Bears hire their first full-time female scout
The Bears made some franchise history by hiring their first full-time female scout.
The team promoted ex-intern Ashton Washington to a full-time scouting role, NFL senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion Sam Rapoport said Sunday. Washington now is listed as a scouting assistant in the player-personnel department, a move the Bears are expected to announce this week.
Washington began training camp as a player-personnel intern as part of the Nunn Wooten Scouting Fellowship. She became Texas Tech’s director of recruiting operations and creative content in March after one year at Illinois, where she was the director of high school relations under former Bears coach Lovie Smith. Before that, she had been a game-day operations specialist for the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks.
Washington participated in the NFL Women’s Careers in Football Forum, a virtual panel this year that included three owners, seven general managers and head coaches such as Bill Belichick and Bruce Arians. She graduated from Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, in 2019.
Ravens’ Dobbins out for season
ESPN reported an MRI exam confirmed Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins has a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. There was no official word from the team.
Dobbins, a second-round pick in 2020, was carted off the field after suffering the injury during the opening drive of the Ravens’ preseason victory Saturday against Washington. He was entering his first season as the Ravens’ featured back.
‘‘Been down this road before,’’ Zac Hiller, Dobbins’ agent, said on Twitter. ‘‘He’ll come back bigger stronger faster.’’
Lawrence shows No. 1 stuff
Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in April, completed 11 of 12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns in three possessions against backups, and the Jaguars beat the Cowboys 34-14 in a preseason finale in Arlington, Texas.
Lawrence had only one field goal to show for eight drives in his first two preseason games, but he changed that quickly four days after coach Urban Meyer named him the starter.
This and that
ESPN reported Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton is being evaluated for an upper back/neck injury, and it is uncertain how much time he will miss. Hilton, 31, has been the Colts’ No. 1 receiver throughout his nine seasons with team, including five 1,000-yard campaigns.
The Vikings and five-time Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith agreed to terms on a reported four-year, $64 million contract extension that features more than $26 million in guaranteed money. He led the Vikings with five interceptions and 10 pass deflections last season.
†Multiple outlets reported the injury-deplated Jets acquired defensive end Shaq Lawson from the Texans for a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft. The Texans had acquired Lawson in a trade with the Dolphins in March.