Quotable: Jake Locker knows he’s on the hot seat
Jake Locker knows this is a make-or-break season for him, the Jets aren’t concerned with Chris Johnson’s work ethic and more from Monday.
Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker told the media that he’s ahead of schedule in regards to his recovery from surgery on his right foot. He had the surgery near the end of last season, had another surgery in March to remove the hardware, and is now able to walk without assistance. He said that he’s ahead of schedule and will begin throwing soon, as noted by Jim Wyatt of USA Today Sports.
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On top of that, Locker acknowledged that this year is a make-or-break season for him. When asked about it being make-or-break, Locker responded: “It is probably fair to say that every year for most guys. This league is so much ‘What have you done for me lately?’ If you don’t have that approach going into the season, it is not going to work out the way you want it to. You are always competing for your job and I am not going to change that.”
Locker struggled in his first three seasons in the NFL, but seemed well on his way to a strong season before sustaining his injuries last year. He played in seven games and completed 60.7 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. Tennessee is hoping that Locker will show up, and that he’ll remain healthy. Otherwise, he could be looking for a new team in 2015.
"Jets do NOT have concerns about (Chris Johnson's) work ethic."
-Manish Mehta, New York Daily News
Running back Chris Johnson is a free agent and is drawing the interest of multiple teams since his release from the Tennessee Titans. One team in particular has shown a great deal of interest is the New York Jets. It's unclear if the Jets will sign Johnson, but the team has a big need at the running back position and a good deal of cap space left.
One of the reasons Johnson was released, aside from his huge cap hit, was his questionable work ethic, at least according to reports. On Monday, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News said that the Jets have no concerns whatsoever about Johnson’s work ethic. That’s a good sign, but what kind of deal they may potentially get done is anybody’s guess at this point.
“Nobody can really seriously chat with us until they are happy with at least two players.”
-Les Snead, St. Louis Rams general manager
The St. Louis Rams have a couple picks in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft, including the No. 2 overall pick. On Monday, Greg Bedard manned Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback column and had some quotes from Rams general manager Les Snead, who has confirmed that the team is shopping the aforementioned No. 2 pick.
Mock Draft
St. Louis doesn’t appear desperate to get out from under the pick or anything along those lines, but they could definitely pick up more to help the team by passing on that pick, which should probably go toward a franchise quarterback, franchise left tackle or defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney. Fortunately for the Rams, they don’t need any of those things, which could make their pick very enticing to other teams.
“It wasn’t an ideal situation.”
Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback Brandon Weeden had his opportunities with the Cleveland Browns, and he didn't preform up to standards on the field. But there was an awful lot of turmoil and turnover in Cleveland, and few can suggest he was in a good place for success. Weeden spoke to SirusXM's Alex Marvez and Zig Fracassi recently, and Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports posted on some of his quotes Monday. In those quotes, Weeden talks about how it was certainly not ideal in Cleveland:
“It wasn’t an ideal situation. The regime that drafted me was out a year after I got there. You never know the plans the group coming in has,” Weeden said, “I think, as a player, as much as you try not to do too much, try not to put too much pressure on yourself to perform and show you can be the guy for the long haul, sometimes you get caught up in it.”
Weeden played in just eight games in 2013, completing 52.8 percent of his passes for 1,731 yards with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions. He's now the backup to Tony Romo in Dallas.
“No matter what you do, they are going to find the wrong in what you do and forget about the good things.”
Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams came to the defense of wide receiver DeSean Jackson on Monday. Williams, talking to reporters with CSN Washington, said that Jackson is a "great guy" and that most of the negative attention surrounding him is of the "he say, she say" variety. Williams said that he doesn't think Jackson is a bad guy, and that he "can be a great addition to this team."
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Williams did go on to say that there's a lot of eyes on football players, and that "a lot of people just want to pick you apart." Jackson received a lot of negative press just before and after his release from the Philadelphia Eagles, which on the surface appeared to be motivated by cap constraints. Williams said that people are going to "find the wrong in what you do and forget about the good things."
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