Jets, Redskins not fond of each other
Fights have marred practices between them
RICHMOND, Va. — Trumaine Johnson shoved Morgan Moses after a play, Trent Williams came to his teammate’s defense and within seconds the multi-player melee spilled into the crowd.
And that was just Day One of the joint workouts between the New York Jets and Washington Redskins.
Tempers have flared at times between Jets and Redskins players, though things were calmer Monday after a couple of fights and a handful of skirmishes marred their first practice together. But a day of being on their best behavior could be more of an anomaly than a Kumbaya trend leading up to their third and final practice today and preseason matchup Thursday.
“A bunch of young guys. It’s to be expected,” veteran Redskins tight end Vernon Davis said. “We can’t control what the Jets are doing. They have to be on the same wavelength when it comes to going out there and practicing smart and practicing better. And if they’re not, then someone from our side is going to respond. It could get out of control.”
The majority of players and coaches were annoyed that fights overshadowed the benefits of the joint workouts: getting to see action against another team outside of games. Washington running back Chris Thompson and some teammates, who were around when fights broke out with the Houston Texans at training camp in 2015, even questioned the wisdom of bringing another team in — which the Redskins didn’t do either of the past two years.
“I think you ask around the league, I think a lot of guys will probably say they don’t really care for the joint practices just because of things like this happening,” Thompson said. “There’s not many joint practices where you don’t have fights.”
Football-wise, the Jets’ focus seems
to be on getting rookie quarterback Sam Darnold more work with the first team after the third overall pick’s stellar preseason debut. On the Redskins’ side, coach Jay Gruden has to sort out his running back situation after rookie and presumptive starter Derrius Guice tore the ACL in his left knee and was ruled out for the season.
Fighting Sunday got in the way of that and ticked off Gruden and New York counterpart Todd Bowles because it took time for their players to cool down and wasted practice time.
“They’re not going to get any better fighting us and we’re not going to get any better fighting them,” Bowles said.
BILLS: LeSean McCoy’s ex-girlfriend is suing the Buffalo running back for failing to protect her after she was bloodied, beaten and had $133,000 worth of jewelry stolen during a home invasion last month.
Delicia Cordon also alleged in a lawsuit filed in Fulton County, Georgia on Friday that McCoy would “often brutally beat his dog,” and would also “aggressively, physically discipline and beat his young son.”
Without blaming McCoy for playing a role in the home invasion, Cordon accused him of breaching his duty to protect her because he owned the home. She also alleged McCoy “permitted a hazardous condition to exist” by installing a new security system and cameras and denying her access to arm the system.
Cordon’s face was bloodied during a home invasion in the early hours of July 10.
Details of the lawsuit were first reported by WKBW-TV in Buffalo on Monday.
Police in Milton, Ga., have not identified a suspect.
Phone and email messages left with McCoy’s lawyer, Don Samuel, were not immediately returned.
McCoy previously said he had no involvement in the home invasion and had no contact with Cordon in months.
He also said allegations made by Cordon’s friend last month that he beat his son and dog as being “totally
baseless” and “completely false.”
COWBOYS: Per a report from KFDM News in Beaumont, Texas, Nathanial Prescott, the father of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, was arrested on marijuana charges Saturday.
The elder Prescott, age 57, was stopped on Texas 87 in Orange County on Saturday afternoon. Per the report, troopers say they discovered marijuana. He posted $500 bond and was released.
... Dallas has placed guard Marcus Martin on injured reserve with a toe ailment and taken defensive tackle Maliek Collins off the physically unable to perform list following offseason surgery for a broken foot.
TEXANS: A high school hit hard by Hurricane Harvey is getting a new playing surface thanks to the Houston Texans.
The Texans said Monday that they’re donating the turf they played on at NRG Stadium last season to C.E. King High School after its field was destroyed in flooding from Harvey, which hit the area last August.
“These guys get to go out there every day and know that they’re playing on something that J.J. Watt played on,” King coach Derek Fitzhenry said. “Of course, that’s everybody’s favorite player, so it’s exciting.”
BRONCOS: Former University of Tennessee star linebacker A.J. Johnson is getting a shot in the NFL with the Denver Broncos less than a month after he was acquitted along with a college teammate of aggravated rape charges.
After his first practice as a pro Monday, Johnson said, “It’s a blessing to be a part of a team, I’m excited to get out here, start working out and start working my tail off.”
Johnson and Michael Williams were acquitted of all counts July 27. They were indicted in February 2015 after a woman said both men raped her during a party at Johnson’s apartment in the early morning hours of Nov. 16, 2014. Johnson and Williams were suspended from the team less than 48 hours after the party and never played for Tennessee again.