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NFL OTA news: Falcons, Titans and Vikings work out on Wednesday

2013-06-20T01:27:20Z

Three teams are still conducting their minicamps as of Wednesday: the Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings. Most teams will launch their full training camps in late July, but for these three teams, there's still plenty to be learned from early minicamp practices.

Let's go through all three teams and any interesting storylines from Wednesday's practices:

Atlanta Falcons

Cornerback Asante Samuel went down with an injury early on, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Samuel went down making a play on the football, and his right ankle was checked on by a trainer. Ledbetter later reported that Samuel was walking fine after practice.

The biggest thing to note at minicamp thus far: cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford. They were the team's first- and second-round picks in the 2013 NFL Draft, and both were getting work with the first team at training camp, as noted by Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It's likely that Trufant will be a starter and Alford will get work in nickel situations; their early progress is promising.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans decided that a three-day minicamp was unnecessary, as head coach Mike Munchak officially concluded the team's workouts after Wednesday's sessions, according to the Associated Press. Rookies will still have to report on Thursday, but veterans get time off until the team opens its full training camp in July.

Tennessee worked a hard two days, though. The team elected to treat both days of practice like a game, with officials calling full penalties, and players participating in numerous game-situation drills.

Also of note from the minicamp, as we already reported: the strong play from wide receiver Kenny Britt and defensive end Derrick Morgan. Both players have disappointed to this point in their careers, with the former being injury-prone and the latter failing to get after the quarterback with regularity. Both players are entering crucial years and need to step it up.

Minnesota Vikings

The biggest news out of Minnesota's camp: rookie defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd started rotating in with the first team, according to ESPN Twin Cities. Floyd has been spending extra time after camp working out, and it paid off on Wednesday as he took snaps with the first team alongside Letroy Guion.

Floyd earning a starting role when the season begins isn't a foregone conclusion, but the Vikings would be better off if he plays well enough to earn a job. Floyd continuing to impress in minicamp and July's training camp can only help things.

Also on Wednesday, running back Adrian Peterson was working out on his own while the team conducted minicamp, according to Dave Campbell at SI.com. Peterson's absence was expected, though, as the team is giving him plenty of rest in the leadup to training camp and the regular season. If there's anyone who deserves rest at this point, it's Peterson, given that he essentially carried the team to the playoffs last year coming off major reconstructive surgery on his leg.

More from SB Nation:

• Aaron Hernandez questioned in possible homicide investigation

• Uffsides: A smile-off with Hines Ward

• Can Denver's defense support Peyton Manning?

• Terry Bradshaw starring in musical one-man show

• NFL Rookie Symposium schedule and events

• Denard Robinson (sort of) ties his shoes for the Jags

Bears hire Mitchell Tanney as director of analytics

2013-06-20T00:19:10Z

The Chicago Bears have made an interesting hire, bringing in Mitchell Tanney as the club's "director of analytics," according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. General manager Phil Emery has made his interest in advanced statistics known this offseason — and given that Tanney previously worked at STATS LLC, the hire lines up with his statements.

According to Biggs, Tanney is set to help out with player evaluation and "game situation principles." It's likely his involvement will be based purely on what he sees on the stat sheet, as he's clearly the most qualified to interpret said stats.

Emery had talked about both STATS and the website Pro Football Focus when talking about the team's poor pass blocking last season. Pro Football Focus, in particular, has been at the forefront of individual offensive linemen stats in recent years, at least as far as publicly available information is concerned.

Tanney was the product manager of STATS LLC's ICE platform, a system that aligns a team's analytical data and player records to scouting video. He also has experience as a player, as a former Arena League quarterback and Division III National Player of the Year runner-up at Monmouth College.

As noted by Chris Wesseling of NFL.com, the Bears aren't the only team going in this direction. Tony Khan heads the Jacksonville Jaguars' analytics department, and Buffalo Bills president Russ Brandon plans to build a "robust" analytics department for that franchise.

More from SB Nation:

• Aaron Hernandez questioned in possible homicide investigation

• Uffsides: A smile-off with Hines Ward

• Can Denver's defense support Peyton Manning?

• Terry Bradshaw starring in musical one-man show

• NFL Rookie Symposium schedule and events

• Denard Robinson (sort of) ties his shoes for the Jags

After Justin Smith contract extension, could a new deal for Frank Gore be coming?

2013-06-19T22:30:02Z

The San Francisco 49ers have made it clear that they aren't ready to push out the old guard in favor of the young guns. Signing defensive lineman Justin Smith to a two-year contract extension will likely keep him with the 49ers until he calls it a career and retires to a place with lots of red meat and plenty of dogs.

Most recently, two players have been discussed as potential cap casualties following this season: the very same Smith who was just extended and veteran running back Frank Gore.

The thought of a team without either of these two players is ... well, a thought I don't have to have, personally. Gore embodies so much of what it means to be a 49er, but it is true that his final season under his current contract will see him count over $6 million against the salary cap. Running backs at his age don't usually command that kind of money.

But Kendall Hunter still has a lot of work to do, Marcus Lattimore is still on the mend and LaMichael James is as raw as they get. Gore sticking around has much more to do with San Francisco's success than it does our feelings of wanting him to stay.

With Smith getting his extension, could a re-worked contract for Gore with more years added on it be coming soon? The 49ers won't want to pay him $6.5 million in 2014, but they could always tack on another year or two, since Gore is adamant he will play that long, and see what sticks.

The earlier the 49ers can get something like that done, the more likely it seems that Gore would be willing to sign on the dotted line. I could see it happening relatively quickly, personally, though that could easily just be me fooling myself because it's what I want to happen.

NFL news: Aaron Hernandez questioned by police; Matt Ryan contract talks to heat up

2013-06-19T12:05:03Z

New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was questioned by police in connection with a possible homicide on Tuesday. On top of that, the police appeared to execute a search warrant on Hernandez's house later in the day. It's unclear at this point if Hernandez is actually a suspect or anything to that effect, but it's troubling news nonetheless.

All that's reported so far is that Hernandez is apparently an "associate" of the victim, and Hernandez's name was linked to a rental car that was identified in connection to the possible homicide.

More: Aaron Hernandez questioned by police investigating possible homicide

Here's what else you might have missed from Tuesday:

NFL Rookie Symposium announced, to feature speakers on sexual orientation

On Tuesday, the NFL confirmed the 16th Rookie Symposium for June 23. There, the 2013 draft class will watch videos, listen to guest speakers and undergo workshops on many topics, including money management, professionalism and more. In addition to that, the league will have speakers talking about the possibility of having gay teammates. That's significant, as the league is doing its best to make the NFL a harassment-free zone.

Talks between Ryan, Falcons to heat up

The Atlanta Falcons and Matt Ryan have been in contract talks for a possible extension for some time now, but reports surfaced on Tuesday that more significant and targeted negotiations will begin on July 4. So Ryan and the Falcons will slug it out over money while celebrating the nation's independence ... sounds about right.

Atlanta is also looking into defensive lineman Richard Seymour. Over at The Falcoholic, they took a look at whether or not Seymour is overvalued. A huge contract for Ryan might mean Seymour will have to find a job elsewhere, as it's hard to see the Falcons being able to afford both.

Jones-Drew able to run

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew is now able to run again. Jones-Drew is recovering from a Lisfranc injury and has been unable to do much this offseason. Notably, he's been regarded as out of shape, due to the fact that most workouts would strain his injury. Now he can run, though, and he's expected to be 100 percent by training camp in July. Getting Jones-Drew back would be a huge boost for the Jags.

Bishop making the rounds

Free agent linebacker Desmond Bishop already spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, and will visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. Bishop missed the entire 2012 season with a hamstring injury, and was released by the Green Bay Packers when he declined a pay cut from his $3.4 million scheduled salary for this upcoming season. Bishop isn't fully healthy yet, so he's still a concern, but he should be getting even more interest as he gets closer to full health.

Over at Arrowhead Pride, they talk about the visit and what it could mean for the Chiefs:

This is VERY interesting moves. Andy Reid historically hasn't spent big money on linebackers but Dorsey is familiar with Bishop and it's June, a time when you rarely get an opportunity to upgrade your defense. The Chiefs are clearly interested in that opportunity.

Also keep this in mind: It's possible the Chiefs are being used as leverage. Bishop's camp can look at the Vikings and say they have another visit coming up so if they want him, make him an offer he can't refuse.

Ponder will get a short leash

The Minnesota Vikings brought in Matt Cassel to be the backup to Christian Ponder this offseason. Then again, perhaps they brought him in to compete, as Adam Schefter said on Tuesday that many believe Cassel could unseat Ponder at some point next season if he struggles. Ponder hasn't been the most solid quarterback since taking over, but he was under center for a team that made it into the playoffs as a Wild Card last year. That same team lost in said Wild Card round when Ponder went down with an injury.

More from SB Nation:

• NFL Debrief: The end of football?

• Denard Robinson (sort of) ties his shoes for the Jags

• What's Andy Reid's place in NFL coaching history?

• Will Juron Criner be the Raiders' new red zone target?

• Broncos blog talks to All-Pro Von Miller

• 5 quarterback battles to watch

Kenny Britt, Derrick Morgan shine in Titans minicamp

2013-06-19T01:49:33Z

The Tennessee Titans kicked off a three-day minicamp on Tuesday and there was plenty of note on the first day. Specifically, wide receiver Kenny Britt and defensive end Derrick Morgan were impressive, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

Britt reportedly had the "catch of the day" early on in practice. He made a one-handed catch as he was falling, and managed to keep one foot and a knee inbounds. Morgan looked good in drills, specifically pass rush drills, beating tackle Mike Otto for a would-be sack of Locker.

Having Britt look great in minicamp and later, training camp, can only be a good thing for the Titans. After a promising rookie year that saw him finish with 701 yards receiving and three scores, Britt hasn't played a full season, missing 19 games over the past three campaigns. Last year, he had just 589 yards receiving in 14 games.

The team would like Britt to step into that No. 1 receiver role and flourish. Morgan, meanwhile, has been disappointing as well. He's been only so-so against the run and hasn't been that effective of a pass rusher, though last year was his best season yet, with 6.5 sacks over the course of 16 games. Prior to 2012, he hadn't completed an entire season.

Morgan's job should be easier this year, with the Titans adding help on the interior of the line with Sammie Lee Hill and Antonio Johnson. Tennessee has had lacking production from all positions on the line, so we may see more from Morgan with some added help.

Both Britt and Morgan will be starters this year, and both will be expected to perform. They're getting an early start in minicamp, but things will really heat up in training camp and the preseason.

More from SB Nation:

• NFL Debrief: The end of football?

• Denard Robinson (sort of) ties his shoes for the Jags

• What's Andy Reid's place in NFL coaching history?

• Will Juron Criner be the Raiders' new red zone target?

• Broncos blog talks to All-Pro Von Miller

• 5 quarterback battles to watch

2013 NFL Rookie Symposium to feature speakers on sexual orientation

2013-06-19T01:20:23Z

The 16th NFL Rookie Symposium will include guest speakers on the subject of sexual orientation, according to Jane McManus of ESPN New York. This will be the first time that the league has people talking to rookies about the possibility of having gay teammates, likely due to how much media attention the subject has received of late.

Typically, the Rookie Symposium is a series of videos and workshops to help players get accustomed to life in the NFL, including things like money management, professionalism (which probably amounts to not making a fool out of yourself or the league in the media) and the best ways to keep one's body up to the grueling task of consistent NFL play.

Last season, the topic of having gay players in the NFL came up many times, and it was a disaster from a PR standpoint more than once. San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver stated "I don't do that," when asked about having a gay teammate in the locker room, before releasing an apologetic statement after the media backlash.

Many have been wondering if an NFL player will come out as openly gay. It seems inevitable at this point, and there will certainly be players uncomfortable with it, but with the NFL urging its rookies to be tolerant -- the newest collective bargaining agreement forbids harassment of any kind based on sexual orientation -- the league might gradually become more and more accepting of such a prospect.

The NFL Rookie Symposium begins on June 23, and you can find more information here.

More from SB Nation:

• NFL Debrief: The end of football?

• Denard Robinson (sort of) ties his shoes for the Jags

• What's Andy Reid's place in NFL coaching history?

• Will Juron Criner be the Raiders' new red zone target?

• Broncos blog talks to All-Pro Von Miller

• 5 quarterback battles to watch

Second individual taken for questioning at Hernandez's home

2013-06-19T00:50:34Z

Second individual taken for questioning at Hernandez's home

First individual taken for questioning at Hernandez's home

2013-06-19T00:49:49Z