New Orleans Saints defensive end Noah Spence suffered a torn ACL while training away from the team, a source confirmed Tuesday.
Spence was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list since the injury did not occur as part of New Orleans’ offseason training program — which was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. That means he can’t play for the Saints this year and won’t count against their 90-man roster. NFL Network was the first to report the nature of Spence’s injury.
Situations like this could add another wrinkle to these unusual offseason circumstances. Teams aren’t required to pay salaries in the cases of “non-football” injuries. But they could decide to work out injury settlements or place players on injured reserve when rosters are trimmed in September and continue paying them.
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- Covered Rams for two years for Los Angeles Times
- Previously covered the Falcons
- Has covered the NBA and college football and basketball
The Los Angeles Rams have been in contact with Jalen Ramsey’s representatives in regard to a contract extension as the All-Pro cornerback enters the final season of his rookie deal.
Ramsey played coy Tuesday when asked where negotiations stood.
“The Rams know where I stand,” Ramsey said on a video conference with reporters. “I think that’s all that matters at the end of the day. It will be handled. They know where I stand. They’ve been in contact with my agent. … They’re on the same page as my agent.”
When asked whether he would attend training camp if he had yet to sign an extension, Ramsey showed no hesitation.
“Yeah, for sure,” he said.
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Ramsey is expected to command a record-breaking contract, and it’s anticipated that he will have the upper hand in negotiations given what the Rams paid to acquire him before the trade deadline last season.
The Rams sent their 2020 and 2021 first-round draft picks and a 2021 fourth-round selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Ramsey, who was the No. 5 overall pick in 2016.
“I can’t really worry about that,” Ramsey said about the negotiations. “I just control what I got to worry about right now. … I feel like everybody knew what type of situation it was gonna be once they traded for me, so I think it doesn’t really need to be talked about that much. It will get handled.”
Considered among the top lockdown corners in the NFL, Ramsey has 10 interceptions, including one for a touchdown, and 49 pass deflections in four seasons.
The Rams have been aggressive in signing players to record-breaking contracts over the past two years.
Running back Todd Gurley signed a four-year, $40 million extension in July 2018 that included a record-breaking $45 million guaranteed. A month later, defensive tackle Aaron Donald signed a six-year, $135 million extension that amounted to the richest contract ever signed by a defensive player. Last September, quarterback Jared Goff signed a four-year, $134 million deal that includes a record-breaking $110 million guaranteed.
The Rams, however, cut Gurley this offseason and also traded receiver Brandin Cooks, who was in the midst of a five-year, $81 million contract.
Gurley and Cooks’ contracts will cost the Rams nearly $30 million in dead money cap charges in 2020.
Rain filled the South Florida air on Sunday, threatening to make a mess of The Match: Champions for Charity at Medalist Golf Club.
Instead, four sporting icons didn’t let bad weather dampen what turned out to be an exciting, fun-filled exhibition that raised $20 million for COVID-19 relief efforts while highlighting the ups and downs of competitive golf.
Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning prevailed 1 up over Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady in Hobe Sound, Florida, but the outcome never really mattered.
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Andy Reid isn’t necessarily a fan of the NFL’s proposed rule that would allow teams to retain possession after a score by converting a fourth-and-15 instead of recovering an onside kick, but the Kansas City Chiefs coach wouldn’t be afraid to use the new option if it passes because of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“We’ve got a guy that can do fourth-and-15s,” Reid said Friday. “He’d give us an opportunity to do that.”
Under the proposed rule, put forth by the Philadelphia Eagles, a team would have the option for one offensive play from its 25-yard line rather than kicking off after a score. The team would need to gain at least 15 yards to retain possession.
Team owners will be asked to vote on rule proposals during a virtual meeting May 28. Owners rejected a similar proposal to this last year from the Denver Broncos, but the league did try it out during the 2019 Pro Bowl.