Logo
Login Register
 
 

In the Spot!

This is the thread reading mode page ...


Create a Topic | Search | Back to Subject | Reply | Delete thread

   
 

hia's championship season.


Picture
panxing18
Date Sep. 5th 04:52 AM Icon 557 Date 0

 

— The Arizona Cardinals have one of the best wide receivers to play the game but [url=www.billscheapshop.com]Dion Dawkins Jersey[/url] , beyond Larry Fitzgerald, the position is a major question mark for the team under first-year coach Steve Wilks.

The names of those competing for playing time and/or just a spot on the 53-man roster are hardly that familiar: Brice Butler, J.J. Nelson, Chad Williams, Greg Little, Christian Kirk and Trent Sherfield, among others.

Underrated is a good word to describe the group, the coach said.

“I think that’s exactly the point, just because (of) the perception that there’s not any big-time there that we don’t have good players,” Wilks said after the Cardinals sweated through an outdoor practice Friday.

The receivers on the roster [url=www.cowboyscheapshop.com]Jourdan Lewis Jersey[/url] , he said, are better than outsiders might think.

Fitzgerald had another banner season a year ago, finishing second in the league and tying a franchise record with 109 receptions for 1,156 yards as he climbed to No. 3 on the NFL lists for career receptions and yards receiving. At 34, he was the oldest player in league history to catch at least 100 passes in a season.

But nobody else caught more than 33 for the 2017 Cardinals and no other wide receiver more than 31. Add the departure of the Browns — Jaron and John (no relation) — via free agency and there wasn’t a lot left at the position when Wilks and new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy took over.

Nelson and Williams are holdovers, Butler signed as a free agent, Little hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2015 and Kirk was Arizona’s second-round draft pick out of Texas A&M. Sherfield is an undrafted rookie from Vanderbilt who has shown promise early in camp.

Like his coach, Butler believes the group is far better than people realize.

“There’s not a lot of household names, you can say that,” he said [url=www.pantherscheapshop.com]Cameron Artis-Payne Jersey[/url] , “but we’ve got big talent in the room.”

Butler caught 15 passes for a career-best 317 yards and three touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys last season and sees the current situation as a big opportunity.

“I’ve just got to do what I’ve got to do, man,” he said. “It’s training camp. It’s about doing the grind day in and day out.”

Nelson might be the biggest big-play threat in the group. Exceedingly fast, his 509 yards receiving (on 29 catches) were second on the team a year ago.

“He can take the top off, as you guys have seen the last couple of days,” Wilks said.

But Nelson’s career has been plagued by inconsistency.

Williams has been working with the first team often as he enters his second year following a difficult rookie season.

The former third-round pick out of Grambling State also has big-time speed but played in only six games as a rookie, catching three passes for 31 yards.

“I feel like I’m way more advanced than I was last year, way smarter,” Williams said. “It’s an opportunity for me to really get it going.”

The dynamic Kirk figures prominently in the Cardinals’ plans, both as a receiver and kick returner.

“The one thing that I love about him is his motor [url=www.brownscheapshop.com]T. J. Carrie Jersey[/url] ,” Wilks said. “Of course he’s a good player. He’s smart and all that stuff. That’s the reason why we drafted him, but a lot of times you really don’t know what you get until they actually get here and they start going through their routine. This guy goes full speed on every play, every play.”

Little, who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 220 pounds, “has done some great things” in a comeback attempt that Wilks said might be the player’s last chance after bouncing from team to team following a standout rookie season in 2011, when he caught 61 passes for 709 yards for Cincinnati.

“Once you separate Larry, everything else is wide open,” Wilks said. “Everybody’s fighting for that position. Those guys are really competing hard. … It’s going to be interesting to see how things shape out once preseason hits.”
Trey Burton is taking the Philly Special to Chicago.

Burton, the tight end who threw a touchdown pass to quarterback Nick Foles in Philadelphia's victory over New England in the Super Bowl, has agreed to a $32 million [url=www.brownscheapshop.com]Christian Kirksey Jersey[/url] , four-year contract with the Chicago Bears, according to two people familiar with the deal.

Both people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal won't be announced until the league year starts Wednesday.

The Eagles also lost another tight end, releasing veteran Brent Celek to save $4 million under the salary cap. Celek was the longest-tenured player on the team, missing only one game in 11 seasons.

"Brent Celek defines what it means to be a Philadelphia Eagle," the team said in a statement. "His dedication to his profession and this organization is unmatched and he will go down as one of the best tight ends in franchise history. Brent embodied the city of Philadelphia's temperament and character with his toughness and grit. He has been a huge part of everything we have been building over the last decade and it is only fitting that he was able to help us win our first Super Bowl last season.

"Unfortunately, in this business we are forced to make difficult decisions, especially this time of the year. This one is as tough as they come, but in our eyes, Brent will always be an Eagle."

Burton threw out the first pitch before the Philadelphia Phillies played the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. He re-enacted his TD pass to Foles. The play was called "Philly Special."

The versatile Burton gets a chance to be the No. 1 tight end on the Bears after catching 23 passes for 248 yards and five TDs in Philadelphia's championship season.
AP NFL website: pro32.ap.org and AP_NFL
Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: s://AP_RobMaaddi

[url=www.basketballofficialauthentic.com]Alize Johnson Jersey[/url] ,


 
Spacer
  There is no reply to that thread yet.  
   
   
   
 

Post a reply 11

  Sorry, guests can not last post this topic: Login or Register
 
     
Important References
Contact us / Report Abuse
Bookmark us
Privacy policy & terms of use