New Orleans Saints No. 1 draft choice Marcus Davenport will undergo minor thumb surgery now that the team has completed its mini-camp.
But the lingering injury didn't prevent him from demonstrating the skills that led the organization to pay a high price to acquire him.
Davenport
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team reconvenes for the start of training camp in late July.
"He's explosive. He can run. He's got a quick twitch," Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen said. "All the stuff you saw on his college tape and
everything he did at the combine. He's every bit as explosive. He's a good
athlete, bends well. You can really see that on tape."
New Orleans saw enough of Davenport (6-foot-6, 265 pounds) before the draft to trade next year's No. 1 pick and a No. 5 this year to the Green Bay Packers
to move up 13 spots to select him.
"Man, he is big and he's long," Saints head coach Sean Payton said. "He's a tremendous worker. He is coming along really well. There is a strength element
you feel and you saw it when he played (in college). And now he is really
working on his pass rush, working on his pass rush plan and developing the three
different pitches he needs to be effective when it is not just playing the
run."
New Orleans hopes the addition of Davenport will continue the defensive improvement the Saints showed last season. The Saints allowed 40 fewer yards per
game, 50 fewer passing yards and eight fewer points in 2017 compared to 2016.
Additionally their sacks increased from 30 to 42 as the team improved from a 7-9
record to 11-5 and an NFC South title.
"I see a guy who has all the qualities you're looking for in a right defensive end," defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. "I think the one thing
that really stood out to us throughout the draft process was his ability to rush
the passer. He's got the size, he's got the length, he's got the athletic
ability."
Nielsen said he has been impressed by more than Davenport's athleticism.
"I didn't realize that he was a 3.8 student in college," Nielsen said. "He picked things up really quickly in terms of the scheme and where to align. He's
a rookie and made a couple of mistakes
Cole Beasley Jersey Elite , but still he's really picked it up. He's a very intelligent player so it was easy. It's good when you can put in a lot of stuff
and they can pick it up pretty easily."
Davenport had been practicing with the thumb injury until leaving practice early Tuesday. It was unclear if his departure was related to the thumb injury,
and Davenport sat out practice Wednesday. Payton canceled the final practice
Thursday and said Davenport could have surgery as early as Friday.
The Saints expect Davenport to be a complement to Pro Bowl left end Cameron Jordan, who missed OTAs while recovering from offseason foot surgery and was
excused from mini-camp because his wife was having a baby. Incumbent right end
Alex Okafor has been limited while recovering from a torn Achilles suffered last
season.
Their absence has allowed Davenport to get additional work, especially with the first team.
"We're just working on everything right now -- pass rush, runs, stunts -- everything to make him a well-rounded, complete player with all the
fundamentals," Nielsen said. "It boosts the rotation. You've got another good
player out there. It's going to help us across the line."
Davenport showed the athleticism that enabled him to play wide receiver early in his high-school career.
"Even when I was playing receiver I gravitated toward defensive ends," Davenport said. "I always thought they were big and fast and when you sack the
quarterback it's a big deal.
"I thought it was a cool concept. But when I first got (to Texas-San Antonio) I was there to catch balls and score touchdowns. Things change."
Matt Ryan is the NFL's first $100 million man.
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback became the league's highest-paid player Thursday by agreeing to a five-year contract extension that could be worth as
much as $150 million.
A person familiar with the deal, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms were not released, confirmed that Ryan
is assured of receiving at least $100 million. That surpasses the total
compensation of the $84 million, three-year guaranteed deal that quarterback
Kirk Cousins received from the Minnesota Vikings.
If Ryan receives the full terms of the contract, he would receive an average of $30 million a year
Authentic Preston Brown Jersey , also more than Cousin's $28 million yearly payout.
Cousins' stunning deal set the target for Ryan's negotiations with the Falcons, though it might be a short stay at No. 1.
The Green Bay Packers are trying to complete a new deal with their franchise quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who will likely be looking to surpass Ryan's
figure.
That's of no concern to the Falcons, who took care of their major offseason priority by locking up Ryan once his current deal expires after the 2018 season.
He'll make $19.25 million in the final year of that contract.
"This extension was our primary focus this offseason," general manager Thomas Dimitroff said in a statement. "Matt has been a pillar of stability for this
franchise for a decade, and it is a great feeling knowing that he will remain at
our helm for five more years."
Ryan was the third overall draft pick in 2008 and has been the Falcons' starting quarterback ever since. He has only missed two starts over the first
decade of his career, passing for 41,796 yards with 260 touchdowns while begin
voted to the Pro Bowl four times.
No quarterback has passed for more yards in the first 10 seasons of his career.
"It's hard to believe it's been 10 years already," said Ryan, who will turn 33 in a couple of weeks. "While we have accomplished a lot, our goal remains
what it was the day I got drafted, and that's to bring a championship to our
city and fans."
Ryan was the league MVP in 2016
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lead late in the third quarter, losing to the New England Patriots 34-28 in
overtime.
This past season, the Falcons earned a wild-card berth and pulled off a first-round upset of the Rams in Los Angeles before falling to the eventual
Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round.
The offense struggled at times under first-year coordinator Steve Sarkisian, though Ryan still managed to surpass 4,000 yards passing for the seventh year in
a row. His touchdowns slipped significantly, however, going from a career-best
38 during his MVP season to just 20 ??the lowest total since he was a
rookie.
With the contract talks out of the way, Ryan looks forward to spending the rest of his career with the Falcons. He will be 38 at the end of the
contract.
"We know there is a lot of work to do, but being able to ensure I can end my career where I started it, is something that I am very fortunate to be able to
do," he said.
With Ryan entered the league, the Falcons were coming off a 4-12 season and had lost star quarterback Michael Vick, who was sentenced to federal prison for
running a dogfighting operation and never played another game for Atlanta.
Ryan restored stability to the franchise
Customized Atlanta Falcons Jerseys , starting from his very first game and leading the Falcons to the first of five straight winning seasons. Until that streak, they
had never finished above .500 in back-to-back years.
The Falcons have a 95-63 record with Ryan as their starting QB, winning NFC South titles in 2010, 2012 and 2016. They have made six playoff appearances,
reaching the NFC championship game during the 2012 season.
"Matt has proven to be a leader for this franchise on and off the field, and we are fortunate to have him as our quarterback," Dimitroff said. "Matt has
guided us to a decade of success that is unmatched in franchise history, but we
all know there is more to be accomplished, and we are confident we can get that
done with Matt."
It's been a big year for Ryan, both personally and professionally.
His wife, Sarah, delivered twin boys shortly after the season ended.
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