Menelik Watson's time in Denver is over because he's hurt and buried on the depth chart.
The Broncos placed Watson on IR Monday with a chest injury and intend to release him once he's healthy. That means the Broncos will take a $6.83 million
salary cap hit this year.
Coach Vance Joseph said Billy Turner
http://www.officialcanadiensprostore.com/authentic-adidas-karl-alzner-jersey ,
Elijah Wilkinson and Max Garcia have all had good training camps while Watson's
been in the trainer's room.
"It's hard to make a football team injured and you've got three or four guys behind you playing good football," Joseph said. "So, it wasn't about fit. It was
more about Billy and Eli playing good football. And Max Garcia. Max is having a
hell of a camp. He's playing more like a starter. So, it's more about those guys
than it was Menelik not being a fit."
With the acquisition of ninth-year veteran Jared Veldheer this offseason, Watson was moved to backup guard after playing in just seven games as Denver's
starting right tackle last season.
Watson, whose $5.5 million salary for 2018 was guaranteed in March, didn't play in either of the Broncos' preseason games this summer after getting hurt in
training camp.
As part of a plan to toughen up the trenches, the Broncos signed the athletic Watson to a three-year, $18.375 million contract last year even though his four
seasons in Oakland were marred by calf and groin injuries and a ruptured
Achilles tendon that sidelined him all of 2015.
His long history of injuries wasn't a red flag for Denver, Joseph said last year, explaining that most of Watson's injuries were soft tissue types and
"those things are preventable."
After averaging just 6.75 games a year with the Raiders
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before going on IR with a torn foot tendon. He also was bothered by a strained
calf early in the season.
Born in Manchester, England, Watson began his collegiate career playing basketball at Maris College before transferring to Saddleback Junior College in
2011 and playing football for the first time. He played one season at Florida
State in 2012 and the Raiders selected him in the second round of the 2013 NFL
draft.
FLAG FOOTBALL
Halfway through the preseason, Joseph said his coaches and players are no clearer about what constitutes a foul under the league's renewed emphasis on
eliminating helmet hits .
He suggested some of the flags that were thrown Saturday night in the Broncos' loss to the Bears were actually clean hits that were incorrectly
penalized in a game that featured 28 fouls for 293 yards .
"It's really gray right now and I think they're calling it conservatively because they want to get it right. They want to change the behavior, but the
problem I'm having with the call right now is it's been bang-bang plays and it's
hard to tell if the head's hitting the body," Joseph said.
"And that's the rule, right? It's not about if the head's down. If it hits the body, that's the penalty. So, with (rookie cornerback Isaac Yiadom), his
head was down but it didn't hit the body. It was placed to the side of the
receiver and it was shoulder on the body ??not a foul."
Joseph said Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller's flag for hitting Broncos fullback Andy Janovich wasn't a foul, either.
"It was head down but shoulder hit the pad. Not a foul
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Collins Jersey ," Joseph said. "The foul is when the head hits the body.
And that's what we have to be careful of. But it's hard to tell because you
tackle with your shoulder but it's led by the head. So, it's hard to officiate
that really cleanly. So, we'll see how it shakes out but right now it's gray for
us and the players."
Janovich lowered his helmet and ostensibly could have been whistled for a 15-yarder himself.
"I don't know, I mean he's defending himself," Joseph said. "Fuller's a cornerback coming to hit him and what's he going to do? Keep his head up and
take it in the chin? So, he drops his shoulder. The head's attached to the
shoulder. The head's going to drop."
Joseph had a friendly suggestion for officials .
"We have to be careful. We have to use common sense. We know what spearing looks like. So, call spearing. But don't call good football tackles," Joseph
said.
The long-awaited contract talks between star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and the New York Giants are going to start relatively soon.
After months of waiting to see how Beckham recovered from a broken left ankle and how the 25-year-old mended his ways, Giants co-owner John Mara said Thursday
the talks with player and his representatives will take place sooner rather than
later.
”I think this was the time that we always had in mind,” Mara said.
”But I think Odell personally is moving in the right direction. He has come in here with a good attitude. Showed up yesterday with a smile on his face. He’s
worked hard. I think he’s ready to go. He’s ready for a great season.”
The 25-year-old Beckham is entering the fifth and final season of his rookie contract. He is to earn $8.5 million this season, but the three-time Pro Bowler
whose career has been tarnished by off-the- field
issues
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certainly the highest-paid receiver.
Mara refused to say how much the Giants were willing to pay, but noted the franchise wants Beckham to stay for a long time.
Beckham, who was injured in early October and missed the rest of the season, helped himself in the offseason by working hard. He attended about half of the
voluntary organized team activities and reported to camp on time Wednesday.
Beckham took part in about 50 percent of the plays in Thursday’s workout and later ran sprints on a back field. He looked good.
Beckham has been the catalyst of the Giants’ offense since being drafted in the first round in 2014. In 47 NFL games, the former LSU product has 313 catches
for 4,424 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Fellow receiver Sterling Shepard said Thursday that Beckham seems even more explosive this season.
”He wants to show everyone he still has it,” Shepard said.
In a wide-ranging interview with the media on the first day of practice, Mara said he hopes the league and the players union will be able to agree on a
national anthem policy. He said the team would wait to see what happened in
meetings which he said will take place soon.
”Hopefully we can find a resolution that everyone is open to,” Mara said.
Mara also said he believes 37-year-old quarterback Eli Manning still had several good years ahead of him.
The co-owner also is excited by the unlimited physical skills of running back Saquon Barkley. He is concerned about the hype being thrust on the second
overall pick in the draft.
”I think he is capable of living up to it,” Mara said. ”I think he is mature beyond his years.”
Mara says he still has not recovered from last year’s 3-13 season that led to the firing of coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese in early
December.
However
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with the changes made by new coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Dave
Gettleman.
Gettleman, who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late spring, is doing well and is currently in remission, Mara said.
Gettleman was in the office Wednesday and spoke to the team.
”I don’t think I have ever been around a more upbeat person in my life, particularly going through what he has been going through,” Mara said. ”He is
optimistic about his recovery and his ability to work this year.”
—
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