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Free-agent corner Justin Gilbert suspended one year

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Justin Gilbert‘s road back to an NFL field continues to become more difficult.

Less than two months after being suspended four games by the NFL for violation of the league’s Substances of Abuse policy, the former eighth-overall pick had his suspension increased to one year by Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday for again violating the league’s policy, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Gilbert must apply for reinstatement before he can possibly return to the NFL in 2018, Rapoport added. Continue reading →

Top 100 Players, Nos. 11-20: Derek Carr’s meteoric rise

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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We’re inside the final 20 of the Top 100 Players of 2017, which is where things really start to get fun. And my, how a year can change everything.

That was the prevailing sentiment as the Oakland Raiders sprinted to a Wild Card berth and looked like a legitimate Super Bowl contender until Derek Carr was cut down by a broken leg. Oakland washed away the sins of a decade of putrid football in returning to the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season, with much of the credit due to Carr. It’s no surprise, then, that the quarterback is in this Top 100 ranking, just as he was the year prior.

But No. 11?? Continue reading →

Glover Quin hopeful for extension with Detroit Lions

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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In Glover Quin‘s opinion, he’s like a fine wine.

While running backs are cast off upon reaching 30, and veterans at other positions start to decline after hitting the big 3-0, the 31-year-old Quin thinks he’s still in his prime — and is looking for a payday to match it.

Quin joined the Lions on a five-year, $23.5 million deal in 2013, signed at age 27 when defensive backs are considered to be at their peak. Quin is aging gracefully, though, which he credits to the nature of his position. Continue reading →

Ryan Shazier wants CBA changes for rookie deals

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Odell Beckham spent last week shooting down suggestions that his absence from Giants OTAs had to do with money.

Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, who didn’t miss OTAs, decided to take a more proactive approach to what he sees as a lack of opportunity for first-round picks. Shazier, the 15th overall selection in the 2014 draft class that also included Beckham and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, believes the next collective bargaining agreement should allow for more wiggle room on rookie contracts. Continue reading →

Dolphins aim for first roster of fully registered voters

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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 →

Kyle Shanahan: Reuben Foster will be ready for camp

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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 →

Savage on Watson pick: Don’t bite the hand that feeds

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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 →

Myles Garrett limps off field with apparent foot injury

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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 →

Top 100 Players, Nos. 21-30: Gronk still ranked among the best

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By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Last week, we unveiled another set of 10 of the Top 100 Players of 2017, but one of them didn’t appreciate it very much.

While it was understandably frustrating to spend the season on the sideline and likely aggravating for J.J. Watt to see himself still ranked high — considering the standard to which he holds himself — it also was a great compliment paid to him by his peers. Whether he appreciated it doesn’t matter much, but it’s interesting, because in this week’s group, we have a couple of players who also spent significant time on the sideline, yet they’re still ranked among the top 30.

Rob Gronkowski and Earl Thomas missed a combined 13 games in 2016. Gronkowski went down after only eight games, which at the time led many to seriously question New England’s ability to contend. Newsflash: It didn’t hurt much, seeing as the Patriots celebrated the franchise’s fifth Super Bowl triumph last week at owner Robert Kraft’s home.

The loss of Thomas hurt Seattle’s secondary, but not enough to keep the Seahawks out of the playoffs. Watt’s injury also didn’t keep the Texans from winning the AFC South.

Continue reading →