Gary Kubiak sees NFL Teams signing two-point Specialists (Pro Football Talk)

Posted by Michael David Smith on Pro Football Talk of NBC Sports 

+Getty Images

Does the +NFL's new rule moving extra point kicks back 13 yards make much of a difference to how teams assemble their rosters?

It does according to Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, who sees NFL teams signing players specifically for their ability to score on two-point conversions.

“I think there [are] going to be two-point specialists from the standpoint of how you go about doing it. Coaching, those are things that you work on,” Kubiak said, via +Lindsay H. Jones of +USA TODAY Sports. “You probably practice those things during camp. It’s not very much and, all of a sudden, it becomes part of the game. That’s a big part of practice. It’s going to change the way you go about doing things. I know that.”

The player most often named as a potential two-point specialist is Tim Tebow, whose presence on the +Philadelphia Eagles' roster has some thinking that Chip Kelly must have some two-point conversion tricks up his sleeve.

Continue to read full article, here...

Gus Bradley just want one thing from All-Pro TE and Free Agent Signing, Julius Thomas, of the Jacksonville Jaguars

BELICHICK NEVER BELIEVED TOM BRADY REGARDING DEFLATEGATE (Per Sources)

Belichick never believed Brady's Deflategate story, says Boston reporter

By CHRIS CHASE

All through the Deflategate process, one in which many voices were shouting many different things, there was one group that was conspicuously quiet: NFL quarterbacks, past and present.

Oh, a few would do a demonstration on PSI for television cameras or give a perfunctory quote about their own preference for an ideal football, but no one at all came rushing to Brady’s defense. There were two inferences to make from this: First, everybody was doing the same exact thing, so they hoped Brady’s saga would end quickly so they could get back to tailoring footballs to their specificities. Or, as Boston Herald writer Ron Borges told a Boston sports program this week, nobody besides Don Yee lept to Brady’s defense because no one believed his story, including Bill Belichick. 

#Belichick never believed #Brady’s #Deflategate story, says #Boston reporter #NFL #Wolverines +@FTW 

BELICHICK NEVER BELIEVED TOM BRADY REGARDING DEFLATEGATE (Per Sources)

Belichick never believed Brady's Deflategate story, says Boston reporter

By CHRIS CHASE May 22, 2015 9:32 am ET

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(Getty Images)
All through the Deflategate process, one in which many voices were shouting many different things, there was one group that was conspicuously quiet: NFL quarterbacks, past and present.

Oh, a few would do a demonstration on PSI for television cameras or give a perfunctory quote about their own preference for an ideal football, but no one at all came rushing to Brady’s defense. There were two inferences to make from this: First, everybody was doing the same exact thing, so they hoped Brady’s saga would end quickly so they could get back to tailoring footballs to their specificities. Or, as Boston Herald writer Ron Borges told a Boston sports program this week, nobody besides Don Yee lept to Brady’s defense because no one believed his story, including Bill Belichick. 

#Belichick never believed #Brady’s #Deflategate story, says #Boston reporter #NFL #Wolverines +@FTW 

$40 Million + per year as base salary, hmmm, Goodell? So sick of the SPIN from the Commissioner and the Patriots

Roger Goodell said he has not had a chance to study the NFLPA's official request to recuse himself from Brady appeal.

— Bob Glauber (@BobGlauber) May 20, 2015

+SPORTS CR3W finds it extremely difficult to believe that a man of his stature, position, wisdom, overwhelming ego, has not procured every aspect of this appeal. If he has not, which he claims, than once again, +Roger Goodell gives us even more desire than previously held for the return of a man we trusted and truly respected, the former +NFL commissioner, Paul Tagliablue, or a man cut from the same cloth as him. 

Andy Lyons, +Getty Images

NFL is what it is today because of two great hall of fame caliber commissioners that preceded Goodell. Haven't trusted Goodell because of they way he 'covered up' Spygate and then brought a hammer down on the +New Orleans Saints and Sean Payton for Bountygate that didn't even make one player in the league cry foul, and former players. Even players that were named as ones targeted by the Saints players such as Brett Favre. 

Suffice it to say, deflategate, spygate, and recording defensive coordinators signals during games had a much different and opposite outcry from current, past (even the greatest to play) and surefire, future Hall of Famers. How can the casual and potential fan of the great game of football and the NFL trust this guy? The +New England Patriots and Goodell have had several incidents of distrust and cover ups that just carries on... This is not trial court nor litigation. This is a sports game that American boys and girls grow up loving, and now polls show that a mere 61% look at one of the faces of this league and sport as a role model. To put it lightly, that is embarrassing for this caliber and juggernaut of a league and operation and in our opinion, completely UNACCEPTABLE!

------- Article Published Below ---- H/T +The Denver Post

Owner Robert Kraft took a step back Tuesday, viewing the Patriots’ drama through a wider lens. After initially contesting the findings of Deflategate, Kraft said from the owners spring meeting that he would “reluctantly accept” commissioner Roger Goodell’s discipline of the team and not appeal the discipline.

This represents a stark reversal for Kraft. Kraft insisted the Wells’ report was flawed and that quarterback Tom Brady told him the truth when he said he did nothing against the rules regarding the use of deflated footballs in the AFC Championship game.

Kraft insisted Tuesday that he didn’t want the “rhetoric to continue,” noting it was not good for the league. He didn’t say whether he will advise Brady to drop the appeal of his four-game suspension. The NFL Players Association announced that Kraft’s decision will not impact Brady’s position. The Patriots received a record-breaking $1-million fine and lost a number one draft pick in 2016 and a fourth-round selection in 2017.

“Mr. Kraft is a brilliant businessman,” said former offensive lineman Damien Woody. “This was good for business.” Continue to read story from the The Denver Post

Oakland Raiders to relocate out of California?? (Via Ian Rappaport - NFL Network)

The Oakland Raiders might relocate to...Texas? (via @RapSheet): http://t.co/L0WSxYCuL0 pic.twitter.com/czTijwtfn3

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) May 22, 2015

NFL Owners vote to have PAT moved back amongst a couple minor changes for the "Point(s) After Touchdown"

SAN FRANCISCO -- As expected, +NFL owners on Tuesday voted 30-2 to approve a change in the rule governing extra points after touchdowns.

The owners considered three proposals but ultimately approved a rule change endorsed by the competition committee. The new rule pushes the kick back to the 15-yard line and leaves the two-point conversion at the 2-yard line.

It also makes the play "live," meaning the defense could return a blocked kick or a turnover on a two-point play for two points.

The +New England Patriots proposed snapping the ball from the 15 for a one-point kick or placing the ball at the 2-yard line for a two-point try. According to the Patriots' proposal, a team's choice was not final and was subject to change following a timeout or penalty.

The +Philadelphia Eagles proposed snapping from the 15 for the kick but moving the ball to the 1 for a two-point conversion. The Eagles also wanted the defense to be able to score points if it returned a turnover on the two-point conversion to the other end zone.

+Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith pointed to the high rate of success of extra points as a reason for the change.

+Washington Redskins and Oakland were the only teams to vote no. The rule change will be reviewed after one year.

Click here for the remainder of the story: H/T +BRONCOS CR3W +ESPN Eric Williams of +ABC6NEWS in Philadelphia

While many are happy that the NFL extra point has been altered, some are still having issues. One of those people is former kicker Jay Feely, who played 14 seasons in the league. After the rule was announced, which is taking the extra-point snap from the 2-yard line to the 15-yard line, Feely went on Twitter and blasted the NFL. Click here for remainder of story on +FanSided

What did the NFL really accomplish? It's still nearly automatic (90%vs 99%) but greater risk of injury to Oline https://t.co/PgEpxEE3CT

— Jay Feely (@jayfeely) May 19, 2015

Another PK, Connor Barth, who is currently on the +Denver Broncos roster is not a fan of the rule change either. He was not emphasizing the injury or risk of injury aspect in an interview with +The Denver Post. Barth was focused on the fact that if they are aiming to make PAT's more difficult and a bit more uncertain, that the +NFL should make the FG posts thinner whereas pushing them back to a 32 yard kick won't affect the 99% success rate much. 

+SPORTS CR3W actually finds this enlightenment much more practical and sensible. We speculate the issue with this concept is that it means the NFL stadiums would have to provide alternative field goal posts as well as installing the new ones. Which probably made the +NCAA push back as they would eventually be forced to looking into changing hundreds of fields, not to mention the thousands of high school fields down the road. Still with all things considered, makes one wonder if any PK's practice on narrower FG posts? One that we will seek to find the answer from previous or current NFL place kickers.

Last season, Barth was perfect from the 20-yard PAT distance (15-of-15) and from 30-39 yards out (5-of-5). In his career, he has hit 100 percent of his PATs (149-of-149) and 88.6 percent (31-of-35) of his 30- to 39-yard field goals.

Barth, who says he's "kind of old school," sees no reason to change a game that is so popular.

"It'll probably change the percentages a little bit, but we're all pretty good kickers, and I still think we'll be in the high 90 percent range on extra points from the 15," he said. "I think they're just trying to find something to change."



Barth, who prides himself on his accuracy more than his power, sees a silver lining, however.

RELATED: NFL players have mixed reactions to new PAT rules

"It would weed out the strong-legged kickers who aren't accurate," he said. "It would make our value go up."

Robert Kraft says Tom Brady told him that he had Zero Involvement in the 11 of 12 Deflated balls during AFC Championship game

+New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft continues to lash out against the +NFL for its Deflategate punishment because he has unwavering trust in his quarterback.

Kraft, who’s already in San Francisco for the NFL Spring Meeting -- where he’ll be face-to-face with commissioner Roger Goodell and the other 31 team owners -- told the MMQB.com’s +Peter King that he believes Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had no knowledge of deflated footballs.

“Yes. Because we had the discussion: 'If you did it, let’s just deal with it and take our hit and move on,'” Kraft said. “I’ve known Tommy 16 years, almost half his life. He’s a man, and he’s always been honest with me, and I trust him. I believed what he told me. He has never lied to me, and I have found no hard or conclusive evidence to the contrary.”

Click for Rest of the story by +Doug Kyed from NESN.com

FC Barcelona is the 2015 La Liga BBVA Champions (5th in 7 years) with two big Cup games on schedule

Barcelona beats Atletico Madrid for La Liga title - bit.ly/8arc411

Barcelona's Lionel Messi scored in the 65th minute to lift his team over Atletico Madrid 1–0 on Sunday, giving Barcelona the 2014/2105 La Liga title, despite Real Madrid's 3-1 win over Espanyol.

The goal was typical Messi, weaving through defenders before putting the ball in the back of the net with a precise finish... Rest of story is at +Sports Illustrated +Fútbol planet http://bit.ly/FCB4rc411