Ex-Seahawk safety Thomas arrested over protective order
DALLAS » Former Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas has been arrested in Texas more than two weeks after a warrant was issued over an alleged violation of a protective order.
Beaumont, Texas, television station KBMT reported Thomas was arrested Friday in Orange, where he played high school football. The station reported the three-time All-Pro was recognized at a restaurant.
The arrest warrant was issued last month in Austin, Texas, where Thomas played in college for the Texas Longhorns. Police said Thomas violated the court order by sending threatening messages to a woman about her and her children, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
Orange is near the Texas-Louisiana state line, about 275 miles from Austin.
Thomas’ attorney, Trey Dolezal, told the Austin newspaper the warrant stems from Thomas reaching out to the woman to see their children.
The 33-year-old Thomas is a free agent and has said he wants to resume his career. He spent his first nine seasons with the Seahawks before a year with Baltimore after signing with the Ravens as a free agent. Thomas hasn’t played since 2019.
‘Punt God’ eager for Buffalo challenge
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. » Even the “Punt God” can’t change Mother Nature.
Arriving in Buffalo for the Bills’ rookie minicamp, Matt Araiza was unhappy with the weather. After all, the San Diego native has plenty of experience when it comes to 85 degrees and sunny.
“It’s funny because everyone was telling me how cold it was going to be here, how windy it was going to be here,” Araiza said Friday with a laugh. “And then I get here, it’s beautiful.”
Araiza noting the near-perfect conditions traces to a desire to get accustomed to the winter chill and swirling winds that make the Bills’ home one of the NFL’s more challenging places for punters.
He didn’t have to deal with cold weather very much during his three years at San Diego State, where the Ray Guy award-winner established himself as one of college football’s premier punters. Fourth downs turned into must-watch moments because of Araiza’s ability to flip the field in setting the major college football record with a punting average of 51.19 yards.
The 21-year-old became the third punter selected in the draft last month, when Buffalo chose him in the sixth round to the delight of a fanbase already fascinated by his ability and nickname.
To be clear, he’s not a big fan of “Punt God,” saying: “I understand it’s a huge compliment, but I think it’s a little too much.”
Though he doesn’t lack in confidence, Araiza realizes he is nowhere near a finished product after leaving school following his junior season, with just one year of handling the Aztecs’ full-time punting duties.
Aside from getting used to playing in severe weather, there are several questions he must answer to win the Bills job over veteran Matt Haack.
One of his more famous plays last season was dubbed “The Moon Shot,” describing an 81-yard punt at Air Force. It came on the heels of an 86-yarder at San Jose State a week earlier.
Falcons QB Ridder’s stock on rise
FLOWERY BRANCH, GA. » Desmond Ridder’s drive to be first begins with an early start at his Atlanta Falcons rookie minicamp apartment.
The quarterback’s roommates — wide receiver Drake London, running back Tyler Allgeier and tight end John FitzPatrick — can’t help but notice.
“I told Desmond, ‘Don’t be so loud in the morning,’” FitzPatrick said after Saturday’s session. “He just wakes up early. I don’t know. He’s just loud. It’s like a bull in a china shop.”
Ridder, the Falcons’ third-round pick from Cincinnati and the second quarterback selected in last month’s NFL draft, says he knows no other way.
“I try to be the first one in the building,” Ridder said.
Ridder had to settle for runner-up honors on Saturday. He said offensive lineman Tyler Vrabel, an undrafted rookie from Boston College and the son of Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, was the first in the practice facility.
Ridder’s 6 a.m. wake-up call may have caused some grumbles, but his new Atlanta teammates have praised his leadership skills. Ridder says he strives to be a player his teammates can lean on when there are questions about learning the Falcons playbook.
Ridder wants to take full advantage of his preparation time before practice. He says the rookies were given the playbook about 10 days ago, and he believed it was important for him to learn the plays for the two-day minicamp.
Another example of Ridder’s leadership came in a sideline speech on Friday.
London, the first-round pick, said Ridder called the other rookies together to say mistakes in drills must be corrected. London said Ridder’s message was, “‘We messed up a lot today.”
Panthers hope Barnes can boogie on field
CHARLOTTE, N.C. » Kalon “Boogie” Barnes is a flat-out burner.
The biggest question facing the Carolina Panthers rookie cornerback is whether his elite speed translates to a successful NFL career.
Barnes ran a 4.23 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine in February — the fastest time ever recorded by a defensive back since the NFL Network began broadcasting the event in 2003. It’s also the second-fastest time overall, one one-hundredth of a second behind wide receiver John Ross, who set the combine record (4.22) in 2017.
Of course, speed doesn’t always equate to a long career at the NFL level.
Barnes, being a seventh-round pick, still has some technique issues to work out as a cornerback and will likely have to carve out a niche as a special teams player before becoming a full-time defender.