Fitkul.cz | Diskuse

od **liny195** » čtv 16. srp 2018 3:40:42

There's still so much more for Kirk Cousins to learn about his new coaches Brian O'Neill Youth Jersey , teammates and playbook in Minnesota, a mere 2陆 months after the newest Vikings quarterback signed his record-setting contract to headline this year's NFL free agency frenzy.

With every full-swing fist pump after a completed pass in these non-contact practices, there's no question that the Vikings acquired a Pro Bowl-level enthusiasm along with Cousins and his skillset.

"I think as a seventh-year player, now you have a little freedom to just be yourself and to not take a back seat and to just be vocal within reason," Cousins said.

"Be a leader, step up, and let your voice be heard. To their credit, the guys have received it well, and it's been fun to just assimilate myself into the offense and into the program."

As Cousins was finishing an interview session with the Minnesota media on Wednesday afternoon during a visit to a local middle school, his teammates called him over to complete their interaction with the kids and pose for one last photo.

He dutifully sprinted across the gym so as not to disappoint or, perhaps, take the razzing. He's the face of this franchise, a responsibility he hasn't shied from, but he's also a carefully spoken and image-conscious player who can understand the importance of not overstepping his bounds.

"Anytime you're new to an organization, you feel your way around a little bit. He's doing that some, but he's leading. He's taking charge," coach Mike Zimmer said amid the pre-teen cacophony in the gym at Friendly Hills Middle School just across the freeway from the team's new headquarters. "He has a lot on his plate right now."

True to his nature as a relationship builder and a meticulous preparer Sampo Ranta Blackhawks Jersey , Cousins hosted wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs at his Atlanta-area offseason home shortly after he joined the team.

"We did get some stuff on the field, learning what he likes, learning how he likes certain routes run, because every quarterback is a little different," Thielen said.

"But I think the biggest thing was just learning his personality, how fun he is to be around and his humor and things like that. It was really good to get a jump on that."

Cousins has also, like it or not, dived right into the extraordinary expectations surrounding the Vikings following their advancement to the NFC championship game last season. The junior-high kids were yet another reminder of this.

"Most of the questions revolved around, 'Will we go to the Super Bowl?' and 'Will we make the playoffs?' I just throw it back at them saying, 'Do you think we will?' and they say, 'Yes'. They're confident, and that's a good place to start."

As the Vikings worked through their fifth of nine formal spring practices labeled by NFL parlance as organized team activities, outside linebacker Anthony Barr was back on the field with the team after an absence last week he confirmed was related to his contract status.

Now playing the final season of his rookie contract at a fully guaranteed salary of slightly more than $12.3 million, Barr said he hoped to have a new deal in place before the on-field workouts began. That didn't happen, so he took out an insurance policy to protect his future earnings in case of injury in 2018.

The issue for Barr and his desire for longer-term security is the Vikings also have hefty paydays looming for wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive end Danielle Hunter, who are also playing this season on expiring contracts for a team that has plenty of expensive stars.

"My agent is doing a great job, and they're having conversations Thomas Rawls Color Rush Jersey ," said Barr, who was the team's first-round draft pick in 2014. "I don't know too many details on that. My focus is here with the team and getting better."

Sounds a little like the quarterback, dealing with his challenge of taking over a championship-chasing team.

"Everything is new, so I'm just continuing to try to get to where the plays and the reads and the terminology are all instinctual without having to think," Cousins said. "That takes a long time, but every day you can take a step in that process."

— The scars still visible on Zay Jones‘ right knee are a reminder of what could have happened in March, when the Buffalo Bills receiver was caught on tape, bloodied and naked, while arguing with his brother in a downtown Los Angeles apartment hallway.

“I could’ve lost my life, so I’m grateful to just be here and be on this field, and to be with my teammates,” Jones said Sunday, in speaking to reporters for the first time this offseason. “I don’t think there’s any other word that describes it, but just thankful and grateful.”

Though the second-year player declined to explain what happened, Jones said he’s now focused solely on securing his spot on the roster, rather than reflect back after practicing for the first time this year.

“I think I would be doing myself a very big disservice if I went back to there,” Jones said. “That moment was very traumatic for me and my family. And to rehash that now Authentic Brian Urlacher Jersey , at this point in time, it wouldn’t be doing me any good.”

Jones was activated off Buffalo’s non-football injury list 10 days into training camp and practiced on a limited basis.

The former second-round draft pick missed the team’s spring practices after coach Sean McDermott in mid-May announced Jones had knee surgery. McDermott wouldn’t reveal how or when Jones was hurt.

Jones wouldn’t shed much light on how the injury occurred.

“It happened a while ago, man,” said Jones, who also had shoulder surgery in January to repair an injury that nagged him for much of last season. “I’m just trying to move forward in the right direction.”

The 23-year-old Jones said he’s at peace, and grateful for the support from his coaches and teammates.

He was arrested after officers were called to a disturbance, where Jones was found “breaking glass doors and windows.” Prosecutors declined to file felony vandalism charges against him because of insufficient evidence.

Jones is coming off a disappointing rookie season in which he failed to play to the expectations he established at East Carolina, where Jones set an NCAA FBS record with 399 career catches at East Carolina.

He finished fifth on the Bills with 316 yards receiving and scored twice in 15 games.

Jones’ return overshadowed Bills starting receiver Kelvin Benjamin landing in hot water for questioning why the Carolina Panthers drafted him, and criticizing former teammate Cam Newton’s accuracy in an interview published in The Athletic on Friday.

“There’s a time and place for things like that. This was not one of them,” McDermott said. “I’ve spoken with Kelvin. And that’s now how I want us to handle things like that. So we’ll move forward as a team, and I’m hoping he’s already done that.”

Benjamin said he understood his coach’s concerns. In saying he doesn’t want to be a distraction to the team, Benjamin didn’t distance himself from what was published.

“It was just the heat of the moment,” he said. “I just got kind of frustrated but, like I said, I’m moving on from it.”

In the interview, Benjamin described being selected by the Panthers in the first round of the 2014 draft as being “a bad fit from the get-go.”

Without mentioning Newton specifically, Benjamin said he could have been more productive with “any other quarterback.” He then pinpointed several star quarterbacks http://www.ramsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-john-franklin-myers-jersey , including Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, in saying they had the knowledge and accuracy of placing a pass to a spot that makes it easier for a receiver to catch the ball.

Newton was not available for interviews following practice in South Carolina. Carolina coach Ron Rivera declined to discuss Benjamin’s comments because he’s a member of another team.

Panthers tight end Greg Olsen said he partially understood why Benjamin might be frustrated because things didn’t work out for him in Carolina.

“Things didn’t work out for him here, I get it,” Olsen said.

“You would like to see him move forward to his new team and embrace his new opportunity, rather than go personal on it,” he added. “But I have been shipped off from another team, too, so I get it.”

Benjamin’s past with the Panthers has been a touchy subject. In June, Benjamin told The Associated Press he was the one who asked the Panthers to trade him in a deal that eventually landed him in Buffalo in October.

He set team records for rookies with 73 catches, 1,008 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. He missed the entire 2015 season with a left knee injury, and totaled 95 catches for 1,416 yards and nine touchdowns in his next 24 games before being traded .

McDermott said one issue he had with Benjamin’s comments is that the Bills open their preseason Thursday hosting Carolina.

What makes Benjamin’s comments more awkward is McDermott and Bills general manager Brandon Beane previously worked together for the Panthers. McDermott spent six seasons as Carolina’s defensive coordinator before being hired by Buffalo in 2017.

Beane was the Panthers’ assistant general manager, and had a hand in drafting Benjamin.

.