The Detroit Lions have denied permission for the Green Bay Packers to interview Teryl Austin about their defensive coordinator
position
Davon Godchaux Jersey , according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the Lions have not been providing updates on the status of their assistants, said the
Cincinnati Bengals have been allowed to interview Austin for a defensive
coordinator job, but Green Bay has not been given permission.
Austin is currently Detroit’s defensive coordinator, but his future is in doubt after the Lions fired coach Jim Caldwell . General manager Bob Quinn said
Monday that Detroit’s next coach would have total autonomy over the staff, and
since then, the Lions have only provided short updates on who they have
interviewed for their head coaching job.
Austin and Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter have both interviewed for the Detroit job, along with Houston Texans defensive coordinator Mike
Vrabel, Green Bay linebackers coach Winston Moss
Vonn Bell Jersey , Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and New England defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
—
The only time Bills rookie quarterback Josh Allen ever felt rattled on his first day of practice was shortly after the session ended Friday.
That's when coach Sean McDermott escorted the first-round pick to the sideline and introduced him to Jim Kelly in what became a meeting of the team's
hopeful future and legendary past.
"I'm still shaking from meeting him," Allen said.
Though Allen grew up in central California and played college at Wyoming, the 21-year-old is very aware of who Kelly is and what he means to Buffalo.
"It's all on the wall," Allen said, pointing the four AFC Championship banners the Kelly-led teams won from 1990-'93.
Allen also knows how tough Kelly is in his ongoing battle with cancer.
"I can't say anything else but he's a special man. He's been through a lot," he said. "And to be in the spirits that he is and to come out here and show
support for the Buffalo Bills, that just shows to me how much he means to
Buffalo and Buffalo means to him. It's awesome."
Kelly made a surprise visit for the start of two-day rookie minicamp some six weeks after his latest operation to have cancer removed from his jaw.
Kelly walked with a cane and had difficulty speaking. He raised his right thumb while he and Allen posed for pictures. Said Kelly: "It's the best thing I
can do: Thumbs up."
The Bills are pinning their hopes on Allen to fill what's been their most unsettled position since Kelly retired following the 1996 season.
Buffalo traded up five spots in the draft order to select him with the No. 7 pick two weeks ago. Allen became just the fourth quarterback selected by Buffalo
in the first round, and first chosen in the top 10 of the draft order.
He joins a team once again shuffling starters after Tyrod Taylor was traded to Cleveland in March despite helping Buffalo to a 9-7 finish and end a 17-year
playoff drought.
At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Allen is a raw
Matt Judon Jersey , but strong-armed and athletic quarterback. He was a two-year starter at Wyoming, where he completed 365 of 649 for 5,066 yards with
44 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
Allen was knocked for his relatively low completion percentage of 56.2 and mechanics, something he spent working on this offseason.
McDermott isn't providing any guarantees in saying Allen will compete for the starting job with offseason free-agent addition A.J. McCarron and second-year
player Nathan Peterman.
"We've got a plan in place for all of our players, and in this case Josh, in terms of bringing them along at the right pace," McDermott said.
Allen threw a few wobbly or high passes to his right. He was far more accurate with passes to his left and over the middle. Allen showed off his
strong arm, by completing several deep passes, including one to rookie
seventh-round pick Austin Proehl.
He was also intercepted once during one-on-one drills. His hard
Nick Vannett Jersey , high pass over the middle slipped through receiver William Scott's hands and to a defensive back.
"I felt like I've made a lot of strides," Allen said. "I felt like I put the ball where it needed to be most of the time. Obviously, there's some throws that
I would like back. But as we progress through this rookie minicamp and through
the rookie developmental period, I plan to improve every day."
He was pleased in learning how Kelly was overheard praising a few of his throws.
Allen said Kelly first contacted him by text in welcoming him to Buffalo the day after being drafted.
"Hopefully, in the near future we can keep that relationship going," Allen said. "Any rookie that can develop a mentorship with a former quarterback like
Jim Kelly, it's going to be huge."
NOTES: The Bills signed fourth-round pick, Weber State cornerback Taron Johnson. That leaves their top-three selections unsigned, including third-round
pick
Montravius Adams Jersey , Stanford defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. ... The Bills also signed 12 undrafted free agents including Arizona guard Gerhard De
Beer, who is from South Africa. He was a Pac-12 discuss throwing champion and
made the switch to football. ... Also signed were defensive linemen Mat Boesen
(TCU) and Mike Love (South Florida), linebacker Corey Thompson (LSU),
cornerbacks Ryan Carter (Clemson) and Levi Wallace (Alabama), running back Keith
Ford (Texas A and M), receivers Robert Foster (Alabama) and Cam Phillips
(Virginia Tech), offensive linemen Ike Boettger (Iowa) and Mo Porter (Baylor),
and Penn State kicker Tyler Davis.
Authentic Womens Christian Kirk Jersey
