Eagles’ Sam Bradford will play out final year of deal

By Gregg Rosenthal

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000502809/article/sam-bradford-will-play-out-final-year-of-contract

The Philadelphia Eagles took a chance on Sam Bradford by trading for him and choosing to pay him $12.985 million this season. But there’s no telling where he’ll play in 2016.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported on NFL Network’s NFL Total Access on Monday that Bradford plans to play out the final year of his contract, according to a source informed of his thinking. Bradford is essentially betting on himself by not signing an extension now. If he stays healthy and plays well, he could maximize dollars later.

This is an approach that makes sense for both sides. With Bradford coming off back-to-back torn ACLs, the Eagles surely would like to see him look healthy and effective in Chip Kelly’s system before handing over huge guaranteed money. There’s no way they could offer him a true “franchise quarterback” contract at this stage without a ton of protections. As discussed during Monday’s podcast, Bradford has to win the Week 1 starting job over Mark Sanchez before taking the next step. That’s far from guaranteed.

Bradford has already played out a six-year, $78 million contract signed under the old collective bargaining agreement. With that in mind, long-term “security” might be less important to him. He already has it. After looking less than 100 percent in offseason practices, Bradford needs to prove to the Eagles — and himself — that he can still be a viable NFL starter. Do that in Kelly’s passer-friendly system, and the money is going to come.

It’s on now and again at 11.

.

Hall of Famer Steve Young: 49ers have major perception problem

http://www.contracostatimes.com/49ers/ci_28500484/hall-famer-steve-young-49ers-have-major-perception

By Cam Inman

cinman@bayareanewsgroup.com

STATELINE, Nev. — Steve Young took a few hacks on the driving range of Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, then sought some swing tips from fellow celebrity duffers. ¶ Golf mechanics might be an easier fix than the credibility of Young’s former team, which concerns the Hall of Fame quarterback and 49ers legend. ¶ “One of the biggest things is holding onto the perception that you’re a great team,” Young said at the American Century Championship. “That has to have been lost. There’s this whole offseason where people are picking them to finish last.” ¶ True enough, in the casino across the street, the 49ers’ odds of winning the Super Bowl set to be played in their home stadium Feb. 7 have climbed to 40-1.

They’re a favorite in one category: to find a home in the NFC West cellar.

They’ve become longer long shots as this harrowing offseason has unfolded, those odds starting at 25-1 before growing with every retirement or free-agent defection.

“They’re the longest odds they’ve been in a long time,” said Dave Cudney, manager of Harrah’s and Harveys Race & Sports Book. “They lost their coach, they lost key players, and so it’s a lot of unknowns.”

Add that up and the 49ers are losing what Young called “the perception game,” which he described as striking fear into opponents before a game starts.

“That needs to be re-established, and that is not easy,” Young said. “That’s why the first month of the season will help turn that tide or just solidify the perception.”

The biggest variable: quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Will his much-publicized offseason work pay dividends? Can he rise to the challenge in a transition year? Gamblers, and the 49ers’ brass, sure think Kaepernick can.

“They like him and think he can do it. I’m not convinced,” Cudney said. “But so many fans are (convinced), and we get so much action from them. They have faith. There’s a lot of faithful.”

Fall from grace

The 49ers Faithful, after enduring an eight-year absence from the playoffs, got instant rewards once Jim Harbaugh arrived as coach in 2011. What followed were three consecutive NFC Championship game appearances and a dramatic Super Bowl that wasn’t decided until the game’s final play.

Last year’s 8-8 wrecking ball was another story. A playoff berth was officially gone by mid-December. Harbaugh’s tenure succumbed to a yearlong rift with his superiors, who promoted Jim Tomsula to replace him.

Then the evacuations began, both from free agency and surprising retirements that raised some red flags.

Linebackers Patrick Willis (age 30) and Chris Borland (24) announced their retirements, followed by the anticipated farewell of defensive lineman Justin Smith (35). Then came one more stunning resignation, this one by right tackle Anthony Davis (25).

“Everyone has their own individual reasons (to leave), but I worry about that, too. It’s another perception,” Young said. “Does it matter why they left individually? The perception: That’s not the place to be, as a free agent.

“We’re not on the cusp of winning a championship.”

If those retirees wished to brush off their health concerns and continue their careers, they could have demanded a trade, and none are believed to have done so, while forfeiting millions of dollars in the process.

The free-agent exits were more predictable. Frank Gore already had an heir apparent in place with the drafting of running back Carlos Hyde last year. In letting wide receiver Michael Crabtree walk away, the team believes it found an upgraded counterpart to Anquan Boldin in Torrey Smith — the most expensive free-agent signee in 49ers history. Elsewhere, first- and second-year players are expected to fill voids, which is how the NFL typically works in this salary-cap era.

Kaepernick has stayed optimistic heading into training camp, which opens July 31. “Very excited for the season,” Kaepernick told reporters earlier this month in Reno. “A lot of new faces in the locker room and a lot of new coaches. I think the changes are for the good.”

Few familiar faces

Since Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans on Feb. 3, 2013, only seven starters and eight backups remain — 15 of 53 enlisted men. The exodus began with quarterback Alex Smith, traded in March 2013 to the Kansas City Chiefs.

But it’s Harbaugh’s removal that lingers atop many minds.

Marshall Faulk, who began his Hall of Fame career as a teammate of Harbaugh’s on the Indianapolis Colts, didn’t mince words about Harbaugh’s “mutual parting” after his strained unions with CEO Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke.

“I don’t know how you’re going to sell me on that,” Faulk said. “I don’t care how rude, how much turmoil, he earned the right to say what he had to say, to the Yorks or Baalke, because he won.”

Joe Theismann, Faulk’s fellow NFL Network analyst and a former Washington quarterback, added: “It was unfortunate the way Jimmy exited, but he’s a tough nut and it’s a tough call. The Yorks made a decision and said this is the direction we want to go in.”

Harbaugh, for all his accomplishments, didn’t end the 49ers’ Super Bowl drought, now spanning 20 years. The offense floundered, off-field distractions piled up, and players’ accountability waned.

“Everybody says they’re going to be terrible. Wait, what were they last year?” asked Trent Dilfer, an ESPN analyst and Baalke confidant. “They were 8-8 and an OK team. To get better, sometimes you need dramatic changes.”

Dilfer sees an encouraging difference under Tomsula, who succeeded Harbaugh after eight seasons as a defensive line coach. A younger roster requires better teaching and learning, and Dilfer insisted that Tomsula and his staff are suited for that task.

Added Dilfer: “Is that the secret sauce to a Super Bowl? Probably not, but I think sure as hell they’re a playoff team.”

Different outlooks

Left tackle Joe Staley offered a vote of confidence last month, calling the offseason program one of the best the 49ers have had in his eight seasons. He pointed to the new vibe from the new coaches, new players and new ideas.

Staley also said it’s too early to say how this season will go.

“The year we had Harbaugh his first year, everybody thought we were going to be really crappy,” Staley said. “Then last year everybody thought we were going to be amazing. … There’s a million factors that go into a team being successful or unsuccessful.”

In less than a year, the 49ers have gone from perennial playoff contender to a team Harveys in Lake Tahoe favors to finish last in the NFC West.

Faulk can’t argue, stating, “This could easily be a team that goes from competing to win the NFC to last in the NFC West.”

League observers like to note how the 49ers’ concerns are exacerbated by their being in the formidable NFC West.

“If you look at it, the Rams should be a lot better, and the Seahawks aren’t going anywhere,” said Sterling Sharpe, a former Pro Bowl wide receiver and current NFL Network analyst.

The 49ers won the NFC West in 2011 and 2012, and the Seahawks have won it the past two years en route to Super Bowl berths.

It’s not a new challenge, however, and enough veterans remain to remind newcomers of it.

“They’ve still got a nucleus,” former 49ers running back Ricky Watters said. “But they’ve got to see last year as a mirage. If they can get back to that (playoff) attitude and understanding … ”

An obvious key will Kaepernick, a quarterback who has shown the ability to not just get his team to the playoffs but also to win once there. After a trying 2014, Kaepernick is entering a make-or-break season based on the structure of his contract extension.

“Kaepernick will be better, because of some of the negative forces that are gone,” said Steve Bono, a former 49ers quarterback and now one of their alumni coordinators.

“They’ll still be good,” Bono added. “You’ve got to be 8-8 or 10-6 to get in the playoffs, and they’ll be at least 8-8, for sure. I hope so.”

Added former NFL coach Herm Edwards, “If they’re 8-8, that’s a great year, and they’ll have come a long way for what’s gone on this offseason.”

Added their former quarterback, Smith: “There’s still a ton of good players there.”

‘Nobody feels sorry’

The last time the 49ers changed coaches after missing the playoffs, Steve Mariucci gave way in 2003 to Dennis Erickson. Then came Mike Nolan, and then Mike Singletary, who was ousted before the 2010 season finale.

“Jim has his work cut out for him,” Mariucci said of Tomsula last month on the NFL Network. ” … The general consensus here in the Bay Area is that expectations are lower because of all the missing parts — coaches and players. It’s going to be difficult for Jim Tomsula.

“They don’t want to hear that; the Niners are optimistic, very prideful,” Mariucci continued. “But let’s face it, they’re not the same team as they were.”

Theismann perhaps best summed up the NFL’s view of the 49ers’ perceived free fall: “Nobody feels sorry for the 49ers. Nobody is going to say, ‘Oh, the poor San Francisco 49ers.’ ”

Or, to twist Harbaugh’s old motto: Who’s got sympathy for the 49ers and their turbulent offseason? Nooo-body

My take on JL.

I compare him to a player who he resembles in some ways. Antonio Pierce.

In 2004, with GW as the coordinator, Washington had the #3 defense, 2nd against the run. Pierce was their MLB. He then went on to the Giants. I remember a write-up after the 2008 superbowl where a writer asked the Giants defensive coaching staff how they gameplanned to beat the Patz in that game. The FIRST thing they said was that a lot of what they did depended on Pierce recognizing run v. pass and making the calls.

Interestingly, one of the first things Spags did when he came to the Rams was try to replicate Pierce. Of course, that was picking JL.

Back to 2004. Washington had a top defense, and Wms depended a lot on Pierce making the defensive adjustments.

Here are Pierce’s numbers from 2004 compared to JL’s numbers from 2014.

Pierce 2004: 2 INTs, 5 PDs, 1 FF, 2 FRs, 1 sack, 85 tackles.

Laurinaitis 2014: 0 INTs, 3 PDs, 2 FRs, 3.5 sacks, 81 tackles.

Pierce has 4 TOs v. JL’s 2, but JL has 3.5 sacks v. AP’s 1.

Pierce, too, was described as a heady “qb of the defense” type and wasn’t known for his imposing physical skills.

So I was just thinking, if JL holds up, Pierce could be an example of the kind of MLB he is supposed to be.

.

PA Ram wrote:

You were thinking a lot deeper about the physics than I was, but it’s interesting.

Well I have a very high but very amateur interest in particle physics. I read around on it constantly. It got so I wanted to test my understanding, so I would try to see if I could explain some of it. (For example, here’s a mind bender–a great deal of the mass of atoms comes from elemental particles like quarks and electrons acquiring mass by interacting with the Higgs field, which of course is produced by the recently discovered Higgs boson. BUT not all the mass or protons and neutrons comes from that. So where does the rest come from? The answer is mind-blowing.)

So in any event, I went into the movie knowing that stuff, and therefore when there were discrepancies and contradictions I noticed immediately. It would be as if we both saw a fictional film about the NFL and a player talked about playing in a traditional 5-4 defense just like the old Chicago Vikings did in the 1920s. We would both immediately go “hunh?”

This isn’t me bragging. A real physicist would get bored of the amateur level “feeling my way” nature of my “knowledge” within seconds.

But, I think it’s interesting. So I keep up.

.

nittany ram wrote:

Yes.

The 85 Dolphins.

And that was one great game too if you saw it.

PA Ram wrote:

Sounds good.

They really need these young guys to come together quickly.

Here’s one thing about that—on Brown. In 2013, they would have taken Warford if Ogletree weren’t there at 30. In 2014, they reportedly tried to trade up for Zack Martin. Those are 2 of (if not the 2) best guards drafted in the last couple of years.

This doesn’t etch the Brown thing in stone or anything, but, they do seem to have very good taste in rookie guards.

.

from off the net

==

RockRam

The stereotype of a 4-3 MLB is a guy like Butkus who blew players up. People forget what a freak he was in his era when he was playing: 6’3″ and almost 250. Today that is probably slightly above average. But he was bigger than many (most?) DEs his day. He was a frightening sight and simply destroyed people.

But that is not and never was JL. JL is cerebral,a good leader and a good athlete, big enough at 245, and does all things well. He can cover zones, is a much better pass rusher than given credit for, and is sure tackler as the stats indicate (even for those who find subjective analysis and personal opinion more useful than objective statistical analysis, just watch the games).

But he is sort of a drag down tackler; he isn’t Dick Butkus. He isn’t ferocious. So he’s not spectacular, will never make the highlight reels. But he is SO consistent. I don’t recall him having a truly bad game. I think he’s pretty much a B in every category, so when taken in sum he’s a B+ MLB. But because he’s good at everything he plays 3 downs and that is rare today. He is the one guy whose loss for more than a game or two could really hurt the Rams D. For one thing they would have to do a lot more subbing at MLB, which would reveal intent, because we don’t have another MLB who can do all the things JL can do.

Mackeyser wrote:

Analytics applied to politics. Drill down just a step or two further and candidates will be able to “micro-pander” in order to cater on a personal level.

Analytics holds such promise for solving some of our biggest problems, but instead we’re going to misuse it to manipulate ourselves into an Idiocracy.

smh

Yer on a roll tonight. Good to see.

nittany ram wrote:

Tre Gurley.

Did you just say the Rams are “tres girly”?

If you’re going to be antagonistic, at least spell it right.

London Fletcher.

Sandra Bland Tried to Post Bail Before Allegedly Committing Suicide
She called a bondsman before she turned up dead in a Texas jail cell and also spoke of depression and PTSD.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/16/sandra-bland-tried-to-post-bail-before-allegedly-committing-suicide.html

Before she was found dead of apparent suicide in a Texas jail cell, Sandra Bland called a bail bondsman hoping to get out.

“I talked to her when she first went to jail,” Joe Booker of Hempstead told The Daily Beast on Thursday. “I called her mother for her.”

Booker then hung up and didn’t respond to further requests for comment. It would have cost friends or family $500 to bail out Bland, Captain Brian Cantrell of the Waller County Sheriff’s Office said.

Why she would take her own life after apparently working with Booker to secure her freedom is one of many questions surrounding her death.

“Based on the Sandy I know, that’s unfathomable to me,” Bland’s sister Sharon said at a press conference.

Bland did, however, say in March that she was dealing with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“I gotta be honest with you guys,” she told people in a Facebook video, “I’ve been dealing with something that some of you all may be dealing with now. It’s a little bit of depression as well as PTSD.”

Bland also expressed her faith in God, who “blocked that depressing moment in my mind.” Bland closed the video with an apology for her lack of posts, saying, “Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder are things that affect everyone—black, white, it does not matter.”

Bland’s body was discovered by a jail worker on Monday morning. Bland was hanging by unspecified means—police said she did not have shoelaces or a blanket in her cell. An autopsy performed Tuesday listed Bland’s cause of death as suicide by asphyxiation, but her family and many people online suspect foul play. (The autopsy report which contains that and much more detailed information has not yet been made available.) The Texas Rangers said they are investigating her death, and the Bland family has retained an attorney.

At 7 a.m. Monday, Bland reportedly asked to make a phone call. Two hours later, she was found dead.

Bland was pulled over by a Texas Department of Public Safety officer on Friday afternoon for changing lanes without signaling, according to the Houston Chronicle. Bland reportedly struggled with the officer, who at some point was joined by another cop, both of whom are seen struggling with Bland on the ground in a video taken by a motorist.

“I can’t even fucking feel my arms,” Bland is heard saying on video, calling the officers “motherfuckers” several times. “You just slammed my head into the ground, do you not even care about that? I can’t even hear!”

One of the officers tells the person recording the video, “You need to leave.”

As Bland is being walked to a police car, she speaks again.

“Thank you for recording! Thank you! For a traffic signal, slammed me into the ground and everything!”

Bland’s sister told the Associated Press on Thursday that Sandra called her from jail after the arrest and said she believed her arm had been broken by police.

Bland had recently moved to Texas from the Chicago area, according to her family, and was preparing to start a new job. Bland had lived in Texas while attending Texas Prairie View A&M and had previous interactions with police for minor offenses.

Bland pleaded guilty to misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2010 and paid $373 in fines, according to court records. A 2009 drug paraphernalia charge was dismissed in Harris County, court records also show. Her driver’s license had been suspended three times prior to last year, and she was on court supervision in Illinois, according to the Chicago Tribune. On July 31, Bland’s license was set to be suspended again, the Tribune reported.

Bland spoke out against police, the deaths of blacks at the hands of law enforcement, and other issues affecting the African-American community on her Facebook page. She called the video dispatches “Sandy Speaks.” In one, she took on the subject of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“What I need you guys to understand is that being a black person in America is very, very hard,” she recently said.

Zooey wrote:

zn wrote:

I don’t think of this kind of thing as “revelations.”

I think of it as evidence for discussions.

So it’s useful to say to the neutrals who are hearing what deniers say, that we know for a fact oil companies were planning future policies around global warming as early as 1981, even while funding denier campaigns.

So among us it’s not a case of “can you BELIEVE it? Did you see THIS?!”

To me discussion isn’t really necessary. At this point, I don’t think it matters that neutrals become convinced. The evidence is already in, and it is overwhelming, and the real issue is that Capitol Hill and Wall Street both know it, regardless of what they say.

So the issue isn’t convincing more humans. It’s convincing the humans who do know to do something, and that’s a different battle altogether.

We have a different view of all that I think. I personally think discussion is always necessary. Deniers would gain no ground if they weren’t in accord with some deep-set ideological assumptions. It doesn’t matter what the topic is—this particular one is just an example. If you get more people to be aware of those kinds of assumptions, I think that’s beneficial in its own right.

And yes part of it is to get the people who can do something, to do it. But being cognizant of that doesn’t contradict being interested in THIS too (ie. the discussion).

To me that doesn’t exclude always getting ideas out there, and of course also being a constant learner too.

zn wrote:

While the Rams have a habit of talking up all of their players, the discussion of Rhaney’s potential seems to be much more than just lip service.

Interesting.

.

Three-way battle for starting center job looms for Rams

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/19547/three-way-battle-for-starting-center-job-looms-for-rams

EARTH CITY, Mo. — With the St. Louis Rams set to open training camp at the end of the month, we’ll spend the rest of this week taking a look at four of the position battles worth watching as camp approaches.

The Rams report for training camp on July 29.

The position: Center

The contenders: Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones, Demetrius Rhaney

Outlook: None of the other primary training camp battles offer as much uncertainty as this one. Barnes, Jones and Rhaney are almost wholly unproven in the NFL as starters and Rams coach Jeff Fisher has been very open with the idea of these three battling it out throughout camp and the preseason. Organized team activities didn’t really offer many clues as to which player might have an edge as the Rams rotated all three contenders with the first team throughout the spring. Barnes would seem to be a logical choice because he’s the only one with starting experience though he’s only started four games. Jones has limited experience in games and Rhaney sat out his rookie season because of a knee injury. Jones is considered the most intelligent of the three, which is an important attribute for the pivot man. Rhaney has earned positive reviews for his athleticism and toughness. Barnes is something of a mix of the two and knows the offense as well as any lineman on the team.

Projection: All three players are legitimate contenders making this the most difficult position battle to project heading toward camp. Fisher has said the Rams will continue to rotate the trio throughout camp and hopes to settle in to a starter a couple of weeks in. The guess here is that the Rams would like to see Jones win the job given the investment they’ve made in him in terms of time and draft capital. Assuming he can stay healthy and has added the strength necessary to hold up in the middle, he’s the presumptive favorite. But we won’t rule out any of the possibilities and it’s worth reiterating once again that Rhaney should not be discounted in this. While the Rams have a habit of talking up all of their players, the discussion of Rhaney’s potential seems to be much more than just lip service. Don’t be surprised if this comes down to Jones and Rhaney with Jones narrowly winning the job.