Could this finally be Rueben Randle‘s breakout year? The wide receiver has long been expected to emerge as a star in New York and the Giants have a feeling that 2015 could be his time to shine, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) says. Randle is entering his contract year and a strong performance could lead him to a sizable payday in the offseason, whether it’s with the Giants or another squad. GM Jerry Reese also believes that the presence of Odell Beckham Jr. and the returning Victor Cruz will open things up for the 24-year-old. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Bills running back LeSean McCoy suffered a hamstring injury earlier today and the team ordered an MRI to determine the severity of it. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) now wonders if Ray Rice‘s best shot for a deal could be in Buffalo. Head coach Rex Ryan and Rice have a shared history thanks to their time together in Baltimore.
- Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith says the starting right tackle job is up for grabs, though he added that he wouldn’t have signed Gosder Cherilus if they didn’t expect him to help right away, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com tweets. Tampa Bay signed the veteran to a lucrative two-year deal on Monday.
- Cherilus says he believes the Bucs would have drafted him if he lasted until pick No. 20 in 2008, Smith tweets. The offensive lineman wound up going 17th to the Lions instead.
- Last week, the Broncos claimed Spencer Lanning off waivers when the Buccaneers waived him and Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter) notes that the Broncos put in a claim back when the Browns cut him loose. This means that Lanning has been on the radar for Denver for quite a while and this could be an indication that he has momentum going into the team’s kicking competition.
The Broncos’ special teams situation was one of the most stable in the league going into last season, with both Matt Prater and Colquitt locked into long-term deals. It’s become quite complex since Prater’s 2014 suspension. They’ll almost certainly required a kickoff specialist, something they didn’t need throughout Prater’s tenure.