Murray Expects Plenty Of Meat With Eagles
Posted 20 hours ago
By Alex Smith
Last December, DeMarco Murray rushed the ball for 81 yards and two touchdowns during a primetime game at Lincoln Financial Field, helping to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 38-27 victory over the Eagles. The late-season victory helped propel Dallas to an NFC East championship, and left the Eagles as an outsider looking in come the NFL playoffs in January.
Just five months later, Murray finds himself wearing midnight green as the key addition of the Eagles' unpredictable offseason. Since signing with the Eagles in March, Murray has had a few months to let the change sink in. But back in December, Murray wouldn't have foreseen that he would trade in his star for a set of wings.
"I wouldn't have believed it, but I'm happy to be here," Murray said following Thursday's Organized Team Activity. "I've definitely moved on and past all of that. I'm happy to be here and my family is happy to be here as well."
Murray led the league in rushing last season, piling up 1,845 yards. He also led the NFL in carries with 392 during the regular season and another 44 during the playoffs. Despite those gaudy numbers, Murray's potential "replacement" in Dallas made waves this week by saying that Murray "left some meat on the bone" in the Cowboys' run game.
Rather than scoff, Murray took the high road when asked about his former teammate's comments.
"Hopefully he can taste some of that meat this year, but they're a good team so hopefully he can get a chance to run behind the line and do some good things," Murray said. "But I'm not worried about it. I never heard about it until now, but I'm not worried about it."
Meanwhile, the high mileage from last season has led some to question how much wear and tear Murray can handle in 2015. But the Eagles' new running back quickly put those thoughts to rest on Thursday.
"I feel stronger than I've ever felt and I feel faster than I've ever felt, and hopefully it's going to be a good year for us," Murray said. "I've been here for a little more than two months now, and I've got some good workouts in here during the Offseason Workout Program. I've been out here for three days with the team and things are going well. I'm excited about the future and we'll see how it goes."
While working out and conditioning has played a big role in Murray's sky-high confidence, the help that he'll have around him this season, including running back mates Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles, also plays an important part.
"There are a lot of playmakers on the outside and the offensive line is great," Murray said. "We've got a lot of individual playmakers, where once the ball gets inside their hands, they can make special things happen. I'm excited just to be around this good group of guys and see where it goes.
"Whenever you have a lot of playmakers like we have, it's going to be tough for the defense to key in on one guy, so that's going to be beneficial to all of us."
Just how much success can Murray have in the Eagles offense? According to him, it's too early to tell. Right now, the focus remains on attacking each day of training and continuing to build each and every day.
"This is a good team, a young team, and we had a great first week, but we've got a long way to go," Murray said. "You've got to build a foundation, and I think we started that a couple of weeks ago with the workouts and we're building on that now. We're learning every day and trying to work hard and compete at a high level … We've got a lot of great players and coaches on this team and we're building something special."
- Alexander taking right approach
Defensive end Frank Alexander got some work with the first-team with Charles Johnson getting a "veteran" day, and head coach Ron Rivera has been impressed with the way Alexander is approaching a critical point in his career.
Alexander played in just one game last season after being suspended twice for violating the NFL policy and program for substances of abuse.
"Frank is doing a nice job," Rivera said. "He's showing that he's hungry. He's got a lot to prove personally. I think he feels that way. And he's been working that way. This is his make or break season."
- Mike Remmers is the [Panthers] first-team right tackle, where he impressed at the end of last season. Rookie Daryl Williams, who will compete with Remmers for that spot, worked as the second-team right tackle.
- [Cowboys TE] James Hanna is in the last year of his contract and Gavin Escobar has yet to really establish himself in the Cowboys offense. Keep a close eye on Geoff Swaim, who is trying to unseat either Escobar or Hanna.
- Eagles bringing in offensive lineman Chris Chester for visit, per report
May 29, 2015 at 2:34 PM, updated May 29, 2015 at 3:05 PM
The Eagles are bringing in veteran free agent Chris Chester for a visit, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Caplan.
Chester was released by the Washington Redskins on May 27, and is also reportedly set to visit the Falcons.
A 10-year veteran, Chester has started every game for the Redskins over the past three seasons, and has played in 137 games over his career.
Pro Football Focus ranked Chester 30th out of the 61 players that played at least 50% of their team's snaps at right guard last season.
In addition to spending time with the Redskins, Chester has also played for the Baltimore Ravens.
The Eagles need at offensive line increased after they didn't draft an offensive lineman during the NFL Draft. Although their starting unit includes Pro-Bowl caliber players in Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, the team is currently without Evan Mathis, who is in a contract dispute with the team.
Signing Chester would not only give the Eagles a solid option at guard should Mathis end up not being with the team, but also provide some much-needed depth if Chester doesn't end up starting.
- Sam Bradford not sure when he will play for Eagles, wasn't worried about trade rumors
Tim Hawk | For NJ.com
May 28, 2015 at 2:18 PM, updated May 28, 2015 at 4:33 PM
PHILADELPHIA — It has been over two months since the Eagles acquired quarterback Sam Bradford from the St. Louis Rams, and save for a short introductory press conference, he has remained silent since coming to Philadelphia.
That changed on Thursday, when Bradford addressed the media following the team's final practice of a three-day OTA.
Bradford spent most of the practice on the sideline, not taking part in 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 drills. He did throw to receivers at the start of the workout.
"I get more comfortable out here everyday," Bradford said. "I get more comfortable with my knee and where its at everyday I'm out here. It would be nice to take some live reps, and we are progressing towards that."
When Bradford will take those reps isn't yet known. Right now the Eagles have Mark Sanchez taking first-team reps, with Bradford on the sideline.
"We are taking it on a day to day, week to week basis. Continuing to push the knee," Bradford said. "..."I think as long as we continue to progress, I feel very comfortable with where my knee is right now."
Although he didn't want to put a timetable on it, Bradford did sound confident that he would be ready for Week 1 when the team opens their season in Atlanta.
Bradford starting the season with the Eagles was no guarantee just a month ago, as rumors swirled he could be on his way out of Philadelphia in a trade that would land the Eagles rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota.
"I learned a long time ago not to pay attention to it," Bradford said of the rumors. "It was out of my control. I focus on just controlling what I can control, and all I could do was show up to work everyday and continue to rehab. Fortunately I'm still here."
Now that he is here, the question is how long will he stay. Bradford is entering the final season of his contract, meaning he will be a free agent next summer. With a salary of just under $13 million this season, Bradford doesn't have much incentive to sign a new deal.
"That's really not up to me," Bradford said of signing an extension before the season. "I got an agent. I'm just worried about rehabbing."
Of course, what kind of deal Bradford will sign next offseason will depend how he plays this season. With two torn ACLs in the past two seasons, Bradford isn't in a position right now to demand the kind of big money he might be able to next offseason if he stays healthy — something plenty of fans are skeptical he will be able to do.
"There is reasons for it," Bradford said of the skepticism. "But I don't pay attention to what is said outside of this building. All I worry about is coming back strong and being ready."
And if he is healthy, and does play 16 games, is there any doubt in his mind that he will return to the player that was the No. 1 overall pick in 2010?
"No," Bradford said.
- Trent Williams, DeSean Jackson, Jordan Reed miss start of offseason practice phase
By Mike Jones May 26
The Washington Redskins began the third phase of their offseason program on Tuesday, holding their first official practice on Tuesday. But three of the team’s top offensive players were not in attendance.
Left tackle Trent Williams, wide receiver DeSean Jackson and tight end Jordan Reed were all absent. Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, also was not in attendance, and neither was backup cornerback Tracy Porter. These practice sessions are voluntary, but attendance is strongly encouraged.
Williams, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, missed Tuesday’s practice because his flight out of Houston, where there were massive storms, on Monday evening got canceled, Coach Jay Gruden said. Porter, who battled injury for the bulk of last season, missed his connecting flight as well.
- [Skins] Punter Tress way can boom the ball but he needs to learn some directional punting and how to prevent touchbacks and outkicking the coverage. He was first in the NFL in gross punting average last year but was 10th in the stat that really counts, net average. Special teams coach Ben Kotwica will be working to help Way master the finer points of the game so he can pin opponents deeper.
- [Lions WR] Ryan Broyles: Entering the final year of his rookie deal, the former second-round pick has never gone through an entire NFL season and offseason healthy. After playing sparingly in 2014 -- he wasn’t even a lock to make the roster as a wide receiver -- he comes into OTAs healthy and ready to make an impression. It might be his last chance to show his worth in a crowded, but unproven, wide receiver group beyond Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. Broyles appeared effective in his very limited work last season (four targets, two catches, 25 yards), but coaches insisted he was purely the backup to Tate. For him to make this roster, he’ll have to prove to Jim Caldwell and Joe Lombardi, who didn’t draft him, that he can do more than that.
- In 2015, the Packers should continue to use [John] Kuhn, who is on what will likely be his final one-year deal, with Lacy in zone-blocking schemes. While rookie fullback Aaron Ripkowski will most likely be used to help improve special teams this season, next year he'll take on that lead-blocking role in the run game.
- What we've learned [re Tyrus Thompson during Vikings OTAs]
Thompson had to wait longer than he wanted to hear his name called after spending five years at Oklahoma. He started 13 games in his final season as a two-year starter at left tackle for the Sooners, an offense that averaged the 10th-most rushing yards per game in 2014. There's no question about the physical traits, which include nearly 35-inch arms, but many scouting reports listed 'worth ethic' under weaknesses. Asked about that after he was drafted, Thompson said effort won't be a concern and pointed out that he was playing with a foot injury during his redshirt senior season, which held him out of running at the combine.
Thompson had surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury after the 2013 season.
"I hated hearing that my work ethic is being questioned," Thompson said. "Because anyone that knows me knows that that's the last thing that sounds like me. I've played through a little bit of an injury this season, so it was slowing me down. I know it looked a little more sluggish than it should have, but I mean the honest truth was that I was just a little banged up."
Coming from Oklahoma, Thompson said he has met fellow alumni Phil Loadholt and Adrian Peterson when they visited the campus. Thompson said he has watched some of Loadholt's tape to pick up the team's technique.
Military family
His father stationed in Germany as an U.S. Army paratrooper when he was born, Thompson is, at least, the third Vikings player on the offseason roster born outside the United States. Thompson, 23, also married into a military family and has two children, a son, King, and daughter, Aria-Elyse.
And his mother-in-law probably isn't your average in-law.
"Her mom was a sniper," Thompson said of his wife.
Wait, what?
"She tells me I should be scared," he said. "I don't know yet."
Another guard option
The Vikings drafted three college tackles and are trying all at guard, including T.J. Clemmings, Thompson and seventh-round pick Austin Shepherd. Thompson worked at right guard during the open minicamp practice earlier this month as the coaching staff plans to look at Brandon Fusco on the left side. General manager Rick Spielman called Thompson 'sharp' and 'mature,' which he'll need to transition inside in the NFL. Thompson did not play guard in college, playing some right tackle before he settled in on the left side.
"We're projecting him to potentially be a swing tackle or also move inside to guard," Spielman said. "He's another guy that has great length, great size...When [assistant O-line coach] Hank [Fraley] came back from the visit, we went through our meetings, he's extremely sharp, and felt that he could play multiple positions for us."
- Jalen Saunders joined the team during the latter half of the year and provided a spark in the return game. However, Saunders isn’t much more than a returner at this point in his career, registering 1 catch for 7 yards in two seasons.
- Tony Jefferson spending offseason carving out a niche to earn playing time
Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. – There’s little doubt that Tony Jefferson will earn playing time in his third season with the Arizona Cardinals.
It’s just a matter of what his role will be and how much he’ll see the field.
With the Tyrann Mathieu’s return to full health, the Cardinals’ secondary is stocked with safeties: Rashad Johnson, Deone Bucannon, Chris Clemons, Mathieu and Jefferson. The more options new defensive coordinator James Bettcher has to choose from, the more Jefferson’s playing time will decrease. Just look at last season: When Jefferson replaced Mathieu in the lineup as Mathieu continued to recover from ACL and LCL surgery, Jefferson played 93.1 percent of the defensive snaps in Weeks 1-5. After Mathieu returned, Jefferson’s action decreased to 53.9 percent of the snaps.
With the third week of Arizona’s organized team activities beginning Monday, Jefferson doesn’t know what his role will be in 2015.
“We’re just trying to find our fit wherever we are,” Jefferson said.
But Jefferson has worked on carving a niche for himself.
During the last two seasons, covering tight ends has been one of Arizona’s main defensive liabilities. Last season, tight ends accounted for 24.7 percent of all receiving yards against the Cardinals; they caught eight of 22 touchdowns. Those numbers are down from 2013, when tight ends were responsible for 30.2 percent of receiving yards and had 17 of 29 touchdowns.
Jefferson spent his offseason focused on how to better cover tight ends, which will become a higher priority in the division now that Seattle has Jimmy Graham. Jefferson worked on his man coverage against receivers who were stronger and taller than him.
“A lot of it’s technique,” Jefferson said. “You got to keep your technique. A lot of times watching film, I got out of my technique. I had bad eyes. I was looking at the quarterback. I wasn’t staying squared. I was just opening up and giving the guy a lane to run.
“I’m going to work on getting my hands on the tight ends and playing together.”
Entering his third season, Jefferson doesn’t believe he needs a niche to earn more playing time, but it would help, especially when second-year safety Bucannon, who was drafted to defend tight ends, will likely spend another year at nickel linebacker.
Waiting to play is nothing new for Jefferson, either. He’s been through the same ordeal the last two seasons and will rely on that experience to help him get through it again. But the 23-year-old isn’t worry about getting pushed out of the rotation.
“Just got to do exactly what I did last year,” Jefferson said. “Stay ready, regardless of where I am. I can’t do anything about it. All I can do is just go out and play, practice with good etiquette and try to make as many plays as I can.
“I know I’ll see the field, but how much? I don’t know.”
- Last season, Matt Kalil, Charlie Johnson, John Sullivan, Fusco and Phil Loadholt began their third straight season together as the offensive line. Fusco and Loadholt each had their seasons cut short because of torn pectoral muscles. The left side of Kalil and Johnson struggled, with Kalil dealing again with a knee injury.
Fusco, who missed 13 games last season, and Loadholt have returned -- though Loadholt is still working his way back from the season-ending injury -- Johnson was released and Kalil had offseason surgery to alleviate issues with his knee.
- FB Trey Millard. He is one of several 2014 draft picks who suffered an ACL injury in college. As the video clip above shows, Millard has recovered from his injury. He also has benefited from starting fullback Bruce Miller's absence. Miller is dealing with an ongoing legal matter and has been in Georgia this offseason. That means that Millard is the only fullback on hand.
Posted 20 hours ago
By Alex Smith
Last December, DeMarco Murray rushed the ball for 81 yards and two touchdowns during a primetime game at Lincoln Financial Field, helping to lead the Dallas Cowboys to a 38-27 victory over the Eagles. The late-season victory helped propel Dallas to an NFC East championship, and left the Eagles as an outsider looking in come the NFL playoffs in January.
Just five months later, Murray finds himself wearing midnight green as the key addition of the Eagles' unpredictable offseason. Since signing with the Eagles in March, Murray has had a few months to let the change sink in. But back in December, Murray wouldn't have foreseen that he would trade in his star for a set of wings.
"I wouldn't have believed it, but I'm happy to be here," Murray said following Thursday's Organized Team Activity. "I've definitely moved on and past all of that. I'm happy to be here and my family is happy to be here as well."
Murray led the league in rushing last season, piling up 1,845 yards. He also led the NFL in carries with 392 during the regular season and another 44 during the playoffs. Despite those gaudy numbers, Murray's potential "replacement" in Dallas made waves this week by saying that Murray "left some meat on the bone" in the Cowboys' run game.
Rather than scoff, Murray took the high road when asked about his former teammate's comments.
"Hopefully he can taste some of that meat this year, but they're a good team so hopefully he can get a chance to run behind the line and do some good things," Murray said. "But I'm not worried about it. I never heard about it until now, but I'm not worried about it."
Meanwhile, the high mileage from last season has led some to question how much wear and tear Murray can handle in 2015. But the Eagles' new running back quickly put those thoughts to rest on Thursday.
"I feel stronger than I've ever felt and I feel faster than I've ever felt, and hopefully it's going to be a good year for us," Murray said. "I've been here for a little more than two months now, and I've got some good workouts in here during the Offseason Workout Program. I've been out here for three days with the team and things are going well. I'm excited about the future and we'll see how it goes."
While working out and conditioning has played a big role in Murray's sky-high confidence, the help that he'll have around him this season, including running back mates Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles, also plays an important part.
"There are a lot of playmakers on the outside and the offensive line is great," Murray said. "We've got a lot of individual playmakers, where once the ball gets inside their hands, they can make special things happen. I'm excited just to be around this good group of guys and see where it goes.
"Whenever you have a lot of playmakers like we have, it's going to be tough for the defense to key in on one guy, so that's going to be beneficial to all of us."
Just how much success can Murray have in the Eagles offense? According to him, it's too early to tell. Right now, the focus remains on attacking each day of training and continuing to build each and every day.
"This is a good team, a young team, and we had a great first week, but we've got a long way to go," Murray said. "You've got to build a foundation, and I think we started that a couple of weeks ago with the workouts and we're building on that now. We're learning every day and trying to work hard and compete at a high level … We've got a lot of great players and coaches on this team and we're building something special."
- Alexander taking right approach
Defensive end Frank Alexander got some work with the first-team with Charles Johnson getting a "veteran" day, and head coach Ron Rivera has been impressed with the way Alexander is approaching a critical point in his career.
Alexander played in just one game last season after being suspended twice for violating the NFL policy and program for substances of abuse.
"Frank is doing a nice job," Rivera said. "He's showing that he's hungry. He's got a lot to prove personally. I think he feels that way. And he's been working that way. This is his make or break season."
- Mike Remmers is the [Panthers] first-team right tackle, where he impressed at the end of last season. Rookie Daryl Williams, who will compete with Remmers for that spot, worked as the second-team right tackle.
- [Cowboys TE] James Hanna is in the last year of his contract and Gavin Escobar has yet to really establish himself in the Cowboys offense. Keep a close eye on Geoff Swaim, who is trying to unseat either Escobar or Hanna.
- Eagles bringing in offensive lineman Chris Chester for visit, per report
May 29, 2015 at 2:34 PM, updated May 29, 2015 at 3:05 PM
The Eagles are bringing in veteran free agent Chris Chester for a visit, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Caplan.
Chester was released by the Washington Redskins on May 27, and is also reportedly set to visit the Falcons.
A 10-year veteran, Chester has started every game for the Redskins over the past three seasons, and has played in 137 games over his career.
Pro Football Focus ranked Chester 30th out of the 61 players that played at least 50% of their team's snaps at right guard last season.
In addition to spending time with the Redskins, Chester has also played for the Baltimore Ravens.
The Eagles need at offensive line increased after they didn't draft an offensive lineman during the NFL Draft. Although their starting unit includes Pro-Bowl caliber players in Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, the team is currently without Evan Mathis, who is in a contract dispute with the team.
Signing Chester would not only give the Eagles a solid option at guard should Mathis end up not being with the team, but also provide some much-needed depth if Chester doesn't end up starting.
- Sam Bradford not sure when he will play for Eagles, wasn't worried about trade rumors
Tim Hawk | For NJ.com
May 28, 2015 at 2:18 PM, updated May 28, 2015 at 4:33 PM
PHILADELPHIA — It has been over two months since the Eagles acquired quarterback Sam Bradford from the St. Louis Rams, and save for a short introductory press conference, he has remained silent since coming to Philadelphia.
That changed on Thursday, when Bradford addressed the media following the team's final practice of a three-day OTA.
Bradford spent most of the practice on the sideline, not taking part in 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 drills. He did throw to receivers at the start of the workout.
"I get more comfortable out here everyday," Bradford said. "I get more comfortable with my knee and where its at everyday I'm out here. It would be nice to take some live reps, and we are progressing towards that."
When Bradford will take those reps isn't yet known. Right now the Eagles have Mark Sanchez taking first-team reps, with Bradford on the sideline.
"We are taking it on a day to day, week to week basis. Continuing to push the knee," Bradford said. "..."I think as long as we continue to progress, I feel very comfortable with where my knee is right now."
Although he didn't want to put a timetable on it, Bradford did sound confident that he would be ready for Week 1 when the team opens their season in Atlanta.
Bradford starting the season with the Eagles was no guarantee just a month ago, as rumors swirled he could be on his way out of Philadelphia in a trade that would land the Eagles rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota.
"I learned a long time ago not to pay attention to it," Bradford said of the rumors. "It was out of my control. I focus on just controlling what I can control, and all I could do was show up to work everyday and continue to rehab. Fortunately I'm still here."
Now that he is here, the question is how long will he stay. Bradford is entering the final season of his contract, meaning he will be a free agent next summer. With a salary of just under $13 million this season, Bradford doesn't have much incentive to sign a new deal.
"That's really not up to me," Bradford said of signing an extension before the season. "I got an agent. I'm just worried about rehabbing."
Of course, what kind of deal Bradford will sign next offseason will depend how he plays this season. With two torn ACLs in the past two seasons, Bradford isn't in a position right now to demand the kind of big money he might be able to next offseason if he stays healthy — something plenty of fans are skeptical he will be able to do.
"There is reasons for it," Bradford said of the skepticism. "But I don't pay attention to what is said outside of this building. All I worry about is coming back strong and being ready."
And if he is healthy, and does play 16 games, is there any doubt in his mind that he will return to the player that was the No. 1 overall pick in 2010?
"No," Bradford said.
- Trent Williams, DeSean Jackson, Jordan Reed miss start of offseason practice phase
By Mike Jones May 26
The Washington Redskins began the third phase of their offseason program on Tuesday, holding their first official practice on Tuesday. But three of the team’s top offensive players were not in attendance.
Left tackle Trent Williams, wide receiver DeSean Jackson and tight end Jordan Reed were all absent. Linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, also was not in attendance, and neither was backup cornerback Tracy Porter. These practice sessions are voluntary, but attendance is strongly encouraged.
Williams, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, missed Tuesday’s practice because his flight out of Houston, where there were massive storms, on Monday evening got canceled, Coach Jay Gruden said. Porter, who battled injury for the bulk of last season, missed his connecting flight as well.
- [Skins] Punter Tress way can boom the ball but he needs to learn some directional punting and how to prevent touchbacks and outkicking the coverage. He was first in the NFL in gross punting average last year but was 10th in the stat that really counts, net average. Special teams coach Ben Kotwica will be working to help Way master the finer points of the game so he can pin opponents deeper.
- [Lions WR] Ryan Broyles: Entering the final year of his rookie deal, the former second-round pick has never gone through an entire NFL season and offseason healthy. After playing sparingly in 2014 -- he wasn’t even a lock to make the roster as a wide receiver -- he comes into OTAs healthy and ready to make an impression. It might be his last chance to show his worth in a crowded, but unproven, wide receiver group beyond Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. Broyles appeared effective in his very limited work last season (four targets, two catches, 25 yards), but coaches insisted he was purely the backup to Tate. For him to make this roster, he’ll have to prove to Jim Caldwell and Joe Lombardi, who didn’t draft him, that he can do more than that.
- In 2015, the Packers should continue to use [John] Kuhn, who is on what will likely be his final one-year deal, with Lacy in zone-blocking schemes. While rookie fullback Aaron Ripkowski will most likely be used to help improve special teams this season, next year he'll take on that lead-blocking role in the run game.
- What we've learned [re Tyrus Thompson during Vikings OTAs]
Thompson had to wait longer than he wanted to hear his name called after spending five years at Oklahoma. He started 13 games in his final season as a two-year starter at left tackle for the Sooners, an offense that averaged the 10th-most rushing yards per game in 2014. There's no question about the physical traits, which include nearly 35-inch arms, but many scouting reports listed 'worth ethic' under weaknesses. Asked about that after he was drafted, Thompson said effort won't be a concern and pointed out that he was playing with a foot injury during his redshirt senior season, which held him out of running at the combine.
Thompson had surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury after the 2013 season.
"I hated hearing that my work ethic is being questioned," Thompson said. "Because anyone that knows me knows that that's the last thing that sounds like me. I've played through a little bit of an injury this season, so it was slowing me down. I know it looked a little more sluggish than it should have, but I mean the honest truth was that I was just a little banged up."
Coming from Oklahoma, Thompson said he has met fellow alumni Phil Loadholt and Adrian Peterson when they visited the campus. Thompson said he has watched some of Loadholt's tape to pick up the team's technique.
Military family
His father stationed in Germany as an U.S. Army paratrooper when he was born, Thompson is, at least, the third Vikings player on the offseason roster born outside the United States. Thompson, 23, also married into a military family and has two children, a son, King, and daughter, Aria-Elyse.
And his mother-in-law probably isn't your average in-law.
"Her mom was a sniper," Thompson said of his wife.
Wait, what?
"She tells me I should be scared," he said. "I don't know yet."
Another guard option
The Vikings drafted three college tackles and are trying all at guard, including T.J. Clemmings, Thompson and seventh-round pick Austin Shepherd. Thompson worked at right guard during the open minicamp practice earlier this month as the coaching staff plans to look at Brandon Fusco on the left side. General manager Rick Spielman called Thompson 'sharp' and 'mature,' which he'll need to transition inside in the NFL. Thompson did not play guard in college, playing some right tackle before he settled in on the left side.
"We're projecting him to potentially be a swing tackle or also move inside to guard," Spielman said. "He's another guy that has great length, great size...When [assistant O-line coach] Hank [Fraley] came back from the visit, we went through our meetings, he's extremely sharp, and felt that he could play multiple positions for us."
- Jalen Saunders joined the team during the latter half of the year and provided a spark in the return game. However, Saunders isn’t much more than a returner at this point in his career, registering 1 catch for 7 yards in two seasons.
- Tony Jefferson spending offseason carving out a niche to earn playing time
Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Staff Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. – There’s little doubt that Tony Jefferson will earn playing time in his third season with the Arizona Cardinals.
It’s just a matter of what his role will be and how much he’ll see the field.
With the Tyrann Mathieu’s return to full health, the Cardinals’ secondary is stocked with safeties: Rashad Johnson, Deone Bucannon, Chris Clemons, Mathieu and Jefferson. The more options new defensive coordinator James Bettcher has to choose from, the more Jefferson’s playing time will decrease. Just look at last season: When Jefferson replaced Mathieu in the lineup as Mathieu continued to recover from ACL and LCL surgery, Jefferson played 93.1 percent of the defensive snaps in Weeks 1-5. After Mathieu returned, Jefferson’s action decreased to 53.9 percent of the snaps.
With the third week of Arizona’s organized team activities beginning Monday, Jefferson doesn’t know what his role will be in 2015.
“We’re just trying to find our fit wherever we are,” Jefferson said.
But Jefferson has worked on carving a niche for himself.
During the last two seasons, covering tight ends has been one of Arizona’s main defensive liabilities. Last season, tight ends accounted for 24.7 percent of all receiving yards against the Cardinals; they caught eight of 22 touchdowns. Those numbers are down from 2013, when tight ends were responsible for 30.2 percent of receiving yards and had 17 of 29 touchdowns.
Jefferson spent his offseason focused on how to better cover tight ends, which will become a higher priority in the division now that Seattle has Jimmy Graham. Jefferson worked on his man coverage against receivers who were stronger and taller than him.
“A lot of it’s technique,” Jefferson said. “You got to keep your technique. A lot of times watching film, I got out of my technique. I had bad eyes. I was looking at the quarterback. I wasn’t staying squared. I was just opening up and giving the guy a lane to run.
“I’m going to work on getting my hands on the tight ends and playing together.”
Entering his third season, Jefferson doesn’t believe he needs a niche to earn more playing time, but it would help, especially when second-year safety Bucannon, who was drafted to defend tight ends, will likely spend another year at nickel linebacker.
Waiting to play is nothing new for Jefferson, either. He’s been through the same ordeal the last two seasons and will rely on that experience to help him get through it again. But the 23-year-old isn’t worry about getting pushed out of the rotation.
“Just got to do exactly what I did last year,” Jefferson said. “Stay ready, regardless of where I am. I can’t do anything about it. All I can do is just go out and play, practice with good etiquette and try to make as many plays as I can.
“I know I’ll see the field, but how much? I don’t know.”
- Last season, Matt Kalil, Charlie Johnson, John Sullivan, Fusco and Phil Loadholt began their third straight season together as the offensive line. Fusco and Loadholt each had their seasons cut short because of torn pectoral muscles. The left side of Kalil and Johnson struggled, with Kalil dealing again with a knee injury.
Fusco, who missed 13 games last season, and Loadholt have returned -- though Loadholt is still working his way back from the season-ending injury -- Johnson was released and Kalil had offseason surgery to alleviate issues with his knee.
- FB Trey Millard. He is one of several 2014 draft picks who suffered an ACL injury in college. As the video clip above shows, Millard has recovered from his injury. He also has benefited from starting fullback Bruce Miller's absence. Miller is dealing with an ongoing legal matter and has been in Georgia this offseason. That means that Millard is the only fullback on hand.
