Raiders add former Bronco Booker to running back mix
Devontae Booker, who had an outstanding rookie season in 2016 for the Denver Broncos only to fall into disuse, has signed a contract with the Raiders and will compete for a spot on the roster as a running back.
An undrafted free agent out of Utah by way of Sacramento’s Grant High School and American River College, Booker, led Denver in rushing as a fourth-round draft pick with 612 yards on 174 carries with four touchdowns. However, Booker’s workload dropped to 79 carries to 34 to just two a year ago even though he played in all 16 games.
Booker (5-foot-11, 219 pounds) has proved to be a capable receiver with 31, 30 and 38 receptions from 2016 through 2018, catching just five passes last season.
The signing of Booker came after veteran Frank Gore rejected a Raiders contract offer in favor of joining the New York Jets and coach Adam Gase, who was an offensive coordinator in Denver. Gore told Jim Trotter of NFL Media he turned down an offer from the Raiders.
With Las Vegas, Booker will join a position group that includes starting running back Josh Jacobs and reserves Jalen Richard and Lynn Bowden Jr., the latter a third-round draft pick from Kentucky. Richard, retained as a restricted free agent, has been primarily what coach Jon Gruden calls a “satellite back” as a runner/receiver.
Bowden, a running quarterback at Kentucky, is also expected to have a diverse role as opposed to that of a conventional running back that could spell Jacobs in the event of injury or fatigue.
That’s where in theory Booker comes in. Booker as an NFL runner has been more methodical than explosve with none of his 289 career carries going for more than 26 yards.
Booker is expected to join the Raiders this week for Week 3 in their “virtual” off-season program that includes meetings with coaches by teleconference, giving newcomers a chance to learn the offense without actually taking the field.
To make room on the roster, the Raiders released linebacker Derrick Moncrief.
Rookies were permitted to join the virtual off-eason program starting this week. — Jerry McDonald
TUA SIGNS BIG DEAL WITH DOLPHINS » Tua Tagovailoa signed a $30.275 million, four-year guaranteed contract with the Miami Dolphins according to various reports.
The contract includes a $19.6 million signing bonus, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins hadn’t announced the deal.
Last month the Dolphins selected Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick in the draft. They are optimistic he’ll recover fully from a hip injury that ended his Alabama career in mid-November and hoping he’ll become a franchise quarterback.
Tagovailoa says doctors have indicated he’s on schedule for a return in 2020. His No. 1 jersey is among the best-selling in the NFL since it was assigned to him last week.
SACK MASTER TEERLINCK DIES AT 69 » Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay announced Sunday on Twitter that John Teerlinck, who spent
nearly a quarter-century creating mayhem for NFL quarterbacks, had died. Teerlinck was 69.
Among his prized pupils, the late Chris Doleman, John Randle and Kevin Greene went on to have Hall of Fame careers. Four more players — Al “Bubba” Baker, Neil Smith, Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney — all finished their careers with at least 100 sacks. Thirty-one players made the Pro Bowl.
“RIP to THE GREATEST Passrush Coach OF ALL TIME !!!! #JohnTeerlinck,” Mathis wrote on Twitter. “The man that taught the great Rod Marinelli and all believers of REAL PASSRUSH.”
Tennis
FRENCH OPEN OFFICIALS CONSIDER LATER DATES » The French Open, which was postponed to September from May due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, could be held without fans, the organizers of the claycourt Grand Slam have said.
Roland Garros had been scheduled for May 24 to June 7 before the French tennis federation (FFT) pushed it back to Sept. 20Oct 4 in a bid to save the tournament from falling victim to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Organizing it without fans would allow a part of the economy to keep turning, (like) television rights and partnerships. It’s not to be overlooked,” FFT President Bernard Giudicelli told French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.
“We’re not ruling any option out.”
Wimbledon has been canceled while the status of the U.S. Open, scheduled to take place in late August, is still unclear.
The FFT was widely criticized when they announced in midMarch that the French Open would be switched, with players bemoaning a lack of communication as the new dates clashed with the hardcourt season.
Organizers said last week they had been in talks with the sport’s governing bodies to fine tune the calendar amid media reports that the Grand Slam tournament would be delayed further by a week and start on Sept. 27. The delayed start would give players a two-week window between the end of the U.S. Open, played on the hardcourts of New York, and the Paris tournament.
“The 20th or the 27th, that does not change much,” Giudicelli said.
Basketball
BESS RETIRES AS COLLEGE WINS LEADER » College basketball victory leader Gene Bess of Three Rivers College (Missouri) has retired.
The 85-year-old coach announced the decision Saturday.
Son Brian, a longtime assistant, took over the top job at the junior college.
“I’ve been realizing the time was near for me to go,” Bess said in a statement. “The bottom line is, I want to be here to make the players better.”
He fought health problems the last few seasons.
“I felt like I was just as effective, but I didn’t have the energy level to do what I need to do to excel as a coach,” Bess said. “The time has come.”
Bess was 1,300-416 in 50 seasons at Three Rivers — 143 more victories than NCAA Division I leader Mike Krzyzewski of Duke. Bess led the Raiders to national titles in 1979 and 1992.
Former Warrior Latrell Sprewell starred at Three Rivers under Bess before going on to Alabama and the NBA.
Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer (1,094) is five wins away from passing Pat Summitt to become the winningest coach in Division I women’s basketball.
Hockey
GOLDEN KNIGHTS SIGN NCAA’S LEADING SCORER » NCAA leading scorer Jack Dugan agreed Monday to turn pro and join the Vegas Golden Knights.
Dugan was a fifth-round pick of the Golden Knights during their first draft in 2017. Because of his age, his NHL entry-level contract beginning next season would be for two years.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound forward from Pittsburgh had 10 goals and 42 assists for 52 points during his sophomore season at Providence College. Dugan, 21, led the NCAA this season with 1.53 points a game, 1.24 assists a game, 22 power-play points and 30 evenstrength points.