Falcons add trio to staff
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn has made three additions to his staff, including running backs coach Bernie Parmalee. The Falcons also have hired Mayur Chaudhari and Chad Walker to assist with special teams and the offense, respectively. Parmalee spent the past three seasons as the Oakland Raiders’ running backs coach. He replaces Keith Carter, who left the Falcons this month to join the Tennessee Titans’ staff as an offensive line coach. Chaudhari was special teams coordinator for the University of Hawaii for the past two seasons. Walker coached the University of Arkansas outside linebackers in 2017 after spending 2016 as Atlanta’s assistant linebackers coach.
› ALAMEDA, Calif. — Veteran Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who has played more games than any player in franchise history, won’t return to the team in 2018, according to an ESPN report. Janikowski, an 18-year veteran, missed the entire 2017 season on injured reserve with a back injury, with Giorgio Tavecchio taking over his duties. His exit comes as no surprise, given the Raiders remained with Tavecchio all season and Janikowski was never brought off injured reserve. He made $3 million in salary in 2017, taking a $1 million pay cut late in the preseason before being injured. Tavecchio, who made $465,000 on a one-year deal, is an exclusive rights free agent who can be retained if the Raiders make a qualifying offer. Janikowski played in a franchise-record 268 games (passing Tim Brown’s 240) and holds the NFL record with 55 field goals of 50 yards or longer.
› Fox Sports will broadcast the NFL draft this season, along with the league’s usual television partners of ESPN and NFL Network. A person familiar with the decision said Fox will show the same feed as the NFL Network. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league and Fox haven’t announced the decision. ESPN will still air its own draft feed, but the person said the current rights deal for the draft allowed for the inclusion of another broadcaster. Pro Football Talk first reported the deal.
BASEBALL
› As MLB teams started spring training workouts across Florida and Arizona, the players’ association had a Kansas City Royals scout escorted out of the union’s opening training session for unsigned free agents. About 15 players attended the first day of workouts Wednesday at the union’s camp in Bradenton, Fla. Media were barred from the IMG Academy. The scout was told he was not welcome but could set up a session with an individual player at the player’s discretion, several people familiar with the situation said. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized. More than 90 players remain without agreements among the 166 who exercised their free agency rights last November. Union head Tony Clark, who attended the session, said approximately 15 more players are likely to arrive at the camp this week while the remainder of unsigned players seeking jobs work out at their regular offseason facilities.