Quotables: Nick Fairley drops weight and more
Nick Fairley is getting into shape heading into a contract year, after the Detroit Lions neglected to exercise his fifth-year option.
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley has slimmed down heading into the 2014 season. Fairley is just under 300 pounds now, and has lost about 27 pounds since the end of last season, according to the Detroit Free Press. Fairley has been underwhelming since the Lions made him a first-round pick, missing time due to injuries and generally being ineffective when healthy.
Recently, the Lions declined to exercise Fairley’s fifth-year contract option. Fairley thinks that’s a good thing, though, saying that he’d rather get into a new contract sooner rather than later. Regardless, Fairley is entering a contract year at this point, which is why it’s definitely a good sign that he’s slimming down and getting back into shape. Fairley was regarded as a playmaker going into his rookie season and that never panned out. If it does in 2014, he could find himself getting a healthy extension going forward.
“These guys didn’t do anything wrong.”
-Scott Studds, Seacrets GM
Scott Studds, the general manager of Seacrets, says there's no truth to the rumors that multiple Baltimore Ravens players were kicked out of the club over Memorial Day weekend, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. Studds says that the Ravens players "didn't do anything wrong," and he told the same thing to the league office. The original story suggested that Jacoby Jones and Bernard Pierce were kicked out after drinking heavily and an altercation was had. There's video of the incident, but it's really unclear what happened. Whatever the case, it doesn't sound like this particular story is going to lead anywhere.
“This situation might not affect [Josh] Gordon’s ongoing appeal, but it certainly doesn’t help matters.”
-Chris Pokorny, Dawgs By Nature
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon was issued a speeding ticket in Strongsville, Ohio. Gordon was issued a fine for allegedly driving 74 MPH in a 60-MPH zone. It's a bad look for a wide receiver who has been in trouble multiple times since entering the NFL. Gordon's passenger was allegedly cited for possession of marijuana, as well.
That’s significant, given that Gordon reportedly faces a season-long ban for failing another drug test with the league. Just being associated with marijuana while he’s going through an appeal process for his suspension seems like bad news. It’s unclear whether or not this will affect his appeal, as noted by Dawgs By Nature, but it can’t help, at the very least.
“Right now, it’s [Geno Smith’s] team.”
New York Jets rookie quarterback Tajh Boyd says the starting job is Geno Smith's to lose, according to Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. Boyd said that Smith has "been the offense," thus far, and that "it's his team." Boyd did go on to qualify that the Jets want to "go out there and do everything that's possible to win," meaning that Michael Vick will get the chance to start if he gives the team "the best chance to win."
Throughout this whole process, we’ve heard Rex Ryan refer to things as a competition and Vick say otherwise. On multiple occasions, Vick has suggested that Smith is the guy going forward. Whether he knows he’s too far behind to be competitive or he just thinks the Jets want Smith to be the starter regardless, that’s anybody’s guess. Smith had a disaster of a rookie season, while Vick was playing well between his injuries last season.
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