Today: Devonta Freeman to attend offseason programs, Report: Marshawn Lynch starts reinstatement process, Report: Louis Murphy arrested at Tampa airport for carrying concealed weapon, Steelers cornerback not arrested for gun at airport, Jay Cutler still considering retiring, Chicago Cubs Our World Series Rings Are The GOAT and an 8-year-old drives a car to McDonalds, then gets home safely!
Devonta Freeman To Attend Offseason Programs
Devonta Freeman, who would like to have his contract renegotiated, plans to attend the team’s offseason strength and conditioning program which starts on Monday, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News. Freeman, after working out at the players-only camp in Coral Gables, Fla. on Wednesday, spoke to Marvez.
“I’m doing everything,” Freeman said. “I love these guys. I love football.”
The Falcons have extended contracts in October or November, but general manager Thomas Dimitroff indicated to ProFootballTalk.com recently that the Falcons may do Freeman’s contract before the start of training camp.
Freeman said he anticipated a new contract this year.
Freeman is set to make $1.8 million in 2017, the last year of his rookie contract.
The Falcons “voluntary” offseason workout program is set to start on Monday.
Report: Marshawn Lynch Starts Reinstatement Process
From Pro Football Talk
Marshawn Lynch’s visit to Raiders headquarters reportedly included Lynch telling the team that he’s ready to end his retirement in order to return to the NFL to play for Oakland.
He’s reportedly ready to let the NFL know he’s ready to return as well. Ed Werder of ESPN reports that Lynch has started the reinstatement process in hopes of joining the Raiders.
Once Lynch files reinstatement papers, his $9 million cap hit would be added to the rest of the salaries in Seattle and that would likely lead to a quick resolution as the Seahawks don’t have the cap space — the NFLPA has them with $9,836,983 in cap space –to keep him on the roster for long without clearing out other money to sign this year’s draft picks or make other tweaks to the roster.
Report: Louis Murphy arrested At Tampa Airport For Carrying Concealed Weapon
From Pro Football Talk
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Louis Murphy was arrested Wednesday morning at the Tampa International Airport for illegally carrying a concealed weapon, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
Murphy’s arrest was for felony possession of a concealed firearm after the weapon was discovered at a security checkpoint. He was released on $2,000 bond later Wednesday afternoon.
Murphy did not play in a game for the Buccaneers last season. He began the year on the physically unable to perform list and suffered another injury once he returned to practice. The team later released him in November.
Steelers Cornerback Not Arrested For Gun At Airport
Senquez Golson must have caught a TSA agent in a better mood than Louis Murphy did.
According to a report from TMZ, the Steelers cornerback was detained briefly but not arrested when security stopped him in an Alabama airport and found a handgun and 23 bullets in his carry-on bag.
But police in Mobile offered to keep the gun and let him retrieve it when he returned to Alabama.
Golson, the Steelers second-round pick in 2015, hasn’t played in an NFL game yet because of shoulder and foot injuries.
And it’s unclear why his treatment was different than Murphy, who was arrested in Tampa yesterday when a concealed weapon was discovered at a security checkpoint.
Jay Cutler Still Considering Retiring
Two months ago, former Bears and Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler was said to be considering retiring, and that’s still the case.
Cutler is still deciding whether he wants to play or call it quits, according to ESPN.
If Cutler does want to play he’ll find a job somewhere, but it won’t be a job that pays him anything close to the $18 million a year he averaged over the last three years on the contract he signed with the Bears in 2014. More likely a team would offer Cutler a few million dollars, with the chance to earn more with incentives.
That might not be enough for Cutler, who is financially comfortable after making more than $100 million in his career and he gets to see Kristin Cavallari naked daily. We may have seen Cutler play for the last time. He’s only 33 years old though.
Chicago Cubs: Our World Series Rings Are The GOAT!!
TMZ Sports.com
The Chicago Cubs finally got their World Series bling Wednesday night — complete with 214 diamonds, rubies, sapphires … and a BILLY GOAT.
Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and the rest of the historic team were honored for their first piece of championship jewelry in 108 years last night … and while the rocks are nice, what sticks out is the image of a billy goat inside the band.
You know the story … the curse was brought up every time the team came up short or had a bit of bad luck, getting the blame for their struggles.
8-Year-Old Drives A Car To McDonalds & Gets Home Safely
EAST PALESTINE — An 8-year-old Ohio boy used YouTube videos to learn how to drive his father’s van to McDonald’s on Sunday.
East Palestine, Ohio Patrolman Jacob Koehler responded to the restaurant that evening after the police department received reports from several people who witnessed the boy driving the van effortlessly through the downtown area.
Koehler said that according to reports from witnesses the boy obeyed all traffic laws, stopping properly at red lights and waited for traffic to pass before making the left turn into the McDonald’s parking lot.
When he pulled up to the drive-through window after ordering a cheeseburger he had been craving and intended to pay for using money he gathered from his piggy bank, the McDonald’s workers at first thought they were being pranked.
“The workers thought that the parents were in the back, but obviously they weren’t,” Koehler said.
The boy had his 4-year-old sister along as a passenger. Their parents were back at home asleep after a long day of playing with the children outside in the beautiful Sunday weather, Koehler said.
“I think there is a good teaching point here. With the way technology is anymore kids will learn how to do anything and everything. This kid learned how to drive on YouTube. He probably looked it up for five minutes and then said it was time to go,” he added.
“He didn’t hit a single thing on the way there. It was unreal,” he said.
The boy drove about a mile and a half from his home to the restaurant shortly after 8 p.m.
The boy told police that he had never driven before, but had learned by watching the videos. He also said that he was able to get the keys to his father’s locked van by standing up on his tip-toes to get to where they were hanging.
The boy, in tears when he realized he had done something wrong, told Koehler he just really wanted a cheeseburger.
Police said it was not a case of neglect — the boy and his sister had already eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner that day, but he still really wanted that cheeseburger.
The boy and his sister still got their meals of cheeseburger, chicken nuggets and fries while they waited for their grandparents to arrive and take them to the police station.
The children were picked up by their parents at the station and no charges were filed.
