Pats sign last remaining draft pick, second-rounder Dugger
Cowboys’ Smith reinstated
FOXBOROUGH, Mass., May 21, (AP): The New England Patriots on Wednesday signed secondround draft pick Kyle Dugger, a defensive back and punt returner from Lenoir-Rhyne.
He was the last member of the team’s 2020 draft class who had been unsigned.
Dugger, 24, had 237 tackles, 10 interceptions and six forced fumbles in college while also returning 67 punts for a school-record 929 yards and six touchdowns. He received the Cliff Harris Award as the best defensive player in NCAA Division II.
The Patriots have signed 10 draft picks and 16 undrafted free agents.
Aldon Smith will be able to take part in team activities with the Dallas Cowboys after the NFL on Wednesday conditionally reinstated the pass rusher from an indefinite suspension for off-field issues.
Smith, who hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2015, will be able to participate in the Cowboys’ virtual offseason program starting next week. He can also meet with teammates and coaches.
The Cowboys, who lost sacks leader Robert Quinn in free agency, signed Smith to a one-year contract last month despite his uncertain playing status. Smith was reinstated after meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on a video teleconference last week.
Smith was drafted seventh overall by San Francisco in 2011 and had 14 sacks as a rookie. He was an All-Pro in 2012 when he had 19 1/2 sacks and the 49ers reached the Super Bowl. He had 44 sacks in 50 games during his first four NFL seasons in San Francisco with defensive line coach Jim Tomsula, now on the Cowboys staff for new head coach Mike McCarthy.
Quarantine has allowed Browns Pro Bowl wide receiver Jarvis Landry to focus even more on his recovery from off-season hip surgery.
Landry, who opted for surgery in February after being slowed by an injury last season, said on a Zoom call Wednesday that his rehab has gone as well as expected and he’s “a little bit” ahead of schedule.
Landry envisions being back on the field in August - assuming players are allowed to return in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Los Angeles Chargers have re-signed offensive lineman
Ryan Groy. The team announced the move. Groy played in nine games for the Chargers last season after signing with the franchise in early October. His snaps were split equally between special teams and offense. The most playing time he had last season was Dec. 8 at Jacksonville when he had 15 snaps on the offensive line and two on special teams.
Groy will be going into his seventh season. He has played in 64 games with 17 starts. Groy signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and then played four seasons for the Buffalo Bills.
Washington Redskins rookie receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden said Wednesday he tested positive for the new coronavirus in March and has fully recovered.
Gandy-Golden said in a statement that he tested positive during NFL draft training on March 24, had mild symptoms and was cleared on April 7.
Gandy-Golden played the past two seasons at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, which reopened in March despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Jerry Falwell Jr., president of the evangelical school, appeared to reference Gandy-Golden during a Fox News appearance on Wednesday.
The New Orleans Saints are preparing to look for a new naming rights holder for the Superdome.
Mercedez-Benz has held naming rights under a 10-year agreement that expires in July 2021 and Saints have said this week that the German automaker does not intend to extend the deal.
In 2015, Mercedes-Benz also entered into a 27-year naming rights contract with the home stadium of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, which opened in 2017.
It’s a good thing an NFL kicking operation requires no more than three players.
There’s the long snapper, tasked with delivering the ball. The kicker, who is expected to send it through the uprights. And the punter, who for many teams doubles as the holder on field goal and extra-point attempts.
The reason this is important, at least for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, is that for the first time in 15 years they are trying to decide on a new punter. Dustin Colquitt held down the job with Pro Bowl efficiency for as long as some of the current Chiefs have been playing football. But his increasing age and the franchise’s dwindling coffers forced the club to make the difficult business decision to let him go this offseason.