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.
NFC Notes: Lynch, Saints, Redskins, Giants
It wasn’t clear right up until the day the Seahawks‘ minicamp got underway last week whether or not Marshawn Lynch would be in attendance, and it sounds like that may be the case for training camp as well. Even though he’s seeking a new contract, I’d expect the running back to be present when Seattle’s training camp begins next month, but he gave a very Lynchian response when asked by Omar Ruiz of the NFL Network (Twitter link) if he’s looking forward to camp: “We’ll talk about that when that time come, boss.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The Saints are expected to sign second-year linebacker Todd Davis to a contract today, reports Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Davis went undrafted out of Sacramento State in 2013.
- While you could argue that Darrel Young‘s presence as the only fullback on the Redskins‘ roster is a good sign for Young, since he won’t have competition in training camp, Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com wonders if Washington may simply elect not to carry a fullback on its regular-season roster.
- As David Moore of the Dallas Morning News details, Dez Bryant has shown the Cowboys that he’s worthy of a long-term investment — now it’s not a question of if he’ll sign an extension, but how much it’ll be worth. Our Rob DiRe profiled the standout receiver as an extension candidate over the weekend.
- The Giants are deeper at offensive line and loaded at cornerback, but their offseason workouts showed that tight end and linebacker are areas of potential concern, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who adds that it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team head into the regular season without a fullback.