The state police captain who provided security for former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino may have broken the law when he accepted tickets and a Sugar Bowl ring from the football program, according to the Arkansas Ethics Commission.
Ark. panel finds probable cause trooper broke law by accepting Petrino gifts
Green Bay Packers LB D.J. Smith will not compete with LB A.J. Hawk because Smith doesn’t play the same position as Hawk on defense. Smith serves as the backup to Hawk in the team’s 3-4 defense. ‘You can say it’s kind of minor, but it’s kind of a big difference,’ Smith said. ‘It’s still a middle linebacker, but one position (Hawk’s) has more responsibility than the other. When it comes to A.J.’s spot, he’s the signal caller. He’s the guy that runs the show. He’s the quarterback of the whole thing. He gets guys lined up, ready to go and makes all the checks when things switch around.’ LB Desmond Bishop is the ‘mack’ linebacker while Hawk is the ‘buck’ linebacker in this system. LB Robert Francois is likely Hawk’s backup in case of injury.
Packers | D.J. Smith won’t compete with A.J. Hawk
The commissioners of the 11 major college football conferences and Notre Dame’s athletic director are meeting in the nation’s capital to present their proposal for a four-team playoff to a panel of 12 university presidents, headed by Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger.
Presidents set to hear commissioners’ four-team playoff proposal
The Minnesota Vikings are confident WR Percy Harvin will attend training camp next month after a recent report that he was threatening to hold out and request a trade. Harvin has two years left on his rookie deal and will make $915,000 in base salary this season. The Vikings are concerned about Harvin’s reckless style of play, which leaves him prone to injuries. ‘His snaps may go up, but his touches, I don’t know about that,’ head coach Leslie Frazier said. ‘We do want to keep him on the field more (because) people defend us different when he’s not on the field. So we’d like to keep him on the field more. But his style, he is a reckless guy, he doesn’t hold anything back and it’s always 100 miles an hour. So you have to be careful of not overusing him and you have to be mindful of that.’
Vikings | Confident in Percy Harvin situation
Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (knee) didn’t do any football-related activities during minicamp this month, and the team is being very cautious not to bring him back too soon. ‘He looks good,’ head coach Leslie Frazier said. ‘He’s moving around without any hitch, he’s doing a lot of good things. What you don’t know is how he’s going to be when you put pads on and someone comes and they dive at his ankle or they look as if they’re going to grab his knee. That you can’t predict.’ It’s looking as though they plan to open training camp with Peterson on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
Vikings | Being cautious with Adrian Peterson
Philadelphia Eagles SS Oshiomogho Atogwe, who received no up-front money to sign with the team this offseason, is scheduled to make the league minimum base of $825,000 this year, which means he is likely to have a reduced role. He’ll provide depth behind Ss Kurt Coleman, Nate Allen and Jaiquawn Jarrett. Atogwe has only $100,000 in fully guaranteed money, but he can make up to $100,000 in roster bonuses ($6,250 per game) and $225,000 in incentives. His deal is worth $1.15 million overall.
Eagles | Oshiomogho Atogwe likely to have reduced role
Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew thinks it’s very possible for him to catch Emmitt Smith’s NFL rushing record. MJD has just 11,501 yards to go.
Maurice Jones-Drew out to best Emmitt Smith’s record
With speeches from Michael Vick and Adam Jones, the rookie symposium has provided valuable lessons for incomers like San Francisco’s A.J. Jenkins. But will the message stick? Jeff Darlington reports.
NFL Rookie Symposium has valuable message, but will it stick?
Starting inside linebacker A.J. Hawk has some competition breathing down his neck in the form of former sixth-round pick D.J. Smith. Do the Packers have a possible position battle on their hands?
A.J. Hawk could lose playing time to D.J. Smith
Osi Umenyiora recently signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Giants, but Michael Strahan believes his former teammate got the short end of the stick.
Michael Strahan: Osi Umenyiora was robbed by Giants