Scout: Florida DB's pro day drills best since Rodgers-Cromartie An NFL area scout, who also happened to be a former defensive back in the league, told Shutdown Corner on Tuesday that Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III turned in an impressive workout in cornerback drills at the Gators' pro day. "He is so sweet," the scout texted from the Gators' new indoor facility. "Killing drills. … [Read more...]

NFL rule changes: All chop blocks illegal, extra-point distance set The NFL has passed a few notable rule changes, including expanding the definition of a chop block and setting the extra-point distance permanently, at the owners meetings in Boca Raton, Fla. All chop blocks are illegal now. A chop block, in broad terms, is when two offensive players high-low a defender, with one engaging him … [Read more...]

Bump and Run: New England’s Makeover Let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter what the Patriots do this offseason. You know they’re going to go 12-4 again. They’ve finished with that exact record each of the last four seasons. Why would 2016 be any different? The Patriots didn’t have to do much tinkering but they did anyway. Bill Belichick gave Pats fans their annual panic attack by trading away top … [Read more...]

Alfred Morris picks Dallas Cowboys as his next landing spot You'd think, if the money was close, running backs searching for a fountain of youth would flock to the Dallas Cowboys.  Alfred Morris did. The former Washington Redskins running back, who was a star as a rookie but has faded some since, has decided to sign a two-year deal with the Cowboys and run behind one of the best offensive … [Read more...]

Bill O'Brien didn't meet Brock Osweiler before Texans signed him Let's say you're going to buy a new car for $40,000. You'd probably want to take a test drive, right? Let's say you're going to eat dinner at a new restaurant and spend about $100. You'd probably like a look at the menu before they bring you the food, right? Let's say you're going to buy a new app for 99 cents. You're probably … [Read more...]

NFL draft profile: West Virginia S Karl Joseph, big hitter on the mend Shutdown Corner is counting down the top 50 prospects in the 2016 NFL draft with a scouting report, quotes from NFL evaluators and a projection where they might be drafted. 43. West Virginia S Karl Joseph5-10, 205 pounds Key stat: Had only one interception in All-Big 12 junior season but had FBS-best five through four … [Read more...]

An ankle injury might cost 49ers DT Ian Williams a small fortune Early in free agency, the San Francisco 49ers agreed with nose tackle Ian Williams on a new five-year deal. The 49ers have a ton of cap room, and that's one of the rare moves they made in free agency. Then it had to be unraveled and done again, because Williams' bad ankle might keep him out of the regular-season opener. And … [Read more...]

Rams appear to be throwing support behind an unlikely quarterback British actress Miranda Richardson, an outsider to the city, had a pretty good quote about Los Angeles that seems fitting this Monday. "You can have a laugh in Los Angeles," she said, "or you can weep in Los Angeles, depending on your attitude towards it." With the Los Angeles Rams coming back to town in 2016, this attitude … [Read more...]

Johnny Manziel lands with powerful agent, but will it even matter? Johnny Manziel is an NFL free agent whose career is at a crossroads. He also now happens to be represented by one of the NFL's busiest agents. NFLPA records show that Manziel has signed on with agent Drew Rosenhaus, who at various times has represented more than 100 NFL clients (although the number has fluctuated a lot in … [Read more...]

Randall Cunningham's daughter wins accolades, eyes Rio It's tough being the child of an athletic legend; their feats are always looming over you. But it helps if you can vault right over those feats with some record-breaking achievements of your own. Vashti Cunningham is the daughter of former NFL MVP Randall Cunningham, and she's well on the way to carving out her own legend. Vashti … [Read more...]