By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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For the Dolphins, 2017 is about building on last season’s wild-card berth. But for the organization, it’s also been about connecting with the surrounding communities in ways no other franchise has ever done.

Miami’s pro football team stepped outside of the conventional charity box (think building neighborhood playgrounds and houses) by reaching out to and inviting youth teams from the city’s roughest sections, including inviting a squad co-founded by rapper and activist Luther Campbell, to watch Dolphins practices in person and interact with the team’s players. From there, the Dolphins have moved into the civic realm, looking to lead by example via a voter registration drive with some help from special guest Martin Luther King III. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Reuben Foster‘s journey has been quite the contrast.

One of America’s top collegiate linebackers. A crushing loss in the national title game. A projected top-10 pick in the NFL draft. Nearly falling out of the first round entirely.

That last part had a lot to do with a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery that left lingering questions about his viability, both in the short and long term. He’s since been rehabbing with his eyes on training camp. And no news is good news for Foster. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Tom Savage knew the message as well as anyone when the Texans traded up to draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2017 draft.

But he wasn’t about to blow a gasket and his best chance of starting in the NFL.

“I mean, obviously, you get motivated,” he told Bruce Murray and Brady Quinn on the SiriusXM Blitz. “We’re all competitors here and if you didn’t have a little chip on your shoulder, you don’t have a pulse, really. And that’s kind of the mindset I had for it.

“But I also learned a valuable lesson early on my college career, high school career, and that’s you don’t bite the hand that feeds you. So you go out there and you compete and you work your tail off, and the cream will rise to the top, and that’s kind of the mindset that I have.” Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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We’ve yet to reach July, but we’ve had a second mild scare related to No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett.

The defensive end appeared to injure his foot during minicamp on Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala. Garrett walked the full sideline, high-fived some teammates and walked off the field with a slightly more pronounced limp as the team moved indoors due to inclement weather, Kinkhabwala added. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Pittsburgh’s top pick is officially a Steeler.

T.J. Watt has signed his rookie contract, the team announced Wednesday. The deal is for four years, though financial terms were not disclosed. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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We’re almost three full months into the new league year, and yet, we’ve seen a spike in recruiting since the start of June.

Earlier this week, it was LeSean McCoy going straight to the ‘Gram to prove he was trying to sell Jeremy Maclin on joining the Buffalo Bills. On Saturday, it was Dez Bryant‘s turn to try to lure a vet to his team — only he decided to leap into a cornerback’s Twitter mentions.

Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Dorial Green-Beckham‘s time in Philadelphia might be running out, but in the receiver’s opinion, he’s just getting started as an Eagle.

“I’m looking at the numbers,” Green-Beckham said Friday, via the Philadelphia Inquirer, “but I really haven’t had the chance to actually get the [opportunities] just getting there last year. I’m just getting the feel for playing with this team.”

Green-Beckham was dealt by the Titans to the receiver-needy Eagles in 2016 after the wideout wore out his welcome in Nashville. Eagles GM Howie Roseman said then that the organization knew the receiver needed to “get more consistent.” The result: 36 catches for 392 yards and two touchdowns, but the prevailing sentiment that Philadelphia desperately needed new blood at receiver remained. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Fans of star-on-star matchups, rejoice!

We’re primed for at least two Josh Norman/Odell Beckham hypefests, and another pair of Norman/Dez Bryant showdowns after new Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Manusky told reporters he’ll have his corners moving around the field to shadow specific receivers.

“It’s hard for them to travel at times, but will we do that? Yeah,” Manusky said, via ESPN. Continue reading →