Page 23 - Florida Sentinel 3-11-16 Edition

Sports
Doug Martin Reaches
Titans Acquire DeMarco Murray From Eagles, His Agents Say
DEMARCO MURRAY (L)
Agents for running back DeMarco Murray confirm that Murray, the N.F.L.’s 2014 rushing leader, has been traded by the Philadelphia Ea- gles to the Tennessee Titans.
The deal gives the Titans the running back threat they have lacked since releasing Chris Johnson, while the Eagles rid themselves of one of the con- tracts signed by their former coach Chip Kelly. Murray also has a new contract in the deal, his agents, Sports Trust Advisors, wrote on Twitter on Monday night.
Murray signed a five-year, $40 million contract with $21 million guaranteed with Philadelphia last year.
Cam Newton: Peyton Manning Created A Style To ‘Bring Out The Best In ME!’
CAM NEWTON And PEYTON MANNING
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Car- olina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said Monday that Peyton Manning will “forever be the standard” for what an NFL quarterback should be on and off the field.
Newton shared his thoughts on Manning — as well as a picture of him hugging the five- time NFL MVP following a 24- 10 loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 — on Insta- gram.
It was posted shortly after Manning officially announced his retirement.
Manning said Newton “couldn’t have been nicer to me” when the two met at mid- field after the Super Bowl. Manning called Newton “ex- tremely humble.“
Newton was equally hum- ble in Monday’s Instagram message, saying Manning created a style “to bring out the best in ME!”
Manning said in an inter- view with “Today” following the Super Bowl that Newton has a great future ahead of him.
“He’ll be back in that game” Manning said. “I can promise ya.”
Calvin Johnson
Agreement To Stay With Buccaneers
Continues The Trend Of
The Tampa Bay Bucca- neers have reached an agree- ment with running back Doug Martin, offering him a 5-year deal worth more than $35 million, $15 million guaranteed.
Martin, who fought off injuries for two seasons, is coming off a big bounce-back year in which he finished sec- ond in the NFL in rushing (1,402) and in yards after contact.
The 27-year-old Martin is a two-time Pro Bowl selec- tion and is entering his fifth year after he was selected with the 31st pick in 2012.
Martin’s rookie season saw him gain 1,454 yards and score 11 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 49 passes for 472 yards and one touch- down.
Martin was a finalist for
DOUG MARTIN
“Rookie of the Year” and earned a Pro Bowl berth as a first alternate.
Martin missed five games in 2014 because of knee and ankle injuries and ran for only 494 yards and two touchdowns while shar- ing carries with Bobby Rainey and Charles Sims.
Marshawn Lynch and Jerod Mayo also called it quits before their 30th birth- days this offseason.
Last offseason, the NFL world was rocked when a slew of players decided to re- tire early rather than con- tinue on with their careers. That pattern is continuing this year.
After two months of ru- mors, Detroit Lions star re- ceiver Calvin Johnson officially retired on Tuesday before the new league year began. Johnson said he was “at peace with” his decision to retire at age 30 following a prolific career.
Johnson, who was owed nearly $16 million, dealt with
CALVIN JOHNSON
nagging injuries but was still just a few years removed from totaling an NFL-record 1,964 receiving yards in a single season. Despite showing up frequently on the injury re- port, Johnson played in all 16 games in 2015 and led the Lions with 1,214 yards and nine touchdown receptions.
NFL Stars Retiring Early
Redskins Release Robert Griffin III
Source: Bruce Irvin, Raiders Reach Agreement On Contract
ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Redskins have released Robert Griffin III, the 2012 NFL offensive rookie of the year and one- time face of the franchise, the quarterback confirmed via an Instagram post and team later announced. He will be visiting Denver for a tryout.
The move was long ex- pected, but still represents quite a change from four years ago when Griffin was one of the most dynamic players in the NFL and the hope of a starved fan base.
Griffin had lost the start- ing job in August and served as Washington’s No. 3 quar- terback all season. He was ac- tive for one game.
Had Washington kept him on the roster after 4 p.m. on March 9, his $16.15 million
ROBERT GRIFFIN III
for 2016 would have taken ef- fect and counted against the team’s salary cap.
Also Monday, the Redskins released defensive end Jason Hatcher, potentially saving the team $6.8 million in salary cap space if they use a post-June 1 designation. Hatcher was scheduled to count $8.7 million vs. the cap.
Also Monday, the Redskins released safety Dashon Goldson and safety Jeron Johnson.
Seattle Seahawks line- backer Bruce Irvin plans to sign with the Oakland Raiders when the signing pe- riod opens Wednesday.
One connection Irvin has to Oakland is defensive coor- dinator Ken Norton Jr., who served as the Seahawks’ linebackers coach for the first three years of Irvin’s career and helped Irvin transition from his role in college as a true defensive end.
Irvin, 28, played a versa- tile role in Pete Carroll’s defense, lining up at strong- side linebacker in the base defense and moving to defen- sive end in the Seahawks’ sub packages.
Irvin (6-foot-3, 260 pounds) has 22 sacks in his four-year career, with 37
Bruce Irvin has 22 sacks in four seasons with the Sea- hawks.
starts in 58 games. Last sea- son, he had 51⁄2 sacks and 38 tackles. A special athlete, Irvin has scheme versatility, with the ability to play stand- ing up as a linebacker or with his hand on the ground as a defensive end. He was the 15th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
Michael Vick Reveals Retirement Plan
Quarterback Michael Vick has interest in playing during the 2016 season, but the former No. 1 overall pick revealed Wednesday that he doesn’t intend to hang around beyond that.
According to ESPN’s Josina Anderson, the 35- year-old veteran will wait by his phone for as long as it takes to generate interest in 2016:
Vick added that he intends to take his time in deciding where he will sign:
The four-time Pro Bowler spent the 2015 campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers and started three games in the ab- sence of Ben Roethlis-
MICHAEL VICK
berger, but he ended the year as the team’s No. 3 sig- nal-caller.
While Vick went 2-1 as a starter, he threw for just 371 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a game manager role, which was a significant departure from the style he displayed during his career previously.
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