What’s harder, learning an NFL offense or studying at Harvard? Buccaneers rookie tight end Cameron Brate gave Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times the answer. “This is definitely harder,” said Brate, comparing the playbook to his classes at Cambridge. “Once you get the base down, everything builds off of that in economics. One thing that Harvard helped me out with was teaching me how to learn efficiently.” More from around the NFL..
- Free agent tight end Jermichael Finley will undergo testing with the Packers tomorrow, writes Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel. This could be a sign that his spinal contusion has healed and that he’s closer to getting back on the field.
- The Lions worked out defensive tackle Derek Landri today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) Landri, 31 in September, signed a two year, $3.25MM contract with the Buccaneers in March 2013 and was released in February of this year.
- The Bucs are discussing a long-term deal with All-Pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy but that’s not exactly at the forefront of his mind. “That’s cool,” McCoy said, according to Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times. “That sounds good, but I’m not worried about that right now.” One of McCoy’s priorities for this offseason will be to get more familiar with the Tampa 2 defense that Lovie Smith has brought back to the franchise.
- The 49ers‘ method of signing promising inexperienced backups to modest contract extensions can backfire and Alex Boone is just the latest example, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The 26-year-old was a no-show for OTAs over dissatisfaction with his deal. He’s set to earn base salaries of $2MM this season and $1.2MM in 2015.
- While he wouldn’t name names, Chargers GM Tom Telesco told SiriusXM that the 2014 crop of undrafted free agents is better than those that were signed in 2013, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports 1.
- Prized offseason pickup Chris Johnson took to Twitter to let everyone know that he wants to see the Jets go out and get disgruntled Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson. The star receiver, frustrated with several difficult seasons, was a no-show for OTAs in Houston.
- The Bears‘ draft picks and free agent pickups look strong in OTAs and seem comfortable with their new surroundings and schemes, writes Matt Bowen of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears’ additions on the defensive front, including defensive end Jared Allen, give Chicago a level of flexibility that they didn’t have last season.
- In this week’s mailbag, Mike Jones of the Washington Post discusses the Redskins‘ front office following the departure of Morocco Brown and Bruce Allen being bumped up to President and GM.