Vikings’ Sparano died of heart disease
Patriots, 49ers sign first-round picks
MINNEAPOLIS — A county medical examiner says Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sparano died of heart disease.
The Hennepin County medical examiner’s office said Monday that the 56-year-old Sparano died of arteriosclerotic heart disease, or hardening of the arteries. The manner of death is listed as natural.
Sparano died Sunday in Eden Prairie, a Minneapolis suburb. He had been the Vikings’ offensive line coach since 2016.
Sparano began his NFL coaching career in 1999 and had stints as a head coach with the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders.
He was the Dolphins’ head coach from 2008-11 and went 29-32. He went 11-5 and won the AFC East in his first season with Miami.
Sparano also spent time with the Browns, Redskins, Jaguars, Cowboys and 49ers.
PATRIOTS: The New England Patriots have signed the second of their first-round draft picks, Georgia running back Sony Michel.
New England selected Michel 31st overall, eight spots after taking one of his college blockers, Isaiah Wynn.
MCGLINCHEY: The San Francisco 49ers said Monday that they have signed first-round draft pick Mike McGlinchey to a four-year deal.
The 49ers drafted McGlinchey, the consensus top tackle available in the draft, with the ninth overall pick.
GREGORY: Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory has been fully reinstated to practice and play in games, an NFL source said.
Gregory, who hasn’t played since the 2016 season finale because of an indefinite suspension due to repeated violations of the league’s substance abuse policy, was reinstated on a conditional basis last week.
He was cleared only for meetings and conditioning work.
He was not going to be cleared to practice or play in games until “arrangements have been confirmed regarding Gregory’s clinical resources in Dallas, and subject to continued compliance with the terms of his reinstatement and all aspects of the NFL-NFLPA Policy and Program on Substances of Abuse,” the NFL stated in its initial release.
Gregory had met those conditions for living in Dallas but needed to get those matters squared away for his threeweek stay in Oxnard, California, for training camp.
JOHNSON: David Johnson is back in the fold with the Arizona Cardinals.
The question about whether the dynamic running back would continue his holdout was answered in a hurry when he was among the players returning from injuries to show up for the early portion of training camp. He is expected to be the centerpiece of the offense.