he did it the right way. He played hard. He is the best middle linebacker of all time. If I get a chance to go into the Hall of Fame with him, that would be awesome. He was great. I am up there I think, but not quite. The longevity he had was crazy, 17 years.”

As great as Urlacher was, he’s right that Lewis’s achievements in the NFL surpass his own. Urlacher was an eight-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, one-time second-team All-Pro and one-time NFL defensive player of the year. Lewis was a 13-time Pro Bowler, seven-time first-team All-Pro, three-time second-team All-Pro, two-time NFL defensive player of the year and a Super Bowl MVP.

I would tend to agree with Urlacher that Lewis is the best of them all. PFT Planet, tell us what you think.

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Tim Tebow doesn’t sleep. He waits.

Tim Tebow has counted to infinity. Twice.

When Tim Tebow does pushups, he isn’t lifting himself. He’s pushing the earth down.

Yes, we can now take Chuck Norris Facts and turn them into Tim Tebow Facts, because the man himself, Chuck Norris, has given Tebow his seal of approval. Norris wrote a column in which he decried Tebow’s current unemployment and said that Tebow is a lot like Norris himself.

“Tebow is a player who rises to the occasion and delivers big in critical game moments,” Norris wrote. “He reminds me of myself when I used to compete in martial arts. I would spar with my black belts in class, and sometimes they would outscore me. Yet in the tournaments, I would defeat them. My students used to ask me, ‘Why can we contend equally against you in class, but we can’t beat you in the tournaments?’ My answer was always the same, ‘When it counts, I rise to the occasion.’ The same is true of the former Heisman Trophy winner: When pressure mounts and the game is on the line, Tim’s turbo turns on!”

Truthfully, Norris should probably stick with the roundhouse kicks and leave the football analysis to others, because his analysis of Tebow leaves a lot to be desired. If it’s true that when it counts, Tebow (like Norris) rises to the occasion, how are we to explain Tebow’s last game as a starter? That was in the playoffs following the 2011 season, and Tebow went 9-for-26 for 136 yards as the Broncos lost to the Patriots, 45-10.

Norris refers to Tebow as the “ultimate clutch player,” but this NFL season, Tebow is probably going to be missing in action.

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As everyone was focused on when and if unsigned Giants receiver Victor Cruz will rejoin the team, the other big-name player at that same position who has a contract opted to skip OTA practice on Wednesday.

The situation, and the head coach’s reaction, create some potential problems for the Giants.

Throughout the offseason, we’ve pointed out the link between Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.  Cruz has no contract now, Nicks will have no contract in a year.  If Cruz ultimately signs his one-year restricted free agency tender, both will be hitting the market in 2014 — and the team will have only one franchise tender to apply.

It has been believed in some circles that Nicks’ demands will be driven by what Cruz gets.  As one league source with knowledge of the situation has explained it to PFT, Nicks doesn’t care what Cruz gets, because Cruz is a slot receiver.  Nicks, an outside receiver, had his value set by Mike Wallace’s contract in Miami.

While this doesn’t mean Nicks will be looking for $12 million per year, it does mean that Nicks doesn’t regard Cruz’s deal as being relevant to his.

Nicks’ absence from practice on Wednesday undoubtedly means that Nicks isn’t happy with the team’s efforts, or lack thereof, to address his contract with one year remaining on his rookie deal.  With Nicks saying nothing to dispel that notion, it’s safe to assume Nicks was sending a clear message to the team.

The other problem for the Giants comes from the message coach Tom Coughlin sent in response to Nicks’ decision to skip practice.

“He should be here,” Coughlin said.  “I expect everybody here. We’re trying to get our team better.”

Under the pre-2011 labor deals, coaches routinely made public comments suggesting that voluntary workouts aren’t truly voluntary, and the NFL and the union rarely if ever did anything about it.  As time went by, with more coaches saying things like “he should be here” and the league and the NFLPA doing nothing, coaches were emboldened to keep doing it.

The new CBA, however, added significant restrictions to offseason workouts, along with a clear commitment to eradicate contact from offseason drills.  The CBA also repeated the unequivocal statement that “[n]o Club official may indicate to a player that the Club’s offseason workout program or classroom instruction is not voluntary.”

Last week, Jets coach Rex Ryan danced toward that line by calling out linebacker Quinton Coples for his perceived lack of effort at voluntary lifting sessions.  This week, Coughlin jumped over the line by saying that Nicks and every other player “should be here.”  If the league and union allow those comments to stand uncorrected, other coaches will follow suit, either this year or in the future.

The fact that the comment came from the coach of the team co-owned by John Mara adds some intrigue to this specific situation.  For more than a year, Cowboys and Redskins fans have been riled up by Mara’s role in the stripping of $46 million in total salary-cap space from two of the Giants’ NFC East rivals.  The Cowboys and Redskins, however, broke no rules.

Here, Coughlin clearly did.  The only question is whether the rule will be enforced.  Cowboys and Redskins fans, whose teams were punished for rules they didn’t break, surely will be watching closely.

AP

Former Bills (and Oklahoma State) running back Thurman Thomas is making plans to go back to Oklahoma to help recovery efforts after this week’s tornado.

For all the money the Dolphins spent this offseason, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald still sees plenty of questions.

Area business leaders are fired up about the mere suggestion the Patriots could host a Super Bowl.

New Jets RB Chris Ivory showed some moves in practice Thursday.

Several injured Ravens are showing signs of progress, including Lardarius Webb and Jameel McClain.

The Bengals have an interesting competition building for their backup QB job, and by interesting we mean Andy Dalton has never been so prayed-for.

Beware the premature signing reports on undrafted rookies, as one Browns prospect found out.

Steelers veteran OLB LaMarr Woodley declared himself “good to go” after a disappointing 2012 season.

The Texans’ and Houston’s successful Super Bowl bid was helped by the area’s Hispanic ties.

Colts QB Andrew Luck got his first taste of OTAs, after missing them his rookie year.

After the Jaguars signed Jeremy Ebert yesterday and cut Jeris Pendleton, only 46 of the 90 players on the roster were there last year.

Titans LB Colin McCarthy says he’s “about 80 percent” back from ankle surgery.

All four Broncos in the Pro Football Hall of Fame gathered for the first time to honor owner Pat Bowlen.

Chiefs DE Tamba Hali thinks there are plenty of sacks to go around for himself and Justin Houston.

For Charles Woodson, the outpouring from Raiders fans was “overwhelming.”

The return of injured WR Vincent Brown could give the Chargers a boost.

Cowboys rookie TE Gavin Escobar knows he has a lot to learn.

The Giants have a three-way competition for the vacant MLB job.

A multitude of options will make the Eagles RB position one to watch in camp.

All eyes and ears will be on Robert Griffin III at Redskins OTAs, as he’s expected to talk to reporters afterward.

Former Bears teammates lined up to praise retired LB Brian Urlacher.

The Lions claimed DE Braylon Broughton off waivers from the Saints.

Packers CB Tramon Williams is ready to take leadership of the secondary.

The Urlacher retirement should quiet the talk of him joining the Vikings (though we suspect it will come up again, thanks Brett).

Falcons rookie S Kemal Ishmael has made a good first impression (But not by saying “Call me, …”).

The Panthers have also agreed to terms with fourth-round G Edmund Kugbila, giving them their top three picks taken care of.

Saints coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis talk about the beginning of OTAs.

Buccaneers TE Tom Crabtree has a chance to grow into a bigger role.

Cardinals RB Ryan Williams said he was playing scared at times last year.

Rams rookie LB Ray Ray Armstrong is trying to make the most of his chance at a new position.

The 49ers were short nine players for OTAs, plus Michael Crabtree.

Seahawks WR Percy Harvin’s making a good first impression.

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Vikings defensive end Jared Allen is in the final year of his contract, a deal that will pay him more than $14 million for the 2013 season.

Allen’s cap number is $17 million, which led some to wonder if the Vikings might try to find some way to make Allen’s number lower for this season so that they could use some of that cap space in other ways. That could be accomplished through an extension that guarantees Allen stays in Minnesota for several years or some other kind of restructuring of the current deal, but Allen says that neither option has been on the table this offseason.

“You use the word restructure and that to me makes it feel like they’d want me to take a pay cut. And if anybody asked me to take a pay cut, I’d be through the first door out of there. So no. We haven’t talked one iota. It is what it is,” Allen said, via Dan Wiederer of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “And we’re going to go about our business and play good ball and try to win a Super Bowl. And like I said the business stuff? We take care of that in the offseason. I have people to do that. That’s why I don’t get into it. You’re not going to hear it from me. I won’t complain. I go about my business.”

We can’t argue with Allen when it comes to the idea of somehow taking less money from the Vikings. His play has done nothing to warrant any such approach and he’d be correct to reject it out of hand.

An extension seems much more sensible, although the Vikings may have been cautious about it thanks to Allen’s knee and shoulder surgery early in the offseason or the fact that he just turned 31. Unless the two sides plan to start talking in the next couple of months, it looks like Allen’s status will be one of the big stories come the start of next offseason.

AP

Lions running back Reggie Bush is setting the bar high with his new team.

Bush said at the Lions’ Organized Team Activities on Wednesday that while he may have lived in more glamorous places than Detroit in the past (having played his college football in Los Angeles and his pro football in New Orleans and Miami), that doesn’t matter because he’s all business with the Lions. And he thinks the Lions are ready to get down to business.

“I came here to work,” Bush said, via the Detroit News. “I didn’t come here to vacation. I came here to win championships, to win football games, and that’s what I look forward to doing.”

Bush hinted that he’s happier with the Lions than he had been with the Saints and Dolphins.

“Some guys have been asking me, ‘How was Miami? How was South Beach,’” he said. “I tell them, you know, it’s nice but if the football isn’t right, it doesn’t matter where you are at. If your work isn’t right, you are not going to be happy. As long as we take care of business here, this can be an amazing place. I think it has a lot to offer. I look forward to getting into that stadium and hearing those fans be as loud as ever.”

If Bush really can help the Lions become a championship-caliber team, Lions fans will be louder than ever.

AP

Some players are held up from joining their NFL team until their college class graduates.

But for Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly, the degree he received yesterday is far more important.

According to Chris Roth of WBAY in Green Bay, Jolly was in a Houston courtroom Wednesday, receiving a diploma for completing a drug treatment program, which was the final step in his attempted return to the Packers.

“I know I’ve seen a change, and I know your family has seen a change, and we are just so darn proud of you today just for the progress that you’ve made,” said judge Denise Bradley, who originally sentenced him. “I didn’t know if we would see this day happen.”

Jolly hasn’t played since 2009, when he was suspended for multiple drug arrests. The Packers have been willing to give him a chance, but the progress he’s made off the field is the only reason.

“[Judge Bradley] seen something in me,” Jolly said. “Even though she gave me the sentence, she saw something in me. Today I stand here a free man.

“My life is going great. I’m back with my team, the Packers. I just want to thank her. She’s done a really good thing for me. That was a blessing.”

The Packers sent director of player development Rob Davis and senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith to Houston for the ceremony, another sign they’re backing his attempt.

He’s rejoining the team for OTAs next week, with no illusions about his chances.

“I don’t know anyone who sat out three years and was able to go back to the same team,” Jolly acknowledged. “I met with the Packers a couple of weeks ago. They understand my situation and they are willing to be there for me, so I’m just doing everything I can to be in shape and do everything I need to do for my team.

“They have been there, and I’m going up there to do my best to show them what they want to see this year. So I’ll be doing everything in my power to get ready.”

If he gets back on the field, it will be impressive. But not as much as the comeback he just authored.

AP

Despite a roll back in the amount of offseason work and the amount of contact allowed during OTAs as dictated by the new collective bargaining agreement, the past couple weeks have already produced a handful of serious injuries.

The San Francisco 49ers lost wide receiver Michael Crabtree to a torn Achilles on Tuesday. Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Greg Scruggs tore his ACL during routine drills prior to the NFL Draft and San Diego Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram tore his ACL as well.. Now New York Giants fullback Henry Hynoski is the next up to be dealt a potentially serious blow.

According to Dave Hutchinson of the Newark Star-Ledger, Hynoski injured his left knee during the Giants first OTA workout on Wednesday and will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.

Hynoski collided with running back Andre Brown and fell to the turf during a full team drill before being carted off the field.

“He kind of got (his leg rolled up on) and so we are taking a look at that,” head coach Tom Coughlin said. “I said a few prayers and I’ll continue until I hear what it is.”

Hynoski appeared in all 16 games for the Giants last season. He carried the ball five times for 20 yards and caught 11 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Bear Pascoe will likely pick up the duty in the backfield if Hynoski is going to miss a significant portion of time.

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The Carolina Panthers added another linebacker to their roster Wednesday by claiming Ryan Rau off waivers from the Cleveland Browns.

Rau was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Portland State University by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2012. He was released by the Eagles at the end of training camp but re-signed to the team’s practice squad, where he spent most of the season. He was elevated to the active roster in December and appeared in four games for the Eagles and made three tackles.

He was released by the Eagles in April before being claimed by the Browns the next day. The Browns then placed Rau on waivers Wednesday. The Panthers also waived/injured tight end Logan Brock.