Well-traveled Cooper gets shot on line with Raiders
Jonathan Cooper, a former first-round draft pick whose career has yet to take off with five organizations, was signed by the Raiders Monday.
Cooper, 29, was the No. 7 overall pick out of North Carolina by the Arizona Cardinals in 2013. He is a veteran of 45 games and 31 starts, including four last season for Washington. In 2017, Cooper started 13 games at left guard on a very good Dallas Cowboys offensive line.
Other stops for Cooper include the 49ers (he didn’t make the team out of training camp) in 2018, Cleveland (five games with three starts) and New England (no action), the latter two both in 2016.
With veterans scheduled to report to training camp in Napa on July 26, Cooper joins a group that includes incumbent Gabe Jackson and veteran Denver Kirkland on the right side and free agent Richie Incognito, Denzelle Good and and undrafted rookie free agent Lester Cotton on the left side.
Incognito was suspended two games by the NFL for being in violation of the league’s personal conduct policy but will be present at training camp and through the four-game preseason. Incognito and Good are the favorites to replace Kelechi Osemele, who was traded in the offseason to the New York Jets.
NO DEADLINE DEAL FOR TEXANS, FRANCHISED CLOWNEY >> Jadeveon Clowney and the Houston Texans are not expected to reach agreement on a contract Monday, the deadline for franchise players to sign a new deal. According to multiple reports, the two sides are not engaged in negotiations at this time.
Clowney, by rule, would earn the $15.967 million one-year tender value for 2019 if he didn’t sign a new deal.
SMITH WALKING WITHOUT BRACE >> Washington quarterback Alex Smith no longer is wearing the brace on his surgically repaired right leg, the next step in his comeback from a devastating injury suffered last November. Following the injury in the Nov. 18 loss to the Houston Texans, Smith underwent several surgeries to repair his broken tibia and fibula and then suffered from an infection and was hospitalized until Dec. 16. FALCONS REACH $68M DEAL WITH DT JARRETT >> The Atlanta Falcons and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett agreed to a four-year, $68 million deal ahead of Monday’s franchise tag deadline, multiple outlets reported. Jarrett, who would have earned $15.2 million playing under the tag in 2019, will earn $17 million per season through 2022.
That makes the 26-yearold the third-highest paid interior defensive lineman in the league after the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Fletcher Cox.
Golf
MICKELSON DROPS 15 POUNDS ON WATER, COFFEE FAST >> A six-day fast helped Phil Mickelson drop 15 pounds ahead of the Open Championship.
The 49-year-old said in a video posted to his Twitter feed that he wanted to do everything possible to be his best at Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush, site of the Open Championship this week. That included a six-day fast during which he allowed himself only a special coffee blend for nutrition and water.
“I haven’t been my best, and I’m doing all I can to get it right,” Mickelson said.
Mickelson has not posted a top-15 finish since winning at Pebble Beach in February. Since tying for 18th at The Masters, he has missed the cut in four of his past six tournaments. Mickelson won The Open at Muirfield in 2013 and has been preparing for this week’s challenges on and off the course.
“The last 10 days I’ve done what I call a hard reset to change and try and make things better,” he said.
WOODS PAIRED WITH REED IN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP >> Tiger Woods is paired with Patrick Reed and Matthew Wallace for the Open Championship, teeing off on Thursday at 7:10 a.m.
A three-time British Open champion, Woods played 18 holes with Reed on Sunday. On Monday he played another 18 with Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler. Woods hasn’t played in a tournament since the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach a month ago.
NBA
CAVALIERS WAIVE JR SMITH >> The Cavaliers have waived colorful shooting guard J.R. Smith, ending his eventful tenure with the team. Cleveland had been trying to trade Smith for months, but the team couldn’t find the right package and released him to cut space under the salary cap and avoid paying luxury taxes.
Smith’s days were numbered when he agreed to leave the club in November after 11 games.
MAX DEAL FOR SIXERS’ SIMMONS >> A person familiar with the situation says the Philadelphia 76ers and star guard Ben Simmons have agreed to a $170 million, five-year contract extension. The max deal is the latest big commitment by the team. Simmons will make about $8.1 million this season, the last of his four-year rookie deal. His salary for the next season should jump to about $29.3 million and rise to nearly $39 million in 2024-25. CLARKE LEADS GRIZZLIES TO TITLE >> Brandon Clarke had 15 points and 16 rebounds to lead the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies to a 9592 victory over the thirdseeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the championship game of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Clarke, who was named overall MVP for the summer league, also had three blocks and four assists to earn the championship game MVP.
Soccer
USA-MEXICO FRIENDLY SET FOR SEPT. 6 >> A rematch of the Gold Cup final will take place when the U.S. men’s national team faces Mexico in a friendly on Sept. 6 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Mexico defeated the U.S. 1-0 on July 7 at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
ST. LOUIS, CHARLOTTE EXPANSION HOPEFULS MEET WITH MLS >> The ownership group hoping to land a Major League Soccer expansion franchise for St. Louis has made a formal presentation to league officials. Representatives from an expansion bid in Charlotte, North Carolina, backed by billionaire David Tepper also met with officials in New York to provide an update, the league says. Groups from Sacramento and Las Vegas also are competing for three expansion franchises in MLS, which plans to grow to 30 teams. The league currently has 24 teams. Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC begin play next season, and Austin FC arrives in 2021.
The Sacramento group, backed by billionaire Ron Burkle, also will meet with the league soon.