Beckham looking iffy for opener at Dallas
Sprained ankle keeps Giants star out of practice again.
New York Gi a nt s wi de receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has missed his third practice this week and his status for the season opener against the Cowboys in Dallas remains in doubt because of a sprained left ankle.
For the second straight day, Beckham stretched with teammates before the practice and then worked with a trainer after the calisthenics ended.
A Pro Bowler in each of his first three seasons, Beckham ran stop-and-go sprints on the far side of the field. It appeared he either had a little trouble showing down or he did not want to come to a quick stop.
Beckham has not practiced since being hurt in a preseason game against Cleveland on Aug. 21. He described his condition Wednesday as day to day, adding he was itching to play.
Coach Ben McAdoo said the receiver has not been cleared to practice by medical personnel.
Browns: Rookie defensive end Myles Garrett has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain and his status will be updated in a couple of weeks. The top pick in the NFL draft will miss Sunday’s opener against the Steelers and the Sept. 17 game against the Ravens.
The team also released backup safety Calvin Pryor on Thursday shortly after he was involved in a fight with wide receiver Ricardo Louis.
Coach Hue Jackson didn’t provide any details of the skirmish, which took place before practice.
“I just made a decision which we thought was best for our football team,” Jackson said. “That is it.”
Jackson didn’t think Louis would also be let go. The second-year receiver had little to say about the altercation.
“Things happen within the family,” he said. “We will keep it within the family, move forward and we will work on winning.”
A first-round pick by the Jets in 2014, Pryor came to Cleveland in a June trade.
Panthers: QB Cam Newton says his throwing shoulder “feels great” and he’s ready to go Sunday against the 49ers after playing just one series in the preseason. Newton had surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff surgery in March.
Chiefs: Released running back C.J. Spiller and offensive lineman Jordan Devey in a move that allows the team to sign them following their opener without guaranteeing their contracts.
Spiller and Devey are veterans whose contracts would have become guaranteed for the entire season had they been on the 53-man roster for Thursday’s game.
Eagles: Offensive tackle Lane Johnson missed both games against the Redskins last season while suspended for 10 games for violating t he NFL’s pol i c y on performance-enhancing substances. Washington’s Ryan Kerrigan took advantage of his absence to get 3½ sacks in those games. The Redskins have beaten the Eagles five straight.
The teams meet Sunday and Johnson says “it just motivates me to go out there and play harder this season.”
Falcons: All-Pro receiver Julio Jones says he’s 100 percent healthy with the opener three days away at Chicago.
Jones had right foot surgery in March and took just eight snaps in one preseason game, but he’s been practicing with no restraints for the past three weeks.
Working in drills full-speed with quarterback Matt Ryan, last year ’s NFL MVP, has helped Jones stay comfortable as the Falcons try to reach the Super Bowl for the second straight year.
Raiders: Defensive end Khalil Mack (knee) and fullback Jamize Olawale (quadriceps) were back at practice Thursday after missing Wednesday’s workouts.
B e n g a l s : S i g n e d l i n e - backer Vontaze Burfict to a three-year contract through t h e 2 02 0 s e a s o n t h a t i s reportedly worth $38.86 million. Burfict is suspended for the first three games of the season for a preseason hit against the Chiefs.
NFL: The league will be able to know the speed, location and even the rotation of the league’s footballs this season under new technology being used with the ball itself.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags will be in footballs used in every NFL game this season after being tested last season.
The tags, similar to the technology used to make credit cards more secure, wirelessly communicate location data and speed. Each player wore a chip in his shoulder pads during games in 2015.