Maryland Notes: Canty, Leach, Roberts
Ravens defensive end Chris Canty isn’t too worried about the NFL ban on “non-standard and overbuilt face masks,” writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Canty is required to wear a special facemask following a 2005 bar fight that resulted in a detached retina. The veteran will be allowed to apply for medical approval to wear “The Big Grille” (as it’s affectionately called).
“Not sure what the memo or new policy is, but it’s simple for me,” Canty said. “No eye shield and custom mask means I can’t play. Eye would be at risk.
“I invented it. It’s that simple. I can’t play without it. I can’t help it that other guys think it’s cool and they want to wear it, too. It’s a necessity for me.”
Let’s check out some more Ravens news, as well as some tidbits from the other team that plays in Maryland…
- Former Ravens fullback Vonta Leach is hoping to catch on somewhere during training camp, writes Caleb Burggraaf of Robesonian.com. “It’s never easy going through free agency,” Leach said. “It’s just a waiting game. I probably won’t sign with a team until training camp.”
- The Ravens may need to rely on a running back by committee approach if starter Ray Rice is suspended, says Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. Bernard Pierce would likely share a bulk of the carries with veteran Justin Forsett and fourth-rounder Lorenzo Taliaferro. The team also has Cierre Wood and Fitz Toussaint, and Zrebiec opines that “it would be foolish to completely dismiss their chances to make the team.”
- Redskins wideout Andre Roberts told SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Twitter) that his decision to sign with Washington may have been different had he known DeSean Jackson was going to be on the team.
- Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com examined whether the Redskins would carry a fullback on their 53-man roster. Tandler writes that incumbent Darrel Young could be left off, being replaced by tight ends Logan Paulsen and Niles Paul. El-Bashir has a tough time seeing Young not making the roster, especially considering his role in Alfred Morris‘s success.
- Mike Jones of The Washington Post isn’t very confident in the Redskins secondary. The team has question marks at cornerback beyond DeAngelo Hall and David Amerson, with Tracy Porter and E.J. Biggers competing for the nickel back spot. At safety, the team has Brandon Meriweather and Ryan Clark playing on one-year deals, and the writer isn’t too optimistic about the young options behind them.
Titans Notes: Preston, Lewan, Mettenberger
The Titans are set atop their receiver depth chart with Nate Washington, Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter. There is a spot up for grabs behind the trio, and Lauren Moore of The Tennessean writes that second-year player Michael Preston is looking like the favorite. Receiver coach Shawn Jefferson gushed about the 25-year-old:
“He is my jack of all trades,” Jefferson said. “He knows all the positions. I can plug him in anywhere, he hustles, blocks, and is a great teammate.
“He has a great chance, but there is a lot of competition at this position. Right now, I’m not making any predictions, but as a coach I can’t live without him. That’s how much he means to me as a player and a person.”
The competition for the spot isn’t easy. Among the candidates are veterans Brian Robiskie, Derek Hagan, Dorin Dickerson and Marc Mariani. 2013 undrafted free agent Rico Richardson is in the mix, as well as a handful of 2014 undrafted free agents.
Here are some more notes from the Volunteer State…
- The holdup over first-round pick Taylor Lewan‘s contract is likely regarding roster bonuses, writes ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio. The offensive tackle could be looking to replace his fully-guaranteed base salaries with roster bonuses paid out during training camp. As Florio points out, this is similar to what happened with the team’s first-round pick in 2013, Chance Warmack. Warmack ended up receiving the type of contract that Lewan is seeking.
- Among the team’s expiring contracts, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean suggests that the Titans should negotiate extensions with defensive lineman Jurrell Casey and punter Brett Kern. The writer wanted to see more from quarterback Jake Locker, linebacker Akeem Ayers, defensive lineman Derrick Morgan and offensive tackle Michael Roos before extending their contracts.
- Rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger is making it his goal to be the starter “from day one,” he said on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “I’m going to make Jake work that much harder…cause I’m coming everyday. And I’m bringing my best effort and my hardest work to the facility everyday to show that I should be the guy playing.” Mettenberger clarified that he isn’t trying to start a quarterback controversy, claiming that “any guy worth his salt” would have the same approach.
Cowboys Notes: Orton, Romo, Jones
The Kyle Orton–Cowboys standoff continues, but Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News says that there’s nothing for fans to worry about. After all, if Tony Romo gets hurt for a significant amount of time, the team “is doomed” either way. That may sound relatively pessimistic, but the writer seems to be on to something.
Gosselin looked at the success of backup quarterbacks from around the league. In 2013, starters won about 54 percent of the time while the backups only won 35 percent of their starts. Since 2000, backups have won 41 percent of their games, but that number is a bit misleading because of two outliers (Tom Brady‘s 11-3 record in 2001 and Ben Roethlisberger‘s 13-0 record in 2004).
The Cowboys could hold on to the dependable Orton, but history doesn’t suggest success if he’s thrust into a starting role. Instead, the team will hope he retires. As Gosselin notes, Orton would have to repay the Cowboys $3MM of his $5MM signing bonus if he decides to hang up the cleats. If he is cut, the Cowboys are responsible for the entire bonus.
Let’s see what else is happening in the Cowboys organization…
- In a likely effort to avoid a third back surgery, Tony Romo told David Moore of The Dallas Morning News that he has given up golf. Golf is more than a hobby to Romo – the quarterback has won a number of amateur tournaments and nearly qualified for the U.S. Open. However, Romo understands what he needs to do to stay healthy. “It’s not just golf. It’s a way you live life,” he said. “I don’t think about it as [giving up] golf. It’s just life. You want to give yourself the best chance to succeed on the football field.”
- Former Cowboys running back Felix Jones is still confident he’ll be in the NFL next season. The 27-year-old appeared in 16 games for the Steelers last season but only ran for 184 yards in a backup role. “I know something is going to happen, I have a gut feeling,” Jones said, via Kieran Steckley of TulsaWorld.com. “I just have to stay prepared for it…I played the game for a few years. I kinda got the hang for what’s going on in the NFL at my position. I know I can teach younger guys. Obviously I still got some gas in my motor.”