Quotables: Chris Snee announces retirement
Chris Snee retired from the NFL after 10 years on Monday.
USA TODAY Sports
-Tom Coughlin, New York Giants head coach
New York Giants right guard Chris Snee announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday. Snee is 32 years old, and has been playing in the league since 2004, when he was drafted in the second round. He was with the Giants for two Super Bowl runs, and started a total of 141 regular seasons games and 11 playoff games.
Snee made All-Pro in 2008. He's dealt with various injuries in past seasons and has reportedly been mulling this retirement for some time. Brandon Mosley and John Jerry are going to battle for Snee's right guard spot, and would have been battling for the backup job if Snee hadn't retired.
"I wouldn't have taken [Michael Sam]. Not because I don't believe Michael Sam should have a chance to play, but I wouldn't want to deal with all of it."
-Tony Dungy, NBC Analyst
Michael Sam is with the St. Louis Rams, and by all accounts both sides are thrilled with the decision. To this point, Sam hasn't proven to be a distraction, but former Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Tony Dungy thinks that's right around the corner. Dungy said that he wouldn't have taken Sam if he were still in charge of a team, saying that he "wouldn't want to deal with all of it," according to Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune.
But as noted by SB Nation’s Jane Coaston, Dungy is ... really the only one who is making this a distraction. Sure, Sam made his headlines and he’ll continue to be talked about, but it’s hard to imagine there’s anybody in that locker room or on that team who consider this a negative. At this point, it’s a distraction solely in Dungy’s head.
“These guys know that there are some weapons around them on the field, so they don’t have all that pressure on them.”
-Robert Griffin III, Washington
Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III is happy with the group of receivers around him. That includes DeSean Jackson, Andre Roberts, Pierre Garcon and Jordan Reed. That looks to be a strong group, but finding a way to distribute the passes to please them all will be a tall order for Griffin, who is entering his third season in the league.
That said, Griffin doesn’t think it will be too difficult. He says that the Washington receivers won’t “have all that pressure on them,” thanks to the talented guys surrounding them. He said that they will relish the opportunities they do get, saying that they’ll make the most of each pass, because there’s no guarantee that the ball “is going to come to them 10, 15 times a game. They might only get three or four or five shots a game,” according to Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Washington.
“I’m just looking forward to training camp. Can’t wait to get to Mankato, put the pads on and just continue doing what we’ve got to do -- play football.”
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater isn’t talking about the battle for the starting quarterback job. Bridgewater said the battle is “something I don’t feel comfortable talking about,” according to Ben Goessling of ESPN. Bridgewater says he’s “just looking forward to training camp.”
Bridgewater is currently battling against Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder for the starting role. Neither Ponder nor Cassel inspires a whole lot of confidence, but Bridgewater is a rookie. Cassel has been considered the favorite to start when the season gets underway, given his body of work is much more impressive than that of Ponder's. Bridgewater says he's not paying too much attention to the race for the starting role, but that's just what he's telling the media -- he obviously wants to be that guy as soon as possible.
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