Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 8-15-17

Sports
Jameis Winston, Vernon Hargreaves Shine For Bucs In Loss To Bengals
Vernon Hargreaves took away a potential touchdown from the Bengals' Brandon LaFell with this goal-line interception on Friday night.
Bucs Add Kicker Zach Hocker
ZACH HOCKER
After the release of Roberto Aguayo on Satur- day, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Dirk Koetter said the team would sign an- other kicker to share training camp reps with Nick Folk. Following a round of tryouts on Sunday, that new Bucca- neer was identified: Zach Hocker.
Hocker played for two teams during the 2015 regular season, appearing in six games with the New Orleans Saints and two with the St. Louis Rams. In that time he made 10 of 14 field goal attempts, with alongof51,and12of13extra point tries. He also punted once for 43 yards while with the Saints. Hocker performed well on kickoffs in 2015, pro- ducing nine touchbacks on 12 attempts.
Ezekiel Elliott Likely To Appeal 6-Game Suspension Tuesday
EZEKIEL ELLIOTT
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is likely to appeal his six-game suspen- sion Tuesday. Elliott has until Wednesday to file an appeal.
Elliott was suspended Fri- day for violating the NFL's per- sonal conduct policy after a 13-month investigation into whether the 22-year-old com- mitted domestic violence. El- liott hasn't been charged with a crime, but the league deemed the evidence "substantial and persuasive."
As of now, Elliott is set to miss games against the Giants, Broncos, Cardinals, Rams, Packers, and 49ers if the sus- pension is upheld.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was reportedly "furi- ous" with the news, believing Elliott wouldn't be sus- pended.
Lynch Sits During National Anthem Vs. Cardinals
MARSHAWN LYNCH
Tampa Bay Buccaneers star quarterback Jameis Winston and the offense look to be headed in the right direction in 2017, despite not reaching the end zone Friday night in a 23-12 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Corner- back Vernon Hargreave salso showed that he has taken to coach Dirk Koet- ter's call to play more ag- gressively.
Winston went 9-for-13 for 99 yards, with no touch- downs and no interceptions. He threw for four first downs
on that opening drive but twice missed Mike Evans on fade routes in the end zone. Backups Ryan Fitz- patrick and Ryan Griffin alternated after that, and it was not promising. Fitz- patrick ran in a 6-yard touchdown, but had a dread- ful series in the fourth quar- ter.
In a span of three plays, he was nearly picked off, fumbled and then was inter- cepted. Griffin went 4-for-9 for 57 yards and left the game with a shoulder injury.
Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch became the latest athlete to not stand during the na- tional anthem ahead of Sat- urday's preseason game versus the Arizona Cardi- nals.
The Raiders star, who sat out the 2016 season and came out of retirement this spring, is the latest NFL player to protest during the anthem, joining Philadel- phia Eagles safety Malcolm
Jenkins - who will continue to do so this year - and free- agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, among others.
No other players joined Lynch on Saturday.
The protest came amid a day of violence, with a group of white nationalists storm- ing the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville. A vehicle drove into a group of counter-protesters, killing at least one person and injur- ing numerous others.
Signing Anquan Boldin Gives Tyrod Taylor Full Deck In Crucial Season
Seahawks DE Michael Bennett Stays On Bench For National Anthem
MICHAEL BENNETT
As the Buffalo Bills look to evaluate Tyrod Taylor this season and make a de- termination about his future as their starting quarter- back, it will help to have the best possible pieces around him to see what he can do.
Enter wide receiver An- quan Boldin.
The Bills signed the 14- year NFL veteran and future Hall of Fame candidate to a one-year, $2.75 million deal Monday that can be worth as much as $4 million if incen- tives are reached. Boldin's production has fallen off since 1,000-yard receiving seasons with the San Fran- cisco 49ers in 2013 and 2014, but the cost of the deal will be worth it if the Bills can get the red-zone produc- tion (eight touchdowns) that Boldin gave the Detroit Lions last season.
Anquan Boldin offers a potential upgrade over Andre Holmes as the Bills' No. 2 receiver.
Will Boldin be the missing piece that helps get the Bills, whom ESPN's
ANQUAN BOLDIN
Football Power Index proj- ects to win 6.7 games this season, over the hump and into the playoffs? At this late stage of his career, that seems unlikely.
However, Boldin offers a potential upgrade over Andre Holmes as the Bills' No. 2 receiver. After signing a three-year, $5.15 million deal in March, the 6-foot-4 Holmes has added height to the Bills' group of re- ceivers but lacks the hands and physicality Boldin can offer. That is good news for Taylor, who worked with Boldin for two years (2011 and 2012) as the Baltimore Ravens backup.
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett sat with a towel over his head during the national anthem on Sunday before his team took on the Los Angeles Chargers in the preseason opener for both teams at the StubHub Center.
Bennett's action came a day after his former team- mate, running back Mar- shawn Lynch, did something similar before the Oakland Raiders' exhibition opener on the road Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals.
"I want to be able to use this platform to continuously push the message ... of how un- selfish you can be as a soci- ety," Bennett said after the Seahawks' 48-17 win. "How we can continuously love one
another and understand that people are different, and just because they're different, it doesn't mean that you should- n't like them. Because they don't smell the way you smell and they don't eat what you eat, because they don't pray to the same god that you pray to, doesn't mean that you should hate them. Whether it's Mus- lim or Buddhists or Christian- ity, whatever it is, I just want people to understand that no matter what, we're in this thing together. It's more about being a human being at this point."
Bennett, who said he in- tends to sit during the anthem for the entire season, did not disclose his intentions to play- ers or coaches before the game.
PAGE 14 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2017