Elliott sits after minor crash
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was a passenger in a minor car accident and is missing the first three offseason practices as a precaution.
Elliott, the 2016 NFL rushing champion as a rookie, bumped his head in the crash Sunday night, but running backs coach Gary Brown said yesterday that Elliott doesn’t have a concussion.
Coach Jason Garrett said Elliott would miss the third practice of the week today after sitting the first two sessions with soreness and neck stiffness. Garrett said Elliott was expected to practice next week.
Elliott, who made the All-Pro team after Dallas drafted him No. 4 overall last year, finished with 1,631 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns, both club rookie records.
Lions talk Megatron
Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell hopes the franchise’s relationship with Calvin Johnson will eventually improve.
Johnson told the Detroit Free Press over the weekend that he felt he should have been treated better as he left the Lions. The star receiver retired following the 2015 season.
Caldwell spoke to reporters yesterday at an organized team activity, and he said the organization — from owner Martha Ford on down — was concerned about Johnson’s comments.
“We’re all concerned about it, anytime that we hear that one of our alumni is not happy,” Caldwell said.
“Particularly how we feel about our alumni around here. One of the things I think you’ve probably noticed, at least since I’ve been here, our practices are open to all our alumni. They can come anytime, any day.”
Johnson didn’t go into specifics about what treatment by the team left him unsatisfied.
“I don’t even like to talk Lions too much just because the way our relationship ended,” he said.
Johnson played his entire nine-season career with Detroit.
Browns cautious
The Cleveland Browns are not taking any chances with Myles Garrett, their No. 1 draft pick and $30 million investment.
Garrett is being kept off the practice field by the team this week because of an unspecified injury. The former Texas A&M star would not disclose his medical issue, but said it’s nothing significant.
Garrett signed a fouryear, $30 million contract last week and the Browns aren’t taking any chances with their prized first selection. Coach Hue Jackson indicated Garrett might be dealing with something following last week’s rookie minicamp, but he didn’t reveal Garrett’s problem.
Also, the Browns have hired former Indianapolis general manager Ryan Grigson as a senior personnel executive.
Grigson was with Indianapolis from 2012-16, and helped the Colts win two AFC South titles and make the playoffs three times. He was named the NFL’s top executive in 2012 by Sporting News.
Colts owner Jim Irsay fired him in January.
Dolphins ink top pick
First-round selection Charles Harris has signed his rookie deal with the Miami Dolphins, who now have all seven 2017 draft picks under contract.
Harris, a defensive end from Missouri, was the No. 22 choice overall. He’s expected to play a significant role as a pass rusher in his rookie season.
He’ll be groomed as an eventual replacement for five-time Pro Bowl end Cameron Wake, who is 35. . . .
The Buffalo Bills signed wide receiver Rod Streater and tight end Wes Saxton, while releasing tackle Cyrus Kouandjio and quarterback Josh Woodrum.
Streater is entering his sixth season after spending four with Oakland and 2016 with San Francisco. The 29-year-old had 18 catches for 191 yards last season with two touchdowns.
Saxton has only played in one game, in 2015 with the Jets. He didn’t make the roster in 2016.
Pro Bowl in Orlando
The Pro Bowl will return to Orlando in 2018 for the second straight year.
Orlando will host the Pro Bowl on Jan. 28, 2018, at 3 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN and ABC, the NFL announced. Last season, the NFL played its all-star game in Orlando for the first time at Camping World Stadium.
The NFL has a two-year deal with an option for a third year to play the Pro Bowl in Orlando.
The 2018 game will feature the AFC vs. NFC format, which returned last season.
Before moving to Orlando, the Pro Bowl had been played in Honolulu almost exclusively since 1980. The only times it had not been during that span was in 2010 in Miami and 2015 in Glendale, Ariz.