GLENDALE, Ariz. — Bruce Arians knew what was coming when he approached the podium in the bowels of University of Phoenix Stadium for the first time this training camp.
It was the first time the Arizona Cardinals coach was formally addressing the local media after revealing in his recently released book that he was diagnosed with kidney cancer last December and had surgery in February to remove part of the organ. The questions, regardless of whether he tried to curb them or not, were bound to come.
On Thursday afternoon, he tried to get ahead of the story and then move on from it.
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said he kept his cancer diagnosis a secret last December so that he wouldn’t be a distraction to the team in the final weeks of the season. Rob Schumacher/azcentral sports via USA TODAY NETWORK
“Welcome back, guys,” Arians began his news conference. “Yes, I’m healthy. Let’s get that s— out of the way right now. All that is behind me and I’m very, very fortunate to have a great doctor and can’t wait to get started.”
The first question was about why he kept the cancer a secret.
“We had some big games to finish the season and in no way did that have to be a distraction,” Arians said.
While his health was an issue from, essentially, the start of last season to the finish, it wasn’t enough to force Arians to retire. He was hospitalized last August during a training camp trip to San Diego for symptoms related to diverticulitis. He also was hospitalized in November for chest pains.
The cancer diagnosis came in December, when it was discovered during a doctor’s appointment that was initially scheduled to treat a potential hernia. He had surgery in February, the same month he had surgery to repair a rotator cuff injury.
“It was a s—ty February,” he said. “Too many operations. But the rotator’s great. Don’t tell Was [Cardinals orthopedist Dr. Gary Waslewski], but I played golf a few times this summer and I didn’t play very well but I didn’t lose all my money. It was fun.
“But, yeah, the other one. When they tell you you’re cancer-free, that’s a great feeling.”
And Arians still returned for a fifth season as the Cardinals’ head coach.
“If I was going to retire because of my health, I should’ve did it last year,” Arians said. “Hopefully I don’t have anything worse than I had last year.”
The New York Giants could have as many as 19 returning starters when the NFL season opens, but there are two rookies and two second-year players trying to earn their spots this summer.
Here’s a starting-lineup projection entering training camp:
Offense
Quarterback (Eli Manning): His job isn’t in jeopardy, even though the Giants drafted a quarterback in the third round. Manning had a down year in 2016 (26 touchdowns, 23 turnovers). But with improved weapons, there is hope this will be a bounce-back season.
Running back (Paul Perkins): The second-year back already has been anointed the starter. The elusiveness and versatility he showed during a rookie campaign when he averaged 4.1 yards per carry earned him the opportunity to be the lead back.
Wide receiver (Odell Beckham Jr.): The 24-year-old is one of the NFL’s biggest stars. He has had at least 90 catches, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his first three professional seasons — the only player in NFL history to accomplish the feat. Now he needs to show that productivity in the postseason while playing for a new contract.
Wide receiver (Brandon Marshall): The tall, powerful receiver was signed this offseason as a complement to Beckham. The Giants hope they’re getting the five-time Pro Bowler, not the 2016 version of Marshall who struggled with injuries and inconsistency.
Wide receiver (Sterling Shepard): He’s looking to build off a strong maiden season during which he was second among rookies with eight touchdowns. Shepard had a strong spring, and his goal is to be more dynamic this season after the catch.
Rookie tight end Evan Engram’s ability to block on a consistent basis might be the only thing that keeps him off the field. AP Photo/Julio Cortez
Tight end (Evan Engram): The first-round pick adds a new dimension to the offense with his speed and ability to open up the middle of the field. But Engram’s blocking will ultimately determine just how often he’s on the field and whether he immediately earns a starting spot. Rhett Ellison could end up starting due to his blocking ability.
Left tackle (Ereck Flowers): The Giants went all-in on Flowers this offseason after they didn’t add a true veteran offensive tackle in free agency. They were impressed that he remained at the facility and reworked his body. Flowers, 23, allowed the second-most pressures (59) among all offensive tackles last season, according to Pro Football Focus. So there is plenty of room to improve.
Left guard (Justin Pugh): Perhaps the Giants’ best offensive lineman, Pugh is entering his contract year. He needs to remain healthy after missing nine games over the past three seasons.
Center (Weston Richburg): The fourth-year center also is entering his contract year. Richburg is hoping to bounce back after playing with a hand injury for most of 2016.
Right guard (John Jerry): The Giants re-signed Jerry this offseason to a three-year, $10 million contract with the intention of him being their starting right guard. Coming off one of the best seasons of his career, he will face some competition from free-agent acquisition D.J. Fluker. But Jerry is the favorite to start entering camp.
Right tackle (Bobby Hart): The Giants’ inactivity regarding the tackle slot this offseason again puts Hart in position to start, after he was benched late last year. Hart showed flashes of his potential last season.
Defense
Defensive end (Jason Pierre-Paul): He returns healthy and with a new four-year, $62 million deal. Pierre-Paul proved last season — with 53 tackles and seven sacks in 12 games — that he can still be a difference-maker.
Defensive tackle (Damon Harrison): He’s arguably the league’s best run-stuffing tackle. Pro Football Focus had him with a 15.8 percent run-stop percentage, tops in the NFL. Harrison might well be the most important player on the Giants’ defense.
Defensive tackle (Dalvin Tomlinson): Robert Thomas spent most of the spring working with the first-team defense. But when all is said and done, Tomlinson, a second-round pick out of Alabama, seems to have the best chance to start alongside Harrison on running downs.
Defensive end (Olivier Vernon): He came to the Giants with a massive contract and didn’t disappoint in his first season with the team. Vernon tied for the NFL lead with 17 tackles for loss and played the most snaps of any defensive lineman. They’re expecting much of the same in Year 2.
Weakside linebacker (Jonathan Casillas): The well-respected defensive captain was the team’s only three-down linebacker last season. He finished with a career-best 96 tackles and eight passes defended. He has a chance to fill the same role in 2017.
Middle linebacker (B.J. Goodson): The second-year linebacker had a strong spring, during which he impressed the coaching staff and teammates. With last year’s starter Kelvin Sheppard still unsigned and unlikely to return, Goodson appears primed to start and become the signal-caller on this defense.
Strongside linebacker (Devon Kennard): The reliable Kennard does an excellent job setting the edge and playing with power. He’s entrenched as the starter on the strong side, in large part because of his run-stuffing ability.
Cornerback (Janoris Jenkins): He took his game to a new level with the Giants last season and earned his first Pro Bowl selection. He shut down Dallas Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant (twice) and proved to be a shutdown corner even against No. 1 receivers.
Cornerback (Eli Apple): With Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie having made the smooth transition to the slot, Apple is the clear-cut starter on the outside. After an up-and-down rookie season, he should make a significant jump, if he can remain healthy.
Strong safety (Landon Collins): He blossomed into an All-Pro safety in his second season. Collins had 125 tackles, five interceptions, 4.0 sacks and 13 passes defended while becoming a fixture in the Giants’ secondary. He’ll be there for a long time.
Free safety (Darian Thompson): This is one of the few defensive positions up for grabs. Safeties coach David Merritt said as much last month. Thompson missed all but two games last season, and undrafted rookie Andrew Adams filled in admirably. The two will compete for the starting spot this summer, but Thompson enters as the favorite with his foot healthy. He blew away the team last spring/summer with his smarts and instincts.
Special teams
Kicker (Aldrick Rosas): He’s the only kicker on the roster, and the Giants were impressed by what they saw this spring. It’s Rosas’ job to lose at training camp and in the preseason.
Punter (Brad Wing): He established himself as a weapon last season. Wing’s average of 46.2 yards per punt was the best of his career.
Long-snapper (Zak DeOssie): The veteran is back for another season. The special-teams captain is well-respected and considered a leader in the locker room.
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones has been suspended for the 2017 season opener for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, the league announced Friday.
Jones’ suspension stems from his January arrest at a hotel in downtown Cincinnati. He allegedly pushed a security guard, poked him in the eye and refused to comply with law enforcement officers.
He had faced misdemeanor charges of assault, disorderly conduct and obstructing official business and a felony count of harassment with a bodily substance for allegedly spitting on a nurse in jail, but most of the charges were dropped at the request of a Cincinnati prosecutor, who said the incident was just “drunken foolishness.”
Jones pleaded guilty in May to the obstruction charge. He was sentenced to two days in jail, which had already been served.
The NFL told Jones in a letter that it watched video “of the tone, tenor and nature of your interactions with law enforcement at the site of your arrest, during transportation to the jail, and during the booking process.” The league also said his actions reflected poorly on him, his family, the Bengals and the NFL.
“While it is our understanding that appropriate apologies have been publicly extended, they do not completely negate your behavior and admission of culpability for the underlying conduct,” the NFL wrote.
In a statement, the Bengals said they had anticipated the suspension and were looking to move on.
“Our focus is on getting ready for the upcoming season,” the Bengals said. “Adam will participate in training camp, and we are counting on him to help our team when he returns from suspension.”
Adam Jones will miss the Bengals’ first game of the regular season after the NFL announced his personal conduct suspension Friday. AP Photo/John Minchillo
Jones has three days to appeal the suspension. His agent Peter Schaffer said they are reviewing all options in regard to a potential appeal.
Jones’ participation in preseason games would be departure for the Bengals from last season, when linebacker Vontaze Burfict did not play in the preseason ahead of his three-game suspension to start the regular season.
In a video released by Cincinnati police, Jones was shown cursing at an officer in the back of a police car and telling him, “I hope you die tomorrow.” Jones apologized in court for the incident.
Jones said he has been going to anger management classes and alcohol-related treatment following the arrest. He made headlines in April for yelling at a local reporter who asked questions about the arrest.
The 33-year-old has a history of off-field incidents, including one that almost ended his career. He was suspended without pay by the league for the 2007 season after an incident in a Las Vegas nightclub resulted in a man being paralyzed. Jones was later ordered to play $12 million in damages to the victim.
Jones has been with the Bengals since 2010 and was voted a team captain for the first time in 2016. Bengals owner Mike Brown publicly stood by him after the arrest.
“He knows full well what he has done to himself,” Brown had told Bengals.com and the Cincinnati Enquirer as part of his statement. “He regrets it. But it’s been made into a public issue, and maybe I am overly tolerant. If so, so be it.”
LOVELOCK, Nev. — Former football star and convicted felon O.J. Simpson is appearing before a parole board Thursday, pleading for his freedom on live TV.
Simpson was convicted in 2008 of an armed robbery involving two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room. The 70-year-old is asking the parole board to release him in October after serving the minimum nine years of a 33-year sentence.
He is seated at a plain wooden table and is appearing before the parole board from Lovelock Correctional Center via closed-circuit video. Appearing as inmate No. 1027820, Simpson is being accompanied by lawyer Malcolm LaVergne, prison caseworker Marc La Fleur, close friend Tom Scotto, sister Shirley Baker and daughter Arnelle Simpson.
The hearing is being chaired by Connie Bisbee, with Tony Corda, Adam Endel and Susan Jackson also in attendance via video conferencing from Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners headquarters in Carson City, Nevada. Commissioners Ed Gray and Michael Keeler monitored proceedings from Las Vegas.
If any of the four commissioners monitoring from Carson City vote to deny Simpson’s release, or there is a split, then Gray and Keeler will be asked to weigh in until there is a majority. The seven-member board has one vacancy and — should the vote end in a 3-3 tie — Simpson will have to return for another hearing in January 2018.
The same four commissioners watching from Carson City granted him parole during his last public appearance in 2013 on some of his 12 charges, leaving him with four years to serve before reaching his minimum term.
If he is granted his release, Simpson, who was convicted in 2008 of an armed robbery involving two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room, could be out of prison as early as Oct. 1.
His current sentence end date is Sept. 29, 2022.
Simpson appeared animated as he looked around the room as he entered, recognizing people in the room.
Bisbee mistakenly read that Simpson recently turned 90 years old before correcting herself, and Simpson seized the opportunity to make a joke.
“Feels like it though,” he said as laughter filled the room, helping to break the tension before Simpson was asked to recount his details about what happened during the armed robbery in 2008.
Four years ago, Simpson told the parole board he has kept a promise to stay out of trouble, coaches in the prison gym where he works and counsels other inmates.
Simpson has earned sentencing credits and time off for good behavior, cutting his 33-year maximum sentence by more than half.
He was convicted of enlisting some men he barely knew, including two who had guns, to retrieve from two sports collectibles sellers some items that Simpson said were stolen from him a decade earlier.
The robbery was a new low for Simpson, whose celebrity spanned sports, movies, television and advertising before his fall from grace during his highly publicized murder trial in 1995.
Simpson was found not guilty in the 1984 killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. In 1997, he was found liable in civil court for the deaths and ordered to pay $33.5 million to survivors including his children and the Goldman family.
The Goldmans believe Simpson got away with murder in Los Angeles, and many people felt the stiff sentence handed down in Las Vegas wasn’t just about the robbery.
Ron Goldman’s father and sister, Fred and Kim, were not part of Simpson’s parole hearing. A spokesman on Wednesday said the family was apprehensive about how, if Simpson were to be released, “will change their lives again.”
