Criticism of Gabbert “pisses off” Jones-Drew

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Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew has taken a break from his job to focus on his education.  But he doesn’t like what he’s been learning about the things folks have anonymously said about his quarterback, Blaine Gabbert.

“That pisses me off,” Jones-Drew told Jim Trotter of SI.com regarding the comments of a former Jaguars coach to Gabbert.  “I guess I was raised differently.  You don’t talk bad about someone unless you look him in his eyes and say it to his face.  I was taught to be a man and put your name on it.  Blaine doesn’t deserve that at all.  It’s not all on him.  He’s a very capable quarterback.”

Jones-Drew is a very capable running back.  When healthy.  But he hasn’t been that since October, when he suffered a foot injury against the Raiders.  Trotter describes the condition as a Lisfranc fracture, a term that never had been publicly used — even though the extended duration of Jones-Drew’s absence caused many to believe that’s precisely what had happened.

As Jones-Drew attempts at age 28 and in the final year of his contract to return to form, he’s pointing to the player who has become the most shining example of a stunning return to glory after an agonizing injury.

“That’s what I’m thinking,” Jones-Drew said.  “Adrian Peterson.”

If Jones-Drew can pull it off, the Jaguars could be in for a much better than expected season.

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Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri is the oldest player in the NFL at age 44, but he doesn’t appear to be winding his career down.

Vinatieri isn’t even thinking about retiring yet, according to the Colts’ website.

“Yeah, you know I still love the game as much as I ever have,” Vinatieri said. “It’s fun running out onto the field. It’s much more fun playing in the playoffs. Cleaning out your locker the first week of January is not a whole lot of fun and it always leaves a lousy taste in your mouth. I still love running out onto the field. I still think I can help our team win games and why not keep going?”

Vinatieri turns 45 on December 28, meaning in the Colts’ Week 17 game he’s set to become the eighth player in NFL history to play at age 45. The oldest NFL player ever was George Blanda at 48, and the next-oldest was Morten Andersen at 47. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Vinatieri play until 2019 or 2020 and make it to 47 or 48. Maybe even longer.

Vinatieri was one of the better kickers in the league last year, hitting 27 of his 31 field goal attempts and making all 44 of his extra point tries. As long as he can keep playing at that level, there’s no reason he shouldn’t keep having fun.

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Perhaps recognizing he was running out of chances in the NFL, New York Jets tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins has dropped weight and looks to be in much better shape during OTAs.

According to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, Seferian-Jenkins is down to 260 pounds per his agent Brian Fettner.

“The light went on, and he’s really dialed in,” Fettner said.

Seferian-Jenkins was suspended for the first two games of the upcoming season after a DUI arrest last year. The former second-round pick was dumped by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season after the arrest as it reached a breaking point with the team. Injuries and a general lack of production, combined with the emergence of Cameron Brate, led to his exit from Tampa Bay.

Seferian-Jenkins caught just two passes for 10 yards in seven games played for the Jets last season after being claimed off waivers.

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With the New England Patriots stealing away Mike Gillislee in restricted free agency, Buffalo Bills running back Jonathan Williams knows there’s a significant opportunity for him to step up into the prime backup role to LeSean McCoy.

It’s an opportunity Williams doesn’t intend on squandering.

“You know every day I just come out here and try to do my best,” Williams said, via Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News. “I’m learning from one of the best backs in the league in LeSean McCoy. This offensive scheme is a great scheme for any running back, so every day I’m just taking it one day at a time.

“You definitely see that opening, but like I said, I’m trying to take it one day at a time and keep getting better.”

McCoy has also missed five games due to injury over the past two seasons, which would give the occasional spot starting opportunity for Williams as well if such injuries continue.

Even with McCoy and Gillislee on the roster last year, Williams appeared in 11 games and received 27 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown. He also lost two fumbles in that span, which is an area he’ll need to solidify if he’s getting an increased workload this year.

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With depth at the safety position seemingly solidified following the addition of Duke Ihenacho last week, the New York Giants are moving a former fifth-round pick from safety to cornerback.

According to James Kratch of NJ.com, the Giants have moved Mykkele Thompson to cornerback.

Thompson is practicing at the position during the team’s OTAs. He’s appeared in just one game for the Giants after being selected in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. A knee injury derailed his season last year and landed him on injured reserve in September.

With Landon Collins, Ihenacho, Darian Thompson, Andrew Adams and Nat Berhe still left at safety, Thompson has a better chance of contributing at cornerback if he can make the transition successfully.

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Maybe it’s the fact that Mike Zimmer didn’t get his first chance to be an NFL head coach until he was 57 years old, but he’s not intending on walking away from the gig any time soon.

Despite an eighth eye surgery last week that is forcing him to sit out some of the team’s offseason program, Zimmer remains fully committed to serving as head coach of the Vikings.

“I’ll be back shortly,” Zimmer said Friday, via Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press. “One eye or two, it doesn’t matter. I’ll be back. We can put that retiring thing to bed quickly.”

Zimmer said he intends to return to the Vikings on June 4, just one day before his 61st birthday. He missed one game last year after continued issues with his eye led to previous surgeries. Defensive line coach Andre Patterson has been filling in for the Vikings in Zimmer’s absence.

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U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup threw out a lawsuit on Thursday night claiming the NFL and its owners conspired to suppress wages of cheerleaders.

According to Sudhin Thanawala of the Associated Press, Alsup tossed the case due to a lack of evidence. However, he gave the plaintiff – a former San Francisco 49ers cheerleader listed as Kelsey K. – the chance to re-file the suit by June 15. Attorney Drexel Bradshaw stated their intention to follow through with the re-filing of the suit.

“To state an antitrust claim here, plaintiff must plead not only ‘ultimate facts, such as conspiracy, and legal conclusions,'” Alsup said in his filing. “The complaint must answer the basic questions of ‘who, did what, to whom (or with whom), where, and when?'”

The complaint sought class action status on behalf of all NFL cheerleaders.

A separate suit between former cheerleaders of the Oakland Raiders and that team was settled earlier this month. The former Raiders cheerleaders accused the franchise of paying them less than minimum wage for their services over several seasons of work.

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A former unnamed NFL player has brought a lawsuit against his former financial advisor, Kenneth Ray Cleveland, alleging he deliberately mismanaged more than $4.5 million in the player’s funds

According to the Associated Press, Cleveland was indicted on seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of felony money laundering.

Instead of investing the player’s money, he allegedly used the money to pay other clients and use on personal expenses, including his home mortgage and credit cards.

The charges against Cleveland would bring a maximum of a 10-20 years in jail and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden is also currently involved in a lawsuit against his former financial advisor.

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Cowboys cornerback Nolan Carroll was arrested for driving while intoxicated early this morning.

WFAA in Dallas reports that Carroll was arrested by Dallas Police and released at 2:45 p.m. after posting bond.

The Cowboys signed Carroll to a three-year, $10 million contract in March. He played the last three years for the Eagles and four years before that for the Dolphins.

The 30-year-old Carroll started all 16 games last season in Philadelphia and has been penciled in as a starter in Dallas as well.

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Some scoffed at the claim from the 49ers that they managed to get two of the top three players on their draft board with picks No. 3 and 31 in the draft. The 49ers nevertheless insist that they had decided early on to pursue Foster.

Via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, G.M. John Lynch recently explained that when he spoke with Adam Peters before hiring him from the Broncos, Peters already had a plan for the 49ers’ first pick in the draft.

“We’ve got the No. 2 pick,” Lynch said to Peters. “Who are you taking? . . . Without hesitation, he said ‘Reuben Foster.’”

Lynch was careful to explain that Peters’ initial impression shouldn’t be regarded as a slap at the guy they took after trading down from No. 2 to No. 3.

“A lot has transpired then and [Peters] loved Solomon Thomas, too, I don’t want to get that mistaken,” Lynch said. “But he was a huge champion of Reuben Foster. Like I said, so much transpired from there to there. But [Peters] was big on that one. I know that.”

Peters knew that he wanted Foster while studying film of Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland a year ago.

The big joke was you turned on Alabama to watch anyone and you couldn’t stop watching [Foster],” Lynch said. “He just kind of kept jumping out at you. So I think while we are all proud to have claimed him, it was pretty easy to do so.”

The wait until pick No. 31 surely wasn’t easy, but team after team after team passed on Foster before the 49ers made the pick, one spot before the Saints reportedly intended to do so. Foster slide due to concerns about his shoulder and a positive drug test at the Scouting Combine from a dilute sample. While that may have scared others away, it didn’t impact the 49ers.

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Packers tight end Martellus Bennett has made it a point to get close to quarterback Aaron Rodgers since signing with Green Bay.

But the way he’s gone about it one you might not expect, at least until you consider the source.

Via Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin, Bennett has his own way of communication with his soon-to-be-bestie.

“I send a lot of emojis and GIFs and stuff like that to him. Other than that, it’s just conversations,” Bennett said. “That’s pretty much it. I tell him things like, ‘I like chocolate chip cookies. What kind of cookie do you like?’ I just tell him little things. Like, ‘Hey, look my daughter did this today. She’s jumping, or she learned to use the potty.’ Stuff like that.

“It’s just conversation, making friends.”

As they progress through the early stages of Organized Team Activities, Bennett’s also learning that the best way to earn his new quarterback’s love is knowing what he’s doing on the field, in terms of learning the playbook.

“I’m always talking to him on the field, too, trying to see what he wants,” Bennett said. “‘Hey, how did that look?’ or he’ll give me the thumbs up. Or if I’m in another group, I always look back at him, ‘Hey, is that what you want? Is there something different you want on this?’ Always trying to figure out, just trying to have those conversations on and off the field, trying to get know each other as players, and as people.”

Rodgers may have an easier time in those conversations, as you can only wonder his reaction the first time he glanced at his phone to see a poop emoji (or worse) from his new tight end.

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The No. 24 Raiders jersey worn by Charles Woodson wasn’t given to anyone last year after Woodson retired, but when Marshawn Lynch came out of retirement to join the Raiders, he was given the number. And Woodson is pleased with that.

“I’m excited about it for Marshawn to have a chance to come home and play in front of friends and family,” Woodson told ESPN. “That number 24, that’s something special with the Raiders. I don’t think there’s anybody more worthy than Marshawn to wear that number.”

Woodson sees signing Lynch, a hometown hero, as a “business decision” in Oakland. He also understands both the Raiders’ business decision to leave for Las Vegas and Oakland’s decision not to pour any more money into a stadium than they already had.

“They needed a stadium and it’s big business,” Woodson said. “It’s hard to hear, but you go where the financing is. The [Oakland] mayor wasn’t willing to give up money she didn’t have, so kudos to her, too. But I’m also happy for Mark Davis, getting the stadium — they need a stadium — and moving the franchise forward.”

It remains to be seen who will wear No. 24 for the Silver and Black in Las Vegas in three years, but for now, anyway, the number is going from Woodson to Lynch, and 24 jerseys will continue to be hot sellers in Oakland.

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Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen’s place in the NFL looks a lot different this May than it did a year ago.

Thielen established himself as a regular on the special teams in Minnesota in 2014 and 2015, but he didn’t play much on offense and had 20 catches on his record heading into the 2016 season. Thielen got a chance to do more in his third season and made the most of it by catching 69 passes for 967 yards and five touchdowns.

The undrafted player from Minnesota State parleyed that into a three-year extension that can be worth as much as $27 million, but he’s not spending his time thinking about the change in circumstances.

“I’m waiting until I’m done playing to reflect,” Thielen said, via the Pioneer Press. “I’ve got too much to work on, too many big goals, to reflect on anything. I’m just going to come out here everyday and try to get better and bring the same mindset I’ve brought since I got to the league.”

Thielen’s breakout year has him ahead of 2016 first-round pick Laquon Treadwell on the depth chart at wideout for the Vikings. The team has been talking up Treadwell, but Thielen showed he was a reliable target last season and that will make it harder for Treadwell to race past him as they set up the receiving corps this offseason.

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Memorial Day has always created conflicting emotions for me. It’s the unofficial start of summer and a time to have gatherings and relax. But it’s also an occasion for solemn and somber reflection regarding those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation, and for an expression of appreciation to the loved ones they left behind.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh recognizes the significant of the last Monday in May.

“I told the guys go home and enjoy your families,” Harbaugh said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “It may be the most important holiday of the year. Do we all enjoy getting in a car and driving where we want, doing what we want? Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. . . .

“Memorial Day, for all of the people that have sacrificed to give us the chance to live the way that we do in this country, is something that we should all be very grateful for.”

He’s right. Our current way of life represents the cumulative result of conflicts that gave birth to our country, held it together, and opposed threats to it from other governments and extreme ideologies that resent the exercise of the freedoms on which America was founded. Without the many thousands who embraced serious injury and death since 1776, this nation would not exist in its current form and possibly would not exist at all.

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What if Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott suffers a serious injury early in the 2017 season? Would Tony Romo return?

It’s a topic that most fans don’t want anyone to entertain, for fear of jinxing the second-year signal-caller. Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson nevertheless opted recently to go there.

“It’s fun to speculate about that, if Dak were to go down in Week Two, would Tony come back?” Wilson recently said, via Scout.com. “I don’t know the answer to that. I just don’t know. Do I think he’s capable of coming back and playing? Most definitely. Does he want to or what his commitment is to the network? I don’t know that, so it’s fun to think about, and it’s fun water-cooler topics to talk about [even without] information to make a definitive answer on that.”

Cowboys fans likely wouldn’t say it’s “fun” to think about what would happen if Prescott were to blow a tire in Week Two, regardless of whether Romo would or wouldn’t return. If Prescott were to go down, the Cowboys surely would try to lure Romo back, with owner Jerry Jones doing his damnedest to get CBS to ensure that Romo’s spot as the No. 1 analyst would remain safe and secure in 2018.

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Cornerback Morris Claiborne entered the league five years ago as the sixth overall pick in the draft. His time in Dallas was largely a disappointment, largely due to the fact that he was unable to play far too often due to injury.

Now a Jet, Claiborne believes he can be successful. Highly successful. Extraordinarily successful.

“I feel like I can be the No. 1 corner in this league if I’m healthy . . . when I’m healthy,’’ Claiborne recently told Mark Cannizzarro of the New York Post. “When I’m out there playing and I’m healthy and I’m on my game, I don’t feel like there is anybody better than me.’’

The problem is that he hasn’t been healthy, missing 33 of 80 regular-season games — one more than two full seasons of the five he has been in the league.

“When I was young, I felt like I had everything in front of me,’’ Claiborne said. “I felt like nothing can stop me. I was going to go do whatever it takes to succeed and be a Pro Bowl player that first year with the Cowboys. But, God had other plans for me, and I ended up taking a different route than most guys do.

“I don’t care where my career has been, I will never quit, I will never stop.’’

He knows that he needs to not stop playing in order to get what he wants.

“[T]hat’s the No. 1 goal,” Claiborne said. “Everything else comes after that. . . . Because when you’re on the field you can make those plays. But when you’re not, you have zero chance.”

Whether Claiborne can make plays for th eJets remains to be seen, as does whether he can stay on the field. It’s easy for a body to feel good in May. Once the regular-season rolls around, and the bumps and bruises pile up before existing ones can heal, it becomes a problem.