??The Latest on Super Bowl activities on Wednesday including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s annual Super Bowl week news conference. (all
times local):2:30 p.m.Commissioner Roger Goodell says he was aware of the
announcement of the return of the rival XFL
Authentic Derwin James Jersey , but hadn’t had time to think much about what it means for the NFL.Goodell said during his annual Super Bowl address Wednesday
said league officials “want to make sure our game stays strong for the long
term.” He said he would “have to see” if the NFL is asked to be involved, saying
he didn’t know “enough specifics of that proposal.”WWE boss Vince McMahon last
week announced the return of the XFL in 2020, during the NFL’s offseason. The
gimmicky original version lasted just the 2001 season.2:10 p.m.Commissioner
Roger Goodell says the NFL wants to build on its relationship with Mexico City
after the league announced that Kansas City and the Los Angeles Rams will play
there in 2018. The Rams will be the host team.Goodell was asked during his
annual Super Bowl news conference Wednesday if other sites in Mexico, including
Monterrey and Guadalajara, would be considered. He said it was something the
league “may consider in the future” but for now was enjoying “such a good
situation in Mexico City.”The Raiders are set to play in London for their fourth
international game in five years as they finish their stay in Oakland before the
move to Las Vegas in 2020.While Goodell acknowledged that the NFL has teams “in
transition from temporary stadiums to long-term facilities,” he said the Raiders
are “an attractive team globally.”The Rams and Chargers have temporary homes in
Los Angeles while a stadium that will house both is being built.1:50
p.m.Commissioner Roger Goodell has reiterated his stance that it’s not the NFL’s
place to get involved in whether Colin Kaepernick gets a chance with another
team.Goodell said during his annual Super Bowl address Wednesday that teams
“have to make their own decisions as far as who’s on their roster.”Kaepernick,
who sparked the protests involving the national anthem early in the 2016 season,
wasn’t signed this past season following his release in San Francisco.The
comments from Goodell came a day after Philadelphia Eagles receiver Torrey Smith
said Kaepernick not getting a chance with another team “kind of falls in the
category of an injustice in itself.”As it relates to roster decisions, Goodell
said the NFL won’t “get involved in that in any way.”1:30 p.m.The NFL has hired
an independent investigator to look into claims of sexual and racial misconduct
in the workplace against Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson.Commissioner
Roger Goodell said during his annual Super Bowl address Wednesday that former
U.S. attorney Mary Jo White will lead the investigation. White has led similar
investigations in other fields
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surfaced and is seeking to sell the team. The NFL has said it didn’t pressure
Richardson to sell based on the allegations.Goodell said he wants the team to
remain in Carolina.1:20 p.m.Commissioner Roger Goodell says the NFL will
emphasize ways to cut down on longer replay reviews while focusing on the rule
book as a way to improve officiating.Goodell said Wednesday in his annual Super
Bowl address that the focus on rules will include ways to refine the catch rule,
which has been widely criticized.The commissioner said the focus for reviews
will be on “making sure it doesn’t interrupt the flow of the game.”1
p.m.Commissioner Roger Goodell is holding his annual Super Bowl week address the
same day as the NFL’s announcement of a new Thursday night TV deal with
Fox.There are other issues as backdrops for Goodell’s news conference Wednesday
near the site of Sunday’s meeting between New England and Philadelphia.The
league recently announced a player-owner committee to address causes of social
justice in the wake of player protests involving the national anthem. The
nickname issue involving the Washington Redskins is likely to come up again
after baseball’s Cleveland Indians decided this week to remove the Chief Wahoo
logo in 2019.Goodell signed a contract extension in December that runs into
2024. The deal was a source of conflict between Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones
and the six owners on the committee in charge of negotiating the extension.Jones
threatened to scuttle the contract, but denied his opposition to the deal was
related to Goodell’s decision to suspend star Dallas running back Ezekiel
Elliott for six games. Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson is acutely aware his days
in Buffalo might be numbered if he doesn't start producing.
After two largely inconsistent and injury-shortened seasons, Lawson is the first to say he's not come close to meeting the expectations that followed the
Bills selecting him in the first round of the 2016 draft.
"Six sacks in two years? I'm a first-round draft pick. And excuse my language, that (stuff) don't cut it," he said, using a profanity to emphasize
his disappointment following a recent practice at training camp. "This camp's
way important for me. Make or break year. Every day is important for me."
Lawson then readily agreed with several pre-camp projections listing him as being a prime candidate to be one of the team's surprise cuts.
"I probably could be," he said. "Every day I'm coming out here working, trying not to get cut. I'm going every day like my job's on the line."
Acknowledging he needs to be better is a start for Lawson.
He's lost about 10 pounds this offseason
Cheap Paul Worrilow Jersey , and is now listed at 260, which is the lightest he said he's been since high school. Aside from eating better, Lawson
spent part of the offseason working on his pass-rushing technique with two-time
Super Bowl-winning linebacker Pepper Johnson, who also worked as an NFL
assistant coach.
Now it's on Lawson to show what he can do on the field.
"My goal, I need to be double-digits," he said, referring to his sack totals for this season. "That's what kind of guy they drafted, a double-digit guy, a
change-the-game type of guy. I need to do that ASAP."
Coach Sean McDermott credited Lawson for reporting to camp in shape
Youth Tyquan Lewis Jersey , something that wasn't the case last year, and likes what he's seen from the player during the first two practice sessions. And
yet, McDermott noted Lawson's role is not secure at a position where he's
competing for a starting job with veteran free-agent addition Trent Murphy.
"Look, I'm not going to hide behind it. There's a strong competition there between a few guys," McDermott said. "So it's time for him to step up."
Lawson's NFL career has mostly featured a series of missteps, with his struggles resulting from a combination of performance, circumstance and bad
timing.
He was a first-team All-American and led the nation with 25 1/2 tackles for a loss during his junior season at Clemson. His 12 1/2 sacks alone in 2015 were
tied for fourth-most during a single season in school history.
The Bills selected Lawson with the 19th pick while knowing he'd eventually require surgery to repair a right shoulder injury that nagged him in college.
Lawson had the operation in May and missed all of training camp and the first
six games of his rookie season.
He finished with two sacks in 10 games, including one start, while playing outside linebacker ??a role he was unaccustomed to at college ??in former coach
Rex Ryan's defensive system.
Lawson was hardly much better last year even though he returned to playing his more customary role of defensive end under McDermott. He managed just four
sacks and five quarterback hurries in 10 starts before sustaining a
season-ending ankle injury in early December.
"No excuses
Authentic Kemoko Turay Jersey ," Lawson said, referring to injuries and positional changes. "I've got to play 17 weeks. That's my main goal. If I play
17 weeks, it's going to be a great year for me."
Lawson stood out during red-zone team drills Saturday. Shaking off two blocks, he penetrated into the backfield and stopped the running back for what
would've been a loss.
"I'm just ready, and know I've got to make an impact," Lawson said. "I've got a lot of people counting on me, a lot of Bills' fans, coaches. And it's just
time for me to step up."
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