Gruden: RGIII growing more patient

We live in an era of instant gratification. 

Every virtue and vice lay only a click away and commentators in every medium routinely decry the present generation has one of entitlement.

Patience, then, is rendered a kind of social sin, an awkward and unpleasant feeling to be evaded as soon as possible.

A sentiment Redskins head coach Jay Gruden would like to disassociate from his starting quarterback, Robert Griffin III. Entering his fourth professional season, Griffin has seen himself as destined by his lofty draft status and natural ability to be an NFL quarterback almost by right.

Jay Gruden needed some convincing.

He hasn't been afraid to sit his quarterback when he thought his performance didn't warrant his starting, and hasn't been shy about voicing his opinions on his progression, or lack thereof, in public. He's the second 'Skins head coach to sneak something negative in conversation with reporters about the kid. 

After naming him the starter for 2015, Gruden said he would give Griffin the opportunity to find his own way in his second go-round in the offensive scheme. For the plan to work, the coach said, he himself has to be as patient as he expects his quarterback to be.

That, he says, could take some work.

"He's not used to failure," Gruden said. "He's very competitive. It has an effect on him. He wants to be the best, and he's got a long way to go to be that. But he still has the confidence and still the swagger where he thinks he can be, and he's starting to realize he has to put the work in and he has a lot to learn."

So Gruden's No. 1 job this preseason is to coerce that swagger and ability into waiting for the play to develop in front of him rather than he making the play himself every time. His unwillingness to do that at times in his brief career has compromised his chances in becoming what the team hoped he would be when they made those trades for him on draft day, 2012.

Griffin has shown that improvement so far in the spring, establishing himself with more confidence in the pocket in OTAs, locating receivers with greater ease, staying patient, and making better decisions overall. Training camp revealed some inconsistencies, but it has only been two days.

"[F]or the most part, when you play quarterback in this league, you're gonna have to stand in there and make some throws on third down and in the red zone," Gruden said. "Anticipate some windows -- make your reads and change your protections, pick up a blitz, make some things happen off-schedule. That's just continuing to grow as a quarterback."

But no man is an island.

Gruden is also hoping the improvements the Redskins think they made at the positions around Griffin this offseason will help ease him into his starting role as he finds himself in it.

"We can't put all the pressure on the quarterback," Gruden said. "There's only a few quarterbacks in the league that can handle that, and those guys are gonna be first-ballot Hall of Famers.

"The rest of them, they need help. They need help with the running game, some quick-element throws where the receivers do the work for them, screens, good play-action shot plays, good strong defense. If we win 17-13, who gives a [expletive]? We just gotta win."

It's that simple. Especially for a 4-12 team manned by an oft-injured signal caller. He got his fifth-year option, but it's guaranteed for injury, and that $16.2 million that comes with the signature won't be in the mail if Griffin isn't much more the player they imagined they got when they drafted him.

And that means his being patient. The Redskins certainly have been.

Redskins' Bashaud Breeland had a bad day

Ever have one of those days?

Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland did -- two of them, actually.

He was told by the NFL on Thursday that he would miss one game this coming season for his violation of their substance abuse policy relating to a marijuana arrest in August 2014.

Pot is illegal still in the national game, so Breeland will sit the Redskins' season-opener against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 13 for his sins before being allowed to join the team the next day.

Then, on Friday, he tripped and fell.

Rather easily. His knee collapsed beneath him on a cut against a receiver on the team's second day of training camp practice in Richmond, Va. He was carted off the field after the non-contact injury.

As of Friday evening, there has been no announcement about the extent of his injury or how long he'll miss action.

A rookie last season out of Clemson, Breeland started 15 games, recording 69 tackles and two interceptions for Washington. He looks to be a feature this coming year in their defensive secondary that looks to be improved from a poor showing against the pass in 2014.

"He's going to learn from this," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said after the announcement of his suspension.

Chip Kelly adds variety in Eagles backfield

Chip Kelly doesn't use many running backs unless he really has to.

If you can carry the ball continually and for positive yardage, he pretty much lets you do it until you drop.

When he assumed the head coaching position of the Eagles, there was a plentiful selection of tailbacks on his roster, all decently talented. But it was LeSean McCoy who got the lion's share of carries: 314 rush attempts in 2013, the most in football, and only two less the following year. 

McCoy left for Buffalo the Eagles' all-time leading rusher for his trouble.

Even after Darren Sproles had a gangbuster's start to 2014, Kelly slowly nudged the ball out of his hands and back into McCoy's, where it largely stayed.

That point of view can come back to haunt a coach and his team, with all players at every position, in theory, one injury away from oblivion. 

"We probably relied on one [running back] too much the last couple of years," Kelly said.

So he overhauled the backfield much the same way he did the defensive secondary, linebacking group, and quarterback position. DeMarco Murray, who led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns in 2014 with the Cowboys, and Ryan Mathews were brought over in the free agency period.

"I have great confidence in those guys," he said. "When they go in a game, you don't have to change what you're doing. Ryan and DeMarco are very similar in terms of how they run and what they're doing. You think you'll catch your breath when you get DeMarco out of a game but then here comes Ryan. That's going to be a really difficult match for people."

Running back depth was something that eluded Kelly at Oregon. In his first season in charge of the Ducks, Jonathan Stewart led the team in rushes, followed by his quarterback, Dennis Dixon. LaMichael James had the team largely to himself in 2009 after LaGarrette Blount threw a punch in the Ducks' first game. James was followed again by his quarterback, this time Jeremiah Masoli.

Kelly leaned heavily again on James in 2010 for 294 rushes, with backup Kenjon Barner's 91 rushes far behind. Barner edged closer the next season, before taking over in 2012, with quarterback Marcus Mariota the No. 2 ball carrier.

That sort of domination and single-mindedness at the position, and the reliance on the quarterback to supply enough secondary rushing yards of his own, can be a winning formula in college. But the NFL is another matter, as Kelly heard endlessly when he brought his "peculiar" offense to the professional ranks to the skepticism of so-called experts.

But Chip Kelly seems to be changing his view this season. Sproles remains from 2014, and can be a speedy, elusive wild-card catching passes from the backfield and zooming downfield on screen plays behind blocks. 

He'll be the No. 3 option behind Murray and Mathews. That's a threesome that will almost guarantee the Eagles don't produce a single-season rushing leader, but it will provide a much-needed balance that could age both their main backs a little slower and fend off those injuries that come with an every-down rusher.

Redskins add Junior Galette

The Washington Redskins think they may finally have their desired pass rush in tact and are on their way to producing a contending defensive front seven.

The team signed outside linebacker Junior Galette to their roster on Friday, after the Saints released him this week following the leak of a 2013 video that shows him allegedly beating a woman with a belt in Miami.

Galette will receive $745,000, the one-year minimum for a four-year veteran.

"This deal isn't about the money," agent Alvin Keels said. "Junior feels that he has a lot to prove both on and off of the field."

The signature comes after the Redskins hosted him to their camp as it opened in Richmond to give him a physical and get a feel of what, if anything, the NFL would do punishment-wise after that video's revelation.

"Whatever the decision is, we'll live with it," Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said.

Galette had been the best pass rusher for the Saints in recent years, notching 22 sacks in his last two seasons. He was given a four-year contract extension worth $41 million for that effort, but the latest in a series of off-field incidents, and what they thought was an overall lack of professionalism, gave them enough reason to part ways.

Enough reason, also, for the Saints to take a $17 million salary cap hit just to get rid of him. That kind of attitude makes one wonder what Washington sees in him.

Redskins G.M. Scot McCloughan had made a point in his first year with the club that he would avoid drafting or signing any players who had character issues, saying "thanks, but no thanks" to pass rusher Randy Gregory in April's draft. But McCloughan also said he would tenuously make an exception if the right leadership were in place to guide that prospective player.

After rewarding Ryan Kerrigan with a multi-year extension on Wednesday, the Redskins feel they have that leadership right where they want it, so were willing to take a risk on Galette.

But what the Saints say he lacks in maturity, he makes up for between the lines. A deeply passionate player and hard worker, Galette is a commodity any franchise would place high value on. 

Pro Football Focus ranked Galette their fifth-overall pass rusher last season. Though his play is up-and-down, he can get to opposing quarterbacks with relative ease and can disrupt the pocket. An area of improvement could be against the rush -- he has the habit of over-pursuing the backfield and ending up late against quick handoffs. 

Those skills will come in handy for a Redskins defensive unit that allowed 8.2 yards per attempt through the air, second-worst in football, snagged only seven interceptions, the second-fewest, and allowed 35 thrown touchdowns, the most.

But there's one place Galette could help improve this team immediately: sacks.

Washington secured 36 sacks last season, among the bottom third of all teams. If Galette plays anywhere near as well as he did last year (10 sacks), he, along with Kerrigan's 13.5 tally from 2014, could propel the Redskins into the top-5 league-wide in sacks.

That combination of getting into the pocket and sealing the deal is an element that may find the Redskins sneaking up from fourth place in the NFC East this season.

Giants' co-owner confident in Manning deal

Giants quarterback Eli Manning is set to make $17 million this season and count against their salary cap for $19.75 million. After that, it's anybody's guess.

There's yet to be a sighting between anybody from the Giants and anybody representing Manning meeting each other to discuss an extension for the two-time Super Bowl winner.

But Giants co-owner John Mara is confident a deal is forthcoming.

"I think we'll get it done at some point in time," he said, via N.J.com. "We're just going through the usual things that you go through. The agent asks for the moon and we make a reasonable offer. At some point, he'll come to his senses and we'll end up making an agreement. There's nothing unusual about this."

The man asking the Giants for the moon in this case is Tom Condon, who himself has been calm and confident during the proceedings, or lack thereof.

The word around New York had been that negotiations would begin and a deal signed before training camp began. That being Friday, it seems unlikely. It takes more than a day to ask for the moon and be talked into your senses.

Mara noted that "in a perfect world" a deal would be struck by the end of the coming season. But even then, if no agreement exists, he didn't seem terribly worried, adding that he expects Manning to end his career with the franchise.

"We want him to be here and finish his career as a Giant," he said. "And I'm sure he wants the same thing."

With the deafening silence between all parties concerned, however, it's hard to tell what anyone wants at this point.

Victor Cruz expects to be involved at Giants camp

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- With the New York Giants' offense looking to take a major step forward this season under second-year coordinator Ben McAdoo, they'll need every man they can get their hands on to contribute.

Wide receiver Victor Cruz has been persistent that he would do everything in his power to stay off the physically-unable-to-perform list as training camp begins.

That hope has been fulfilled as the Giants file into camp, and Cruz, speaking to the assembled press on Thursday, said he's "93 percent" of the way to returning to the field full-time.

Cruz was carted off the field in Philadelphia last season in a Sunday night contest after he tore his patellar tendon on a failed touchdown grab, and has been rehabbing the affected knee every day since then.

He's expected to be an on-field participant when the Giants suit up for their first workout on Friday, but the team will be extremely cautious as they ease him back onto the roster.

Redskins' "puppy" Trent Murphy in Gruden's sights

After the Redskins inked outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan to a well-funded extension, the focus turned to the opposite side of the field.

Trent Murphy started at right outside backer in 2014, his rookie season. In eight starts, he tallied 32 tackles and forced two fumbles before breaking a bone in his right hand and missing the last game of the year.

But he's been getting positive attention this offseason after a good showing at OTAs and minicamp. 

"Bigger, faster, stronger" has been the refrain for the Stanford product as he looks to lock down the starting nod at his position, and be potentially the breakout story for the Redskins this season.

And as training camp opened on Thursday, the right people are starting to take notice.

"Trent Murphy has done a really excellent job," head coach Jay Gruden said in his meeting with reporters before the team's first practice in Richmond.

"In OTAs, he probably had about 15 sacks -- would've been sacks if we let the whistle blow. He's really put on some weight. He's stronger. He looks a little quicker. And he's got great knowledge of the system."

Gruden took special notice of Murphy's work ethic.

"He's like a puppy," he said. "He just gets in the weight room and he's just gonna get stronger and stronger and he's gonna become an angry dog here before too long."

Technically, the job is open to competition between Murphy and Preston Smith, the Redskins' second-round selection in the 2015 draft. But Gruden said it would take a serious showing for anyone to take Murphy out of that job as it stands today.

"Trent's gonna be a tough guy to get out of that lineup," he said. 

"He plays hard, he's a physical guy, he's long, and he can move around quite a bit. Preston, we're excited about what he can do, and we got some young guys that played a lot last year that had to play when [Brian] Orakpo got hurt and Trent got hurt, so those guys will also compete, too."

Healthy at last, Jordan Reed to have big impact

RICHMOND, Va. -- Entering his third NFL season, Redskins tight end Jordan Reed is yet to appear in a full 16-game campaign. 

He missed four of the first five games of 2014 with a left hamstring pull and a Week 12 contest with a right hamstring injury, before appearing in the team's final five games.

But he was all smiles as he reported for the first day of training camp on Thursday, saying he feels "great."

"I'm excited, man," he said. "My goal is to play all 16 games and help this team out."

He says his experience away from the field has taught him how to avoid injury in the future.

"What I learned these first two years is it's going to take a lot of maintenance and getting a lot of treatment, staying after and taking care of my body, listening to my body and focusing on playing my game," he said. "I feel like I can give a lot to the team if I'm out there every week. I can make some mismatch problems."

Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said as much when he spoke with reporters as camp opened. But he also showed concern for his injury history, and for what remains for to him to improve at his position.

"He's a big part of our offense when he's healthy," Gruden said. "We just gotta try and do a good job of making him healthy. He's gotta do a good job of maintaining his strength and point of attack blocking and all that, so he can be a well-rounded tight end. But as far as a pass-catching tight end, he's up there with the tops in the league. We just have to keep him healthy."

Pass catching has been Reed's strength during his short career. As a rookie, he made his mark on third-down plays, snagging an average of 11.1 yards per reception, compiling 45 catches for 499 yards and all three of his career touchdowns.

While his receiving ability and power remains largely unquestioned, Gruden added again that the issue that remains is for the Redskins to expand his skillset. That means improving his blocking. 

"He's a great weapon for us," Gruden said. "Keep him healthy. He's gotta continue to get better as a blocker, number one. But, as far as the passing game's concerned, he's a threat. No doubt. He can run the option routes, the choice routes on the inside. He can line up on the outside and create mismatch problems for safeties or linebackers."

Logan Paulsen is their best blocking tight end and Niles Paul put on 15 pounds in the offseason to prepare him for the task, as well. That extra blocking will serve to assist what Gruden and others have promised will be a more power-heavy run game behind Alfred Morris.

A new scheme coaches hope will give Robert Griffin III more time and confidence to establish himself in the pocket.

But first comes health. So much of the Redskins' offensive gameplan this season rests on Jordan Reed's ability to stay healthy. He's rehabbed his knee and hamstring all this offseason.

"I feel 100 percent," he said. "I'm ready to go."

Eagles' Brandon Graham thinks Tim Tebow will play "a lot"

Eagles linebacker Brandon Graham thinks current third-string quarterback Tim Tebow will be much more than the camp arm Mark Sanchez thought he would be this spring.

With all the attention on Sanchez and Sam Bradford competing for the No. 1 competition, there hasn't been that much attention on the former Heisman Trophy winner lately. 

"Tim Tebow is going to shock a lot of people, because he is going to make the team," Graham told Detroit radio personality Lauren Beasley. "And I think he will play a lot."

It would be quite a hard road for him to be in contention for the main spot behind center, though many believe that his particular skill set could keep him on the roster this season.

Tebow was a duel-threat quarterback at Florida and during his short stint in the NFL, and his power-running ability could pose him as a distinct threat in some short yardage situations as a ball carrier.

But his future with the Eagles as a starting quarterback will only come in the event of injuries to both men currently in front of him on the depth chart. Which in Philadelphia would be the equivalent of a ten-alarm fire.

Gruden: DeAngelo Hall will help Redskins' cornerbacks

One of the more pressing situations the Washington Redskins faced coming into training camp was the improvement of their passing defense, a unit that in 2014 permitted the most touchdowns by opposing quarterbacks (35) and the second-worst yards per pass attempt allowed (8.2). 

Speaking with reporters at the open of camp in Richmond on Thursday, head coach Jay Gruden said he thought cornerback could be a position of improvement for his club this summer, particularly since DeAngelo Hall rejoined the team after being sidelined most of last season with injury.

"DeAngelo makes it strong," he said of his contribution to the unit. 

"He's a great leader back there. We lost a lot when we lost DeAngelo last year. You know, a veteran cornerback of his stature and experience is a very valuable asset to have. He's voted captain right away [in 2014], and we lose him very early. It was a big loss for us."

Hall, entering his 12th professional season, had his best year in 2013 with the Redskins, who he joined in 2008. 

But a Week 3 meeting at the Eagles last season would be precede his early exit. He complained of pain in his left heel in that game, and an MRI later revealed a torn Achilles tendon. 

It didn't help matters five weeks later when he accidently tore it again while recovering at home.

Hall opened practice with the rest of the team on Thursday, lining up against first-teamers from the beginning of camp.

"To have him back, we just gotta make we sure we to monitor where he's at and don't push him too hard," Gruden said. "But he's the type of guy that's gonna wanna take every rep; we just want to make sure we get him full-go, Week 1."

Gruden said the supporting cast behind Hall was something that could help the team overall going forward.

"We've got [David] Amerson with some experience, [Bashaud] Breeland, who came out strong last year," he said. "Obviously we have [Chris] Culliver, from San Francisco, a known commodity in this league. And DeAngelo adds to the mix. We have some good players back there."

Amerson has only missed one game since joining the Redskins in 2013, compiling 109 total tackles in an often inconsistent campaign and Breeland, who Gruden called a leader of the unit, collected 67 in his rookie season. 

Culliver was one of Scot McCloughan's first projects when he embarked on his crusading free agency period. McCloughan helped the 49ers draft Culliver, who last season forced a fumble while intercepting four passes.

He rarely gets beat on long plays and last season played alongside now-Redskins safety Dashon Goldson in 2014. That's valuable chemistry both can bring to the position in Washington. Culliver brings some needed toughness to the defensive backfield.

The most help corners and safeties will get is in the improvement around the front seven that took place this spring. If Scot McCloughan's new defensive line can create the pressures they need to, the players behind that front will have more freedom to make plays closer to the line of scrimmage.

The man to lead that charge as of Thursday is DeAngelo Hall.

"He's going to be our starting cornerback until somebody knocks him off," Gruden said.

Dolphins owner expects wins to come now

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is plum tuckered out from watching the Patriots pillage their way to continuous AFC East domination.

And after an active offseason under a new executive team, somebody got the wise idea of asking him if this was the year for results.

"You're Goddamn right," he said. "The roster, since I've been here, has never been as good."

Miami signed quarterback Ryan Tannehill to a four-year extension this offseason, picked up wide receiver Kenny Stills from the Saints and tight end Jordan Cameron from the Browns. 

And they broke the bank with the acquisition of former Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to a six-year, $114 million deal with $60 million guaranteed money.

"They came here because they want to win," Ross said. "Players have options. It's not all about the money."

It's also about the postseason berth Ross said in adamant terms Joe Philbin will take his Dolphins to this year.

"Joe expects to win," he said. "I expect to win."

Ross, who publicly (and obviously) supported Roger Goodell in his upholding Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's four game suspension, has to be thinking this is the greatest chance in a decade and a half that someone other than New England can claim the division.

"We've done an awful lot," Ross told the Dolphins website. "You can look around. In every single area, we've made changes. We've thought outside the box. We're looking to be the best in class. You can see the players that we've attracted, what they expect and you put it all together, that's what makes winning teams."

What remained unspoken was what would happen, likely by him personally, should Joe Philbin fail to get the Dolphins into the playoffs after these wonderful moves. One wonders if it needs to be said, after all. It's been said often that NFL stands for "Not For Long." Philbin has manned Miami's sidelines for four seasons now, and any effort that fails after all the new "pieces" they've added most likely wouldn't result in a fifth.

"We're all looking to win," Ross said.

Jimmy Garoppolo not thinking about starting

A federal judge will determine whether or not Tom Brady starts Week 1 for the Patriots despite his being banned from the gridiron for four games by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Which all but makes Jimmy Garoppolo the presumed starter under center when the regular season opens in Foxborough against the Steelers on Sept. 10.

Not that he's thinking about it.

"We're not really looking that far ahead," he said on Thursday when asked if he was ready to start.

"I don't think anyone is. It's the first day of training camp, got with the guys and it felt good to get out here with all of them."

Garoppolo has clearly been trained well since joining the warm embrace of Bill Belichick and his school of media manipulation: say nothing in many words. 

Somewhere up there, the cliche gods are writhing in pain.

"Just take it one day at a time," he told reporters. "You can't focus on everything at once because it'll overwhelm you, so you just gotta take it one day at a time, focus on the little things, focus on improving every day."

Reality did afford him the opportunity, however, to at least admit that he finds himself in a vastly different position this time around than he's been in before. Playing some snaps in the preseason and in garbage time after the Patriots ruined somebody in the regular season is not quite what he may find himself subjected to this autumn.

"This year, it's completely different and I've got different goals," he said. 

The first of which is to get New England as close to a 4-0 record as possible for when a bitter Tom Brady returns to the fold as the Patriots pursue their fifth Super Bowl run.

Chip Kelly wants players who love football

As the flurry of names and faces flew into and out of Philadelphia this offseason, much of the commentary surrounding the changes in the Eagles roster had to do with the addition of so-called "Chip Kelly players."

Naturally, the inquiring mind went in search of a definition.

"Someone who works hard and is passionate about playing the game," Kelly told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Those, also, who "love playing football, not what football gets them," he said two seasons ago.

As the number of zeros that follow pro football salaries rise with every passing season, and too the millions more that come with endorsement deals and TV commercials and reality television shows all make such a wholesome character a scarce commodity.

Sure, players may not entirely lose that innocent love of the game they had when they first put on a helmet in their youth.

But, as they got more talented, won more games, got more attention, eventually played their way onto college rosters, and even found themselves the subject of adulation on Draft Night, that pure devotion to craft most likely will morph into a crass and single-minded materialism.

But admist the rule, there are exceptions, most easily found in the pre-draft evaluation period, according to Kelly.

That personal meeting and getting the feel of each potential player himself was one of the motivations that drove him to take the personnel position he was named to this offseason. It was something, after all, over which he had complete control when the head coach at Oregon.

"I think you've got to sit down and meet with them," he said. "Obviously, in free agency, you don't get that opportunity, but in the draft process, you do. I think in this year's class, we've got guys like Eric Rowe and Nelson [Agholor] and JaCorey [Shepherd] and those guys, that love playing football. 

"[A]t the beginning aspect of this, when we get exposure to them, whether it be at the Senior Bowl or the Combine, or when we visit their campus, or they come to visit us here -- just trying to figure out what that individual's all about."

Kelly has been trying to build a culture of his own since joining the Eagles, slowly taking control over more decisions, introducing his own brand of sport science, personally engineering the diets, exercise regimens, and even sleep habits of his players. 

Sure, any player who finds themselves on Chip Kelly's roster will be handsomely paid, but they'll have to really love the game to endure what he'll put them through. Only time will tell if it's worth it.

Tom Brady ban could affect NFC East

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld his four-game suspension of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for his supremely unproven masterminding of the DeflateGate controversy, he inadvertently affected the race to decide the NFC East.

Brady is eligible to come back in Week 5, which, as fate would have, is a rematch with the Colts -- the very club his Pats handled to an inflated result with their allegedly deflated footballs in January's AFC title game. 

Should Brady not be granted the injunction he and his counsel will most likely pursue, he won't be under center when the Patriots play a certain game in Arlington, Texas. All the promos CBS were going to air about the quarterback duel between Tony Romo and Tom Brady will have to be airbrushed to include Jimmy Garoppolo.

Which makes the Cowboys a sudden favorite to win that game. And gives the Eagles, Redskins, and Giants an almost certain one-game disadvantage in their effort to win the division. 

When Philadelphia visits Foxborough on Dec. 6, the matinee idol will be back where he belongs -- and, one guesses, in a sour mood from all that sitting in his moated mansion with his supermodel wife for a crime he couldn't be convicted of properly.

Brady will also man the Pats when they feast on New York and Washington.

Trouble is, the NFC East is a rather closely contested division, not having been decided by more than two games since 2008. Advantage Cowboys.

On the other hand, if Brady and the union contest his suspension in federal court, he could play the entire season unharmed while the tedious and never-ending legal system plays itself silly. He could play this season and, if on the losing end, could serve his suspension later.

Browns' Terrelle Pryor faces "tall task"

Terrelle Pryor knew he had to change something if he was going to have a career in the NFL. Being a quarterback wasn't cutting it as he had hoped, so this offseason he made the switch to wide receiver.

The change in position came with a change of address when Pryor joined the Browns. While his teammates and coaches have been supportive and open to his contribution, two members of his new team expect a hard road ahead.

"It's a tall task," Browns pass catcher Brian Hartline told the Plain Dealer. "I've been doing it for 10 to 20 years.

"He'll probably be successful," he added.

"It's going to be very challenging for him," safety Donte Whitner said. "We're not going to make it easy on him."

Hartline was Pryor's target when both starred at Ohio State in recent years, and Whitner, a Cleveland native, was also a Buckeye before being drafted in 2006.

Pryor has been serious about his transition, partaking in receiving camps all this summer near Pittsburgh with former NFL receiver Randy Moss and current Steelers Pro Bowler Antonio Brown. He also took reps with presumed starting quarterback Josh McCown to get their timing straight ahead of camp.

"I believe I can do this," Pryor told the Plain Dealer. "When I work out and when I train to do something, I don't do it just to be OK. I believe in my heart with my God-given ability that I'm going to be the best. That's not being arrogant or cocky. No one outworks me, so I believe in my heart if I put my mind to anything, I can accomplish it."

The Browns could use an accomplishment of any kind in the wide receiver department. Cleveland posted the second-worst overall corps in football last season, snagging an NFL-worst 12 touchdowns.

@MrJamesParks

Bears put Kevin White on PUP list

The No. 1 wide receiver option the Chicago Bears had coming into training camp actually won't be at training camp.

Kevin White, the Bears' first-round pick, suffered a shin injury during his offseason workouts that will put him on the phyiscally-unable-to-perform (PUP) list, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Bears G.M. Ryan Pace confirmed on Wednesday that the team will take it easy with White in the near future, considering how much time still remains between now and the start of the regular season in September.

Pace also noted that White wasn't particularly pleased by the decision.

"He's fired up," he said, via the Sun-Times. "We kind of have to put handcuffs on him."

Pace said the team will work on building up White's cardiovascular strength while he's away from the field this summer. 

White was selected No. 7 overall after Chicago traded Brandon Marshall to the Jets in the offseason.

@MrJamesParks

Geno Smith laughs at his futility

Geno Smith threw as many touchdowns as interceptions last season as the Jets compiled a four-win season, what turned out to be the last under head coach Rex Ryan.

Accordingly, an ESPN poll of league executives and coaches nudged his name right at the bottom of their quarterback index.

A poll, incidently, that also came to the same conclusion last season.

"I laugh at that. I laugh at it. It's hilarious," Smith said, via the New York Post.

"It was hilarious last year, too," he added. "It doesn't matter at this point. We've got to work on us as a team. That's why I hate to talk about individual stuff because it's a team game. No matter what they rate me, wherever we finish at the end of the year is most important."

Where the Jets finished at the end of last year found the addition of Ryan Fitzpatrick as Smith's relief man under center. Though coaches have reiterated that Smith is their man to start in Week 1, that they made the move might indicate their willingness to listen to, and not laugh at, polls like these.

Opinions are indeed like noses -- everyone has one. But opinions aren't unfounded. They must be made from something that actually happened that forms them. And Smith did complete only 57.5 percent of his pass attempts in 2014, appearing in four games without throwing a touchdown and tossing 11 interceptions in a 10-game losing streak.

New York posted the worst overall passing offense in football in 2014, the only club not to surpass 3,000 total yards through the air, and completed all of 184 yards every Sunday, also last in the league rankings.

Maybe that poll had a point.

@MrJamesParks

Redskins extend Ryan Kerrigan

Tradition holds that whenever the Redskins see something they like, they hold it still and throw money at it.

That tradition is alive and well as of Wednesday afternoon, as the team agreed to an extension with linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, who had been entering the final year of his current contract.

Kerrigan will be awarded a five-year deal worth around $57.5 million, according to NFL Media. He received a $16 million signing bonus as part of the agreement.

The contract makes Kerrigan the third-highest linebacker in football, behind the Chiefs' Justin Houston and the Packers' Clay Matthews.

"To get to a moment like this where you get a chance to play out the rest of your NFL career with the team that drafted you, the team that you love, the city that you love, it hasn't really hit me yet, but it's an awesome feeling," Kerrigan said in a statment.

"Now, it's my job to go reward the Redskins for the faith they put in me by playing well this year, and for the rest of my career."

Kerrigan has started every game since being drafted by the Redskins in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, culminating in a career-best 13.5 quarterback sacks last season. Though he had a knee scope this offseason, there is no reason to expect that to have any negative impact on his production this season.

@MrJamesParks

Storylines coming into Redskins camp

After a four-win season and an active offseason, the Washington Redskins are a team to watch coming into training camp this summer. Here are some of the things we're watching:

1. Robert Griffin III's development.

Clearly the No. 1 story on this team, as is the quarterback situation the first concern on any franchise. But after a score of injuries and questionable play, the Redskins saw fit to reward him with his fifth-year option, worth north of $16 million. They clearly believe in him and what his future holds.

The major concern surrounding his play has been his seeming impatience for plays to develop downfield, skirt out of the pocket and into a sack or questionable tackle. A nervous trigger finger has also produced a rash of interceptions that killed otherwise promising drives.

Jay Gruden is determined to make Griffin a pocket passer, to keep him mobile inside the pocket rather than outside, to locate receivers before they separate from defensive backs, and to make better decisions on the fly. He's also trying to establish a more solid rush behind him to balance the offense and not have most of the responsibilities fall on him. A second year in this offense should find him more comfortable than he looked in 2014.

2. Trent Williams' health.

Williams has occupied the left tackle position since joining the Redskins in 2010, but has been battling injury for most of that time and has often played hurt. But he's only missed one game in three seasons, so his issues are more the nagging variety than anything serious.

He's coming into a contract year, as well, so his health this season is imperative. Protecting Robert Griffin's blind side, his play has been good, and with rookie Brandon Scherff taking the right tackle position, the Redskins have an opportunity to secure a decent edge rush attack this season.

3. The right linebacker position.

The Redskins placed a lot of hope in Trent Murphy in his rookie campaign of 2014. Murphy was supposed to compliment elite pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan in the opposite field, but last season notched only 2.5 sacks. Something which may have inspired the team to draft Preston Smith, a former Mississippi State Bulldog who excelled against opposing quarterbacks. The competition between Smith and Murphy is one to watch this preseason.

4. The tight end position.

Washington has a mixed bag at tight end. Jordan Reed is their most talented, but is frequently out with little injuries here and there. Logan Paulsen is at his best in the blocking game more so than catching passes. Niles Paul is a good downfield threat coming off his best season (39 receptions), but whose effort noticeably declined when Reed was on the field.

An upgrade at the position wouldn't be a bad idea, particularly in the blocking department. Niles Paul added some weight in the offseason to help him get leverage on blocks, and with the emphasis being placed on the run game, the Redskins will need some more production in this area.

But with Jordan Reed the most talented the team has, the group will rise or fall with him. Time will tell if he becomes a player who learns from his injuries a way to avoid them in the future or if they take their toll. It's a future that is more bright than not, but questions remain.

5. How will Matt Jones be used?

Jones was taken in the third round out of Florida as some depth behind starting tailback Alfred Morris. This is Morris' job, but Jones is an intriguing addition. Essentially a brick wall with a head, he showed his ability to rush through just about any competition in the SEC. But his elusiveness may be his more valuable commodity. He'll get a fair amount of attention in the preseason and may be used on some third-and-short plays on the interior.

He showed his abilities in pass protection while in college, too. That's a trait that could go a long way in helping keep Robert Griffin III on his feet a second or two longer to give him that confidence he needs to build in the pocket.

@MrJamesParks

Maine police asked to watch Roger Goodell's home

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has asked police in Maine to protect his house after upholding the four-game suspension of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

According to the Portland Press-Herald, Goodell owns a home in Scarborough worth $6.5 million, and fears retribution from area Patriots fans after his ruling against their superstar.

"They did reach out and let us know about the decision and that it might not be popular," said police chief Robbie Moulton.

There haven't been any reports of any damage or any threats near the home, but police have been patrolling the area nonetheless over the past two days.

This isn't the first time area police have been asked to look out for Goodell's house.

"In the past, when there have been unpopular decisions, there have been emails and things," Moulton added. "I wouldn't say it rose to the level of threats, but certainly expressing unhappiness."

It's safe to say the likelihood of Goodell's home being violated is limited, but as for himself, he would be wise to stay free of the Boston area, and the vicinity of Robert Kraft, for some time to come.

@MrJamesParks

Report: Kam Chancellor could hold out for more money

When the Seattle Seahawks take note of who shows up to training camp this summer, they may find themselves a man short.

Safety Kam Chancellor is one of a multitude of men around the world who finds himself wanting more money for what he does, and he's willing to miss time until he gets it, according to the NFL Network.

Chancellor, 27, still has three seasons remaining on the deal he signed in 2013 and will be due $5.65 million this season to feature on what last year was the league's best defense.

But his not being there would put that side of the football at a certain disadvantage. Earl Thomas is still recouperating from a shoulder injury sustained last season and the operation he had following the Super Bowl. With his absence at the start of this season a distinct possibility, the Seahawks may find themselves having to listen to Chancellor's demands.

So the three-time Pro Bowl selection has some bargaining power on his side. If he holds out any noticeable amount of time, the Seahawks could be compromised at his position as they seek a trip to their third straight Super Bowl.

@MrJamesParks

DeflateGate is long from over

And you thought DeflateGate was over.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the original four-game suspension he gave Patriots quarterback Tom Brady following the report his office commissioned all but condemned him as the criminal mastermind behind a batch of underinflated footballs. That's that, right?

Not so fast.

Brady, armed with the battery of attorneys that come with membership in the Players' Association, is expected to take the NFL to court on account of what they will call a corrupt and unfair procedure. Goodell, they'll say, posed himself as judge and jury in a case he himself brought against the four-time Super Bowl champion.

The NFL, meanwhile, is confident of any result that would come from a court date. That very procedure the union will condemn as a kangaroo court was agreed to by all parties concerned in the recent collective bargaining agreement. 

The case for Brady's innocence had been largely undecided from an objective point of view. Those who despise the Patriots, including their scores of gridiron victims, were adamant that the matinee idol was a cheater. Those, on the other hand, whose ZIP code begins with "0" were convinced of his innocence.

The answer to that question may have been tilted heavily to one side, the side the gentle, Puritan folk of New England would prefer not to believe. In his ruling, Goodell revealed that Brady destroyed his phone around the time of the investigation. Why would an innocent man obliterate his own phone?

The alibi: Tom Brady destroys his phone every four years. After all, who doesn't do that?

Well, no one -- except people with many things to hide from inquisitive enemies.

Tom Brady took nearly every snap for the Patriots last season, and likes to take nearly every one of them in training camp. With his absence now a distinct possibility, that could change. 

Though Brady is allowed to participate in preseason activities, Jimmy Garoppolo will have to be a sharp as possible if he's starting against the Steelers on Sept. 10, and that means he'll have to take most of the reps. Those 27 career pass attempts of his won't be enough to get by when Pittsburgh comes to town.

Will it come to that?

Should Brady and his counsel elect an injunction, and it were received, the Patriots would have to decide between a fast track court case or allow it to play out naturally, possibly allowing Brady to start Week 1 without the case being decided.

The danger of the former path is profound. If Brady starts Week 1 and is decided against by a judge, that four game absence could come at the worst time for New England -- when they likely would be in a postseason race or in the postseason itself.

Brady will do anything within his power to clear his name and reputation, particularly after that new revelation concerning those bits and pieces of phone scattered all over Massachusetts. 

That said, it's very hard for a court to grant an injunction, particularly in the case of overturning a decision internal to an organization that its members have contractually agreed to, as the NFLPA and the league did with the procedure Goodell used to suspend Brady.

Not to mention that Patriots owner Robert Kraft willingly (if grudgingly) surrendered to the $1 million fine and two draft picks the NFL took from them as part of the original ruling.

That, combined with the entirely consensual means of adjudicating the case, would give a federal judge little reason to side with Brady. 

Which makes Jimmy Garoppolo the quarterback of the New England Patriots.

@MrJamesParks

Robert Kraft is not pleased with Brady ruling

Now we know why Robert Kraft gave in to the NFL's punishments against his franchise.

There was registered surprise around the league after the Patriots' owner accepted the loss of two draft picks and the $1 million fine two months ago as part of the overall DeflateGate punishment.

He thought that by giving in to some of the league's demands, he could soften them up in their case against his quarterback, Tom Brady.

Now, with Brady's four game suspension upheld by Roger Goodell, Kraft let everyone know how he really feels. It's hard to realize you were a sucker all along.

"I was wrong to put my faith in the league," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Back in May, I had to make a difficult decision that I now regret," he added. "I tried to do what I thought was right. I chose not to take legal action. I wanted to return the focus to football."

Kraft was banking on his long and friendly relationship with Goodell and his own high stature within the league ranks to possibly get a reduction in Brady's suspension in a "one hand washes the other" deal.

That never happened.

"The decision handed down by the league yesterday is unfathomable to me. It is routine for discipline in the NFL to be reduced upon appeal, and in a vast majority of these cases, there's tangible, hard evidence of the infraction for which the discipline is being imposed. And still, the initial penalty gets reduced. Six months removed from the AFC Championship Game, the league still has no hard evidence of anybody doing anything to tamper with the PSI levels of footballs."

Kraft publicly apologized for accepting the original penalties and reiterated his support for Brady, adding that the league released what he believed was a headling-grabbing statement in reference to Brady destroying his cell phone in an effort to harm his reputation.

"Tom Brady is a person of great integrity, and is a great ambassador of the game, both on and off the field," Kraft said. "Yet for the reasons that I cannot comprehend, there are those in the league office who are more determined to prove that they were right, rather than admit any culpability of their own, or take any responsibility for the initation of a process, an ensuing investigation, that was flawed. I've come to the conclusion that this was never about doing what was fair and just."

Which, admittedly, will be hard for Brady and the players' union to prove in a court of law, given that the means of procedure were agreed to by they and the NFL in their most recent collective bargaining agreement.