Page 26 - Florida Sentinel 8-21-15 Edition

Sports
Bucs Agree To Two-Year Deal With Right Tackle Gosder Cherilus
Buckeyes' Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett Opposed To Rotating-QB System
Carolina Panthers Star Receiver Kelvin Benjamin Out For The Season
Carolina Panthers wide re- ceiver Kelvin Benjamin was carted off at training camp Wednesday with what was originally thought to be a sprained knee but turned out to be a torn ACL, ending the second-year player's season.
Benjamin was a FSU stand- out receiver, and Jameis Win- ston’s main target during their national championship year.
Benjamin is coming off a rookie season in which he recorded 73 receptions for 1,008 yards, tying him with teammate and tight end Greg Olsen for 21st in the NFL in receiving yards.
He had the third-most re- ceiving yards among rookies, trailing only New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans.
Carolina won the division with a 7-8-1 record. The Pan- thers defeated the Arizona Car- dinals in the NFC Wild Card
Panther QB Cam Newton helps Kelvin Benjamin off the practice field after he tears his ACL.
Round before falling to the Seattle Seahawks in the divi- sional round.
Benjamin recorded 11 re- ceptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns in those games against two good defensive teams, and he developed into one of quarterback Cam New- ton's favorite targets. Newton threw to Benjamin 146 times last season, the most of any of his receivers.
Moving to fill the short-term void created by right tackle Demar Dotson's injury, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to a two-year deal with veteran Gosder Cherilus.
The contract is for two years and potentially worth $7 mil- lion. Upon signing Monday, Cherilus received a $500,000 roster bonus. He has a $1.5 mil- lion base salary and can earn another $500,000 -- slightly more than $41,600 per week, if he plays in the first 12 games.
Dotson suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee. He could miss approximately six weeks but will not need surgery.
"Demar's on crutches right now,'' Coach Lovie Smith told reporters on Monday. "He's going to be out for a pe- riod of time. Hopefully it's not a long period of time, but he will be out for a while.''
Cherilus, who was the In- dianapolis Colts' starter at right tackle the past two seasons, was released by the team the past month. The 31-year-old
GOSDER CHERILUS
Cherilus had offseason knee surgery, which kept him from taking part in the Colts' organ- ized team activities, including a mandatory three-day mini- camp in June.
Cherilus was one of the main 2013 free-agent acquisi- tions by the Colts. He signed a five-year, $34 million contract but failed to live up to that, de- spite starting 29 games the past two seasons. He battled knee, shoulder and groin problems the past season, before eventu- ally being placed on injured re- serve prior to the playoffs.
Ohio State quarterbacks J.T. Barrett, left, and Cardale Jones agree that a platoon sys- tem wouldn't be efficient and are willing to accept whatever choice Urban Meyer makes as to who the starter will be.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Both Ohio State quarterbacks are willing to accept whatever deci- sion is made by coach Urban Meyer as to who starts, just as long as it isn't split.
J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones have been widely praised for their close relationship and willingness to take on whatever role is best for the Buckeyes during their heated training camp battle to lead the defend- ing national champs. Both Jones and Barrett, however, have made it clear they would rather settle into a backup role if they come up short in the two- man race, rather than deal with a rotation throughout the sea- son.
"I don't think it would be as efficient," Barrett said of a ro- tation. "I did that in high school and switched every series ... and that's kind of tough to do being that you can't get into a rhythm, get a real vibe off the defense.
"I don't think it would be the best idea."
Meyer has famously made it work before in his career, alter- nating between Chris Leak and Tim Tebow on the way to a national championship at Florida in 2006. And his track record at least opened up the possibility that Ohio State might use the physical, 6-foot-5 Jones and the quicker Barrett in some sort of rotation given the somewhat different skill sets each brings to the offense.
But even while acknowledg- ing that he was "pretty sure Coach Meyer could make it work," Jones also cast his vote for declaring a definitive starter when training camp ends and allowing that player to focus on the first-team snaps.
"I don't think it's a great idea," Jones said. "I don't think you could get in a rhythm. In a two- quarterback system, if I run three plays and run off the field and J.T. runs out for a drive, I don't know how well that would work with rhythm and timing with guys.
"Only one of us can play." Meyer still has time before the Sept. 7 opener at Virginia Tech to decide which one it ulti- mately will be, and he has indi- cated he won't reveal his starter until he takes the field for the
first snap.
Tom Brady Open To Ban For Failing To Cooperate; Settlement Talks At Impasse
ASHBURN, Va. -- Washing- ton Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III says he does not regret telling a local TV station he thought he was the NFL's best quarterback, but he said his comments were mostly taken out of context when they garnered national headlines.
Griffin, speaking Tuesday to media a day after drawing widespread attention for his re- marks, added that he needed to prove he was the best.
"I know what I meant. I think everyone in this circle [of re- porters] knows what I meant," Griffin said. "It's unfortunate that my name keeps getting used for headlines for people to click on stories. I know what I want to be, and I know what I strive to be. I'm not going to make any apologies for that."
In an interview with WJLA- TV over the weekend, Griffin said, "I feel like I'm the best
ROBERT GRIFFIN III
quarterback in the league, and I have to go out and show that. Any athlete at any level, if they concede to someone else, they're not a top competitor, they're not trying to be the best that they can be.
"There's guys in this league that have done way more than me. But I still view myself as the best because that's what I work toward every single day." The remarks led to national headlines and sports talk fod- der, which has become routine for Griffin and the Redskins.
New England Patriots quar- terback Tom Brady is open to accepting some form of sus- pension, but only if it can be for failing to cooperate with the NFL, rather than admitting to the Wells report findings.
Even with those parameters, however, league sources said Wednesday that settlement discussions on Brady's at- tempt to overturn a four-game suspension have gone "nowhere."
Brady, who had initially planned to attend Wednesday's federal court hearing in New York for the second straight week, instead joined the Patri- ots for their joint practices with the New Orleans Saints in West Virginia.
Brady and Goodell were both present Tuesday in the meeting with U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. Francis,
TOM BRADY
who is working with U.S. Dis- trict Court Judge Richard M. Berman. The meeting was held at an undisclosed location instead of the federal court- house in Manhattan in order to avoid media attention.
Berman already has ruled that neither Brady nor Good- ell must attend Wednesday's hearing, which primarily is for verbal arguments of the legal briefs that both sides submitted Friday.
Redskins' Robert Griffin III Says 'Best NFL QB' Remarks Taken Out Of Context
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