ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos linebacker Shane Ray, who is now in a contract year, is expected to be worked into training camp practices on a graduated basis when the team begins its on-field work Saturday, after five weeks of rehab work on his ailing wrist instead of surgery that had been scheduled.
Veterans will report for training camp Friday. Ray, who had three surgical procedures on his wrist last season, went to Houston on June 13 when a fourth surgery had been scheduled. At the time Ray called it a “bone fusion.”
Ray also said at the time he hoped the surgery would be “the last one.” But once X-rays and other tests were conducted last month as the Broncos closed out their mandatory minicamp, doctors advised Ray a rehab program could work for him instead, so no surgery was performed.
Denver linebacker Shane Ray, who was originally scheduled to have left wrist surgery on June 13, instead chose rehabilitation and is reportedly pain free heading into Broncos training camp. Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
Ray had still been held out of the team’s offseason program and wore a brace on the wrist throughout the sessions. The Broncos’ plan for Ray as camp opens is to gradually ramp up his workload through the preseason.
The fourth-year outside linebacker, who was the Broncos’ first-round pick in 2015, will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end because the Broncos did not pick up his fifth-year option earlier this year.
“I can control what I can control, and this is something that nobody had control over,” Ray said last month. ” … [The injury is] frustrating, but all I can do is try and keep a positive mind. I’m more anxious to just get it done and over with so I can start my healing process and get back out here with my team.”
Team sources said Monday that Ray is currently pain-free. Had he had surgery, Ray said the recovery time was expected to be “two or three months.”
Ray finished the 2017 season on injured reserve, placed there in December, shortly after a third surgery on his wrist, that one to remove screws that had been put into place to aid in healing. He finished the season with just one sack.
Ray originally suffered his injury in the first week of training camp and missed the first six games of the regular season on injured reserve. He played in the last eight games, starting seven, but he admitted he struggled at times physically after his return to the lineup.
Because of his injury, he could not weight train as he has in the past and said he had played last season at about 220 pounds rather than his usual 240 to 242 pounds.
After DeMarcus Ware’s retirement after the 2016 season, 2017 was to be Ray’s first season as an unquestioned starter. After he had eight sacks in spot duty in ’16, he had consistently expressed his optimism that he could reach double-digit sacks playing alongside Von Miller.
He averaged 44.3 plays per game in his eight games last season.
Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sparano has died unexpectedly at the age of 56, the team announced Sunday afternoon.
“I am at a loss for words with Tony’s sudden passing. Tony loved the game of football and his players. More importantly, he was a strong man of faith who treasured his family. My heart is with the Sparanos today. As an organization we will support them in whatever ways we can,” Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said in a statement.
Sparano had complained about chest pains and went to the hospital Thursday, a source told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Sparano underwent tests and was released Friday. The source said Sparano’s wife found him unconscious Sunday morning as they prepared to leave for church but could not revive him.
Sparano served as an assistant with Minnesota for the past two seasons. He worked for nine NFL teams over 19 seasons, with head-coaching stints in Miami (2008-11) and on an interim basis with Oakland (2014). He held positions with Cleveland, Washington, Jacksonville, Dallas, San Francisco and the New York Jets.
Tony Sparano, who coached with nine NFL organizations in his career, had been the Vikings’ offensive line coach since 2016. Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire
“Tony made an indelible impact on our team’s history and his toughness, grit and leadership were evident to everyone who had the chance to coach with or play for him. On behalf of the entire Dolphins organization, we extend our most heartfelt condolences to his wife Jeanette and the entire Sparano family,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said in a statement.
Sparano had reunited with Vikings coach Mike Zimmer in Minnesota. The two coached under Bill Parcells with the Cowboys from 2003 to 2006.
“I love Tony Sparano. He was a great teacher, a grinder of a worker and had a toughness and fighting spirit that showed in our linemen. He was a great husband, father and grandfather and a great friend to me. This is just sinking in for us but Tony will be sorely missed by all,” Zimmer said in a statement.
He was remembered on Twitter by several players, including Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph, former Vikings and current Jets quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and former Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline.
Thoughts and prayers to Mrs. Sparano, his family and everyone in the @Vikings organization.. life’s precious and we just never know when it’s our time.. RIP Coach.. https://t.co/vOzlSoUTlq
— Kyle Rudolph (@KyleRudolph82) July 22, 2018
You will truly be missed by your loved ones, the guys you coached and the ones you’ve impacted over the years coach Sparano. Calm, cool and always wearing your shades no matter how dark the room was. Thank you for caring about the us as individuals and not just athletes ??.
— Teddy Bridgewater (@teddyb_h2o) July 22, 2018
Sporano Family I am so sorry for your loss. Coach believed in me, trusted me, and stuck with me as a rookie. He would check on my family every HC and QB meeting we would have! He was a great man! I love you coach!
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) July 22, 2018
Heart broken and lost for words! We lost a great man. Prayers to the Sparano family. So glad I got to see you and tell ya how much you meant to me a month ago. @Vikings #RIPTony
— Brian Hartline (@brianhartline) July 22, 2018
Sparano is survived by his wife, Jeanette; his two sons, Tony and Andrew; his daughter, Ryan Leigh; and four grandchildren.
Sparano was born Oct. 7, 1961, in West Haven, Connecticut. He played in college at the University of New Haven and was the head coach at the school from 1994 to ’98.
ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.
In the lead-up to New England Patriots training camp, with the first public practice scheduled for July 26, it is timely to review each position on the roster with our annual “roster locks” series. After previously highlighting the running backs, wide receivers, defensive ends and linebackers, let’s move on to the defensive tackles:
Danny Shelton, whom the Patriots acquired from the Browns, is known for his playing strength and is expected to be a big part of New England’s defense. AP Photo/Weston Kenney
Explaining the locks: The Patriots obviously didn’t trade a third-round pick in exchange for Shelton and a fifth-rounder if they didn’t intend on him being a significant part of their plans this year. The 6-foot-2, 335-pound Shelton is known for his playing strength and fits the more traditional two-gapping technique the Patriots generally ask their linemen to play. So he’ll be a big factor at the heart of the defense, joining Guy (6-4, 315), who made a solid first impression on the coaching staff last year with his playing strength, among other things. The 6-foot-2, 320-pound Brown is more of a tweener in the sense that he can two-gap and hold his ground at the point of attack, but can also generate some disruption as more than a power rusher when the opportunity presents itself. Butler, who made the team as an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt last year, is a versatile player who did some of his best work at nose tackle in pass-rushing situations as his long frame and discipline to play with good pad level showed up multiple times. He was closer to a 3-4 defensive end than a 4-3 defensive tackle last season, but is still developing and has some intriguing physical traits that bear watching in his second season.
Roster management: The Patriots usually have three big-bodied defensive tackles active on game-day, and will often rotate a third option into the game as part of not overtaxing a position that requires plenty of dirty work. That has usually meant keeping either three or four defensive tackles on the initial 53-man roster, with added depth also potentially coming on the practice squad. This was perhaps best illustrated in Super Bowl LII, when the top combination of Guy (56 snaps) and Brown (62 snaps) seemed to wear down a bit as the unit spent most of the game in its 4-2-5 nickel, and a third option was used sparingly. So developing/building defensive tackle depth that can help at any point of the 16-game season (and ideally the postseason) is generally part of the thought process when the team is constructing its roster/practice squad. Valentine, a 2016 third-round pick, spent all of last season on injured reserve (knee) and could once again be a factor. Atkins (Georgia) and Herron (LSU) are undrafted free agents who can look at the team’s history (four undrafted players made the initial roster last year) to illustrate that while they are long shots, the odds aren’t insurmountable.
Stat of note: Guy led all defensive tackles last season, playing 54.8 percent of the defensive snaps, followed by Brown (50.7), Butler (43.7) and since-departed Alan Branch (23.7) and Ricky Jean Francois (8.3).
One thing to watch for in camp: Once the Patriots begin practicing in full pads for the first time (July 28), it usually isn’t long before the football is placed at the 2-yard line and there is a goal-line running drill, which is the first look at how the team has potentially bolstered its personnel at the heart of the line of scrimmage. That is where Shelton, who has been assigned No. 71, figures to show up most.
This story appears in ESPN The Magazine’s July 30 Heroes Issue. Subscribe today!
Thursday, 3 p.m.: Gearing up
It’s a fine April afternoon in the Bahamas, and I’m at the checkout counter inside Sunn Odyssey Divers, receiving equipment for a nerve-jangling assignment: help an NFL star cross “shark encounter” off his bucket list, with guidance from Discovery’s Shark Week team. It’s a tall order for me, a guy who wakes up afraid most mornings, and I’m second-guessing my life choices as Rob Gronkowski barges through the glass doors.
“What’s up, Sam!” exclaims the ever-exuberant Gronk, who has been whisked straight here from ?the airport. The Patriots tight end looks carefree, per usual, like a guy who lives the life we would ?all want to live if we were rich, 29 and had a six-month offseason and the guts to crush it, ?even if that entailed scuba diving with — “Wait,” Gronk says, looking bell-rung. “What do you mean we’re scuba diving?”
As it turns out, my guy was not fully aware, or more likely had just forgotten, that his shark encounter would take place well below the surface of the Atlantic. And I’m the one who breaks it to him. “Hold on,” he says. “What are we doing again?”
As Gronk fires questions at his camp — which includes best friend Robert Goon and manager Henry Penzi — I slink away, secretly hoping that this whole thing falls apart.
Friday, 11 a.m.: Game day
The whole thing did not fall apart.
“Shark diving will be one of the biggest thrills of my lifetime,” Gronk says when we meet the next morning at the dock in West End, the rustic, westernmost town on the island of Grand Bahama, just a Hail Mary pass from our hotel. He apologizes for yesterday’s confusion, but the brain fart can be forgiven. Dude has a lot on his mind these days, including a three-day shoot here for “Monster Tag” (July 23), a Discovery Shark Week special — not to mention the fate of his surefire Hall of Fame career. Gronk has announced that he’ll be suiting up for the Patriots this upcoming season after months of indecision that begot speculation over his happiness in New England. Those questions can wait for later, though.
Presently, Gronk has a question of utmost importance as we board the speedboat that will ferry us to our demise: “I’ve never worn a wet suit before. If we pee ourselves, it’ll stay in the suit, right?”
Friday, 3 p.m.: Pregame pep talk
We’re anchored many miles off the Bahamian coast at a secret location known as Tiger Beach, which is the worst prettiest place on earth. Gronk has spent the past several hours learning the art of the dive, all while half a dozen fins circle our boat. Joe Romeiro, Discovery’s shark guru, says they might belong to any number of indigenous species, including nurse, hammerhead, Caribbean reef, the “nasty, so snappy” lemon and this spot’s aggressive namesake, the tiger shark. Neil Hammerschlag, a marine ecologist at the University of Miami, offers this snapshot: “Get bit by lemon and it’s like you stuck your hand in a blender. A tiger’s bite is more like a chain saw.”
Honestly, I can’t figure out which one is worse. “Wow, this is life-changing,” Gronk says. I’m much more preoccupied with the possibility that this experience will be anatomy-changing.
Other things I wish I didn’t know: We will not be inside a protective cage of any type; the sharks here max out at a whopping 16 feet in length; they can sense if you’re “agitated,” which agitates me ?a great deal; and yes, in case you’re wondering, they do absolutely bite, although “it’s usually a bite-and-let-go,” Romeiro explains. “But if a tiger gets you, it’s lights out. No mistakes can happen.” Sweet! How is Gronk dealing with this madness?
“I’m just thinking about the San Jose Sharks,” he says. “Did they make the playoffs?”
A storm is approaching, and we’re told we can’t stall any further, so, yeah, I don’t know how else to say it, except to swallow my pride and spit it out: “Rob, you’re twice my size. If things go wrong down there, can I count on you to help me?”
“Yes, I can suplex the shark,” says Gronk, a WWE fan. “Flying elbow off the top rope!”
I’ll take it.
“You jump in first,” he says.
“The hell I will,” I tell him, and I win: Gronk leaps and I follow while “screaming like a baby,” according to at least one observer.
Friday, 4 p.m.: Kickoff
Splash! We’re sinking through a turquoise wonderland of red snappers, giant groupers, rainbow runners and “Holy s—!” Gronk yelps through our wired-for-sound masks. “Look at all these sharks!”
Yeah, can’t miss ’em. By the time we hit the sandy bottom 35 feet below the nearest life preserver, we’re swarmed by more than a dozen of the bastards. The smallest is about the size of a free safety, the largest could swallow one whole, and every damn one of them looks like Jaws, or as Gronk puts it, “Hole-eee smokes, these sharks are scary!”
Now, here’s a thing they didn’t mention topside: The locals love trading helmet paint. “That shark just hit me in the head!” Gronk confirms. Another just stuck his nose in my privates, and now he’s just kind of hovering there.
“Wow, that’s a big one!” Gronk points out. I think I might faint. “No bulls—-ing,” Gronk says. “Do you feel safe?”
I’m thinking: no. What I blurt out instead, according to a transcript that will be provided later: “Everything’s fine. Everything’s fine. Everything’s fine.”
From here on out, I try to keep my eyes at least half-closed at all times, so here’s Mr. Gronkowski with the play-by-play: “Did you see that shark wiggle his tail in my face?” [Sorry, missed it.] “Look at that one — that shark has shark bites on it!” [Nah, I’m good, thanks.] “Sam, how do you feel with three sharks circling you right now? Pretty good?” [Seriously, did the San Jose Sharks make the playoffs? Anybody?] “All right, Sam, ready to get outta here before we get bit?”
Now that I can get behind.
“I think we’ve pushed our luck far enough, Rob,” I tell him. “I’m ready to go.”
Friday, 4:30 p.m.: Game over (for now)
Thank jeebus, we’re alive! “Wow, that was nuts!” Gronk says as he flips his mask off his head. “The adrenaline rush was amazing.” I’ll admit, it was amazing. “Those things were bad boys,” he says. And because we beat them (read: survived them), we must celebrate the Gronk Way — by dancing what he calls “the shark dance.” (If you wish to try this at home, do this: Put prayer hands above your head and then writhe like an eel. Congrats, you’re doing “the shark dance.”)
Friday, 9 p.m.: Postgame party
I’m celebrating another night on earth at the hotel pool when, in the distance, I hear what sounds like a live band. Then I hear what sounds like a Gronk. “Where’s the music coming from?!” he shouts from the shotgun seat of a fast-approaching golf cart. “Let’s go find it!”
He’s on the move, peeling down concrete walkways and around hotel guests (“Watch where you’re going, a–h—s!” yells one lady) before screeching to a halt at the boat dock. It’s hosting a Junkanoo, a traditional Bahamian parade of two dozen costumed dancers, horn players and cowbell wailers. And in the center of it all is a dancing, high-fiving shark conqueror — because where there is a party, there is a Gronk.
Saturday, 4 p.m.: Rematch
We’re anchored in Little Bahama Bank, where ?the Discovery team and researchers from the University of Miami have reeled an 8-foot shark to the surface using the industry-standard, “shark-friendly” system of drum line and circle hook. “This thing’s a beauty,” Gronk says. “Let’s get it out of the water and tag this puppy.”
Gronk is helping researchers tag tiger sharks with electronic monitors as part of ongoing research to better understand their birthing habits — all while trying to keep their snapping jaws more than an arm’s length away. His job is to help secure the tigers with (I kid you not) his bare hands. My job?
“You’re doing a good job watching,” he says.
When it’s over, Gronk looks beat. “Those things are all muscle, like a whole body of core,” he says. “After holding a shark, I should be able to hold on to a couple of extra passes next season.” On that note, now might be a good time to ask Gronk about his day job: “Are you happy knowing you’ll be back with the Patriots next season?” His reply: “Want me to toss your ass in the water so you can get eaten up by the sharks?” Got it — no Pats talk.
Sunday, 8 a.m.: A final dip
“Nothing better than starting your day at the pool,” Gronk says of his morning ritual here. Today’s pool workout includes a game of three flies up with half a dozen local kids. “A hundred dollars on this one!” Gronk shouts as he launches the pigskin. I can’t tell whether he’s joking, so I leap like an antelope and snatch the ball from the children like Jaws himself. (Sadly, Gronk was not serious.)
The kids don’t know they’re playing catch with an NFL All-Pro, and I so wish to tell them, but I know Gronk is enjoying his anonymity in this island nation. Soon enough, though, his peace is shattered by a tourist in a Gators cap. “Tell Coach to chill out and smile once in a while!” Gator Guy says. Gronk offers a polite chuckle.
I have a flight to catch, so I wish Gronk well on his final day of filming and thank him for the work trip of a lifetime.
“We’re some pretty lucky guys, right?” he says. “You sure you don’t want to come diving today?”
Or, at least, I think that’s what he says. I’m already sprinting toward the airport.
