Colts owner Irsay: Patriots game will be "huge"

SAN FRANCISCO -- In case you haven't heard by now, the Indianapolis Colts once not long ago accused the New England Patriots of manipulating the air pressure in their footballs running up to their AFC Championship meeting in January.

After many long and trying dramas that have followed that accusation, including the regretful surrender of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who on Tuesday announced he will not pursue any appeal for his club's punishment in that affair, and the still pending appeal of quarterback Tom Brady surrounding his alleged guilt in the national tragedy known as DeflateGate, Colts owner Jim Irsay took to the microphone to rap about the two teams' rematch this coming season.

"The Patriots game will be a huge, huge, huge, game obviously," he said, via Boston Globe, speaking at the NFL Owners' Meetings. 

One of the issues discussed at the meetings have been the impartial handling of footballs, though Irsay declined to admit what was said about the issue. He did say, though, that "the chain of custody of footballs is watched closely." Commissioner Roger Goodell did not comment on what was said about the concern.

What could make the matchup between these two clubs even more monumental is the fact that, if Brady's appeal is overturned, his first game back will be the primetime squabble at the Colts. 

Which surely wouldn't involve tens of thousands of Colts fans brandishing deflated footballs in the stands, or placards that tease Brady about his balls, right?

Jets: Chan Gailey says Geno Smith the starter

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- There's one team in the AFC East that feels it has no questions about who will start at quarterback when the regular season arrives.

Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said on Wednesday there will be no competition for the position, according to New York Post. Why not, you ask?

"Because Geno's the starter," he said.

Which reminds us how Jets G.M. Mike Maccagnan said the opposite in March after the club traded for former Bills starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, who played for Gailey when both were with Buffalo. But with Fitzpatrick out of camp for the time being as he nurses a broken leg, there really isn't much else to do right now.

A former West Virginia standout, Smith has tallied 25 touchdowns against 34 interceptions in his two professional campaigns, passing for 5,571 yards, though did secure the Jets' all-time mark for rookie passing yardage (3,046). He's lost 7 of his 16 total fumbles, but apparently the Jets still like what he can provide. Which, up to now, hasn't been much.

Giants: Landon Collins ready to prove doubters wrong

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - With the Giants' secondary in the condition it's in, the team felt it worth their while to trade up seven picks in the second round to take Alabama safety Landon Collins.

That, despite his moniker coming out of school that he was an "in the box" playmaker, that he needed some time to develop his pass coverage skills. That rumor spread like wildfire among teams come draft time, likely the reason he didn't go in the opening round, where Mel Kiper insisted the Eagles would pick him at No. 20.

"It bothers me, because I know I'm not a box safety," Collins told Monday Morning Quarterback. "I can play in the box, but I'm not a box safety. When I started hearing that, I told the teams, 'You can look at the film. I'm not a box safety.'"

Count defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo as someone who believed him.

"I know people were tagging him as that box safety," he said. "I didn't see that. I really didn't. Sometimes people just want to put guys in categories. I don't really want to do that right now."

In the box or out, Collins will likely face Dez Bryant or Jason Witten in Week 1 when the Cowboys and Giants face off, so he'll get an early lesson in humility. He's the biggest name in that secondary right now, and the Giants need something to improve on their 29th ranked defense that doomed their campaign last time out. Collins, in that confidence known only to rookies, says he's the man for the job.

"I'm about to showcase why I'm not a box safety, and why I should have been in the first round," he said. "The Giants know they got the best safety that came out in the draft."

Bengals' Jeremy Hill: "It's now or never"

CINCINNATI - So close, yet so far have the Cincinnati Bengals been in recent years in their quest for their first Super Bowl championship.

For four straight seasons this club has been in postseason contention behind quarterback Andy Dalton and head coach Marvin Lewis, and four straight seasons they were excused in the first weekend.

Any sense of urgency that should be felt in that town seems to be felt the greatest by the guy who has only seen one of those defeats, second-year back Jeremy Hill.

"It's now or never," he told ESPN. "It's been four years in a row, and if it doesn't happen this year, then it's probably never going to happen. That's the mentality and the sense of urgency that we bring in every day. Something has to change."

What won't change is the man leading them from the sideline, who owner Mike Brown, son of Paul, who founded the franchise after being fired from his namesake Browns by Art Modell, has seen fit to keep around for twelve years, even signing him through 2016. 

The Queen City has failed to secure a victory in the playoffs since 1990, the longest drought running in pro football.

"Getting to the playoffs every year, that's cool and all, but we want to get to the next level," Hill added. "The sense of urgency needs to pick up and just the get-up and the want-to-do it. Everyone has that mentality right now and that's going to definitely help us going into the season."

These Bengals have the talent to get into a fifth straight playoff berth, but if they get bounced again on that first Sunday, somebody in that front office may just get the brilliant idea to go shopping for a new head coach.

Cowboys: Jason Witten voices support, but does not name, Greg Hardy

IRVING, Tex. - Cowboys tight end Jason Witten knows a thing or two about domestic violence. His childhood was touched by it directly as he saw his mother abused by his father growing up in Tennessee. 

His SCORE Foundation has worked to help families that have been subjected to it themselves.

So, when the Cowboys signed up convicted-then-dropped-on-appeal seasoned campaigner in the art of woman beating, Greg Hardy, one had to wonder what the 11-time Pro Bowl selection had in mind.

"I think, more than anything, I think everybody knows [I'm against] domestic violence. That's unwavering," Witten said on Sunday. "But that guy is a teammate of mine, so I think you have to look at it from that standpoint."

"That guy," who Witten notably failed to refer to by name, was found guilty of a domestic violence charge in North Carolina, but his charges were dropped when Ms. Holder, his accuser, failed to show herself during a jury appeal.

Hardy is appealing the suspension that will keep him out the first 10 games of this season, re-instating him in time for the Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day meeting with the Panthers, his old club. 

Witten showed predictable support for who he called "the guy" twice and "He" or "Him" nine more times when he spoke, so he's being a good teammate in welcoming him, whatever his name is.

Eagles: Malcolm Jenkins likes what he sees in secondary

PHILADELPHIA - Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins is the only name remaining on the roster that has withstood Chip Kelly's personnel blitzkrieg that had so many defensive backs looking for their luggage.

Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams are missing from the corners, replaced by Walter Thurmond and Byron Maxwell; safety Nate Allen is history after four years with the club and a cavalcade of draft selections found three more cornerbacks join the fold. 

Jenkins likes what he has seen thus far, probably because he's still there.

"No one player is bigger than the team, and that's me included," he said on Sunday, via CSNPhilly.com. "Every move he [Kelly] makes is to make the team better, so I can live with any decision that he makes because I know that's where it comes from.

Jenkins tallied 80 combined tackles and three interceptions against 15 defended passes (his career-high) with Philadelphia since signing in March of last year from the Saints.

But, if the two-time All Pro and Super Bowl champion with New Orleans knows anything being around the Eagles this offseason, anybody can go at anytime, and his name could be called next.

"Even if down the road that [the next move] ended up being me, I understand that I'm not bigger than the team and nobody is necessarily safe."

And if Chip Kelly's wizardy fails to produce at least a playoff berth come December, he may find himself looking for a new ZIP code.

Redskins: Jay Gruden likes what he sees from Brandon Scherff

With defensive end Leonard Williams still on the board when the No. 5 overall selection came around, and the Redskins picking tackle Brandon Scherff instead, some of the eyebrows that adorn the faces of draft predictors found themselves raised.

And with anyone taken that high usually presumed to start on Day 1, current Washington right tackle Tom Compton may be finding himself nervous for his job as rookie camp starts. Especially after what head coach Jay Gruden said about Scherff on Saturday.

"We'll find a spot for him, but obviously we start him out at right tackle," Gruden said, via CSN Washington, adding, "Tom Compton is going to have something to say about that."

Scherff featured at Iowa on the left side and Compton in Washington last year on the right alongside Morgan Moses, but inexperience would likely not put a rookie out on the blind side, where any line must be its strongest and surest.

That said, Gruden likes what he sees already from their first-round pick, maturation-wise.

"He studies very hard, he takes coaching extremely well, and he's got the best coach to coach him up," he said. "But I think you see the progress from yesterday [Friday] morning to yesterday afternoon to today, it's a significant change for him already. And I think he's going to continue to get better."

A welcome prognosis for any protection that stands between Robert Griffin III and his would-be fourth NFL injury as the Redskins look to tussle in a very competitive NFC East.

@MrJamesParks

Eagles have all their draft picks signed up

PHILADELPHIA - Eagles head coach Chip Kelly likes to talk and call plays quickly, so it comes as no surprise that the little man already has all his draft picks signed up and ready to go for the coming season lickety-split.

Linebacker Jordan Hicks of Texas, a third-round selection, was the last name to be inked to the club, putting the final touch on Kelly's first draft as the head personnel man.

Kelly noted that Hicks was his highest rated player "by far" going into the draft, meeting with the former Longhorn several times, who he says can be a three-down player to bring some needed depth to the Eagles' linebacking corps.

Mychal Kendricks, DeMeco Ryans, and Kiko Alonso are all penciled in at the inside spot. Alonso was brought over from the Bills in the deal that saw LeSean McCoy leave town, Ryans is 30-years-old and coming off a season-ending Achilles tear, and Kendricks has been the butt of several trade rumors. 

Connor Barwin and Brandon Graham are expected to head up the unit this season, part of the team's vaunted front seven.

Redskins: Jason Hatcher really likes Brandon Scherff

ASHBURN, Va. - When the Redskins picked offensive lineman Brandon Scherff with the No. 5 selection in the NFL Draft, most saw it another solid fundamental pickup by general manager Scot McCloughan, a "meat and potatoes" pick as Bill Polian would say.

Or, as defensive end Jason Hatcher would say more bluntly, "a hell of a pick."

Hatcher, picked up by the team in March of last year, sees the Scherff addition as a return to the tough-playing style that harkens back to the team's heritage.

"We're slowly but surely getting back to our old 'Hogs' Redskins days," he told CSN Washington. "Our offensive line has gotten bigger and bigger every year."

He noted Scherff could be one of the guys opening up "huge holes" this year for Alfred Morris and Robert Griffin III. 

"He's nasty," Hatcher said of the unanimous All-American. "I like that. He's a rookie, but just watching him, man, he's really gained my respect. He loves to play the game of football. I'm looking forward to see what he can do this year."

Scherff was a pocket-sealing blocker at Iowa, equally adept at protecting the run and pass, something Washington has needed for some time, finishing at the bottom of the NFC East race in five of the last six seasons. And anything that will keep RGIII on his feet a second or two longer in the pocket will be a welcome addition this fall.

Titans sign up RBs David Cobb, Jalson Fowler

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Fifth-round tailback David Cobb and the Tennessee Titans have agreed to terms on Thursday, the team announced.

Cobb finished his collegiate career at Minnesota with 2,893 yards and 20 touchdowns, averaging over five yards per attempt. He added 339 yards receiving over four years.

He was an All-Big Ten second-teamer in 2014 before being selected by Tennessee at No. 138 overal in the draft.

Gil Brandt of NFL Media labelled Cobb a potential 1,000 yard rusher and first-day starter, though he'll have some competition when he gets there with last season's back Bishop Sankey, who underwhelmed his last time out.

The Titans could use some help in that backfield, a unit that posted the seventh-worst rush last season (90.4 ypg) behind Sankey, and 29th in total offense. The club also inked fourth-rounder Jalston Fowler, a powerful. 53-game fullback from Alabama.

With the disappointment in Sankey and Shonn Greene in declining years, Cobb and Fowler could find themselves competing for valuable playing time as the club looks to bolster their chances in the AFC South race with signal caller Marcus Mariota under center.

Jay Gruden says RGIII should make a "big jump" this year

ASHBURN, Va. - When the Washington Redskins picked up the fifth-year option on quarterback Robert Griffin III, many took it as a sign the club still had faith in him to repeat his rookie season exploits.

One of those who is starting to have faith in him is head coach Jay Gruden, who, despite hinting last season that Griffin may not be the right fit for his system, had some positive words for his quarterback coming into the 2015 campaign.

"Going into Year 2 in this system should be a big jump, you know," Gruden said through the Washington Post. 

"You're not really thinking about who's where, what's my footwork. Everything should come a lot more natural for you, and hopefully, we see that transition from year one to year two in this system with the terminology and knowing where to go with your footwork and anticipation of getting the ball out quicker. Hopefully, that comes."

All things Gruden worried his quarterback would be unable to muster last season.

That the team said "Yes" to his option should relieve some of thse worries Griffin had about his place within the franchise, and now some positive feedback from his coach seem to have the Redskins heading into a new season with some glimmer of hope.

Which could all change, of course, should he find himself sitting out with his fourth major injury.

Bengals sign QB Terrelle Pryor

CINCINNATI - The wobbling and wearisome NFL career of Terrelle Pryor isn't over just yet.

Pryor was signed by the Bengals on Sunday after being cut by the Chiefs, who signed him four months ago. He was with Oakland the three previous seasons, compiling nine touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 15 games, 10 of which he started. 

A gifted athlete who had a stellar career at Ohio State, came to the Bengals for a minicamp tryout, and apparently they liked what they saw. He'll serve as backup behind Andy Dalton, alongside AJ McCarron and Josh Johnson.

There was some talk among team officials that he could be fit into the team at another position, something the 25-year-old says he won't consider.

"If I can't play quarterback, I can't play football," Pryor said at the workout. 

Something he may prove in his time in Cincinnati.