Category: NFL (Page 776 of 1282)

Bucs’ linebacker Hayes stabbed by girlfriend

March 10, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

Tampa Bay Bucs’ linebacker Geno Haynes has had a rough past couple of days.

The girlfriend of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Geno Hayes stabbed him in the head with a pair of scissors and in the neck with a knife, Hillsborough County deputies say.
Hayes was taken to a hospital by a friend, and he was treated and released, Hillsborough County sheriff’s spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.
Deputies arrested 19-year-old Shevelle Bagley at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Carter said.
Bagley was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
The incident began with an argument Saturday, and Bagley grabbed a pair of scissors, stabbing Hayes and causing a superficial wound to Hayes’ head, Carter said. Hayes got the scissors away from Bagley.
Then Bagley “grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the neck,” Carter said.
Bagley’s bail was set at $25,000. She has since been released.

Dear Lord, Hayes is lucky he wasn’t killed.

Geno, this is a great time to pack your bags and get the hell out of dodge. It’s probably a safe bet that this isn’t the one to bring home to mom.

NFL

Geno Hayes stabbed by girlfriend Geno Haynes Geno Haynes stabbed Girlfriend stabs Bucs linebacker Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Lions meet with Baylor OT Jason Smith

March 10, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

The Lions recently sat down and talked with Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith.

The Lions took a break from free-agent visits Monday to meet with college prospect Jason Smith, an offensive tackle from Baylor who’s among a handful of players vying to be the No. 1 overall selection in April’s draft.
Smith arrived in Detroit on Sunday and spent most of Monday in Allen Park meeting with front-office officials and coaches.
Teams are limited to 30 private visits at their own facilities before the draft. So the Lions, with five picks among the first 82, including two first-rounders, figure to host other top candidates the coming weeks. Most draft prospects have yet to take part in pro-day workouts at their college campuses.

Despite popular belief, if a team meets with a prospect before the draft it usually is a red flag that they won’t be selecting that player. Obviously that’s not the case every single time, but teams usually don’t like to tip their hand as to which prospects they have their eyes on, so they’ll avoid those players like the plague.

But the Lions realistically have their eye on their players: Smith, Matthew Stafford and Aaron Curry. Now, there could be a sleeper prospect that people are overlooking (Eugene Monroe maybe?), but those appear to be the three players that Detroit is focusing on. That said, it would behoove them to meet with all of those players since they have the No. 1 pick. Nobody selects in front of them in the first round, so it doesn’t make sense to try and throw other teams off. Plus, the Lions have said this entire time that they will negotiate a deal with the player that they will select before the draft. So who knows – maybe Smith is the pick.

NFL, NFL Draft

2009 NFL Draft Aaron Curry Detroit Lions Jason Smith Matthew Stafford

Jaguars’ wideout Matt Jones arrested

March 9, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

Matt Jones isn’t a smart man.

Jones was called in for random drug test on Feb. 27 as part of his treatment for being caught with cocaine.
The treatment center received the results late last week and tested positive for alcohol.
Jones was in court Monday to be sanctioned for using alcohol.
He admitted to a judge that he drank on Thursday, the day before the test, when he was playing golf with some of his friends.
The judge set his bond at $150,000.
If he does make bond, he’ll have to go to treatment for six weeks.

No man should be crucified for having a few pops with the boys while playing golf. But if you know you could be tested at any point for drugs and/or alcohol and face jail time, why even risk it? This guy was a gigantic waste of a first round pick.

NFL

Jacksonville Jaguars Matt Jones Matt Jones arrested Matt Jones cocaine

Athlete Profile: Mark Sanchez

March 9, 2009 / Jeff Dooley

If it seems as though Mark Sanchez is handling the constant comparisons to fellow top QB prospect Matthew Stafford in stride, that’s because the former USC signal-caller knows a thing or two about competition.

After all, he starred for a school that in the last 6 years has produced four NFL quarterbacks – Carson Palmer (’03), Matt Cassel (’05), Matt Leinart (’06) and John David Booty (’08). Now, Sanchez stands poised to become the fifth.

Competition was so stiff at quarterback for USC that Sanchez didn’t even become a full-time starter until this past season. But he made the most of it, shredding defenses to the tune of 3,207 yards and 34 touchdowns while leading Southern Cal to a 12-1 record. He capped off his season by leading the Trojans to a 38-24 Rose Bowl victory over Penn State in which he completed 80 percent of his passes for 413 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, while also rushing for a score.

Despite his stellar season and even better bowl game performance, some question Sanchez’s NFL value because of his relatively limited time under center in college.

Count USC Head Coach Pete Carroll among his doubters. During a press conference in which Sanchez announced his intention to declare for the NFL Draft, Carroll said he disagreed with his quarterback’s choice, citing numerous cases and statistical data that suggest quarterbacks who leave school early struggle in the NFL.

His coach’s lack of confidence aside, Sanchez certainly has the physical tools of an NFL quarterback. The 6’3″, 225-pound signal caller possesses a quick release, displays solid arm strength, above average athleticism and great field vision. He’s also known to be something of a gym rat – a quality that will certainly come in handy as he tries to break the mold of quarterbacks that entered the NFL draft early. It’s also important to note that Sanchez is a fourth-year junior, and will walk away from USC this year with his degree.

As for those comparisons to Stafford, it appears that the University of Georgia product is winning the battle in the minds of pro scouts and draft pundits. Scouts love Stafford’s arm strength and claim he can make all the throws necessary for a quarterback to succeed in the NFL. Sanchez certainly is not backing down, choosing to perform every drill at the combine, both physical and throwing drills, while Stafford opted to sit out. Sanchez can also claim a slight advantage in on-field performance, as he threw for nine more TDs than Stafford did, while the Georgia QB engineered the Bulldogs to two more losses than Sanchez’s Trojans.

No matter what team he ends up with, or how many quarterbacks are taken before him, it’s safe to say Sanchez will welcome the head-on competition. After all, he hasn’t backed down from a single battle yet.

The latest on Sanchez

Widely regarded by draft scouts as the second-best quarterback available in the draft behind Matthew Stafford, Sanchez should still go in the first round, possibly in the first 15 picks.

Mel Kiper Jr. has him going no. 3 to the Kansas City Chiefs

SI.com’s Don Banks says the Jacksonville Jaguars will take him no. 8

Todd McShay says he will go no. 15 to the Houston Texans

Sanchez on the Web

ESPN.com profile

Career and year-by-year statistics

USC profile

Stats and personal information

Wikipedia page

Loads of information and links on Sanchez

New York Times feature from September 2008

Billy Witz writes of the emphasis Mark’s dad Nick put on education