Garrett ready to finally hit a quarterback
Myles Garrett won’t be satisfied with just sacks or de-cleating a running back.
For his first NFL exhibition, Cleveland’s rookie wants to make sure the New Orleans Saints remember him — and that the rest of the league takes notice.
“They don’t have much film to go off of, at least not of me now, and they don’t know what I have to offer,” Garrett said. “So I’m looking forward to sending a message through this first game.”
Garrett, who has more than lived up to expectations in his first training camp, will play Thursday night when the Browns host the Saints at FirstEnergy Stadium. The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft is eager to showcase his speed, power and new passrush moves he’s been trying out on Cleveland offensive linemen eager to see him abuse someone new.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s preseason or a scrimmage,” the defensive end said. “I want to display a dominance when I’m on the field, so I’m trying to have a dominant performance, whether it’s preseason first series or whenever I get out there.”
The only thing Garrett hasn’t been able to do in practice is hit a quarterback, but that will change against the Saints.
“It’s kind of a relief,” Garrett said. “It’s really harder to avoid hitting him than it is to actually wrap him up and take him down. Now that I can follow through, I can actually show that I’m getting there and I’m making big plays.”
League to hire full-time officials
The NFL will hire up to 24 full-time game officials from among 8 tonight Ch. 10
the current roster of 124 officials.
“We believe this is a great development for NFL officiating overall and ultimately the quality of our game,” said NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent. “We share a common goal, which is to make our game as great as it can possibly be, and look forward to working together on this new effort.”
Unlike in most other pro sports, NFL officials have other jobs.
Bengals coach returns to practice
Coach Marvin Lewis was back with the Cincinnati Bengals after missing a practice to have a knee problem checked. He plans to coach the team Friday in an exhibition against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paul Brown Stadium. Doctors told him that walking would help reduce swelling in his knee.
Falcons, Freeman agree to deal
The Atlanta Falcons agreed to terms on a five-year, $41.25 million extension with running back Devonta Freeman, making him the highest-paid running back in the NFL in terms of the overall package. It includes a $15 million signing bonus and $22 million in guaranteed money.
During his three seasons with the Falcons, Freeman has gained 2,383 rushing yards, including back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2015 and 2016.