The Vikings announced signing of Bishop to a one-year contract

The Minnesota Vikings emerged from the first phase of free agency and then the draft, still missing a starting linebacker.

Then the Green Bay Packers let Desmond Bishop go, and the solution seemed so obvious.

The Vikings announced Thursday the signing of Bishop to a one-year contract, three days after he agreed to terms on his deal. He's the latest to leave Green Bay for Minnesota, joining prominent players like wide receiver Greg Jennings, safety Darren Sharper, kicker Ryan Longwell and of course quarterback Brett Favre to recently switch states in the post-prime stage of their careers.

This back-and-forth has further spiced up the rivalry, particularly between the ardent followers of each team, with Vikings fans gloating about all the success Favre, Sharper and Longwell enjoyed in Minnesota and Packers backers criticizing the Vikings for pursuing so many of Green Bay's aging castoffs.

Even lesser-known guys like Robert Ferguson, Javon Walker and Mike Montgomery have put on purple after discarding their green-and-gold jerseys over the past decade. The Vikings also offered contracts to William Henderson and James Jones and in 2005 tried to sign restricted free agent Aaron Kampman, the best pass-rusher the Packers had at the time. Green Bay kept all of them.

Bishop became available when the Packers released him just two weeks ago. He thrived during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, playing one of the inside linebacker spots in Green Bay's 3-4 defense. In 2011, he had career highs in tackles (142) and sacks (five). But Bishop tore his right hamstring during an exhibition game and couldn't play at all in 2012.

The injury required more than six months of rehabilitation before he was able to run full speed again.

Now?

``One-hundred percent and ready to go,'' Bishop said.

The seventh-year veteran, however, said he's not worried about being rusty this season.

``After watching a guy by the name of Adrian Peterson come back from his torn ACL and how well he did, I have an extreme amount of confidence that I can do the same,'' Bishop said on a conference call with Minnesota reporters. He added: ``It's still a process. You have to still build on your strength and your endurance and all those kind of little things and you can never max out on that stuff, so I'm still to this day working on trying to get as strong as I can and I feel really good.''

Bishop said his motivation to join Minnesota was based on helping a 2012 playoff team try to go even further this season, not revenge on his ex-employer. After brushing off the significance of playing against Green Bay, the team that drafted him in the sixth round in 2007, Bishop eventually acknowledged the excitement of returning to Lambeau Field to face all those former teammates of his.

And to try to stop one of the NFL's most potent offenses.

``I'm just a very competitive person, and Aaron Rodgers is considered the best in my eyes at quarterback, so it'll be a good opportunity,'' Bishop said.

In addition to Bishop's health, the other yet-to-be-answered question is which position he'll actually play. The Vikings use a 4-3 alignment, so the middle linebacker spot isn't exactly the same as playing on the inside in the 3-4 scheme. Chad Greenway is the starter at the strong side, and Erin Henderson was the starter at the weak side spot the last two years. Henderson could stay there, with Bishop taking the middle, or they could flip-flop.

``I'm not really worried about that. Wherever they put me. Whatever the coaching staff sees me fit, that's where I'll play,'' Bishop said, adding: ``I've pretty much played all three positions at one time in my football career.''

To make room for Bishop on the 90-man roster they'll take to training camp, the Vikings released linebacker Stanford Keglar.

The Vikings also publicized Thursday their practice schedule for camp, which the Vikings report to on July 25. They'll have 15 days of open-to-the-public workouts at Minnesota State University in Mankato, with a walk-through in the morning and a full practice in the afternoon. The last day of on-field work there is Aug. 14.

-- This article from: thescore.com

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Mellette will be part of competition at wide receiver along with the other young

Aaron Mellette has mostly gone under the radar in the much-discussed wide receiver position battle.

Players like Tandon Doss, Deonte Thompson, LaQuan Williams, David Reed and Tommy Streeter have attracted most of the attention during the offseason.

But where does the rookie out of Elon see himself fitting in when he returns for training camp next month?

“I know when training camp comes it’s going to be another mindset [from learning in the offseason], where I’m going to be out there looking to dominate every day and be more confident in what I’m doing,” Mellette said at the conclusion of rookie football school.

Mellette did dominate the small school level at Elon, a Football Championship Subdivision school. He reeled in 97 catches for 1,398 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns last year, and he had 30 receptions over the last two seasons. Mellette ranked second in the country with an average of 127 receiving yards per game.

Now it’s a big leap to the professional game, but the 6-foot-2 receiver has the size and potential to make that jump. And a strong start in training camp will go a long way to giving Mellette the opportunity to prove he deserves a chance to get on the field.

He will be part of competition at wide receiver along with the other young, unproven receivers who are also competing to earn playing time behind Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones.

“All of those guys are battling for that second, third and fourth spot, and it’s all real close,” Wide Receivers Coach Jim Hostler said.

Mellette’s focus since getting drafted in the seventh round has been to learn as much as possible from players like Smith and Jones. He’s been a sponge around his teammates, trying to pick up the playbook, the offense and make the overall adjustment to life in the NFL.

Now he’s intent on standing out from the pack.

The Ravens have had young receivers stand out and earn roster spots with impressive training camp performances each of the last two years. Thompson and Williams were both undrafted players who earned their way onto the team with strong camps, and Mellette hopes to put forth a similar showing.

Smith is the only player entrenched in the starting lineup, but a strong performance from any of the others during training camp and the preseason could move them up the depth chart. Mellette was working behind most of the other young receivers in the rotation during offseason practices, but he was still working to master the playbook.

“It’s going to be a transition, like anything,” Mellette said. “You’re going to be lined up against veteran DBs who know what you’re doing before you even do it, but you just got to do what you’ve been practicing. Hopefully I’ll adjust fast and quickly, and be able to transition and show bright spots."

-- This article from: baltimoreravens.com

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Bengals shouldn't have much issue putting pressure on Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco

Much has been said this offseason about the demise of the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens while the Cincinnati Bengals have enjoyed nothing but positive press as the team on the rise in the AFC North.

The downfall of the Ravens has been extremely over-exaggerated.

Baltimore lost Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. That's a valid thing to point out when analyzing the offseason for Baltimore. The problem is, Lewis was a liability on the field, and one opposing teams were quick to expose in the passing game.

The same goes for Reed, now a member of the Houston Texans. Reed was good for a big play every now and then but would oft times show his age in coverage and fragility in run support.

There's something to be said for the leadership qualities Reed and Lewis brought to the table, but many are acting as if great leaders such as Haloti Ngata and Ray Rice are gone as well.

Despite what many may lead you to believe, the Ravens had a great offseason. Reed has been replaced by Michael Huff and a first-round rookie in the form of Matt Elam. Expect the same quality of play from the safety position as last season, if not better.

The heart of the defense was neutered with the loss of Lewis and Dannelle Ellerbe, but a promising rookie in Arthur Brown will man the middle with a more athletic presence.

Much has also been said about the loss of outside linebacker Paul Kruger to the rival Cleveland Browns, but he played his best only when Terrelle Suggs was on the field. For whatever reason, the acquisition of one of the NFL's best pass-rushers in Elvis Dumervil has been getting swept under the rug as well.

Did we mention Lardarius Webb is set to return from injury? Webb gave Darrelle Revis a serious run for his money as the best corner in the league before going down with a season-ending injury last year.

If you couldn't tell, defense is why the Ravens won't skip a beat in 2013.

All of this equates to serious issues for the Bengals in the two matchups against Baltimore.

For one, the young Bengals have yet to prove they can get it done consistently in high-pressure games. Every game against Baltimore means something.

Two, the offense could struggle against the Baltimore defense, even if it doesn't have familiar faces. There won't be a slower middle linebacker to exploit anymore. No cornerback to exploit for Andy Dalton when he tosses it up to A.J. Green. Instead, Green will have to battle an elite corner in Webb.

Defensively the Bengals shouldn't have much issue putting pressure on Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco. Running back Ray Rice is another story as he has always given Cincinnati issues. There are holes at both cornerback and strong safety the Bengals have to answer before going against Baltimore or Flacco could pick the defense apart. Can rookie Shawn Williams have an impact at safety? Can Dre Kirkpatrick stay healthy and perform under the pressure of being thrown at constantly in what essentially amounts to his rookie season?

These questions and more will dictate whether or not the Bengals can win against the Ravens in 2013.

It's unlikely the Bengals are taking the Ravens lightly, but it's worth detailing why fans and media should not. The media can tell plenty of stories as ridiculous as Tim Tebow being a starting quarterback.

Cincinnati may be the talk of the town in the AFC North after back-to-back playoff appearances and multiple exceptional drafts, but it's Baltimore that went out and won a Super Bowl.

The Bengals still have plenty to learn from the Ravens.

-- This article from: sports.yahoo.com

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Chip Kelly's Slap on Wrist from NCAA is No Concern for Eagles

Chip Kelly was found to be guilty of a failure to monitor the Oregon Ducks football program by the NCAA and has been slapped with an 18-month show-cause. Fortunately for the Eagles, and Kelly, all of this means practically nothing as far as the NFC East franchise is concerned.

The NCAA hit the University of Oregon with three years of probation and a loss of one scholarship for two years to bring an end to a drawn out investigation process in to recruiting violations, according to the university's public infractions report. Oregon failed to monitor their football program, a charge shared by Kelly as well as others, and allowed improper recruiting services and recruiters to help Oregon's football program recruit talent to their campus. Kelly admitted to his role in the investigation and accepted blame placed upon him during the process.

The show-cause penalty in college athletics ensures any coach who left a program before sanctions were issued will still pay repercussions in the event they attempt to return to coaching at the collegiate level. Any school that would hire a coach with a show-cause penalty would likely serve some form of sanctions comparable with the original sanctions on the coach's former school. This prevents coaches from skipping out on a university before sanctions are issued and immediately continuing coaching elsewhere at the collegiate level.

Instead, Kelly was hired by the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and is basically free from penalty of the NCAA. Before Kelly joined the Eagles, Pete Carroll left USC for the Seattle Seahawks under similar circumstances and Jim Tressel had joined the Indianapolis Colts as Ohio State was being investigated (Tressel was fired by Ohio State). It is unlikely NFL commissioner Roger Goodell would feel a need to address the situation regarding Kelly any further.

The 18-month show-cause will expire in December of 2014, during which time Kelly will be the head coach in Philadelphia. This prevents any Bobby Petrino sort of situation, in which Kelly would attempt to return to the college game after the 2013 season. Petrino coached less than a full season with the Atlanta Falcons before returning to the college game to coach Arkansas. If the next two seasons fail to develop with Kelly in charge of the Eagles though, Kelly could hypothetically return to the college game after two years the way Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier had done previously.

Ultimately this means absolutely nothing for the Eagles for now. Kelly can continue to coach the Eagles without issue. Kelly and Oregon essentially get off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist moving forward. Win the day, indeed.

-- This article from: sports.yahoo.com

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Robinson doesn't seem like a guy with a big ego

At least one person was listening when Bengals cornerback Adam Jones spoke this week at the NFL's Rookie Symposium, and that person would be New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith.

Smith said Jones' speech resonated with him because of Pacman's past run-ins with the law that include an early June arrest for assaulting a woman.

"He's using his past trials and tribulations to help us as rookies. You can see how those decisions will affect him," Smith said, via the News-Herald (Ohio). "It will affect all of us if we follow down that same path. It does resonate more because he's a guy who had a tremendous amount of talent and high expectations, but he let some bad decisions affect him on and off the field."

Jones' speech at the rookie symposium wasn't the first time Smith had heard Jones speak. Both players went to West Virginia, and the two have talked often.

"He's a West Virginia guy, so I've had many conversations with him," Smith said. "He's always been a guy who preached don't make the same mistakes he's done. He's made a lot of mistakes in his career, but he's still standing strong and working hard."

Jones was at the symposium to speak during a seminar entitled, "Are you bigger than the game?" Jones has become somewhat of a regular on the rookie symposium speaking circuit; he also gave a speech in 2012.

Before April's NFL Draft, former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson was asked what position he wanted to play in the NFL.

"Whatever it takes to get on the field," Robinson said then. "I'm an offensive weapon."

Robinson apparently has convinced the Jaguars that he actually is an "offensive weapon" because that's his official position on the team roster. As you can see in the photo at the top of the page, Robinson's position isn't listed as QB, WR, or RB -- all positions that he played in college -- it's simply listed as OW. Offensive weapon.

Robinson doesn't seem like a guy with a big ego, but his ego has to at least be a little bit bigger after an NFL team just invented a position designation for him. Next thing you know, the Jaguars will be inventing numbers for him.

So, how does one earn the offensive weapon designation? By playing a lot of positions in college.

In 37 games at Michigan, Robinson started 35 at quarterback and two at running back, including a 42-17 November 2012 win over Iowa in which he rushed for 98 yards on 13 carries.

Robinson's 4,495 career rushing yards is an NCAA record for a quarterback and ninth most in Big Ten history for any player, including running backs. Robinson was also the first player in NCAA history to pass for 2,500 yards and rush for more than 1,500 yards in a single season.

So, where will the Jaguar offensive weapon spend most of his time this season?

"I am in the running back meeting room, so that's where I'm going to continue to make my plays and just be an offensive weapon -- go to receiver, or go to quarterback, or go to running back and make plays happen," Robinson said.

So, basically, Robinson is going to be a go-to everything.

-- This article from: cbssports.com

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Helu Jr. said he is unconcerned with the depth chart

As a rookie in 2011, Roy Helu Jr. was the Redskins’ most productive running back, piling up 1,019 yards on 200 touches.

He had the vision to find the hole and the speed to break the big play. He tallied three-straight 100-yard games and tied the franchise record for receptions in a game (14) with the great Art Monk.

But the pressure of keying a lethargic offense brought on physical and psychological stress. When leg injuries were slow to heal heading into the 2012 season, Helu Jr. admits that he lost perspective on how to enjoy his craft.

“I was capable and able to have fun, but I didn’t,” he said. “Being on the outside looking in, I was tenser and it showed on the field.”

Helu Jr. was never fully healthy last year, and was placed on season-ending injured reserve following the Week 3 loss to Cincinnati, having appeared in just one game.

His tight leg muscles combined with the team’s success without him made him wonder if he would ever return to form on the football field.

“I absolutely had doubt, and I had to actively participate and not feel sorry for myself,” he said. “There were good days, bad days, over the nine month period [of rehab].”

Helu Jr. attributed his series of leg injuries in the NFL to tight muscles in his lower body.

Following a regimen known as dry needling, he was able to release some of the tension known as trigger points, which in turn relaxed and strengthened his muscles.

“I’ve seen great results from that,” he said. “I still have time to recover over these next few weeks. I still need more motion in the toe, but to be out there doing my job is fun.”

During OTAs and minicamp, Helu Jr. practiced with teammates for the first time since September and said that he felt physically and psychologically refreshed.

“I feel good. I feel I’ve gotten to the point that I can compete at a high level, and I’m thankful for that,” he said. “I’m out there running a lot of plays without pain. I guess that’s the best measurement.”

He also credited faith and family for helping him find perspective during the rehab process.

“It’s just a unique perspective of the cerebral part of the game and seeing what our coach wants,” he explained. “When I came back, God gave me a prospective. I just decided it’s time for me to give it a go, and have fun with it. It’s been a blast.

“I decided I’m just going to have fun with football, compete and become one with my teammates. It’s truly about going out there and competing and having fun.”

Roy Helu Jr. returns to a backfield competition that includes incumbent starter Alfred Morris, the franchise record-holder for yards in a season, fellow third-year back Evan Royster, and a pair of rookie running backs in Jawan Jamison and Chris Thompson.

Although Helu Jr. was the starter before injury, he said he is unconcerned with the depth chart; only proving that he can help the Redskins win.

The ability to compete is reward enough at this point.

“I’m competing to make the team and competing to the best of my ability. That is more of my mindset rather than competing for a specific job,” he said. “I’ve been competing in football for so long, that you get used to the competitiveness.”

Even though the offense underwent a facelift last season, Helu Jr. said there is no change in his responsibilities as far as pass protection is concerned: just protect the quarterback at all costs.

There was a slight learning curve in picking up the rest of the playbook, but Helu Jr. is confident that it will be second nature by training camp.

“When I first got out there, I wasn’t as sharp. We were so close as a [running back] group that we could finish each other’s sentences, but now I’m behind.

“Some stuff I had to recall. It was a learning experience, being slow mentally. But I will be ready.”

Heading into the final month before training camp, Roy Helu Jr. said he is excited to fortify his mind and body, putting him in position for his best training camp yet.

To aid in this process, he intends to return to the University of Nebraska and work out with fellow Cornhuskers for the first time as a member of the Redskins.

“Last year I didn’t get a chance to do that and it will be nice to change scenery,” he said with a smile. “I can improve the flexibility in my toe and continue to train hard.

“This is a big moment going into the offseason and recovering.”

-- This article from: redskins.com

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It looks like the San Francisco 49ers' cornerback position will survive for another season

The cornerback position might just be the weakest position on the San Francisco 49ers' roster. Despite the unit as a whole probably exceeding expectations in each of the past two seasons, whether it be Carlos Rogers experiencing a career revival or Chris Culiver blanketing the odd superstar receiver here or there, it's been underwhelming in comparison to the rest of the roster.

It looks like the position will survive for another season, but we're at multiple crossroads. Culliver could go in either direction at this point, Perrish Cox isn't going to capture that pre-career-derailing controversy hype, Rogers may only have another season or two left in him and Tarell Brown just refuses to come into his own.

Enter Nnamdi Asomugha, the once great and recently-almost-forgotten cornerback who came to the 49ers as a free agent signee in April. Asomugha was absolutely the best cornerback in the league during his time with the Oakland Raiders, often securing an entire side of the field. The man's interception and passes defensed numbers plummeted because quarterbacks often refused to even throw to his entire half of the field.

Then he went to the Philadelphia Eagles, probably hung his head in shame when whats-his-face called them the "Dream Team," and proceeded to be used totally wrong. Whatever the reason, Asomugha had two-straight underwhelming seasons before hitting free agency to almost no fanfare.

Asomugha is 31 years old, and will turn 32 in less than a month. He's lost a step, regardless of how the Eagles did or did not use him over two years. But he's with the 49ers now and it's not a tough cornerback depth chart to climb up. Let's look at what we can expect out of him next season.

What to expect in 2013

Asomugha is competing for his spot on the roster and a starting role. He's started essentially his entire career, and if it's true that his down years had more to do with how poorly the Philadelphia Eagles used him and less about him losing a step, then expecting Asomugha to get one of the starting jobs is not all-that far-fetched.

What you can expect out of Asomugha is a very solid cover corner who will probably be kept away from the quick-twitch slot guys. When the 49ers play the Seattle Seahawks, he certainly wouldn't be covering Percy Harvin. But can he shut down Sidney Rice at this point in his career? I tend to think so.

If Asomugha's body allows him, he has the skillset to unseat either Rogers or Brown, though Culliver is likely safe as the nickel corner who sees spot treatment against certain receivers. You can expect Nnamdi's name to not be called for much of the season, and that's a good thing, but if recent play is any indication, we might see him beaten by speedier receivers a few times in 2013.

-- This article from: ninersnation.com

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