Beckham reported with fellow veterans for the opening day of Giants training camp. Beckham didn't talk to the media Wednesday as veterans arrived at the Giants' headquarters adjacent to MetLife Stadium.
The 25-year-old Beckham will earn $8.5 million entering the fifth and final season of his rookie contract. If the Giants do not designate him as a franchise player Justin Simmons Jersey , he's eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in 2019. He wants to be the NFL's highest-paid player.
First-year coach Pat Shurmur plans to be cautious how his three-time Pro Bowl receiver will be used, especially in training camp. Beckham broke his left ankle in Week 5 and never returned as the Giants finished 3-13.
"As we go forward, he's coming back from injury," Shurmur said. "We're going to continue to be smart about what we give him from the start."
Shurmur punted when asked if Beckham's contract status would be a distraction to the team.
"We don't talk about contracts," he said. "The focus for me is to keep the players thinking about football."
Shurmur takes over a team ranked 31st in total defense and 21st in offense last season. The offense should benefit from running back Saquon Barkley, the second overall pick in the draft.
"He's very smart John Ross Jersey , he gets it," said Shurmur of the Penn State standout. "In a lot of ways that's a great place to start. He's super-talented. The thing that stuck out to me is he embraces work. The mind is always looking for an easy way out and he doesn't."
The Giants significantly upgraded their offensive line by signing left tackle Nate Solder from New England. That moves Ereck Flowers, the Giants' top pick in 2015, to right tackle. Flowers struggled to protect Eli Manning in the passing game.
Second-round pick Will Hernandez out of UTEP should vie for a spot at guard.
The defense, which will have a 3-4 look this season under new coordinator James Bettcher, will be bolstered by the additions of free-agent linebackers Alec Ogletree Kasen Williams Jersey , Kareem Martin and Connor Barwin, who was signed Wednesday.
Manning returns for his 15th year and is buoyed by the prospects of throwing to a healthy Beckham; second-year tight-end Evan Engram; the speedy Sterling Shepard, who caught 59 passes as a slot target; and Barkley.
"I'm excited about the guys who are on this offense." Manning said. "The receivers, the offensive line, the playmakers we have. It looks good on paper, but we have to make sure we do what we need to do on the field.
"There's always expectations and no one has higher expectations than I do. You have to make the most of it each and every season."
Never in the 92-year history of the franchise had the Giants lost 13 games in a season. For the first time in 39 seasons Kawann Short Jersey , they will be led by a new head coach and general manager (Dave Gettleman) after Ben McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese were fired.
Gettleman, however, is undergoing treatment for lymphoma.
NOTES: Olivier Vernon, who will move from DE to a pass-rushing outside LB, said he will leave the national anthem policy to the commissioner and the NFL Players Association. Vernon was the only Giants player to take a knee every game last season. . Former special teams coordinator Tom Quinn is back. He is helping the club while current coordinator Thomas McGaughey deals with "health issues." ...There is some concern whether supplemental draft pick Sam Beal will play this season. The cornerback hurt a shoulder in rookie practices this week and might need surgery.
(Corrects spelling of Saquon Barkley)
Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly has been released from a New York City hospital a day after having surgery to prepare for permanent dentures to be inserted into his reconstructed upper jaw.Mount Sinai West head and neck surgeon Mark Urken said the procedure went well, in a statement released by the hospital on Friday.
Kelly's wife Sam Martin Jersey , Jill, says her husband is experiencing some swelling and adds: "Everything is moving forward as planned."
The procedure involved doctors adding tissue into the upper portion of his mouth. Kelly is scheduled to have permanent dentures inserted during a follow-up procedure in September.
Kelly has been unable to eat solid foods since March, when he had surgery to have cancer removed from his jaw after tests revealed a recurrence. The 58-year-old Kelly was initially diagnosed five years ago with oral cancer, and had been cancer free since September 2014.
Womens Billy Price JerseyFor Colin Campbell Torry Holt Jersey , going from Mike Keenan’s top assistant to head coach of the New York Rangers wasn’t a big move.
”I just had to move 10 feet to another office,” Campbell said.
Logistically it was simple, but in every other way it was an almost-impossible task. Campbell took over the Rangers after they ended a 54-year drought and paraded the Stanley Cup down Broadway because Keenan left in a contract dispute.
It’s a similar situation to the one Todd Reirden is walking into after the Washington Capitals promoted him from associate to head coach to replace Barry Trotz mere weeks after winning the Cup. Reirden is just the fourth new coach in the past 30 years to assume control of a Stanley Cup champion, a unique opportunity that presents problems Campbell, Scotty Bowman and Dave Lewis know well from their experiences.
Lewis succeeded Bowman after being his associate coach with the champion 2002 Detroit Red Wings, and Bowman stepped in for ”Badger” Bob Johnson after he led the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Cup in 1991 and had to take a leave of absence to fight cancer. All three had to balance the opportunity of taking over with the expectation of following a Cup-winning coach and the ensuing pressure.
”Besides replacing a legend, to be equal, you have to win the Stanley Cup, so it was a big challenge,” Lewis said. ”I was looking forward to the challenge Marcus Cooper Jersey , actually, of taking over a team, taking over a team that won a Stanley Cup and try to accomplish the same thing. I knew it would be very difficult.”
Or as Campbell pointed out: ”You can only tie. You can’t do better. Tying’s pretty good. You have to win a Cup just tie your performance from a year before.”
No pressure, Todd.
Only Bowman – who already had five Cup rings from the Montreal Canadiens’ 1970s dynasty – pulled it off and repeated. And even that was a different set of circumstances because as director of player development, Bowman only agreed to coach the Penguins until Johnson was able to resume coaching or succumbed to cancer.
”We wanted to have him keep fighting for his life,” Bowman said. ”When he passed away, we had not had a great start that second year. We had the Stanley Cup hangover, and the people that ran the team – the owners and that – they didn’t feel it was a good idea to put a guy in in November, early December. I only agreed to do it until one of those two things happened. But then when he passed away, they didn’t think it was easy for a young guy to come in that didn’t know the team. So I said Aaron Donald Jersey , `OK I’ll finish the season.’
Reirden is far more like Campbell and Lewis in that he was Trotz’s top assistant and the de-facto candidate to step in when change happened. Campbell and Lewis had plenty of experience and were familiar with players like Reirden, but neither had been an NHL head coach before and had to learn on the fly.
”Being an assistant coach, you communicate differently, you just organize things differently,” Lewis said. ”You can’t do is you can’t change your personality. The players know you as an assistant coach. They know you as a human being and how you react to things at an assistant level. So I guess the biggest adjustment is how to react to things as a head coach. … When you’re a head coach, everything falls on your shoulders.”
For some, that’s a natural fit. Bowman stepped right into the NHL with the expansion St. Louis Blues in 1967-68 and led them to the Cup Final three consecutive years.
Nine rings later, it’s clear the legendary Bowman just had a knack for this thing that helped him win with three different teams.
”When you’re an assistant coach, the thing is you’ve got to put your foot down right from the start,” Bowman said. ”You’re no longer an assistant coach.”
That’s just the beginning of the advice for Reirden Eddie Yarbrough Jersey , who at 47 has coached in the American Hockey League and spent eight years behind the bench as an assistant with Pittsburgh and Washington. When Trotz resigned and joined the New York Islanders, Reirden was the only candidate to be the Capitals’ coach – and now it’s his time to figure it out.
”It’s a challenge,” Lewis said. ”There’s no easy head-coaching jobs in the National hockey League. He knows the team. He’s been with them when they’ve been successful. He’s been with them when they’ve stumbled and had some failures. Just be yourself is my only advice that I can give.”
Campbell waited out a half-season lockout in 1994-95 and so badly wanted to win his head-coaching debut on banner-raising night – when he only found out after warmups captain Mark Messier would be in the lineup. Knowing a thing about pressure under the New York spotlight, Campbell hopes Reirden doesn’t pile up too much of it on himself.
”There would be pressure on Barry if he came back,” Campbell said. ”Don’t try to be like Barry. They were a goalpost from being down 3-0. They’re a good team, a deep team, but it’s tough to win the Cup. He knows that team, he knows those players. He doesn’t have to change anything. But he’s got to be Todd, not Barry or anybody else. He’s been around long enough. Just don’t put undue pressure on yourself, that’s all Christian Jones Jersey , because it’s tough.”
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The Kansas City Chiefs signed former Dolphins and Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne to a two-year contract on Friday, giving them a veteran backup for new starter Patrick Mahomes II.
The 32-year-old Henne was a second-round pick of Miami in 2008, and went on to start 31 games for the Dolphins. He appeared in 31 games and started 22 over the past five seasons in Jacksonville.
Henne is 18-35 as a starter, and his passing numbers are modest by any standard. But he still gives the Chiefs the kind of veteran backup they wanted for Mahomes, a second-year pro who is taking the starting job following the offseason trade of Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins.
Mahomes dazzled in his only start in Week 17, making the Chiefs comfortable dealing Smith away.
Womens Derrick Nnadi JerseyThe Tennessee Titans announced Friday that strength and conditioning coach Steve Watterson is retiring after 32 years with the franchise Nyheim Hines Jersey , and Tom Kanavy will take over after three seasons with the team.
Watterson joined the then-Houston Oilers in 1986 as strength and conditioning coordinator before becoming assistant coach in 1988. He moved with the franchise to Tennessee in 1997. He said in a statement it became came clear it was time to retire with the Titans starting their offseason program Monday.
Kanavy spent eight seasons as head of strength and conditioning for Minnesota and 11 years with Philadelphia as an assistant. He also worked at the University of Miami and Penn State.
With the Saints giving up a third-round pick for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (and a sixth-rounder), it’s fair to wonder whether other teams were pursuing the former Vikings starter.
It’s still not clear whether that was the case. Multiple sources have suggested the Dolphins pursued Bridgewater. Others insist the Dolphins didn’t.
The Jaguars, per one source Johnathan Joseph Jersey , also were involved to some degree. The specific extent isn’t known.
Regardless, no one was planning to make Bridgewater a starter. And, in theory Isaac Yiadom Jersey , he could still be traded by the Saints to another team, if that team’s starting quarterback suffers a serious injury.
Otherwise, the Saints have a chance to fully and completely assess Bridgewater as a future starter. Given how hard it is to find a true franchise quarterback Alfred Blue Jersey , the Saints are basically rolling the dice in the hopes of finding a guy who could take over for Drew Brees if need be, and man the position for a decade or longer.
Authentic Womens Calvin Ridley JerseyGolden State’s victory over Houston on Monday night to earn a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals averaged 14.8 million viewers for the TNT telecast, with the peak audience from 11 to 11:15 p.m. EDT. The network says Tuesday that only its coverage of the 2016 West finals Game 7 between the Warriors and Oklahoma City drew a larger audience for an NBA game on cable.
Overall, TNT’s 42 live playoff games averaged 4.9 million viewers, the network’s most-watched playoffs coverage since 2011.
ESPN averaged 13.3 million viewers for Cleveland’s Game 7 victory over Boston on Sunday, its second-best number ever behind only Miami’s clinching victory over Boston in 2012.
Donte DiVincenzo is adapting just fine to his changing life.He’s jet-setting from one NBA city to another, working out in front of curious coaches and inquisitive general managers. He’s more at ease now that he’s gotten past the big draft decision, and the 6-foot-4 guard finds it a little more challenging to go out Tyrone Crawford Jersey , too.
It’s all part of his new, professional world.
”I’m a lot more recognizable now,” DiVincenzo joked Friday in Indianapolis. ”I used to be able to go to the mall or the movies. Now I can’t really do that because people come up to me all the time. But it’s a good problem to have.”
Yes, success sometimes comes with a price. He also knows it could be much worse.
Not many 21-year-olds are introduced as a two-time NCAA champion and DiVincenzo is the only one who actually holds the title of the Final Four’s reigning Most Outstanding Player.
The tough guy who grew up in Delaware and stole the hearts of the Philadelphia fans with his gritty play, relentless effort and sensational shooting at Villanova must now prove himself all over again in front of some of the sport’s biggest names.
His audience Friday included two former decision-makers for the Indiana Pacers – Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird. Both still work for the team, though Kevin Pritchard is the team’s president of basketball operations.
Coach Nate McMillan and his assistants also monitored the workouts, which included Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop A'Shawn Robinson Jersey , Cincinnati’s Gary Clark and Central Florida’s A.J. Davis, the son of former Pacers player Antonio Davis.
But DiVincenzo was the feature attraction. He dazzled the small audience with another strong shooting performance, rekindling visions of the 31-point game he had on championship night as the Wildcats blew past Michigan for their second championship in three years.
And he thought he answered some of the questions league executives have been asking.
”Before the combine, there were a lot of questions about whether I could guard multiple positions,” he said. ”I think they can put me anywhere on the floor. I pride myself on defending and rebounding.”
The combine also convinced DiVincenzo it was time to leave school early.
After receiving one of 60 invitations to work out in Chicago, DiVincenzo was almost certain he should go. But there was one more step, meeting with Villanova coach Jay Wright Sam Acho Jersey , as the pressure mounted to make his decision official before the May 31 deadline.
”Personally, I knew before the deadline. I knew I was ready, but I didn’t want to make an irrational decision,” DiVincenzo said. ”If I wouldn’t have gotten an invite, it might have sent a message to me.”
Now he’s in, working out and hoping to improve his draft stock.
As for his plans on draft night, June 21 Jeff Heuerman Jersey , they haven’t been finalized. But a big blowout just isn’t DiVincenzo’s style.
”I might just have a small draft party in Philly,” he said.
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The versatile running back announced his retirement from playing in a humble and heartfelt post on Instagram early Saturday.
”10 years!” Woodhead wrote. ”Wow Josh Ferguson Jersey , God had crazy plans for a small little kid from North Platte, NE! It’s been a wild ride and feel so blessed He allowed me to do what I loved for so long. But now it’s time to say goodbye to the game I love.”
The 5-foot-8, 204-pound Woodhead had 2,238 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns, along with 300 catches for 2,698 yards and 17 scores while playing for the New York Jets, New England, San Diego and Baltimore. He added an exciting element to the offenses in which he played, able to run the ball through seemingly the smallest of holes or take a short pass and turn it into a long gain.
The 33-year-old Woodhead is also a devout Christian who leaned on his faith during the ups and downs of what became a successful NFL career.
”All I had to do was follow His plans for my life,” Woodhead wrote, ”and His plans were crazy awesome!”
Woodhead was a two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner at Chadron State in Nebraska as the top player in NCAA Division II. Despite his college success, he went undrafted in 2008 and signed with the Jets as a free agent.
Already a longshot to make the roster, Woodhead suffered a serious knee injury during a training camp practice and spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve. He recovered in time for camp the next summer and became a fan favorite as one of the Jets’ featured players on HBO’s ”Hard Knocks.” Woodhead made his NFL regular-season debut midway through the 2009 season.
He was released by New York early the next season because of a roster crunch, but New England quickly signed him. In three seasons with the Patriots, Woodhead established himself as a valuable part of Tom Brady’s offense. His 547 yards rushing and five TD runs in 2010 are both career highs.
Woodhead signed with the Chargers in 2013 and played parts of four seasons with them while thriving in the passing game with Philip Rivers. He caught 76 passes for 605 yards and six touchdowns in 2013, but missed all but three games the next season after breaking a leg during a game.
Woodhead returned the next season and had perhaps the best year of his career Brandin Cooks Jersey , with a personal-best 80 receptions for 755 yards and six TDs while also rushing for 336 yards and three more scores.
He was injured again, though, in Week 2 of the 2016 season when he tore a knee ligament against Jacksonville. Woodhead signed with Baltimore last offseason, but spent the first eight games on injured reserve while dealing with a hamstring injury. He finished with 33 catches for 200 yards and also ran for 56 yards in limited action with the Ravens.
In his farewell message, Woodhead thanked God, his wife Stacia – his high school sweetheart – and family, his agent Chris Gittings, along with all of his former coaches – singling them out by name – and former high school, college and NFL teammates.
”Without you guys, I never would’ve become who I was as a player,” he wrote. ”To all my o-linemen, you guys deserve the credit for anything that I received credit for. I thank you for helping make my career.”
Several former teammates congratulated Woodhead on social media, including Baltimore safety Eric Weddle, who played with him with the Chargers and Ravens, and Ravens free-agent tight end Benjamin Watson.
”Passionate, talented DeMarcus Ware Jersey , loyal, honest, God fearing, humble, family first, dedicated, funny, never serious, spontaneous, hard working is (at)danny–woodhead,” Weddle wrote on Twitter . ”Sad for my bro. Many yrs 2gether, but more memories to come. Thankful for ur friendship. Love you woody!!!!!!!!!”
Added Watson on Twitter : ”It was an honor to share the locker room with you last year. Thank you for your consistent witness, courage, and perseverance. Man we had some laughs. Well done brother. Congratulations!”
Woodhead closed by graciously thanking the medical personnel he worked with, as well as team employees and NFL fans.
”You’re the best and have always felt the love and support!” Woodhead wrote. ”I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few, but know that I’m thankful for everything everyone has done on my journey.”
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Artie Burns and Joe Haden don't believe the Pittsburgh Steelers have a clear-cut No. 1 cornerback.
The two feel they share that role.
Haden has been a top cornerback in the league throughout his career and Burns Martinas Rankin Jersey , a 2016 first-round pick, feels like he's starting to come into his own as he enters his third season. The two hope a full offseason and training camp together can help a young group of Steelers defensive backs regain some swagger.
"Right now, I'm just trying to show him the way I go about my business," Haden said. "Training camp is one of the biggest spots where we can see growth and we can see what the offseason did."
Haden spent his first seven pro seasons in Cleveland. He feels an entire spring of organized team activities and minicamp with Burns and the Steelers will only prove beneficial as the team works through training camp and the preseason.
"I'm trying to understand the whole defense, not just the corners and safety, but also the linebackers and defensive linemen," Haden said. "I'm just trying to get the whole system from the ground up and get an overall grasp of the defense."
Cleveland released Haden on the eve of the 2017 regular season and the Steelers immediately acted. They quickly signed the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback with the hope he could give a young secondary an instant jolt.
"Having a veteran guy in your room that got to the level everybody wants to get to," Burns said, "you kind of sit back and think that you can learn from him to get to that point."
The Steelers did just that last season.
Pittsburgh ranked 16th against the pass in 2016, but Haden provided a necessary boost as the Steelers ended fifth in passing yards allowed. A 45-point outburst by Jacksonville in the AFC divisional playoff marred an otherwise strong season.
"I think the communication was the biggest thing for us, just no blown coverages," Haden said. "In the Jacksonville game, there were a couple times where people were just running free. We have the ability, we have the players, we just have to be on the same page and make sure everybody's covering their man."
That has been the focus for Burns. He has carried a noticeably different, more confident swagger during training camp practices. He's still locked into regular one-on-one practice battles with four-time All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown Cole Beasley Jersey , a daily matchup Burns welcomes.
"Ever since I got here it's been a battle with (Brown)," Burns said. "It's just something I expect from myself. I don't even request it. I just step up, we go at it and go to work."
It has already paid off for the third-year cornerback.
Burns jumped Brown's slant route during the team's first padded practice and picked off Landry Jones's pass in the end zone. He also jumped a Ben Roethlisberger pass and came up with an interception that would've been returned for a touchdown.
Burns said that sort of intuition comes with experience.
"You can feel the speed of the receiver," Burns said. "A play can only go for so long, so once you figure out the timing of it, that's when you have a chance to make a play on the ball."
Burns seeks similar game-changing plays alongside Haden in the secondary this season.
"(Haden) is helping us in certain situations that he has already been put in before," Burns said. "That's what Joe is doing for us."
NOTES: Coach Mike Tomlin said Brown was sent to Pittsburgh to be evaluated for a "minor, day-to-day" injury. Brown missed the previous two practices with his undisclosed injury. Tomlin wouldn't say what sort of injury. ... S Morgan Burnett (hamstring), Sean Davis (groin), T.J. Watt (hamstring), Vance McDonald (foot) and Alejandro Villanueva (undisclosed) also missed practice on Thursday.
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