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The Dallas Morning News
SportsDayDFW.com
Friday, January 15, 2016
3C
NFL
NFL COACHING CAROUSEL
NFL BRIEFS
Kelly lands on his feet with 49ers
Kicker
touched
by letters
Niners owner thrilled
with latest hire; Eagles
settle on KC’s Pederson
SANTA CLARA, Calif. —
Chip Kelly is the offensiveminded, experienced head
coach the San Francisco 49ers
have long sought, and now he
needs to win — right away.
The 49ers hired the former
Eagles coach on Thursday,
finding the leader CEO Jed
York is counting on to turn
things around for his onceproud franchise.
Kelly faces the daunting
challenge of transforming the
Niners into an immediate contender again.
“We are thrilled to announce Chip Kelly as the new
head coach of the San Francisco 49ers,” York said in a statement.
“Chip has a proven track record at both the college and
NFL levels that speaks for itself. We believe strongly that he
is the right man to get this team
back to competing for championships.”
Kelly, who had personnel
control with the Eagles and
frustrated some of his players,
won’t be introduced until next
week at Levi’s Stadium due to
scheduling conflicts.
“As one of the most historic
franchises in the National
Football League, I realize the
high standards and expectations that this position demands, and I embrace the challenges ahead,” Kelly said in a
statement.
Kelly’s 49ers will host the
Cowboys for a game in 2016.
Kelly replaces fired coach
Jim Tomsula, promoted from
his defensive line duties last
January to succeed Jim Harbaugh before going 5-11 — a
move GM Trent Baalke has
said earlier this month wound
up to be the wrong one, in
hindsight.
With his 26 years of coaching experience, Kelly emerged
as the favorite among several
candidates, including former
Raiders, Broncos and Redskins
coach Mike Shanahan, ex-Giants coach Tom Coughlin and
former Raiders coach Hue
Jackson, who was hired by the
Cleveland Browns on Wednesday.
The 52-year-old Kelly was
fired by Philadelphia with one
game left in his third season as
coach. The former University
of Oregon coach was 6-9 in
2015 following two 10-6 seasons, prompting Eagles CEO
Jeffrey Lurie to make a change.
Source: Eagles hire Pederson: Doug Pederson is the
new man in charge of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Pederson, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City
Chiefs, has accepted an offer to
become Philadelphia’s coach, a
source said.
Pederson, who didn’t interview with any other teams,
can’t be officially hired while
the Chiefs are in the playoffs.
Kansas City plays at New England on Saturday.
Pederson, 47, isn’t a popular
choice in a football-crazed
town that hasn’t celebrated an
NFL championship since 1960.
Chip Kelly,
fired by the
Eagles on
Dec. 29,
wasn’t out
of work
long. The
49ers are
counting
on the
controversial
coach to
lead the
franchise
back into
contention
in the NFC.
Matt Rourke/The Associated Press
Five down, two to go
Five of the seven NFL head coaching vacancies have been filled.
Team
Previous coach
New coach
Cleveland
Mike Pettine
Hue Jackson
Miami
Joe Philbin
Adam Gase
NY Giants
Tom Coughlin
Ben McAdoo
Philadelphia
Chip Kelly
Doug Pederson
San Francisco
Jim Tomsula
Chip Kelly
Tampa Bay
Lovie Smith
TBD
Tennessee
Ken Whisenhunt
TBD
Fans were hoping for a bigname coach (Tom Coughlin) or
a hot, young coordinator (Adam Gase) to replace Chip Kelly.
Instead, owner Jeffrey Lurie
and his staff went for someone
quite familiar to the organization. Pederson started his first
NFL game with the Eagles and
got his first NFL assistant
coaching job in Philadelphia.
Coughlin interviewed for
the job, but it didn’t seem the
69-year-old two-time Super
Bowl champion would fit in
here.
Pederson started nine
games at quarterback for the
Eagles in 1999, grooming Donovan McNabb to take over the
job for Andy Reid’s team. He
returned to Philly a decade later to work for Reid. Pederson
followed Reid to Kansas City in
2013 and was promoted to offensive coordinator.
Giants confirm McAdoo
hire: The Giants confirmed on
Thursday that Ben McAdoo,
their offensive coordiantor for
the past two years, has been
hired to replace Tom Coughlin,
who stepped down a little more
than a week ago after 12 sea-
sons.
McAdoo, 38, faces a big
challenge. After winning their
second Super Bowl under
Coughlin, the Giants have
missed the playoffs the past
four seasons. They have posted
losing records the past three
seasons, going 6-10 the past
two.
“We were all impressed with
his energy, his enthusiasm, his
vision and his desire,” Giants
president and co-owner John
Mara said.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Tennessee: The Titans have
agreed to terms with Jon Robinson, Tampa Bay’s director of
player personnel, as their general manager. They also confirmed interviewing Doug
Marrone for their head coach
opening, the first candidate
Tennessee has confirmed.
The Associated Press
NFL
picks
AFC: Kansas City (+5) at New England
NFC: Green Bay (+7) at Arizona
NFC: Seattle (+3) at Carolina
AFC: Pittsburgh (+6) at Denver
Last week vs. line
Season vs. line
Last week straight
Season straight
TIM
COWLISHAW
BRANDON
GEORGE
RICK
GOSSELIN
DANA
LARSON
JON
MACHOTA
CRAIG
MILLER
DAVID
MOORE
NEWY
SCRUGGS
KEVIN
SHERRINGTON
Columnist
Cowboys
Insider
Columnist
FSSW
Cowboys
Insider
The Ticket
Cowboys
Insider
Ch. 5
Columnist
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
Arizona
Arizona
Seattle
Carolina
Pitts.
Denver
4-0 (1.000)
130-124-6 (.512)
4-0 (1.000)
168-92 (.646)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
GB
Arizona
Carolina Carolina
Denver
Denver
2-2 (.500)
118-136-6 (.465)
4-0 (1.000)
151-109 (.581)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
Arizona
Arizona
Carolina Carolina
Denver
Denver
2-2 (.500)
135-119-6 (.531)
2-2 (.500)
165-95 (.635)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
Arizona
Arizona
Seattle
Carolina
Pitts.
Denver
3-1 (.750)
126-128-6 (.496)
3-1 (.750)
153-107 (.588)
vs. Line
Straight
NE
NE
GB
Arizona
Carolina Carolina
Denver
Denver
3-1 (.750)
113-141-6 (.444)
3-1 (.750)
144-116 (.554)
Straight
vs. Line
NE
NE
Arizona
Arizona
Seattle
Seattle
Denver
Denver
2-2 (.500)
130-124-6 (.512)
2-2 (.500)
151-109 (.581)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
Arizona
Arizona
Carolina Carolina
Pitts.
Denver
2-2 (.500)
132-122-6 (.520)
4-0 (1.000)
168-92 (.646)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
GB
Arizona
Seattle
Carolina
Pitts.
Denver
2-2 (.500)
130-124-6 (.512)
2-2 (.500)
160-100 (.615)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
KC
Arizona
Arizona
Seattle
Seattle
Denver
Denver
3-1 (.750)
121-133-6 (.476)
4-0 (1.000)
157-103 (.604)
JON MACHOTA
Cowboys get mixed bag from top three rookies
Continued from Page 1C
ing 4-12 season.
Byron Jones
The only thing missing from
Jones’ rookie year was the cherry on top.
Jones, who turned heads at
the scouting combine when he
set a standing broad jump
world record, was one of Dallas’ most productive players in
2015. The 27th overall pick was
a valuable contributor at multiple positions, regularly moving
around to free safety, nickel
corner, dime back and outside
corner.
“If he could have maybe
stayed in one spot all year, I
think he would have grown
maybe a little faster for us,” defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said. “He’s done a heck of
a job just having to play all
those different spots. I think
his future is really bright.”
Last month, Jones said intercepting a pass would “put a
nice little cherry on top” of his
first NFL season. But despite
leading the team in pass breakups with 12, Jones never picked
off a pass.
“To play 16 games and not
get one is disappointing,” Jones
said, “and to my standards and
to the coaches’ standards, it’s
unacceptable.”
Jones was on the field for
870 defensive snaps, second
By the numbers
Breaking down the rookie
seasons of Byron Jones, Randy
Gregory and La’el Collins:
BYRON JONES
Position: Cornerback
Drafted: 27th overall
Games: 16
Starts: 11
Tackles: 47
Assists: 18
Interceptions: 0
Passes defended: 8
RANDY GREGORY
Position: Defensive end
Drafted: 60th overall
Games: 12
Starts: 0
Tackles: 7 Assists: 4 Sacks: 0
LA’EL COLLINS
Position: Guard
Drafted: Undrafted free agent
Games: 12
Starts: 11
Sacks allowed: 0
Penalties: 4
only to Brandon Carr. Of all
those plays, Jones struggled to
come up with one he thought
was his best. But if he could
have one back, he said it would
be allowing Jordan Matthews’
41-yard overtime touchdown
grab in Week 9 against Philadelphia.
The Cowboys are confident
there will be far more positive
plays than negative ones for
Jones going forward.
“I think he’s going to be one
of the great players of our No. 1
picks,” executive vice president
Stephen Jones said last month
on KRLD-FM (105.3). “What
he’s been able to do, come in
and play free safety, outside
corner, nickel corner against
their top slot receiver, nickel
corner against their best tight
end. I mean, he does it all and
does it in the middle of a game.
That’s unheard of.”
Randy Gregory
Gregory didn’t have the
rookie season he was hoping
for. After recording three sacks
in three preseason games, the
Cowboys’ second-round pick
suffered a high ankle sprain in
the season opener. He was never the same player after that
setback.
“After he came back, I felt it
was a little bit of a slump,” Marinelli said. “I see him coming a
little bit more. He’s still got a
long ways to go, though, a long
ways to go.”
The Cowboys were able to
land a first-round talent like
Gregory with the 60th overall
pick largely because there were
off-the-field concerns. Gregory
tested positive for marijuana at
the scouting combine in February.
“He is maturing,” Garrett
said. “It’s like a lot of young
players when they come in.
They have to understand what
it takes to be a pro football
player and the things you need
to do on a daily basis. ... He’s
getting better in all aspects.”
Although Gregory (6-5, 245
pounds) is still thin for the position, his talent is evident.
Now, the Cowboys are hoping he follows in DeMarcus
Lawrence’s footsteps. Last
year’s second-round pick finished without a sack during the
regular season of his rookie
year. In Year 2, he led the Cowboys with eight sacks.
“I’m trending upward, and
that’s a big thing,” Gregory said
last month. “And part of that is
coming from my work in practice, and I think the coaches realize that and that’s why they’re
kind of rewarding me with
more plays. The next step is going out there and executing
and getting a sack and cutting
down the errors and misalignments and things like that.”
La’el Collins
Highlight plays for the Cowboys usually consist of touchdown passes from Tony Romo
to Dez Bryant. But rookie left
guard Collins regularly worked
his way into the rotation during
his rookie season.
Although Collins opened
the year as a reserve, he ended
up starting 11 games at left
guard. During that time, there
were several occasions when
No. 71 was downfield laying
multiple blocks on a Darren
McFadden run. Clips of the
plays quickly went viral on social media sites.
“He’s had those plays that
are very impressive,” Garrett
said. “He has a really good ability to get out in space, block
guys and stay on the move and
block other guys. We’ve seen
that throughout the year. Not
every lineman is capable of doing that.”
After going undrafted, Collins eventually signed a threeyear deal with the Cowboys.
Teams avoided selecting arguably the top offensive tackle
prospect in the 2015 class because, at the time, police were
questioning him about the
slaying of his pregnant ex-girlfriend. Collins was never a suspect in the case.
During his introductory
news conference, the former
LSU standout talked about
wanting to be part of “the best
offensive line in history.”
Three of his linemates made
the Pro Bowl in 2015. Collins
said joining them next season
is one of his goals.
“Those small goals add up to
big ones,” he said.
Collins has shown glimpses
of what appears to be a bright
future. He played 710 snaps
and didn’t allow a sack. He was
called twice for holding and
twice for false starts.
The highlights are there.
Now he’s looking for more consistency.
“For my first year, I definitely made some progress,” Collins
said. “But I haven’t even
scratched the surface of the real
complete player that I want to
become.”
First-graders cheer
up Vikings’ Walsh
after costly FG miss
BLAINE, Minn. — The
first-graders at Northpoint
Elementary obediently sat
cross-legged on the floor,
eagerly awaiting the arrival
of their newfound friend.
Their eyes widened as
Blair Walsh walked in, the
Minnesota Vikings kicker to
whom the kids sent letters
and drawings this week to
lift his spirits. The field goal
he missed over the weekend
kept the Vikings from advancing in the playoffs.
“I’m sorry that they
cursed you,” one boy said
during the question-andanswer session, alluding to
social media comments targeting Walsh after his 27yard try went wide left with
22 seconds remaining Sunday in Minnesota’s 10-9 loss
to Seattle.
“It’s OK. It happens.
Trust me,” Walsh said.
“Thank you for saying that.”
The package of handwritten pick-me-ups the
kids sent to the Vikings for
Walsh touched him enough
to pay them a visit at the
school in Blaine, a suburb
north of Minneapolis.
He shared some bioinformation
graphical
about his upbringing and
career, and some philosophical advice about perseverance and positivity, before
roaming from room to room
to sign autographs. Vikings
staff passed out stickers and
trading cards.
Rams fans file suit:
Rams owner Stan Kroenke
and others violated Missouri law by lying about their
desire to keep the NFL team
in St. Louis, according to a
lawsuit filed by fans that
seeks class-action status
and unspecified damages.
The suit was filed
Wednesday in St. Louis Circuit Court, one day after
NFL owners voted to allow
the Rams to relocate to suburban Los Angeles.
The suit alleges that
Kroenke and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff
made false and misleading
statements over the years
indicating the team had no
intention of leaving St. Louis, violating Missouri’s Merchandising Practices Act.
The law prohibits false
statements in the sale or advertisement of trade or
commerce. The suit claims
the Rams violated the law in
connection with the sale of
tickets and merchandise.
Messages seeking comment from the Rams were
not returned.
Pats’ Gronkowski sits
out: Patriots All-Pro TE
Rob Gronkowski sat out
Thursday’s practice, the
team’s last workout before
Saturday’s playoff game
against the Kansas City
Chiefs.
Meanwhile, Patriots defensive lineman Chandler
Jones apologized to his
teammates and fans for “a
pretty stupid mistake” that
sent him, shirtless and disoriented, to a local police
station. Police who went to
his house said it smelled like
burning marijuana.
The Associated Press
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
Kansas City
Green Bay
Seattle
Pittsburgh
SATURDAY’S GAMES
at New England (Ch. 11) 3:35
at Arizona
(Ch. 5) 7:15
SUNDAY’S GAMES
at Carolina
(Ch. 4) 12:05
at Denver
(Ch. 11) 3:40
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Twitter: @jonmachota
C3 01-15-2016 Set: 22:39:50
Sent by: [email protected] Sports
Sunday, Jan. 24
AFC, (Ch. 11) 2:05
NFC, (Ch. 4) 5:40
SUPER BOWL
Sunday, Feb. 7
(at Santa Clara, Calif.)
TBD, (Ch. 11) 5:30
BLACK
YELLOW
MAGENTA
CYAN
SportsDayDFW.com
Friday, January 15, 2016
3C
NFL
NFL COACHING CAROUSEL
NFL BRIEFS
Kelly lands on his feet with 49ers
Kicker
touched
by letters
Niners owner thrilled
with latest hire; Eagles
settle on KC’s Pederson
SANTA CLARA, Calif. —
Chip Kelly is the offensiveminded, experienced head
coach the San Francisco 49ers
have long sought, and now he
needs to win — right away.
The 49ers hired the former
Eagles coach on Thursday,
finding the leader CEO Jed
York is counting on to turn
things around for his onceproud franchise.
Kelly faces the daunting
challenge of transforming the
Niners into an immediate contender again.
“We are thrilled to announce Chip Kelly as the new
head coach of the San Francisco 49ers,” York said in a statement.
“Chip has a proven track record at both the college and
NFL levels that speaks for itself. We believe strongly that he
is the right man to get this team
back to competing for championships.”
Kelly, who had personnel
control with the Eagles and
frustrated some of his players,
won’t be introduced until next
week at Levi’s Stadium due to
scheduling conflicts.
“As one of the most historic
franchises in the National
Football League, I realize the
high standards and expectations that this position demands, and I embrace the challenges ahead,” Kelly said in a
statement.
Kelly’s 49ers will host the
Cowboys for a game in 2016.
Kelly replaces fired coach
Jim Tomsula, promoted from
his defensive line duties last
January to succeed Jim Harbaugh before going 5-11 — a
move GM Trent Baalke has
said earlier this month wound
up to be the wrong one, in
hindsight.
With his 26 years of coaching experience, Kelly emerged
as the favorite among several
candidates, including former
Raiders, Broncos and Redskins
coach Mike Shanahan, ex-Giants coach Tom Coughlin and
former Raiders coach Hue
Jackson, who was hired by the
Cleveland Browns on Wednesday.
The 52-year-old Kelly was
fired by Philadelphia with one
game left in his third season as
coach. The former University
of Oregon coach was 6-9 in
2015 following two 10-6 seasons, prompting Eagles CEO
Jeffrey Lurie to make a change.
Source: Eagles hire Pederson: Doug Pederson is the
new man in charge of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Pederson, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City
Chiefs, has accepted an offer to
become Philadelphia’s coach, a
source said.
Pederson, who didn’t interview with any other teams,
can’t be officially hired while
the Chiefs are in the playoffs.
Kansas City plays at New England on Saturday.
Pederson, 47, isn’t a popular
choice in a football-crazed
town that hasn’t celebrated an
NFL championship since 1960.
Chip Kelly,
fired by the
Eagles on
Dec. 29,
wasn’t out
of work
long. The
49ers are
counting
on the
controversial
coach to
lead the
franchise
back into
contention
in the NFC.
Matt Rourke/The Associated Press
Five down, two to go
Five of the seven NFL head coaching vacancies have been filled.
Team
Previous coach
New coach
Cleveland
Mike Pettine
Hue Jackson
Miami
Joe Philbin
Adam Gase
NY Giants
Tom Coughlin
Ben McAdoo
Philadelphia
Chip Kelly
Doug Pederson
San Francisco
Jim Tomsula
Chip Kelly
Tampa Bay
Lovie Smith
TBD
Tennessee
Ken Whisenhunt
TBD
Fans were hoping for a bigname coach (Tom Coughlin) or
a hot, young coordinator (Adam Gase) to replace Chip Kelly.
Instead, owner Jeffrey Lurie
and his staff went for someone
quite familiar to the organization. Pederson started his first
NFL game with the Eagles and
got his first NFL assistant
coaching job in Philadelphia.
Coughlin interviewed for
the job, but it didn’t seem the
69-year-old two-time Super
Bowl champion would fit in
here.
Pederson started nine
games at quarterback for the
Eagles in 1999, grooming Donovan McNabb to take over the
job for Andy Reid’s team. He
returned to Philly a decade later to work for Reid. Pederson
followed Reid to Kansas City in
2013 and was promoted to offensive coordinator.
Giants confirm McAdoo
hire: The Giants confirmed on
Thursday that Ben McAdoo,
their offensive coordiantor for
the past two years, has been
hired to replace Tom Coughlin,
who stepped down a little more
than a week ago after 12 sea-
sons.
McAdoo, 38, faces a big
challenge. After winning their
second Super Bowl under
Coughlin, the Giants have
missed the playoffs the past
four seasons. They have posted
losing records the past three
seasons, going 6-10 the past
two.
“We were all impressed with
his energy, his enthusiasm, his
vision and his desire,” Giants
president and co-owner John
Mara said.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Tennessee: The Titans have
agreed to terms with Jon Robinson, Tampa Bay’s director of
player personnel, as their general manager. They also confirmed interviewing Doug
Marrone for their head coach
opening, the first candidate
Tennessee has confirmed.
The Associated Press
NFL
picks
AFC: Kansas City (+5) at New England
NFC: Green Bay (+7) at Arizona
NFC: Seattle (+3) at Carolina
AFC: Pittsburgh (+6) at Denver
Last week vs. line
Season vs. line
Last week straight
Season straight
TIM
COWLISHAW
BRANDON
GEORGE
RICK
GOSSELIN
DANA
LARSON
JON
MACHOTA
CRAIG
MILLER
DAVID
MOORE
NEWY
SCRUGGS
KEVIN
SHERRINGTON
Columnist
Cowboys
Insider
Columnist
FSSW
Cowboys
Insider
The Ticket
Cowboys
Insider
Ch. 5
Columnist
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
Arizona
Arizona
Seattle
Carolina
Pitts.
Denver
4-0 (1.000)
130-124-6 (.512)
4-0 (1.000)
168-92 (.646)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
GB
Arizona
Carolina Carolina
Denver
Denver
2-2 (.500)
118-136-6 (.465)
4-0 (1.000)
151-109 (.581)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
Arizona
Arizona
Carolina Carolina
Denver
Denver
2-2 (.500)
135-119-6 (.531)
2-2 (.500)
165-95 (.635)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
Arizona
Arizona
Seattle
Carolina
Pitts.
Denver
3-1 (.750)
126-128-6 (.496)
3-1 (.750)
153-107 (.588)
vs. Line
Straight
NE
NE
GB
Arizona
Carolina Carolina
Denver
Denver
3-1 (.750)
113-141-6 (.444)
3-1 (.750)
144-116 (.554)
Straight
vs. Line
NE
NE
Arizona
Arizona
Seattle
Seattle
Denver
Denver
2-2 (.500)
130-124-6 (.512)
2-2 (.500)
151-109 (.581)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
Arizona
Arizona
Carolina Carolina
Pitts.
Denver
2-2 (.500)
132-122-6 (.520)
4-0 (1.000)
168-92 (.646)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
NE
GB
Arizona
Seattle
Carolina
Pitts.
Denver
2-2 (.500)
130-124-6 (.512)
2-2 (.500)
160-100 (.615)
vs. Line
Straight
KC
KC
Arizona
Arizona
Seattle
Seattle
Denver
Denver
3-1 (.750)
121-133-6 (.476)
4-0 (1.000)
157-103 (.604)
JON MACHOTA
Cowboys get mixed bag from top three rookies
Continued from Page 1C
ing 4-12 season.
Byron Jones
The only thing missing from
Jones’ rookie year was the cherry on top.
Jones, who turned heads at
the scouting combine when he
set a standing broad jump
world record, was one of Dallas’ most productive players in
2015. The 27th overall pick was
a valuable contributor at multiple positions, regularly moving
around to free safety, nickel
corner, dime back and outside
corner.
“If he could have maybe
stayed in one spot all year, I
think he would have grown
maybe a little faster for us,” defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said. “He’s done a heck of
a job just having to play all
those different spots. I think
his future is really bright.”
Last month, Jones said intercepting a pass would “put a
nice little cherry on top” of his
first NFL season. But despite
leading the team in pass breakups with 12, Jones never picked
off a pass.
“To play 16 games and not
get one is disappointing,” Jones
said, “and to my standards and
to the coaches’ standards, it’s
unacceptable.”
Jones was on the field for
870 defensive snaps, second
By the numbers
Breaking down the rookie
seasons of Byron Jones, Randy
Gregory and La’el Collins:
BYRON JONES
Position: Cornerback
Drafted: 27th overall
Games: 16
Starts: 11
Tackles: 47
Assists: 18
Interceptions: 0
Passes defended: 8
RANDY GREGORY
Position: Defensive end
Drafted: 60th overall
Games: 12
Starts: 0
Tackles: 7 Assists: 4 Sacks: 0
LA’EL COLLINS
Position: Guard
Drafted: Undrafted free agent
Games: 12
Starts: 11
Sacks allowed: 0
Penalties: 4
only to Brandon Carr. Of all
those plays, Jones struggled to
come up with one he thought
was his best. But if he could
have one back, he said it would
be allowing Jordan Matthews’
41-yard overtime touchdown
grab in Week 9 against Philadelphia.
The Cowboys are confident
there will be far more positive
plays than negative ones for
Jones going forward.
“I think he’s going to be one
of the great players of our No. 1
picks,” executive vice president
Stephen Jones said last month
on KRLD-FM (105.3). “What
he’s been able to do, come in
and play free safety, outside
corner, nickel corner against
their top slot receiver, nickel
corner against their best tight
end. I mean, he does it all and
does it in the middle of a game.
That’s unheard of.”
Randy Gregory
Gregory didn’t have the
rookie season he was hoping
for. After recording three sacks
in three preseason games, the
Cowboys’ second-round pick
suffered a high ankle sprain in
the season opener. He was never the same player after that
setback.
“After he came back, I felt it
was a little bit of a slump,” Marinelli said. “I see him coming a
little bit more. He’s still got a
long ways to go, though, a long
ways to go.”
The Cowboys were able to
land a first-round talent like
Gregory with the 60th overall
pick largely because there were
off-the-field concerns. Gregory
tested positive for marijuana at
the scouting combine in February.
“He is maturing,” Garrett
said. “It’s like a lot of young
players when they come in.
They have to understand what
it takes to be a pro football
player and the things you need
to do on a daily basis. ... He’s
getting better in all aspects.”
Although Gregory (6-5, 245
pounds) is still thin for the position, his talent is evident.
Now, the Cowboys are hoping he follows in DeMarcus
Lawrence’s footsteps. Last
year’s second-round pick finished without a sack during the
regular season of his rookie
year. In Year 2, he led the Cowboys with eight sacks.
“I’m trending upward, and
that’s a big thing,” Gregory said
last month. “And part of that is
coming from my work in practice, and I think the coaches realize that and that’s why they’re
kind of rewarding me with
more plays. The next step is going out there and executing
and getting a sack and cutting
down the errors and misalignments and things like that.”
La’el Collins
Highlight plays for the Cowboys usually consist of touchdown passes from Tony Romo
to Dez Bryant. But rookie left
guard Collins regularly worked
his way into the rotation during
his rookie season.
Although Collins opened
the year as a reserve, he ended
up starting 11 games at left
guard. During that time, there
were several occasions when
No. 71 was downfield laying
multiple blocks on a Darren
McFadden run. Clips of the
plays quickly went viral on social media sites.
“He’s had those plays that
are very impressive,” Garrett
said. “He has a really good ability to get out in space, block
guys and stay on the move and
block other guys. We’ve seen
that throughout the year. Not
every lineman is capable of doing that.”
After going undrafted, Collins eventually signed a threeyear deal with the Cowboys.
Teams avoided selecting arguably the top offensive tackle
prospect in the 2015 class because, at the time, police were
questioning him about the
slaying of his pregnant ex-girlfriend. Collins was never a suspect in the case.
During his introductory
news conference, the former
LSU standout talked about
wanting to be part of “the best
offensive line in history.”
Three of his linemates made
the Pro Bowl in 2015. Collins
said joining them next season
is one of his goals.
“Those small goals add up to
big ones,” he said.
Collins has shown glimpses
of what appears to be a bright
future. He played 710 snaps
and didn’t allow a sack. He was
called twice for holding and
twice for false starts.
The highlights are there.
Now he’s looking for more consistency.
“For my first year, I definitely made some progress,” Collins
said. “But I haven’t even
scratched the surface of the real
complete player that I want to
become.”
First-graders cheer
up Vikings’ Walsh
after costly FG miss
BLAINE, Minn. — The
first-graders at Northpoint
Elementary obediently sat
cross-legged on the floor,
eagerly awaiting the arrival
of their newfound friend.
Their eyes widened as
Blair Walsh walked in, the
Minnesota Vikings kicker to
whom the kids sent letters
and drawings this week to
lift his spirits. The field goal
he missed over the weekend
kept the Vikings from advancing in the playoffs.
“I’m sorry that they
cursed you,” one boy said
during the question-andanswer session, alluding to
social media comments targeting Walsh after his 27yard try went wide left with
22 seconds remaining Sunday in Minnesota’s 10-9 loss
to Seattle.
“It’s OK. It happens.
Trust me,” Walsh said.
“Thank you for saying that.”
The package of handwritten pick-me-ups the
kids sent to the Vikings for
Walsh touched him enough
to pay them a visit at the
school in Blaine, a suburb
north of Minneapolis.
He shared some bioinformation
graphical
about his upbringing and
career, and some philosophical advice about perseverance and positivity, before
roaming from room to room
to sign autographs. Vikings
staff passed out stickers and
trading cards.
Rams fans file suit:
Rams owner Stan Kroenke
and others violated Missouri law by lying about their
desire to keep the NFL team
in St. Louis, according to a
lawsuit filed by fans that
seeks class-action status
and unspecified damages.
The suit was filed
Wednesday in St. Louis Circuit Court, one day after
NFL owners voted to allow
the Rams to relocate to suburban Los Angeles.
The suit alleges that
Kroenke and chief operating officer Kevin Demoff
made false and misleading
statements over the years
indicating the team had no
intention of leaving St. Louis, violating Missouri’s Merchandising Practices Act.
The law prohibits false
statements in the sale or advertisement of trade or
commerce. The suit claims
the Rams violated the law in
connection with the sale of
tickets and merchandise.
Messages seeking comment from the Rams were
not returned.
Pats’ Gronkowski sits
out: Patriots All-Pro TE
Rob Gronkowski sat out
Thursday’s practice, the
team’s last workout before
Saturday’s playoff game
against the Kansas City
Chiefs.
Meanwhile, Patriots defensive lineman Chandler
Jones apologized to his
teammates and fans for “a
pretty stupid mistake” that
sent him, shirtless and disoriented, to a local police
station. Police who went to
his house said it smelled like
burning marijuana.
The Associated Press
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
Kansas City
Green Bay
Seattle
Pittsburgh
SATURDAY’S GAMES
at New England (Ch. 11) 3:35
at Arizona
(Ch. 5) 7:15
SUNDAY’S GAMES
at Carolina
(Ch. 4) 12:05
at Denver
(Ch. 11) 3:40
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Twitter: @jonmachota
C3 01-15-2016 Set: 22:39:50
Sent by: [email protected] Sports
Sunday, Jan. 24
AFC, (Ch. 11) 2:05
NFC, (Ch. 4) 5:40
SUPER BOWL
Sunday, Feb. 7
(at Santa Clara, Calif.)
TBD, (Ch. 11) 5:30
BLACK
YELLOW
MAGENTA
CYAN
