Should David Wilson be the primary kickoff return man for the New York Giants in 2013

Should David Wilson be the primary kickoff return man for the New York Giants in 2013.

Wilson, the second-year running back, obviously wants to. "That’s the part of the game that I like the most ever since I started playing football. That was age eight," Wilson said during mini-camp.

He is obviously very good at it. He averaged 26.9 yards per return a season ago, and led the league with 57 returns and 1,533 yards.

Special teams coordinator Tom Quinn would like to see Wilson returning kickoffs despite the increased load he will carry as a running back this season with Ahmad Bradshaw now a member of the Indianapolis Colts.

"I don’t think it’s too much to do both, but I’m not making all the decisions," Quinn said. "I think it all depends on the game. There’s other guys that have done both, whether it was as a punt returner and a starter or a kickoff returner and a starter."

The guy making the decisions is head coach Tom Coughlin, and his history has been that he does not like to expose starting players to return duties. Bradshaw and another running back, Derrick Ward, each returned kickoffs early in their careers. Each, though, were relieved of that responsibility once they became more heavily involved in the offense.

Quinn said during mini-camp that "you'd have to" consider using Wilson's explosiveness on kickoffs as much as possible. Again, though, Quinn knows it's not up to him.

"We’ll see how that all plays out. Obviously, he would like to do it. He’s done it very well, but we’ll have to see how it all comes down with where he is on the depth chart and what he’s doing on offense," Quinn said. "It might be maybe for one or two or you don’t need him for one or two, but we’ve got other guys that we feel good about. There’s a bunch of guys that can do the job if it’s not David.

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Te'o is no joke among Chargers

 

No player at this year’s NFL Rookie Symposium is a bigger candidate for the locker-room hazing that awaits some incoming draft picks.

So far, Manti Te’o has done his part to prevent that from happening.

Having fun at Te’o’s expense would be easy for San Diego Chargers veterans. He went from being a star Notre Dame linebacker to national laughingstock last January when exposed for having fallen victim to a hoax involving what he thought was a real-life girlfriend who died of leukemia.

Te’o was portrayed in the media as everything from naive and gullible to dishonest for not publicly disavowing his “relationship” with the fictitious Lennay Kekua once Te’o knew she didn’t really exist. The “catfish” scandal also has left Te’o open for pranks and snide comments by his new Chargers teammates, especially considering the often cruel nature of jock culture.

But since reporting in May as a second-round pick, Te’o has received support rather than abuse by his new NFL family. Te’o said Tuesday that there are “no words to describe how happy I am” because of how he was embraced.

“I’ve heard the horror stories about locker rooms. I’ve heard how it was going to be,” Te’o told co-host Jim Miller and me on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

“To be honest with you, I was kind of expecting the worst. I was careful where I went. I was careful with what I said. The first day (of offseason practice), guys are coming up to me and saying, ‘Just have fun. Be you.’ With that encouragement, I slowly started opening up a little more. I became myself — fast.”

Te’o then began garnering respect through his work ethic. Chargers fullback Le’Ron McClain recently said that Te’o has impressed San Diego’s veterans with the amount of time he spends in the weight room and studying film in preparation for the 2013 season.

“He’s a guy who came in and earned it,” Chargers rookie right tackle D.J. Fluker told FOX Sports on Tuesday. “That’s the main thing. He does all the little things right. That’s what you need.”

While attending an NFL Play 60 event with Fluker and other AFC rookies at Cleveland Browns headquarters, Te’o admitted he needed to rediscover himself after the fake-girlfriend hoax.

“What everybody is seeing in San Diego is who I am,” Te’o said. “What everybody is seeing is what everybody at Notre Dame has seen and what my parents have known me to be as.

“I just keep my head down and work hard. If that’s all they know me as, I hope they know me as that. I didn’t say much or talk much, but somebody who loves the game and keeps my family as the most important thing in my life. Someone who will work hard and overcome anything.”

Because of what he has experienced, some of the lessons being taught at the symposium about how to handle off-field challenges as an NFL player were already learned by Te’o during the spring.

“The best thing about my whole situation is that when they talk about overcoming adversity, I’ve been there and done that,” he said. “A lot of things (being stressed) are, ‘Don’t be afraid to reach out. Don’t be afraid to tell somebody if something is wrong.’ I’ve been in those dark places.

"I’ve held onto the things that matter the most to me. That’s my family and the man upstairs. Luckily for me, I had people around me, my best friends, who really pulled me through.

“For me to be in that situation where I can say, ‘I did this. Everybody knows my story. This is how I overcame it and continue to overcome it,’ is definitely a blessing in disguise.”

A Heisman Trophy finalist as a Notre Dame senior, Te’o is now projected as a starting inside linebacker in San Diego’s 3-4 defense. Te’o described defensive coordinator John Pagano’s scheme as “simple but very effective.”

“Coach Pagano does a tremendous job playing to his personnel’s strengths,” Te’o said. “We’re following him.”

Although his road to the NFL was bumpier than most of his peers, Te’o is still a rookie. He laughed when told about recent comments by Chargers teammate Dwight Freeney about wanting to get some hits on Denver quarterback Peyton Manning after the two played together in Indianapolis for 10 seasons.

“If I do get a hit on Peyton, I’m going to have to pinch myself,” a smiling Te’o said.

He then grew serious.

“For me to be here, I’ve done enough pinching,” Te’o continued. “When I first stepped out on an NFL field, I thought, ‘Man, I’m here.’ The more comfortable I get with it, the more it starts to settle in.

“Obviously, I haven’t played my first NFL game yet. When it happens, I’ll probably just take a deep breath and be like, ‘Wow. Now, let’s get to work.' ”

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Keep in mind the Redskins could keep five safeties and four tight ends

Running Backs on Redskins 90-man roster: Alfred Morris, Roy Helu, Jr., Evan Royster, Chris Thompson, Jawan Jamison, Tristan Davis, Keiland Williams, Darrel Young, Eric Kettani.

Saying the Redskins backfield is crowded coming into training camp is an understatement to say the least, but once the season starts that number will likely dwindle further than many anticipate. Keep in mind the Redskins could keep five safeties and four tight ends due to uncertainty at those positions.

Mike Shanahan gets a bad rap for his "Shanahanigans," a title associated with being fickle about which running back will be his bell cow. There's no denying his history of being choosy, although, when he finds a back he's happy with, he sticks with him. Alfred Morris is certainly someone Shanahan is content with, as he carried the ball over 300 times in 2012 and should see a similar workload in 2013. As of now, I can't envision a scenario aside from injury that would discontinue this trend, but I suppose stranger things have happened. But Morris has proved reliable, and because he's done nothing to dispel his coaches' faith in him so far, there aren't many reasons for them to carry more than three running backs and one fullback, especially with the extra spaces needed for positions like safety and tight end.

That essentially leaves two spots that seven more backs are vying for. Barring injury, Darrel Young is a lock to remain at fullback and that takes Eric Kettani and Dorson Boyce out of the equation. The coaching staff knows what they have in Tristan Davis and Keiland Williams, who aren't likely anything more than camp bodies.

Roy Helu, Jr. is an early front runner to take third-down duties, as early reports indicate he is returning to the form he had prior to his 2012 foot injury. Keep in mind that it's not just Helu's ability to catch passes that will help his cause, but also his ability in pass protection. People tend to forget that Helu was one of the better pass-protectors in 2011. Per Pro Football Focus, Helu stayed in to pass block on 78 pass attempts in his last healthy season and gave up a total of two pressures, a frequency that only Michael Turner and Fred Jackson bested that season. If Helu continues to demonstrate his ability in this area, it will undoubtedly go a long way in securing his roster spot.

Still, that doesn't mean he'll lock it down, as rookies Chris Thompson and Jawan Jamison will also have every chance to prove themselves this summer.

Thomspon's biggest obstacle, aside from health, is that he is practice-squad eligible. That also goes for Jamison, who was also a late-round pick. Unless they pull an Alfred Morris and jump out on tape this preseason, the practice squad is the likely destination for at least one of them.

For my money, and take it as what you will, one of these late-round picks will make the final 53 and beat out Evan Royster, who is amid the biggest roster battle in his career thus far. Royster is no longer practice squad eligible, and unless the third-year back shows something he hasn't this summer, he will be looking for a new team. As of now, Royster can offer a deeper understanding of the offense, but it's not like he could boast that advantage for long. A strong camp by either Thompson or Jamison will probably mark the end of Royster's days in D.C.

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Bryant says NFL symposium will help him stay sober

Browns rookie defensive end Armonty Bryant admitted Tuesday to a substance abuse problem. But with the help of fellow rookie Barkevious Mingo, team support and some powerful messages at this week's NFL rookie symposium, he's working at staying sober.

"I would say yes,'' Bryant said after the rookies' Play 60 youth event at the Browns facility when asked if drugs and alcohol had been a problem. "Because I thought at times I was above the game, and that's one thing they’ve been teaching us at the symposium -- don’t be above the game.

"It's a blessing that I’m even here playing this game and living out a dream of mine. So don't take advantage of this, and I feel that’s exactly what I did.''

Bryant, arrested on a drunk-driving charge less than a week after being a seventh-round pick by Cleveland from East Central (Okla.) University, saw himself in former NBA player Chris Herren, who delivered an emotional speech this week about losing everything to heroin, crack cocaine, crystal meth and any other drug he could get his hands on. In addition to the DUI, Bryant was arrested on campus in October, 2012 for twice selling $20 worth of marijuana to undercover cops.

"(Herren's) message was real powerful," said Bryant. "He was talking about his substance abuse, and he was just really strung out on drugs, real bad. He was able to get help over and over and still make the same mistakes.

"I feel like it kind of reminds me of myself, just getting help and then making the same mistakes. Hearing about the whole 17 years of just being strung out on drugs, who knows? ... It could happen to anyone. I really took his message and it really stuck with me that you’re going to have to get over this and just know that later on, whatever the future may hold, this could better you.''

Since the DUI arrest, Bryant has sworn off drugs and alcohol, played lots of X-Box and has been hanging with Mingo.

"He's just been keeping me focused and just really helping me out through my situation and everything. We go out, go watch a movie, go out to dinner, just get my mind of stuff like that.''

Mingo, the team's first-round pick, has embraced the opportunity to help Bryant.

"I guess it works both ways," he said. "He's obviously trying to make amends for the mistakes he's made in his past. He's trying to stop doing stuff that caused him problems. Me not doing that and him being with me, we kind of just have common interests I guess. We're doing the same things, so it kind of worked out for the both of us."

He's convinced Bryant is determined to stay straight.

"I've talked with him a lot. ... He's trying to make up for that. Those guys that we just saw (in the symposium), he doesn't want that to happen to him.''

Bryant, who started using as a senior in high school, has paid attention to receiver Josh Gordon's two-game suspension for a positive codeine test. Like Bryant, Gordon was arrested on a marijuana charge in college that hurt his career.

"He's my teammate now and I have to have his back and everything, but me going through the same type of situation, making mistakes in college, it's something I can learn from," Bryant said. "I'll just try to keep my eyes forward and stay on that narrow path."

Bryant listened to former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett's cautionary tale of ruining his NFL career before it began. A third-round pick of the Broncos in 2005, Clarett never played an NFL down, had drug problems, was arrested for armed robbery and spent three years in prison on a gun charge. He's currently playing rugby in Columbus and doing speaking engagements.

"That really opened my eyes,'' said Bryant. "It just goes to show that as fast as it can be given, it can be taken away.''

His takeaway from Clarett was to surround himself with the right people.

"He said 'show me your friends, I'll show you your future,'" said Bryant. "I've been thinking about that a lot. If your friends are doing the wrong things, you could be going down that same path they are."

Bryant called his drug use "a weekend-type thing."

"When you go out on the weekends, you just want to loosen up a little bit from a long week," he said. "Now how I loosen up is just talk to friends and family. Just hearing people's voices at home and them telling me, 'Oh man, you're so lucky to be there.'

"Making another mistake like that would just be like a slap in the face to them, so I've been working really hard on not doing it."

In addition to the support from Mingo and others, Bryant takes measures to stay sober. He's also likely in the NFL's substance abuse program following the DUI.

"I talk to a psychologist here who works with the team every week," Bryant said. "We talk about it, all the urges that I might have and stuff like that, and what I do to overcome them. It's really helped me out a lot."

After the symposium, Bryant will return home to Texas until training camp begins July 25. He's not worried that without Mingo he'll get in trouble again.

"My mom, she's everything for me and she just keeps me positive," he said. "She's like 'son, don't be doing anything stupid, just stay home.' She's really hard on me and she knows what I have at stake, what I can really be and stuff like that, so she really has my back on everything."

Thanks to his support system, Bryant has been finding it easier to change his lifestyle.

"Deep down inside I know that it’s what I really need to do," he said. "Just being here, I just feel like I don’t want to do it anymore. I just want to give that up."

-- This article from: cleveland.com

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How will the NFL Network's final 10 of 'Top 100 Players' shake out?

The NFL Network's yearly Top 100 Players list has, per usual, generated plenty of buzz. Players vote on their peers, run their mouths when they don't like their ranking and, because it's football and a list of people, folks get all worked up about it. And now they're down to the final 10, announcing the names of the players on the list, though not the order they're in yet.

Alphabetically, the top 10 NFL players from 2012 (as voted on by their peers) are: Tom Brady, Arian Foster, Calvin Johnson, Peyton Manning, Von Miller, Adrian Peterson, Aaron Rodgers, Aldon Smith, J.J. Watt and Patrick Willis.

It's quite a stout list, and predicting the exact order won't be easy, but I'll try anyway. Here's a shot at predicting how I think they'll play out (not how I would rank them; if I was ranking them, my top 10 would look a lot closer to Pete Prisco's than what's below) when the network airs the top 10 on Thursday night.

10. Patrick Willis, LB, 49ers -- Is there anyone more consistently dominant than Willis? The Niners backer posted another All-Pro season with a pair of interceptions, half a sack, nine pass deflections and 88 solo tackles. It was reminiscent of when he finished 10th overall a year ago. Willis, despite being one of the best linebackers in the game, doesn't necessarily accumulate a bunch of "sexy stats" like sacks. So I'm not sold on him being that high on this list, even though just being on it is impressive enough. Seeing a repeat of his placement from last year wouldn't be surprising at all.

9. Arian Foster, RB, Texans -- Foster had another huge season rushing for 1,424 yards and 15 touchdowns. He paced the Texans offense, particularly with Matt Schaub struggling some and Ben Tate being hurt. He's a studly runner, and even if there's concern about his wear and tear heading into 2013 with his 351-carry total from last season lingering, he'll still be rewarded on the list. But he's still a running back, and he wasn't even one the best ones from last season, so No. 9 is as high as he goes. Not too shabby after finishing 25th last year, though.

8. Aldon Smith, OLB, 49ers -- In his second year, Smith posted 19.5 sacks, made a decent run at Michael Strahan's record and generally dominated. But Smith's play fell off a bit after Justin Smith suffered a triceps injury, he didn't close out strong and wasn't on this list last season. I also have to assume that offensive players will always score better on this list. (DeMarcus Ware and Ed Reed were the only two defensive players from No. 11 to No. 20.) Smith's going to No. 8 because he piles up sacks.

7. Von Miller, LB, Broncos -- If I'm making this list, Miller's top five. But I'm not, so whatever. He had 18.5 sacks, a pick, six forced fumbles and 55 solo tackles? That's freaking sick. He's one of the two best defensive players in the game, and No. 7 almost seems unfair given his talents.

6. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers -- Speaking of unfair, this just feels ... weird. Rodgers isn't the sixth-best player in the NFL. Obviously. But I think he'll dip a bit on this list after finishing No. 1 last year as a result of the Packers falling off a little bit. They "only" won 11 games last year (versus 15 in 2011). Rodgers, while he completed 67.2 percent of his passes, "only" threw for 4,295 yards and "only" 39 touchdowns. I think his peers will dock him a bit for the dip.

5. J.J. Watt, DE, Texans -- For the third straight year, a defensive player makes the top five on this list, and there's little doubt that Watt's deserving. (You could actually make the case he should be higher.) A year after being not ranked on this list, Watt put up MVP numbers from a 3-4 defensive end position (which is, frankly, unfathomable), collecting 20.5 sacks, 16 pass deflections, four forced fumbles and 69 solo tackles. Only a bias towards offensive players and the importance on quarterbacks keeps him from being higher.

4. Tom Brady, QB, Patriots -- Brady's counting stats separate him from Rodgers in my placement here -- I don't think Brady will get dinged for hitting on 63 percent of his passes, and his 4,827 passing yards, 34 touchdowns (to eight interceptions) show as much. Dealing with injuries to Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez only gives more credit to Brady putting up monster stats year in and year out, even if his numbers took a dip after Gronk went down against the Colts.

3. Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions -- If you're going to beat a quarterback in the top 10, you'd better have a damn good season. Megatron did that -- and more -- in 2012, when he shattered Jerry Rice's single-season record for receiving yards and even managed to flirt with 2,000 yards, an unheard of number for a wideout. His five touchdowns are disappointing, sure, but 122 catches and 1,964 yards? Ridiculous. This is, by the way, the same spot that Megatron landed in last year. Only superhuman efforts by two guys overcoming medical odds trumps his season.

2. Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings -- Very, very, very tempted to put AP at the top spot here, but I know what people think about quarterbacks (and I agree). Instead, he gets the No. 2 spot after a season quite similar to Johnson's -- AP rushed for 2,097 yards, 12 touchdowns and a straight-up bananas 131.1 yards per game. Down the stretch, no one was better than AP, who almost literally put the Vikes onto his back and drug them into the playoffs. Oh, yeah: and he did this despite having reconstructive knee surgery less than a year before. NBD, you guys.

1. Peyton Manning, QB, Broncos -- Another year, another quarterback up top. Manning was No. 2 on this list in 2011 before falling to No. 52 when he missed all of 2011 with neck injuries. He left the Colts and landed with Denver where, at the age of 36, he might've had the most prolific season of an incredibly prolific career. Manning completed 68.6 percent of his passes (the second-highest rate in his career), threw for 4,659 yards (also second-highest) and threw 37 touchdowns (again, second-highest). Manning's recovery wasn't completely perfect, but it was pretty darn close. And that's why his peers will plop him above everyone else when all is said and done.

-- This article from:cbssports.com

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The Detroit Lions have signed safety Chris Hope

Colts receiver LaVon Brazill has been suspended by the NFL for four games for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

Neither the Colts nor the league said what Brzill tested positive for. He will be eligible to return to the active roster following Indy's game Sept. 29 against Jacksonville, though he will be eligible to practice at training camp and will be able to play in all four preseason games.

A team spokesman said the team would not comment on the suspension.

As a rookie last season, Brazill had 11 receptions for 186 yards and one touchdown.

He was expected to compete with Nathan Palmer and Griff Whalen for the No. 4 receiver spot behind Pro Bowler Reggie Wayne, second-year receiver T.Y. Hilton and free agent signee Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The Detroit Lions have signed safety Chris Hope.

The team announced the move Monday along with the release of wide receiver Brian Robiskie.

Hope started 113 of 163 games and had 20 career interceptions over 11 seasons with Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Atlanta. He started in four games last season for the Falcons and played in both of their playoff games.

The Lions likely added Hope, a Pro Bowl player in 2008, because they're not sure safety Louis Delmas can stay healthy enough to be counted on next season.

Robiskie had four receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown in six games with the Lions last season. He caught 39 passes for 441 yards with three touchdowns from 2009 through 2011 in Cleveland.

Fullback Vonta Leach says the New York Giants have expressed an interest in him.

During a radio interview on Monday with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Leach said the Giants called his agents the day he was released by the Super Bowl-champion Baltimore Ravens.

The Giants' plans at fullback took a hit when Henry Hynoski suffered a knee injury this spring and needed surgery.

Leach, who failed to agree on a restructured contract with Baltimore, earned Pro Bowl honors the past two seasons with the Ravens. He had 21 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown . He also had 36 catches for 212 yards.

The 31-year-old has played with the Packers, Saints and Texans.

``Everything is picking up here a little more,'' Leach said. ``We'll see how this week goes.'

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Packers are instead counting on the development of several young players

Rather than make major personnel changes on defense after last season's 579-yard playoff debacle against the San Francisco 49ers, the Green Bay Packers are instead counting on the development of several young players whose efforts in 2012 were incomplete at best. Atop that list is linebacker Nick Perry, who was a part-time player in the first six games of his rookie season before missing the rest because of knee and wrist injuries.

As a result, Perry was on my list of players to inquire about earlier this month at Packers minicamp. The bad news was that he was still wearing a brace on his left wrist, which he had surgery on last November. But he was participating throughout minicamp and coach Mike McCarthy said he is expected to be at full strength by the start of training camp.

Outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene, who last year detailed for us the long road Perry had in front of him as he transitioned from defensive end, rained effusive praise when asked about his development.

"He looks different," Greene said. "He moves different to me. He moves with more sense of urgency and purpose. His eyes are different. His gaze is different. I can just look at his face and look at in his eyes and know he's not happy with what transpired last year and he's determined not to let that happen again this year."

Perry played only 198 snaps in six games before his injuries, a modest average of about 33 (or roughly half) per game. But in looking back to that relatively short stint, Greene said he felt confident Perry had made progress -- most notably in the unfamiliar realm of pass coverage.

Greene pointed to the Week 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts as evidence. Perry, of course, had one sack in that game and lost another due to penalty. But what caught Greene's eye was an effort in pass defense against Colts receiver Reggie Wayne.

"He carried Reggie Wayne vertical up the field in a Cover 2 concept and it was as good as I can coach it," Greene said. "He carries an All-Pro vertical up the seam in a hip-trail position. That tells me: You know what, he can do everything coverage-wise. He progressed during his time last year as a player."

Proficiency in pass coverage will keep Perry on the field in 2013. But his pass rush and speed on the edge are why the Packers drafted him last season and how he can best help them address the issues that surfaced in the playoffs. Greene sees them as all part of a larger picture.

"This position takes a little time to settle into," he said. "It's hard to come out of the gate at this position because there's so much involved with the eyes. Nick is going to get better with more time on the job. That's the bottom line. He's got to be in the cleats. Smelling the grass. Having fun. Opening his eyes. Making good plays. Building confidence. And that's just the natural progression of a player."

-- This article from:espn.go.com

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