Injury for Giants’ Barkley only a scare
The New York Giants had a hold-your-breath moment with rookie running back Saquon Barkley during practice Monday. It turned out to be only a minor scare.
The No. 2 overall draft pick caught a swing pass out of the backfield from fellow rookie Kyle Lauletta and was injured either stretching to make the catch or running down the sideline after the catch.
Barkley seemed to be favoring a leg as he walked back up the field. He eventually put his hands on his knees and then went to the turf and lay on his back while head trainer Ronnie Barnes examined him.
An ice pack was put on his left leg. However, it had been removed before he left the field after the roughly 70-minute practice, which was moved indoors because of rain.
“Saquon has a mild strain, and we’ll be smart with him as we move along here,” coach Pat Shurmur said later in the afternoon.
Barkley had the perfect start to his Giants’ career in the 20-10 preseason loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night. He took a handoff from Eli Manning on the first play from scrimmage and scampered 39 yards. The former Penn State running back finished with five carries for 43 yards.
The Giants will practice for three days against the Detroit Lions in Allen Park, Michigan, starting on Tuesday.
Landry wants Bryant in Cleveland
The Indianapolis Colts invested heavily in Andrew Luck’s protection plan during the offseason.
Now it’s time to see the payoff.
After general manager Chris Ballard added two potential starting offensive linemen in free agency and used two more in the draft, the Colts believe they’ve finally solved their most glaring need — keeping Luck upright and healthy.
“When Chris and I sat down in the beginning and said, how are we building
this team, we are building it from the inside-out. That all starts with the offensive line,” coach Frank Reich said. “You win and lose games up front on both sides of the ball.”
Luck endured more than 400 hits from 2012-16, the highest total among NFL
quarterbacks. He’s been sacked 156 times in 71 career appearances, an average of 2.2 per game. When Luck missed last season recovering from shoulder surgery, the Colts allowed a league-high 52 sacks.
All those shots eventually took their toll.
Since Luck’s 57-game starting streak ended in Week 4 of the 2015 season, the top overall pick in the 2012 draft has appeared in only 19 of the Colts’ last 45 games. Not surprisingly, they’ve missed the playoffs each of the last three years.
So with Luck finally back from surgery on a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, Ballard made a calculated gamble for another revamped line.
Around the league
LeSean McCoy’s ex-girlfriend is suing the Buffalo Bills running back for failing to protect her after she was bloodied, beaten and had $133,000 worth of jewelry stolen during a home invasion last month. Delicia Cordon also alleges in a lawsuit filed in Fulton County, Georgia on Friday that McCoy would “often brutally beat his dog,” and would also “aggressively, physically discipline and beat his young son.” Without blaming McCoy for playing a role in the home invasion, Cordon accuses him of breaching his duty to protect her because he owned the home . ... NFL games will be played at Wembley Stadium on three consecutive weekends for the first time because the new stadium being built for English Premier League club Tottenham won’t be ready.