Page 22 - Florida Sentinel 8-31-18

Sports
Lions Release DE
Day After Signing Him
Saints To Acquire Teddy Bridgewater
TEDDY BRIDGEWATER
The New Orleans Saints have made a surprise move to acquire quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from the New York Jets.
The deal was done on Wednesday afternoon.
There is nothing surprising about Bridgewater being dealt. The Jets have been talk- ing about trading him for some time once it became apparent that rookie Sam Darnold was going to win the starting job there. He had a strong presea- son and did a lot to reassure teams that he could still com- pete in the NFL.
The destination is a bit of a surprise, as Bridgewater, still just 25, will have no shot of starting right away. He will likely serve as an insurance pol- icy behind veteran Drew Brees, and could even be their long-term quarterback of the future if the 39-year-old in- cumbent steps aside within a year or two, though Brees is signed through 2019 and Bridgewater is a free agent after this season.
Dez Bryant:
‘I Want To Be Right ...That's My Focus Right Now’
DEZ BRYANT
Former Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver Dez Bryant in- dicated on Twitter on Monday night that he will likely wait until later in the season to sign with a team.
The wide receiver, who was released by the Dallas Cowboys in April, met with the Cleveland Browns last week but left his visit without signing a contract.
Bryant, in answering a tweet from a fan where his Twitter handle was mentioned, wrote, "I just have to take care of me first" and "I will play ball this year just might be a lil bit later in the year."
Details Released On
Record-Breaking Contract
Robert Ayers Just One
Odell Beckham’s
Former Tampa Bay Bucs Robert Ayers' tenure with the Detroit Lions barely eclipsed one day.
After signing the veteran defensive end on Monday, the Lions announced that Ayers had been released on Tuesday. The 32-year-old was nowhere to be seen at practice, and the team made the transaction official later in the afternoon.
It's especially head- scratching considering Lions head coach Matt Patricia said Tuesday morning that he was excited to see how Ayers would fit into the
ROBERT AYERS
team's defensive unit. Four hours later, he was cut.
Ayers has previously spent time with the Bucs, Gi- ants and Broncos.
The New York Giants and Odell Beckham, Jr. have agreed to a contract exten- sion in advance of the 2018 season, and it is one that should make the star wide re- ceiver extremely happy.
Beckham’s new deal is worth $95 million over five seasons. It also includes $65 million guaranteed, which is the most guaranteed money a wide receiver has ever gotten.
Beckham’s new deal av- erages $19 million per sea- son, which is significantly more than the $17 million per year Antonio Brown gets
ODELL BECKHAM, JR.
from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brown was the highest-paid receiver in football prior to Beckham inking his new deal.
Champ Bailey Gave
Cincinnati Bengals Sign
Pacman Jones Permission
Carlos Dunlap, Geno
To Wear His Number
Atkins To New Deals
Champ Bailey is giving Pacman Jones his blessing to wear the No. 24 for the Denver Broncos.
Bailey played 15 seasons during his NFL career, the final 10 of which were with the Broncos. He was a 12- time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, and appears to be a lock for the Hall of Fame.
Since he retired after the 2013 season, the Broncos haven’t given out his number, but a request came in this week for newly-signed
The Bengals signed both Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins to new deals on Tuesday, locking up the key components of their defen- sive line for the next several years.
Atkins' four-year deal is worth $65.3 million, with $25.5 million coming in the first year. He'll average $16.3 million per year, a record yearly average for a non- quarterback older than 30.
Dunlap, 29, signed a three-year extension that is worth $45 million. That will keep him under contract through age 31.
"Back to back," Dunlap wrote on social media, tag- ging Atkins.
Dunlap and Atkins are No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in franchise sacks, with a combined 1251⁄2 sacks be- tween them. The Bengals made it no secret that getting deals done with both players was an important priority in the offseason, and that was possible with almost all of the other defensive line play- ers on rookie contracts.
Johnson played on the
GENO ATKINS AND CARLOS DUNLAP
franchise tag for one year be- fore signing with the Bucca- neers, but returned to the Bengals after just one season in Tampa.
The one exception is Michael Johnson, who is in the final year of a four- year contract signed in 2015 that will pay him $5 million in salary in bonuses this year. Johnson, 31, was once considered the rising star on the Bengals' defensive line, but the tide began shifting to Dunlap in 2013, when he signed a five-year extension on the same day the Bengals failed to reach an agreement with Johnson ahead of the franchise tag deadline.
CHAMP BAILEY AND PACMAN JONES
Jones to wear it.
Champ reportedly ap-
proved and was just happy they called to ask him.
Tyrod Taylor Turning
Out To Be QB Browns
Were Hoping For
The Cleveland Browns hoped they found a leader for a franchise in desperate need of one when they made a trade with the Buffalo Bills for veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor this offsea- son.
When asked what im- pressed him about training camp, Browns coach Hue Jackson singled out his new starting quarterback. So far, Taylor hasn’t disappointed.
The two-time Pro Bowler showed right away the kind of leader he was going to be. He coordinated a trip to Cal- ifornia for some offensive
TYROD TAYLOR
players to meet following the June veteran minicamp so they could bond and work on team chemistry ahead of training camp.
PAGE 14-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2018