Spartans in the NFL

LooseGoose wrote:Omar Kelly ‏@OmarKelly 1h1 hour ago

Top performers from day 1 of Dolphins rookie camp 1. Matt Hazel (2 bombs for TD) 2. DeVante Parker (great catches) 3. Tony Lippett (int)

Manish Mehta ‏@MMehtaNYDN 8h8 hours ago

The undrafted free agent that Jets HC Todd Bowles feels fortunate to have signed: Michigan State LB Taiwan Jones #nyj

Life can take a turn for the worst at any moment. For Miami Dolphins rookie free agent Arthur Ray Jr., that moment occurred eight years ago.

It was just a week after national signing day in February 2007. As Ray described it, he was "on top of the world" as one of the elite high school offensive linemen in the country, with more than 30 football scholarship offers from major programs. He played in the All-American game that month and decided Michigan State was the best place for him. Then a knot in his left leg and subsequent doctor's visit changed Ray's life.

"I first noticed a lump in my senior season of high school," Ray said this week after signing with the Dolphins. "But, you know, I'm an O-lineman. I'm used to getting banged up. So I thought it wasn't anything to stop me from playing.

LooseGoose wrote:

Manish Mehta ‏@MMehtaNYDN 8h8 hours ago

The undrafted free agent that Jets HC Todd Bowles feels fortunate to have signed: Michigan State LB Taiwan Jones #nyj

6. Tops among the UDFAs: Remember this name -- Taiwan Jones, a former Michigan State linebacker. Bowles called him "a thumper," adding that he's surprised Jones didn't get drafted. The Jets pounced on him after the draft, making him one of their undrafted free agents.

According to a Scout.com report, Mumphery got off to a good start:

"If there is one rookie out of the draft class who impressed on day one, it was Keith Mumphery. Working out the outside wide receiver position, Mumphery showed that he is a step above his defensive counterparts when the ball is in the air. His best catch came in traffic one-handed and he did well maintaining his stride after catching the football, running away from defenders. Despite early criticism after being drafted, Mumphery was easily one of the stand-outs of day one of the rookie mini-camp."

LooseGoose wrote:

According to a Scout.com report, Mumphery got off to a good start:

"If there is one rookie out of the draft class who impressed on day one, it was Keith Mumphery. Working out the outside wide receiver position, Mumphery showed that he is a step above his defensive counterparts when the ball is in the air. His best catch came in traffic one-handed and he did well maintaining his stride after catching the football, running away from defenders. Despite early criticism after being drafted, Mumphery was easily one of the stand-outs of day one of the rookie mini-camp."

Michigan State's Keith Mumphery off and running at Houston Texans rookie minicamp

LooseGoose wrote:

According to a Scout.com report, Mumphery got off to a good start:

"If there is one rookie out of the draft class who impressed on day one, it was Keith Mumphery. Working out the outside wide receiver position, Mumphery showed that he is a step above his defensive counterparts when the ball is in the air. His best catch came in traffic one-handed and he did well maintaining his stride after catching the football, running away from defenders. Despite early criticism after being drafted, Mumphery was easily one of the stand-outs of day one of the rookie mini-camp."

Michigan State's Keith Mumphery off and running at Houston Texans rookie minicamp

EAST LANSING – Trae Waynes is off and running, fast as usual, in Minneapolis.

Friday was the start of the Minnesota Vikings’ rookie minicamp, one day after Waynes signed a four-year, $12.944 million deal and eight days after the Vikings took the former Michigan State star cornerback with the 11th overall pick. And it was another good day for him.

“It’s way, way, way early,” Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer told reporters, “but I actually told one of the coaches, ‘For a young guy in trying to teach the technique that we’re doing, he caught on probably faster than I’ve ever had a guy on the first day.’”

LooseGoose wrote:Some UM pricks

This offseason has been as smooth as a transition can be for quarterback Brian Hoyer. Despite being three years removed Bill O’Brien’s offense, Hoyer feels like he’s been able to pick up where he left off in 2011.

“It’s not new - for me, it’s kind of just getting back on the bike,” Hoyer said Monday. “You learn to ride a bike and whether you don’t ride it for a year or two, you can pick it up pretty quickly. There’s some adjustments, especially with (George) Godsey being the offensive coordinator. It’s been a great three weeks so far of getting re-acclimated and learning the nuances that he’s kind of put his own spin on.”

4. Mike Sadler has a boot.
There were mock drafts that had Sadler listed as the No. 2 punter in the country entering the draft. But he didn’t get picked up and the Bucs signed him as an undrafted free agent. Sadler, who averaged 42.2 yards per kick and placed 39 percent of his punts inside the oppositions 20 in college, was kicking bombs on Saturday. He has a shot at being invited to training camp to compete with Michael Koenen, who handled the Bucs’ punting duties in 2014.

We took a little bit closer look the other day at what the ‘bottom’ of the depth chart at the Denver Broncos wide receiver position looks like, and it included 2014 undrafted free agent Bennie Fowler, who is entering his second year with the team.

Fowler, a 6-2, 220 pound specimen out of Michigan State with great timed speed and athletic measurables, was added to Denver’s practice squad last year after a solid training camp and pre-season where he had started to build some chemistry with Brock Osweiler.

The book on Bennie Fowler coming out of the draft was that he had a lot of ‘untapped’ potential. This is a guy with an excellent athletic makeup but why was there not great production at Michigan State?

Fowler struggled through injury and inconsistency at MSU but capped off his career by averaging over 17 yards per catch with six touchdown grabs. He also proved he could play some special teams. His senior season, combined with the awesome pro day workout he had, prompted NFL teams to take a second look, and while he wasn’t drafted, there would be competition for his services as a UDFA pickup.

The Broncos won out.

After a year ‘on call’ on the Broncos practice squad, Fowler is ready to make a leap (hopefully) onto the active roster with the rest of Denver’s star studded group of wideouts. He’s got the special teams ability, the size, the speed, and now a year of experience under his belt. All that’s left is whether or not Fowler feels ready, and apparently, he is.

LooseGoose wrote:James Walker ‏@JamesWalkerNFL 47m47 minutes ago

#Dolphins rookie CB Tony Lippett just caught his THIRD INTERCEPTION of the day in 7-on-7 drills. He picked off backup QB Matt Moore.

"What made all of Lippett's INTs so impressive is fact he hawked down the balls after trailing the WRs. They weren't all good throws though.''

LooseGoose wrote:John McClain ‏@McClain_on_NFL  33m33 minutes ago
Brian Cushing "Max (Bullough) may be the smartest guy in our meeting. He's a good player all the way around."

Halfway down the line of lockers, fellow 2014 draft pick Darqueze Dennard revealed that he cut eight of the 200 pounds he carried at Michigan State and last year as a rookie.

The end result for the defensive end and cornerback, ideally, is realizing their potential in their second year with the team by adding strength and quickness.

With the departure of veteran Terence Newman this offseason, Dennard saw an opportunity for increased playing time, if not a starting role, in the defensive backfield. In order to maximize that opportunity, Dennard heeded the advice of Newman and defensive backs coach Vance Joseph by changing up his diet and playing lighter in 2015.

"I feel more explosive," Dennard said. "I feel more fluid in my breaks, coming into my breaks, and just playing - I feel more comfortable."

3, Tony Lippett, cornerback

Any time a rookie enters the NFL; there may be a transitional period, especially for a player that is switching positions. For fifth-round pick Tony Lippett, he made a number of plays during OTAs and minicamp.

In OTAs, Lippett recorded three interceptions in one session. During minicamps, Lippett made some plays in coverages and would hardly be out of position.

Even though Lippett played well during offseason workouts, he isn’t a lock to make the final 53-man roster. The former Big Ten Receiver of the Year will have to likely beat out Bobby McClain and Sammy Seamster for a roster spot, but it appears Lippett has the edge.

What to Expect:

Before offseason activities, I would have told you that Tony Lippett wouldn’t see the field in his first year. I firmly believed he would need a self-imposed redshirt year in order to specifically hone his abilities at the cornerback position. However, after offseason activities it seems like Lippett could be developing quicker than I had initially expected him to. He has been described as a ball hawk thus far, and has been able to make plays even against the first string offense. It is definitely too early to reach any conclusions regarding Lippett or his prospective role with Miami, but if the premature reports are correct, Lippett could be a big help for the Dolphins’ secondary.

Also, here is your regularly scheduled reminder that Tony Lippett murdered Baylor’s kicker this past season. You’re welcome.

Sims said seeing former MSU teammate Tony Lippett get off to a good start with the Dolphins has been rewarding for him.

"That dude can do everything, he's just an athlete and he can play corner or receiver,'' Sims said. "That will help him in the league. I saw him make some plays in OTAs, flashed some of his great ability, so he'll be fine.''

- If we had to do a rookie ranking through the first month-and-a-half for the Texans based on how they looked on the field, it would look like this. (Not all rookies are included.)

Tier 1- Kevin Johnson, Keith Mumphery

Tier 2- Benardrick McKinney, Christian Covington, Lynden Trail

Tier 3- Jaelen Strong, Reshard Cliett

Kevin Johnson and Keith Mumphery have been the cream of the crop and if they keep progressing the way they need to, they will provide instant help on both sides of the football. ...

As for some of the rookie free agents like Kurtis Drummond and Chandler Worthy, they will have to be lights out during training camp to find their way into a Texans uniform. ...

- Potential Break Out Candidates for the Texans

Brian Cushing called Max Bullough the smartest player inside the linebacker room and it shows on the field. On the field, Bullough has an uncanny knack for dissecting plays and getting into passing lanes. He has some of the best awareness on the team. Although he has work to do to get extensive playing time with the defense, he could be one of the glue guys who make the special teams units better.

11. One receiver sometimes lost in the shuffle is Keshawn Martin. He’s made some quality catches in workouts and made a couple of nice grabs today. Martin is a name I hear from people a lot, wondering how does he fit on this team with DeAndre Hopkins, new draft pick Jaelen Strong, two free agent signees, another draft pick Mumphery and Damaris Johnson, among others on the roster.

I’m holding out some hope that he follows in the footsteps of another former B1G star - Brandon Lloyd. Early in his career, Lloyd had a couple of marginal seasons for the 49ers as he never caught more than 48 passes in a season. He had played seven seasons, including one for Denver the year prior, before he finally burst out. He had 77 catches, 70 catches and 74 catches in three consecutive years after he had COMBINED for 59 the previous four seasons. Now, Lloyd’s a rare situation, but crazier things have happened, so who knows? I do know he appears more comfortable in this offense in 2015 and more consistent in practice than he’s been since he’s been a Texan.

@eallenjets Which UDFA in your opinion has the best chance of making the roster?
— Christa (@Chriistaxx3) June 15, 2015

EA: It is always tough for any UDFA to earn a spot on a deep roster – yes the Jets are deep. Todd Bowles was surprised that Michigan State ‘backer Taiwan Jones went undrafted. Jones appeared in 54 games for MSU, registering 183 tackles and 25.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. It is hard to evaluate a physical player in two-hand touch football, so let’s see how Jones progresses during camp. Stout against the run for Sparty, Jones will have an opportunity to make some noise.

EAST LANSING — Max Bullough only made one tackle for the Houston Texans his rookie year after getting called up late, but the former Michigan State middle linebacker has continued to make progress.

Bullough was signed by Houston last year after going undrafted, but he made the team's practice squad before being promoted to the 53-man roster last November.

Houston All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt indicated in an interview last Wednesday with HoustonTexans.com that Bullough has found his way into the linebacker rotation.

Before entering an NFL draft that he just hoped would include him in some way, Michigan State receiving star Tony Lippett said of his future position: "I'd love to play wide receiver, but cornerback is a challenge I'd like to have, too."

The Miami Dolphins made that decision for him by declaring him a corner after picking him in the fifth round, and Lippett is making the Dolphins look smart early. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel declared Lippett "the hero" of Monday's organized team activities, after he made "spectacular catches" on three red-zone interceptions.

"Tony showed up today, that's for sure," Miami defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle told the paper.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:I bet they try to sneak him onto their PS

InTenSity wrote:

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:I bet they try to sneak him onto their PS

Can I assume that PS is practice squad? Actually, if you guys want Dolphins info, I'll try to get it. I actually have a 'source', but I know he has to be pretty careful with info, so all he'll really do is confirm somewhat public info with me. IE, when the news of Suh broke, I happened to be golfing with him, and he said since it was being tweeted by ESPN, he was able to confirm he was coming down here. Or there was something that was tweeted, maybe that was at the Doral Championship. I've asked basic things about...GDI!! I can't remember the TE's name right now, but anyway, how he's doing and stuff like that.

When the Cincinnati Bengals drafted two first round cornerbacks in a two-year span, it seemed obvious that a shift to youth would happen at some point. That shift has been slow, but 2015 seems to be a true start of youth in the defensive backfield. The needle is mainly pointing to Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard at corner, but there are other talented players who don't have the first round billing of those two.

Sixth-round safety Derron Smith, fourth-round swing guy Josh Shaw and even the undrafted Oregon corner Troy Hill are all vying for final roster spots and playing time. Bengals.com head man Geoff Hobson joined the Inside the Jungle podcast crew of Nick Seuberling, Mickey Mentzer, Anthony Cosenza and Scott Bantel to talk about the team's defensive backs among many other topics.

Edwin Baker is an NFL player. But he's not a star. In fact, his role as a running back with the New Orleans Saints is tenuous. And unless you're a loyal Michigan State fan, you've probably never heard of Baker.

But your son or your nephew or the kid down the street who has big dreams about NFL stardom should have a Fathead poster of Baker on his wall. And here's why: Baker represents a responsible, level-headed approach to the reality of a career in the NFL and preparing for life after sports.

Imagine this: Baker earned about $200,000 last year with the Saints. As soon as the season was over, he balked at a January vacation on an island beach with an umbrella in his drink.



Instead, he came right back to frigid Detroit, moved in with his parents and took a job for three months making $14 an hour learning the human-resources ropes at United Shore Financial Services, a mortgage company headquartered in Troy.

Richard Griffin is a longtime financial adviser who works with about 65 NFL players, including Baker, as chief executive officer of Rickstar Financial in Ann Arbor. Griffin said Baker is a rare breed.

"He's been on and off rosters," Griffin said, "so he understands that this isn't a forever and he has to prepare himself for life after football. I wish more guys would do it. They think they're going to play forever. They just do not, as you know. The average career's 3¹/₂ years. Especially if you're a running back, it's shortened a little bit.

"But every summer, Edwin has done something to prepare for life after football, whether it's a small internship, whether he's shadowing someone. This year he got a little more in depth with the United Shore mortgage company."

LooseGoose wrote:Sounds like LeVeon is built like most of the posters here....

Le'Veon Bell ‏@L_Bell26 58m58 minutes ago
a lotta ppl can post dunks & highlights, but not a lot of ppl can post this! 2.9% body fat! #Juice #BestShapeEver