Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 8-13-19

Sports
Jameis Winston
Eric Reid Calls Out NFL Again Over ‘Random’ Drug Tests
ERIC REID
Eric Reid has indicated
numerous times in the past that he believes the NFL is un- fairly targeting him with a drug testing program that is supposed to be random, and the Carolina Panthers safety claims it has continued this offseason.
On Sunday, Reid shared a photo of himself working out on Instagram and said he has already been drug tested twice during training camp and three times total since the start of the league year. He used quotation marks around the word “random,” which clearly means he still thinks the NFL is paying closer atten- tion to him than other players.
Odell Beckham, Jr. was among those who commented on the post, and he said he has also been “randomly” tested multiple times.
Reid told reporters last year that he was drug tested six times between September and November. He said one of those tests was part of his physical and the other five were random, but Reid noted that the system “doesn’t feel very random.” That led to the NFL and NFL Players Associa- tion issuing a joint statement claiming an investigation proved Reid’s tests were ran- domly generated through a computer and he was not tar- geted.
Steelers WRs
Trusts His New
Coach Drake Dies
Passing Game
Suddenly At 62
For all the talk about Bruce Arians’ “No risk-it, no biscuit” philosophy, Ari- ans has always been very adept at providing easy first- and second-read openings for his quarterbacks. It’s not just about hurling the ball at four vertical receivers and hoping things work out. Arians does this with everything from “levels” concepts with three receivers to the quarterback’s front side and a backside out- let receiver, to simple screen combos with shorter front- side angular routes. It’s a nat- ural advantage for Bucs quarterback Jameis Win- ston, who has had issues with holding onto the ball too long, looking for the big play.
But on his first drive under Arians and new offen- sive coordinator Byron Left- wich, Winston was far more willing to release to the open receiver and let the scheme take care of itself. Showing
JAMEIS WINSTON
confidence in Arians’ con- cepts and Leftwich’s tute- lage, he was more inclined to hit the open receiver with a quick timing throw off his back foot than he was to run around and make things hap- pen out of randomness.
On his lone drive in this game, Winston completed five of six passes for 40 yards, and a 9-yard touchdown to receiver Chris Godwin off a simple screen. The Pittsburgh Steelers went on to win the game 30-28.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Darryl Drake died suddenly at age 62 on Sunday, the team an- nounced.
The team did not disclose a cause of death. The Steelers canceled their training camp practices on Sunday and Monday.
Darryl Drake was enter- ing his second season as the wide receivers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Drake's coaching career spanned nearly four decades, starting as a Western Ken- tucky graduate assistant in 1983 before working his way into the NFL ranks. Drake was entering his second sea-
DARRYL DRAKE
son as the Steelers' wide re- ceivers coach after being hired in January 2018. He was an assistant coach for 16 years in the NFL, also serving as wide receivers coach for the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals.
Dak Prescott Turned
Down $30 Million Per
Winston Gets Some Advice From Kurt Warner
JAMEIS WINSTON AND KURT WARNER
Year From Cowboys
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Win- ston has been looking good so far in training camp, an encouraging sign for both him and the team as they look to rebound from back- to-back 5-11 seasons.
Winston took to the field Friday in the team’s first pre- season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, all eyes were on him as he led this new-look offense under head coach Bruce Arians and of-
fensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.
Winston needs all the help and support he can get this season, especially since he is playing on the final year of his contract. So, having a Hall of Fame quarterback like Kurt Warner giving you advice can only help mat- ters.
Warner gave Winston some tips while the NFL Net- work was visiting the Bucca- neers’ training camp.
Dak Prescott is one of several core players the Dallas Cowboys have been negotiat- ing a long-term contract ex- tension with leading up to the season, and apparently the quarterback has some signifi- cant demands.
Prescott reportedly turned down an offer from the Cowboys that would have paid him somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million annually. That would place him among the five highest- paid quarterbacks in football.
The average annual value of a contract doesn’t tell the whole story, so it’s possible the Cowboys offered Prescott a deal that he felt
DAK PRESCOTT
did not include enough guar- anteed money. Still, he may have to lower his expectations if he thinks he’s going to make as much as guys like Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlis- berger and Matt Ryan.
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