Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 3-20-18

Sports
Bucs Sign DE Vinny Curry After Releasing Robert Ayers
VINNY CURRY AND ROBERT AYERS
Colin Kaepernick Was In Good Spirits Going Into Court Against NFL For Collusion
One day after he was re- leased by the Philadelphia Eagles, defensive end Vinny Curry has found a new home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It is a three-year deal for up to $27 million with a $11.5 million injury guaran- tee, the source said.
Curry, 29, had been cut by the Eagles on Friday to free up cap space. He was due to make $9 million in 2018. The team also ex- plored trade options before the release.
To make room for Curry, the Bucs cut Robert Ayers, who was entering the third and final year of a three-year pact with the Bucs. He was set to make $6 million, in- cluding a roster bonus due
on the fifth day of the league year.
Ayers produced 2.0 sacks in 12 games in 2017, as the Bucs finished the year with just 22 total sacks, last in the league. The previous year, Ayers had 6.5 sacks in 12 games.
Curry is the third defen- sive lineman the Bucs have signed this free-agency pe- riod, along with former Ea- gles teammate Beau Allen and defensive tackle Mitch Unrein.
Curry has not missed a regular-season game in four years, with 22 sacks since 2012. His best season came in 2014, when he finished with 9.0 sacks. Last year, he had 3.0 sacks but managed 41 quarterback hurries.
UCF’s Super Special LB, Runs One Of Fastest 40s At Combine
Colin Kaepernick was in good spirits as he went to court for his collusion case against the NFL.
Colin was spotted with a smile on his face as he stepped out to attend the dep- osition of Texans owner, Bob McNair.
Reportedly, he even got in a quick workout before the proceedings in Houston. Colin filed a grievance against the NFL claiming that a number of team owners and
Colin Kaepernick is suing the NFL and its owners of collu- sion for ending his career, be- cause he kneeled during the National Anthem.
league officials joined forces to blackball him for deciding to take a knee in peaceful protest during The National Anthem.
At the time, he had been playing for the San Francisco 49ers.
McNair is just one of a few high-profile witnesses in the case. Colin’s attorneys from Geragos & Geragos have also subpoenaed the owner and coach of the Seattle Sea- hawks.
If and when Shaquem Griffin gets drafted, it won’t be out of pity.
The St. Petersburg native and senior UCF linebacker, impressed both himself and NFL teams by pumping 20 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds — with a pros- thetic hand, and ran the fastest time of the day in the 40-yard dash.
Griffin’s unofficial 4.38, was the fastest for a line- backer since 2003. The fastest of this year came Sat- urday, when LSU wide re- ceiver D.J. Clark ran a 4.34.
Griffin, who wasn’t even initially invited to the Indi- anapolis Combine, is trying to become the first one- handed player drafted in the modern era.
He lost his left hand due to a rare prenatal condition. It was amputated when he was 4.
Shaquem’s one-hand did not prevent him from
St. Pete native, UCF sen- ior LB, Shaquem Griffin was born with a deformed hand, that was amputated when he was 4. His twin, Shaquill is a LB with the Seattle Seahawks
being named the American Athletic Conference Defen- sive Player of the Year in his first year as a starting outside
linebacker in 2016.
He has played football
with his "older" twin brother, Shaquill, since they were young. Shaquill came out of the womb one minute before Shaquem, and also left UCF a year earlier (drafted in the third round by Seattle in 2017) than his brother be- cause he did not redshirt.
He was one of seven ath- letes from the Combine se- lectedtobeapartofa limited-edition trading card series by Panini America.
Griffin’s impressive per- formance is commemorated on three card variations available in green and red. The black card is already sold out.
Former Buc Doug
Marshawn Lynch Likely
Martin Agrees To Deal With Raiders
To Remain With Raiders,
Receive Roster Bonus
Doug Martin had an ex- tremely disappointing last two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the team released him, but the veteran running back now has an opportunity to revive his career under Jon Gru- den.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Thurs- day that the Oakland Raiders have agreed to a deal with Martin.
Martin rushed for 1,402 yards and averaged 4.9 yards per carry in 2015, but he rushed for far less than that in the past two seasons com- bined and averaged just 2.9
DOUG MARTIN
yards per carry over that span. The 29-year-old missed five games in 2017 after he served a suspension and violated a team rule upon his return.
Sunday marks a key indi- cator about Marshawn Lynch’s status with the Oak- land Raiders. Based on one report, it looks like Lynch will remain with his home- town team.
Lynch will receive a $1 million roster bonus he was due on March 18. There were some questions about whether Lynch would figure into the Raiders’ plans under Jon Gruden, and this ap- pears to provide the answer.
Lynch turns 32 in April. While he got off to a slow start last season after taking a year off of football, Beast Mode really started to get it going in November. He rushed for 891 yards on 207
MARSHAWN LYNCH
carries last season, good for a 4.3 average per carry. He scored seven touchdowns.
Lynch is set to earn $6 million in total in 2018. It looks like he will be paired with Doug Martin rather than replaced by the former Bucs running back.
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