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Greg Cote: NFL steals Christmas, makes tackling harder, finds bizarre way to reinvent the kickoff return

Sports / Football /

MIAMI — The three-day spring NFL owners’ meetings ended this week just outside Orlando and among the most notable decisions made, the league stole Christmas Day like the Grinch and made tackling harder for defenders.

On a brighter note, the NFL voted to resurrect the forgotten kickoff return, albeit with a new rule that is so complicated ...Read more

Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/TNS

All-Pro pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney agrees to multi-year deal with Panthers

Sports / Football /

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have landed one of the top pass rushers on the free-agent market — and it just so happens they’re bringing him home, too.

Jadeveon Clowney, the All-Pro bowl pass rusher and three-time Pro Bowler from Rock Hill, S.C., has signed with his hometown team, the Panthers announced on Wednesday afternoon. ...Read more

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America/TNS

Broncos signing WR Josh Reynolds to two-year deal, sources say

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DENVER — Sean Payton on Monday morning predicted another free-agency move or two to come.

The Broncos landed a solid pass-catcher by Wednesday.

Denver is signing former Detroit wide receiver Josh Reynolds to a two-year deal worth up to $14 million, sources confirmed to The Denver Post.

Reynolds, 29, caught 40 passes for 608 yards and five ...Read more

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images North America/TNS

Andrew Callahan: Robert Kraft, Patriots must preach patience at start of long rebuild

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. — For someone standing still, Robert Kraft covered a lot of ground Tuesday morning.

Why he promoted de facto GM Eliot Wolf. Possibly drafting a quarterback. Fan frustration. “The Dynasty” docu-series, and “The Dynasty” backlash.

Yet of all the comments Kraft made in his meetup with reporters at the NFL Annual Meeting �...Read more

Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News/TNS

Mac Engel: Cowboys' offseason moves have completely undercut coach Mike McCarthy

Sports / Football /

FORT WORTH, Texas — He presides over the richest franchise in sports, and Jerry Jones is asking his team to do “more with less.” How very corporate of the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, this in an offseason where he is “all in.”

Our favorite Pro Football Hall of Famer is 81 years old, and he is not stupid. He just thinks you are.

The ...Read more

Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Rams knew all along Aaron Donald was retiring, but can scheme or draft compensate?

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. — Sean McVay met Aaron Donald outside the visitors locker room at Detroit's Ford Field.

The Rams' 2023 season had ended with a playoff defeat, and McVay was near certain it was Donald's final game.

"This is it," McVay recalled saying as he greeted the three-time NFL defensive player of the year.

"Yep," Donald replied, "This is...Read more

Matt Stone/Boston Herald/TNS

Ex-Patriots CB, Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler charged with DUI

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BOSTON — Former New England Patriots cornerback and Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcom Butler was arrested and charged with a DUI earlier in March, according to North Providence Police Department.

Butler, whose late-game interception clinched New England’s fourth Super Bowl in 2015, was reportedly observed blocking a lane of traffic in a stopped ...Read more

Clarence E. Hill Jr./Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS

What Jerry Jones said about Cowboys QB Dak Prescott's extortion lawsuit, legal issues

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was well-versed in the alleged sexual assault allegations involving quarterback Dak Prescott and his subsequent filing of a civil lawsuit for extortion before it became public a couple of weeks ago.

Jones said he is disappointed regarding the negative attention it has brought on Prescott.

But ...Read more

Stephen Maturen/Getty Images North America/TNS

Kicker Greg Joseph leaves Vikings for Packers

Sports / Football /

MINNEAPOLIS — Greg Joseph could be kicking against the Vikings next season.

Joseph agreed to sign with the Packers on Tuesday, according to his agent Brett Tessler, nearly two weeks after the Vikings let Joseph's contract expire. Minnesota signed an inexperienced kicker, John Parker Romo, ahead of what appears to be another kicking ...Read more

Miguel Martinez/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

Steelers signing dynamic runner and kickoff return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson

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PITTSBURGH — On the same day the NFL completely changed how kickoffs are handled, the Steelers have made a special teams splash.

Cordarrelle Patterson will sign a short-term deal with the Steelers. Patterson, 33, was a first-round pick as a wide receiver back in 2013, but he has found his home in the NFL in the return game. In 2022, he set ...Read more

Staff/TNS/Staff

NFL votes to significantly alter kickoff rules in name of safety and to revive returns

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. — Get ready for NFL kickoffs to look a whole lot different next season.

In a 29-3 vote Tuesday, team owners voted in favor of a radical, one-year change to kickoffs in hopes of reviving one of the game's most exciting plays — while making it safer.

The new alignment will put the coverage and return teams much closer together ...Read more

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images North America/TNS

NFL announces scheduling wrinkles, including Wednesday Christmas Day games

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. — The NFL will play on every day of the week but Tuesday this season.

In addition to its "Black Friday" game — a budding tradition that began last season — the league announced it will schedule a Week 1 game on Friday, Sept. 6, to played in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and streamed exclusively on NBC's Peacock. That will mark the ...Read more

Steph Chambers/Getty Images North America/TNS

NFL votes to significantly alter kickoff rules in name of safety and to revive returns

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. — Get ready for NFL kickoffs to look a whole lot different next season.

In a 29-3 vote Tuesday, team owners voted in favor of a radical, one-year change to kickoffs in hopes of reviving one of the game's most exciting plays — while making it safer.

The new alignment will put the coverage and return teams much closer together ...Read more

Romain Maurice/Getty Images North America/TNS

Tom Brady's bid to buy Raiders' stake 'making progress,' commissioner says

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday that Tom Brady’s almost yearlong bid to purchase a limited stake in the Raiders is on the right track.

Brady is teaming with Tom Wagner, the co-founder of Knighthead Capital Management, to buy what is believed to be a 10% stake. Their group has been in talks with Raiders owner Mark...Read more

Carlos Gonzalez/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS

Private workouts, public lunches and Justin Jefferson: How the Vikings will choose their next QB

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. — The NFL owners' meetings conclude at the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Grande Lakes on Tuesday, releasing general managers and coaches from the proceedings just in time for the pro days of two of the 2024 draft's biggest prospects: LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels' on Wednesday, with North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye's to ...Read more

Miguel Martinez/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

Falcons' Arthur Blank: 'We obviously don't believe we tampered' before signing Kirk Cousins

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. – Falcons owner Arthur Blank, in his first comments to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since the signing of quarterback Kirk Cousins, denied that the team tampered in violation of league rules.

“The tampering deal, we obviously don’t believe we tampered,” Blank said while leaving a meeting on Monday. “We shared all of ...Read more

Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Chicago Bears had 'deep conversations' about keeping Justin Fields and drafting a QB, but trade was 'best for organization and best for Justin'

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. – When the time came for the Chicago Bears to trade Justin Fields, general manager Ryan Poles went over to coach Matt Eberflus’ house so they could make the phone call to their quarterback together.

Poles called the conversation earlier this month letting Fields know he was being dealt after three seasons as the Bears starter ...Read more

Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group/TNS

49ers GM Lynch disputes Aiyuk trade reports; Purdy 'deadly' combo with Shanahan

Sports / Football /

Trading Brandon Aiyuk may be a hot topic for some, but not the 49ers.

General manager John Lynch, speaking at the NFL owners’ meeting in Orlando, Fla., disputed reports that the 49ers are discussing any potential trade of Aiyuk.

“We’re actively talking to Brandon and trying to figure something out,” Lynch told Bay Area media, in an ...Read more

Stacy Revere/Getty Images North America/TNS

Giants' John Mara supports drafting a quarterback at No. 6 or higher if Joe Schoen, Brian Daboll want to

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. — Giants co-owner John Mara is on board with drafting a first-round quarterback in April if Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll covet a top QB.

“If they fall in love with a quarterback and believe that it’s worth pick No. 6 or moving up, I certainly would support that,” Mara said Monday at the NFL Owners Meeting.

Mara said his GM...Read more

Nancy Lane/Boston Herald/TNS

Andrew Callahan: Jerod Mayo's growing pains are coinciding with the Patriots'

Sports / Football /

ORLANDO, Fla. — Jerod Mayo opened with a joke.

He eased into the AFC coaches breakfast Monday, seated at a large round table inside a beige-colored hotel conference room at the NFL Annual Meeting. He placed a glass of orange juice on the table and eyed his audience of a dozen reporters and two cameras.

“Shout-out to orange juice,” he ...Read more