As we begin this Memorial Day weekend, remember to give thanks and praise to those who sacrificed their lives so we could all live freely.

— Steven Jackson (@sj39) May 24, 2013

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Fans U know 1st- Tackling Kilimanjaro 2 bring clean H2O to kids in Africa. RT & enter to win my signed #Ravens helmet:bit.ly/YZUUEi

— Ray Lewis (@raylewis) May 23, 2013

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“Mike Ditka embodies the spirit of everything the Bears are about,” Chairman George H. McCaskey said. “He’s an icon. The last time we won the championship Mike Ditka was our coach and the last time we won before that Mike Ditka was a player. The organization knew it was the right thing to do.

“He revolutionized the tight end position as a player and grabbed an entire franchise by the throat as a head coach and willed it to victory in the Super Bowl. We have more retired numbers than any other team in the NFL. After this, we do not intend to retire any more numbers but we thought if there is going to be a last one, there is no more appropriate one than 89.”

“It’s a tremendous honor,” Ditka said. “It’s something that I didn’t anticipate or expect, but it’s a great honor. When you think of all the great Bears players who have had their jerseys retired, I can’t say that there’s any greater honor. I’m very humbled by it and very thankful that George [McCaskey] made the decision to go ahead and do that because it’s really great.

“It’s the consummation of a career. It’s one of the greatest things you could be honored with. When you mention [Gale] Sayers and [Dick] Butkus and some of the guys who have had their jerseys retired, it’s an unbelievable group of men and great players in the NFL and for the Chicago Bears. It’s a tremendous honor. It’s just fantastic and I’m very honored and very pleased. I can honestly say that if it wouldn’t have happened it wouldn’t have mattered because the joy I had from playing with the Bears was unbelievable. I had a lot of fun doing what I did. I had a great career and a great time.”

Ditka was a part of the Bears last two NFL titles as he played for Chicago from 1961-66 and coached the team from 1982-92. He is the only player in the NFL’s modern era to win a title with the same team as both a player (1963) and head coach (1985).

After being selected by the Bears with the fifth overall pick in the 1961 Draft, Ditka revolutionized the NFL’s tight end position. In his six seasons with the team, Ditka was named to five Pro Bowls and was a two-time All-Pro. He was named NFL Rookie of the Year in ’61 after hauling in 56 receptions for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns and finished his Bears career with 316 receptions for 4,503 yards (14.3 ypr) and 34 touchdowns. Ditka went on to play six more seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (1967-68) and Dallas Cowboys (1969-72) and finished his NFL career with 427 receptions for 5,812 yards (13.6 ypr) and 43 touchdowns. As a Cowboys player, he helped the team to their Super Bowl VI title.

After his playing career was over, Ditka served as an assistant coach for the Cowboys from 1973-81 and was a part of their coaching staff when they won Super Bowl XII.

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2012′s NFL offensive rookie of the year had total reconstructive knee surgery in January after further aggravating the injury in Washington’s playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. The injury, of course, was first sustained in week 14 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Many believe the Washington Redskins need to make changes to their offense, but I disagree. The offense, however, will be “tweaked.” That was going to happen even if Griffin didn’t sustain an injury. Much has been said of the zone-read option offense. And let’s be clear, the zone-read is not a style of offense. To use some musical theory, it’s an accent to an offense, which is defined as emphasis placed on a single note. The zone-read makes an offense pop, if you have the right pieces.

There’s been a huge misconception that the zone-read and designed runs injured Robert Griffin III. Did he take some shots to the body? Absolutely, but majority of the time it froze pass rushers — creating big plays for the offense. The NFL is all about creating mismatches and the Redskins created a lot of those last season. Washington had one play last season that I don’t believe anyone stopped, which was a post route off play-action. It froze opposing defenses every time. Especially after establishing a ground game and showing the threat of zone read out the pistol formation.

“Remember, the zone read probably gave Robert more time in the pocket than anything else you can do in the National Football League,” head coach Mike Shanahan said during Thursday’s presser. “Where Robert did get hurt was dropping back and doing a couple of scrambles. That’s probably one of the toughest situations for a quarterback is to dropback, look downfield, know when to scramble, know when to slide. It’s just tough. I think every year you get better and better. But we’re going to try to protect Robert as much as we can. We’re going to let him do the things that we think he does the best and hopefully it will be as productive.”

One thing I’ve learned in past years watching several QBs who can run — if you are not a good slider — don’t do it. Make the sideline your friend. I’m of the belief that either you can or can’t slide. It’s all about developing Robert Griffin III’s niche. For example, here are a few things I’ve come to learn about Griffin:

• He’s better on designed runs than scrambling. 
• He did not climb the pocket much last season.
• The sideline is not his best friend, yet.

Let’s start with the first point — Griffin is an explosive, straight line runner. That was evident when he galloped 76 yards down-the-field against the Minnesota Vikings for a touchdown. He’s not elusive like Michael Vick in the open-field. In fact, it could be argued that a guy like Russell Wilson is more agile in the open field, and maybe even the pocket. This is something that I said about Griffin coming out of Baylor University and my thoughts remain consistent after a year of professional football. He must develop this in the NFL. Griffin has to realize if there’s not “green” straight ahead, don’t try to make something out of nothing every play.

“The plays he [Griffin] sustained the injuries on, they weren’t called runs,” Redskins’ All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams said. “They were on scrambles. He’s the type of player that will try to turn nothing into something every snap. So I don’t feel like the offense was hurting him. It was just Robert, man. He’s a great gifted athlete and he’ll try to get the most out of every play. Sometimes that can be the best for us as you see in the Minnesota game and sometimes it can be a detriment as you see in the Ravens game. It’s really pick your poison but I don’t think this offense will limit him in any way or put him in harm’s way. As he gets older he’ll learn how to get down and avoid contact.”

Kudos to Trent Williams, because I don’t believe anyone has explained that better than he did.

On the second point — for some reason, Griffin strayed away from climbing the pocket last season. It’s not like he’s unable to climb the pocket. He displayed the ability at Baylor and he even did it during his first few pre-season games with the Washington Redskins. Griffin could have avoided some contact inside the pocket by climbing several times last season. I’m not sure why that part of his game somewhat disappeared, but it certainly needs to surface again next season.

Third point — and this somewhat ties into the first point, Griffin needs to get comfortable with the sidelines. He was seemingly allergic to it several times last season. He needs to develop this trait when running, especially scrambling. His competitive spirit kicks in and he decides to simply make some dumb mistakes.

There was two specific plays Griffin suffered injuries on that are viewed to be serious. Let’s take a look at the film, which I’m not very good at drawing on… But you’ll get the point:

Griffin sustained a concussion early last season, if you can remember, against the Atlanta Falcons. This wasn’t a designed run — it was a scramble. Griffin attempted to cut up-field against three defenders with clear angles, instead of going out of bounds. He was allergic to the sideline on this play and because of that, he was popped by the number 2 defender Sean Weatherspoon.  He tried to make something out of nothing. 

Here’s the play where Griffin first damaged his right knee against the Baltimore Ravens. Again, this was not a designed run. Griffin scrambled and tried to make something out of nothing. Yes this play sparked some nice late game heroics by both Griffin and backup QB Kirk Cousins. However, this specific situation was 2nd and 19. Griffin tried to cut towards the middle of the field — again, he’s a better straight line runner — he should have noticed the box of white shirts waiting to light-him-up. The Redskins had three timeouts, it was 1:50 remaining in the game and Griffin could have run towards the sideline. 

“Everyone gets fired up about changing the way that I play,”  Griffin said in his Thursday presser. “My view is I can’t change my mindset but I can be smarter about what I do on the field. I have a year of experience in the NFL. Some may think that’s not a lot but a year of experience in the NFL is a big deal. I know what I have to do and what I don’t have to do out on the field. It is all about limiting the hits and being able to stay on the field for my teammates. If it is third-and-7 and I am three yards away from the first down, then I need to slide or get out of bounds. After what happened to me and the team at the end of the year, I understand that I have to be on the field and more careful while I’m out there. I can still keep the same mindset about wanting to run every play but just knowing to be careful.”

It’s not about making changes. It’s about developing his craft — niche. Griffin needs to make the sideline his best friend. Embrace the sideline, Robert.

The post Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III Must Develop His Niche appeared first on Pro Player Insiders.

“We are thrilled to have all of our draft choices under contract,” general manager Dave Gettleman said. “A.J.’s versatility is very appealing to us. He has played all three linebacker positions and he will have a chance to help us on special teams. Kenjon has great speed and was a dynamic player on offense and special teams at Oregon.”

A three-time All-Big 12 Conference choice, Klein started 38 career games at Iowa State – 21 at middle linebacker, 12 at strongside linebacker and five at weakside linebacker –  and produced at least 110 tackles in each of his three seasons as a starter. As a senior in 2012, Klein led the Cyclones for the second consecutive season with 117 tackles.

Barner ranks second in University of Oregon history with 3,623 rushing yards and 5,848 all-purpose yards, and is tied for second with 41 rushing touchdowns. Barner set a school record with 1,020 kickoff return yards on 41 returns, scoring a touchdown on a 100-yard return.

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Brown (6-3, 209), who was the 186^th overall selection, played collegiate at the University of Oklahoma and Penn State University. He started 39-of-49 career games played and recorded 146 receptions for 1,926 yards and eight receiving touchdowns.

The Steelers have now signed five of their nine selections from the 2013 NFL Draft.

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It is said that tough guy Chuck Norris can light a fire by rubbing two ice-cubes together and that he has counted to infinity-twice. But did you know, he also loves Tim Tebow? Yeah, and I mean in a big way.

The television actor, movie star, and martial artist wrote about his deep and extensive feelings for Tebow in a nearly 1500 word op-ed piece entitled: The Ultimate Clutch Player. In his article, Chuck Norris also personally selects an NFL team for the unsigned free agent, quarterback Tim Tebow.

Here’s a taste of Norris’ manifesto, “I’ve heard the so-called critics say Tebow has poor technical skills, but the truth is that Tim is a natural-born leader, an amazingly gifted football player, an inspiration to his team and the possessor of intense determination and strategy to bring any team to victory – no matter what the odds. One can improve technique, but leadership is innate. That is why I believe Tebow could be a super star and legend in the NFL.”

Naturally Norris, has opinions on how any team can improve and includes a little of his own arm chair quarterbacking. “Personally, I think the formula of rotating quarterbacks is ultimately a recipe for disaster. That system never works. There can only be one quarterback leading the team. As the old adage goes, anything with more than one head is a monster.

“I have been following Tim since he became a quarterback for the Florida Gators, and I have never seen a more determined and inspiring athlete play the game of football.” wrote Norris, “And I’m not alone in that sports assessment.”

The superstar Florida Gator’s quarterback was drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos at No. 25 overall. Tebow quickly became the most celebrated backup quarterback in NFL history. Despite all the Tebow talk, the Broncos went with veteran quarterback Kyle Orton to begin the season 2010.

With Orton playing poorly in each of 4 losses, by halftime of the Broncos’ fifth game, head coach John Fox called in Tebow. And so began Tebow’s amazing 2011 season. Norris is sure to point this out “What sportsman can ever forget how that amazing rookie quarterback then led the Broncos to six wins in their next seven games and into the playoffs, beating the highly favored Pittsburgh Steelers in a wild-card game? After finishing the game tied and going into overtime, the Broncos won the coin toss, and Tebow threw a perfect 80-yard pass on the first play to win the game 29-23. It was the Broncos’ first playoff victory in six years.”

So what team has Norris chosen for Tebow?  The Jacksonville Jaguars.

“Why?” Norris explains, To put it simply, because Tim could help turn the mediocre team into a championship one. Tebow works miracles on the field, and his inclusion would embolden the spirit of the Jaguars among the team and fans.”

Norris personally pitches his idea to the powers that be, promising both a huge return in investment and his personal attendance at Jaguars games, “So, Mr. Shad Khan – the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, David Caldwell – their general manager and coach Gus Bradley, I would give the preceding some serious thought. Whatever you would pay Tebow would be recouped tenfold by the increase in attendance and fan base. With Tim as the quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, they would add thousands (if not tens of thousands) of additional fans to the stadium, including me even though I don’t live in Florida!”

“All that is needed now is an owner, manager and coach of a football team who have the vision and faith to watch Tebow turn around their team. I guarantee that they will see positive results. I have been an athlete all of my life, being a six-time undefeated world middle weight champion in the martial arts, and I know a winner when I see one.”

It will be interesting to see if Norris’ plea gathers moss. Perhaps the Jags ought to listen; Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.

Read the Chuck Norris article in its entirety at http://www.wnd.com/2013/05/the-ultimate-clutch-player/#wQOdqXaxqXrZUI8w.99

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“The knee feels great,” Griffin said to the assembled media post-practice. “I’m able to do all the stuff out there without any hesitation, so that’s the best part about it. I’m excited about that. It’s all about having that confidence, and if you put the work in you’ll have that confidence when you get back out there on the field. It’s about playing like you were never injured.”

Griffin is hoping to be ready by training camp which begins July 25th. “We’re hoping,” coach Mike Shanahan said. “He’s working extremely hard.”

When it comes to ACL surgery, every athlete will use Adrian Peterson’s miraculous recovery as a goal they’d like to reach. Peterson ran for 2,097 and 12 touchdowns last season — proving less than a year recovery from major knee surgery is possible. Robert Griffin III said he reached out to Adrian, although, noted that everyone heals differently. Griffin also talked with his teammate, who shares his same ‘RG3′ initials and had an ACL injury, Rex Grossman III.

Griffin said he would feel comfortable playing week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles without any off-season or pre-season reps. ”It’s basically paying attention,” Griffin spoke of taking mental reps. “You know where you’re supposed to be looking and you yell it out.”

2012′s NFL  rookie of the year has received a lot of flack for his ‘All in for Week 1′ commercial with Adidas. When asked about that, Griffin said – “Yes, I’m all in for week 1, but I’m also all in the rest of my career.”

Whenever a question is asked to Robert Griffin III, he always has an answer. Not only that, he always seems to have the correct answer. Just don’t call it politically correct…

The post Robert Griffin III: “Yes, I’m All In for Week 1 But I’m Also All In The Rest of My Career” appeared first on Pro Player Insiders.

Wheaton (5-11, 182), was the 79^th overall pick in this year’s draft and played his collegiate ball at Oregon State. Wheaton recorded a school-record 227 receptions and ranks third on the school’s all-time receiving yards list (2,994) and sixth on the school’s all-time receiving touchdowns list (16). Wheaton had an accomplished senior season, including being named first-team All-Pac 12 Conference and second-team All-American.

With the departure of Mike Wallace to Miami, Wheaton’s speed could help Big Ben and company pick up some of Wallace’s missed production. Wheaton projects to slot in as the team’s third receiver behind Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders.

Hawthorne (6-0, 195) was the 150^th overall selection in this year’s draft and was one of the few bright spots on a depleted Fighting Illini team. The two-time All Big-Ten honorable mention (2011-12) saw action in 44 career games, making 26 starts. Hawthorne recorded 163 tackles, 12.5 TFLs and six interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns.

Hawthorne is a freakish athlete who might have slipped a bit due to the team he played on, as evidenced in 2009 when Hawthorne earned All Big-Ten Freshman honors. With the recent departure of Keenan Lewis to New Orleans in free agency, Hawthorne could contend with veteran defender William Gay for playing time this season. With some development in his rookie season, Hawthorne could very well be a young starter on a veteran-laden team.

After the recent signings, Pittsburgh has now signed four of their nine selections from the 2013 NFL Draft.

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On Wednesday May 22nd, Le’Ron McClain and the Wounded Warriors Project teamed up at Skyzone in Chula Vista, CA for a good cause. The mission of Wounded Warrior Project is to provide services, to honor, and to empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aids for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. When McClain was told about this he didn’t hesitate to help out.

McClain plays fullback for the San Diego Chargers and is a bull on the gridiron. He was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana and received an athletic scholarship to Alabama University. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Baltimore Ravens and was considered the best fullback in the draft. In 2008 he has a breakout year scoring 10 touchdowns and rushing for 900 yards. He then spent one year in Kansas City and signed a 3 year deal with San Diego after that. Who have been searching for a fullback since Lorenzo Neal was let go a couple of years ago.  To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

Theresa Villano of Pro Player Insider’s visited with McClain in between signing autographs at the San Diego Skyzone.

Pro Player Insiders: Le’Ron, why are you here to support the Wounded Warrior Project? Why are you interested in supporting this cause?

Le’Ron McClain: Today we are out here at Skyzone with the Wounded Warriors’ Project and their families. We are just having fun with their families. My PR agent ( Lauren Renschler of Centurion Strategies) came to me with this and I couldn’t turn it down. I am here with some great people.

PPI: Have any of your family members been in the military or service members?

LM: My grandfather served. He passed a couple of years ago and he use to tell me stories about his time serving (in the military). I thought about it in middle school and high school, but I stuck to sports. The job those men and women do for this country is unbelievable.

PPI: How are you helping raise awareness for the injured servicemen here?

LM: Main thing find out about the events. I’m trying to get more involved because I know the warriors are coming home and have injuries that need to be taken care of. I’m feeling great and really excited about getting involved with this organization.

PPI: People often compare football to going to war. What are some similarities and differences?

LM: I think (the similarities include the) work ethic, being part of a team, and having your brothers back on the battle field. On Sundays we approach the field and go in as a team. The difference is… football is men hitting each other and in the military it’s men and women coming together and fighting for our country.

PPI: It’s your second year with chargers. As a veteran full back what can we look forward to from you this season?

LM: I just take s lead by example approach in practice every day. I’m a pro doing everything.  I came to make the team better. One goal is be a leader on the offense to help the young guys and get us back to the playoffs. Then win the AFC West and get this thing turned around not just for this team but for this city also.

PPI:How would you describe working with Philip Rivers?

LM: Great, since the first day I stepped in the weight room the guy has welcomed me. He works hard and I enjoy working with him. He is also from Alabama too and we have the same southern dialect. We got some great guys around him. Hopefully he can prove all those critics wrong. The ones that are on his back for the last two seasons. From the way he is practicing right now… he will definitely do that.

PPI: We had opportunity to meet Keenan Allen and Manti Te’o. Are there any rookies you think will come in and contribute to the Bolt family? Any advice you would give them?

LM: I would say, just come in and work. Seeing Manti, Kennan, and DJ Fluker out there with us and just how much they will contribute to all our success. They (the rookies) are all hard workers and if they bust their tails and listen to their coaches they will help us succeed.

On the NBA Playoffs…

PPI: Heard you are an NBA fan. Who do you want to win the championship?

 LM: I’m a Laker fan. Lakeshow is my team at home but everyone knows Miami Heat is a good team.  LeBron James is an awesome player. I saw him a couple of years ago and he is just amazing. I think the Pacers will give the Heat trouble.

Stay tuned for Part II of this interview with @Leron_Mcclain33 where we talk more about food, fashion, and football.

–Fernano Rameriez

–Interview Theresa Villano Follow  @Theresa_ppi @PlayerInsiders

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“He kind of got (his leg rolled up on) and so we are taking a look at that,” head coach Tom Coughlin said. “I said a few prayers and I’ll continue until I hear what it is.”

According to team sources, Hynoski injured his left leg in a collision with running back Andre Brown. Team physician Dr. Russell Warren has since examined the player and taken an MRI on the leg in question. Results of the testing show an injury to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and a chip fracture to the lateral plateau. The Giants fullback is slated to undergo surgery on Friday to repair the ligament and fracture, and no timetable has been given on his return.

Despite a heavily reduced workload in the off-season and a limit on contact drills per the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, the last few days have already proven that football can be an unforgiving game.

The list of key players injured thus far also include Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Greg Scruggs, who tore his ACL during a routine set of drills, and San Diego Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram, who also tore his ACL. With Crabtree and Hynoski added to the list, the NFL might have to reconsider their safety policy once again.

“I am going to set my mind to being ready for the first game of the regular season,” said Hynoski. “They said that it is not an unrealistic goal, and I will do everything in my power to be ready for the start of the season.”

Hynoski appeared in all 16 games for the Giants last season. Though he is not a significant offensive loss, he did carry the ball five times for 20 yards and caught 11 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. It is what Hynoski brings as a blocker that the Giants will miss. Tight end Bear Pascoe will likely pick up the duty in the backfield if Hynoski is going to miss a significant portion of time.

The post Henry Hynoski carted off during Giants OTAs appeared first on Pro Player Insiders.

“Star gives us an impactful three-down defensive lineman and Edmund has a lot of natural ability and upside that we will work to develop,” general manager Dave Gettleman said. “We look forward to seeing both players contribute to the team.”

Lotulelei played in 38 games with 28 starts in three seasons at the University of Utah, earning first-team All-America and first-team All-Pac-12 conference honors as a senior in 2012 after posting a team-leading 11 tackles for loss to go along with five sacks.

Kugbila played in 45 games with 32 starts at Division II Valdosta State. He made 22 starts at right guard and 10 at right tackle, finishing his career with 187 knockdown blocks. In his final season at Valdosta State, Kugbila led all NCAA Division II blockers with a 93.8 percent grade for blocking consistency and helped the Blazers win the NCAA Division II national championship.

The Panthers also waived/injured tight end Logan Brock and claimed linebacker Ryan Rau off waivers from Cleveland on Wednesday.

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