The Mark Graham Sports Blog

Indoor Football Team Offers Tebow Contract

19 days ago

Tim Tebow may not have any NFL offers as of yet, but he does have at least one suitor vying for his services... for $75 a game.

The Omaha Beef of the Champions Professional Indoor Football League (rolls right off the tongue) have reached out to Tebow's agent, Jimmy Sexton, and have offered a contract to the former New York Jet. The Beef are willing to give Tebow $75 a game, a far cry from the $2.1 million he made last season in Gotham.

Beef assistant general manager Andrew Mather said that he doesn't expect to hear back from Tebow's camp, but thought it was worth a try to contact him.

The Beef have a starting quarterback right now, and a pretty good one at that. James McNear has led the Beef to a 5-1 record so far this season and has completed 70 percent of his passes. McNear has also thrown 21 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

McNear doesn't seem to be fazed by the news of the Beef contacting Tebow. In fact he feels that he is the better quarterback, saying,

"I think Tim can learn a lot from me,"

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Montreal Alouettes Own Tim Tebow's CFL Rights; Would Be Backup

20 days ago

TSN's Dave Naylor is reporting that the CFL's Montreal Alouettes own Tim Tebow's CFL rights and would welcome him onto the team as a backup.

Alouettes general manager Jim Popp told TSN that if Tebow were to join the Alouettes, his role would be similar to his with the New York Jets, saying:

"If he wants to come to Canada he would be in the same situation as the one he was in with New York. He can come here and compete to be the backup to Anthony Calvillo and learn the game, just like Jeff Garcia did (behind Doug Flutie). And one day he might be the guy; that's our vision. He can learn from the best."

Current Montreal Alouettes coach and former Colorado Buffaloes coach Dan Hawkins is said to be a big fan of Tim Tebow's work. Hawkins' interest in Tebow is a big reason why Montreal still retains the rights to Tim Tebow. Previous Montreal Alouettes coach and current Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman was a fan of Tebow's as well.

Popp has no plans to contact Tebow and believes that Tebow will exhaust all his NFL options before looking to join a CFL team.

"If (Tebow) wants to come to Canada he will reach out to us," said Popp. "And if he wants to come to Canada we would take a look at him."

Popp has said that the team also owns the rights to Vince Young, but the two haven't been in contact for months.

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New York Jets Release Tim Tebow

20 days ago

After one uneventful season in New York, the Jets have released Tim Tebow after a logjam was created at the quarterback position.

After the New York Jets drafted highly touted quarterback Geno Smith of West Virginia, it left the Jets with six quarterbacks, including Mark Sanchez and Tebow. The release of Tebow had been expected due to his inactivity with the Jets. Coach Rex Ryan benched Sanchez in gave the starter's job to third stringer Greg McElroy leaving Tebow very upset.

Tebow became expendable when the team signed former Jacksonville Jaguar and Miami Dolphin David Garrard.

Ryan released a statement that read:

"We have a great deal of respect for Tim Tebow. Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we all had hoped. Tim is an extremely hard worker, evident by the shape he came back in this offseason. We wish him the best moving forward."

The Jets had been trying to shop Tebow around during the Draft, but no one took the bait and now it appears his future is very murky. The Jacksonville Jaguars need help at the quarterback position but said in the past that they would not pursue Tebow.

Tebow may need to convert to another position in order to restart his NFL career. A highly inaccurate thrower, Tebow is just one of five quarterbacks in the last 30 years to complete less than 48% of his passes, with a minimum of 300 throws. The others on the list are Akili Smith, Heath Shuler, Bubby Brister, and Steve Beuerlein.

Tebow said of his time in New York:

"I felt like it was a learning opportunity for me," he said at the end of the season, reflecting on the year that wasn't. "There was a lot that I'll take from it. There's a lot that I learned and there are lot of relationships that I've built, so I know that it happened for a reason."

The New York Jets traded a fourth round pick, $1.5 million in salary, and another $2.5 million to Denver last season to acquire the little used quarterback.

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Brian Westbrook Experiencing Memory Loss

March 16, 2013

Former NFL running back Brian Westbrook has said that he is now experiencing memory loss at the age of 33, that he believes is due to the concussions that he has suffered throughout his career.

Westbrook, who played for nine seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, has told the AP that he is having trouble remembering names, recall facts, and retain new information and he fears that the symptoms will only get worse.

"Hopefully, they won't continue to progress", Westbrook said.

Westbrook was knocked unconscious in a game against the Washington Redskins in 2009, but came back a few games later only to suffer a concussion in his first game back.

“I thought I took enough time off to rest and recuperate. I thought I was healed completely,” Westbrook said. “But I got hit, I got my bell rung. I was out for another few weeks with another concussion.”

Westbrook's concussion looked bad back then and now it appears to be even worse, as now it looks like he will be dealing with memory loss for the rest of his life.

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Aqib Talib, Patriots Agree to One Year Deal

March 16, 2013

According to Adam Schefter, the New England Patriots and cornerback Aqib talib have agreed to a one year deal. After Wes Welker, Aqib Talib was considered the top priority for the Patriots.

The Patriots acquired the troubled cornerback from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a draft pick after the NFL had suspended Talib for four games due to a positive test for Adderall.

Talib quickly made a difference in the Patriots secondary. In his first game with the Patriots, Talib picked off an Andrew Luck pass and returned it 59 yard for a touchdown in the Patriots 59-24 win over the Colts. Talib quickly solidified himself as the number one cornerback in New England and it was of the utmost importance that the Pats re-sign him this offseason.

In six regular season games with the Pats last season, Aqib Talib recorded 19 tackles and tacked on 10 more in the playoffs. Talib was injured in the first quarter of the AFC Championship and did not return to the game, a turning point for the Ravens as they went on to defeat the Patriots, 28-23, on the way tho winning the Super Bowl.

Outside of Talib, there really wasn't much on the cornerback free agent market and Talib was considered the best corner on the market.

The Patriots secondary is starting to come together after the past couple of days. The Patriots have re-signed Kyle Arrington and were able to reach a deal with former Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson.

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Dan Marino Fathered a Child with CBS Employee in 2005

January 31, 2013

Current NFL on CBS studio analyst and Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino fathered a child out of wedlock with a former CBS employee back in 2005.

Marino had an affair with former CBS Sports production assistant Donna Savarette, and the two had a daughter, Chloe, as a result of their tryst.

"This is a personal and private matter. I take full responsibility both personally and financially for my actions now as I did then," Marino said in a statement. "We mutually agreed to keep our arrangement private to protect all parties involved."

Marino, who had long had a reputation as one of the game's squeaky clean players, has been married for 28 years and has six children, four biological and two adopted.

"My wife and I have been married for almost 30 years and have six children together," Marino said. "And we continue to be a strong and loving family."

Marino agreed to pay millions to Savarette and she moved from New York to Texas to keep to matter private, but she soon returned back to New York City. After getting the millions from Marino, she started to spend her time between the Hamptons and the Upper West Side ans became a fixture on the local social scene.

Marino is now in touch with his now seven year old daughter and they would have impromptu meetings.

Marino will still be a part of CBS' Super Bowl coverage this Sunday, he has been a part of CBS' NFL coverage since 2003.

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Colin Kaepernick's College Coach Wanted to Convert Him to Safety

January 29, 2013

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's college coach, Chris Ault, was on the Petros and Money show on Fox Sports Radio today where he discussed, among many things, Kaepernick's versatility and skill set.

Ault said this on his initial impressions of Kaepernick, "I thought to myself, ‘If he can't play quarterback, he looks like he's a good enough athlete that he could play free safety or wide receiver.' At that time, Kaep was maybe 6-foot-4, about 183 pounds, built like a fork."

Chris Ault wasn't too impressed with Kaepernick's quarterback skills as a redshirt freshman and really wanted him to convert to free safety for the Nevada Wolf Pack, saying:

"He could have been a great free safety, without question. And you know, his freshman redshirt year, guys, he was OK. There was nothing that told us he was a special athlete. He threw sidearm a little bit. He's a great pitcher and he had that little pitching motion from the sidearm. We had to try to push that thing up. And he ran the Wing T in high school, he didn't run for a bunch of yardage. So he was just a really good athlete, but boy would he have been a heck of a free safety."

Good thing Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers allowed Ault to just let Kaepernick play quarterback because he has helped the Niners turn their fortunes around and now have a chance to win the franchise's sixth Super Bowl.

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Jaguars Hire Seahawks' Gus Bradley as Head Coach

January 17, 2013

The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially ended their head coaching search and have hired Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley as the team's newest head coach.

Bradley, 46, replaces Mike Mularkey who went 2-14 in his only season in Jacksonville, the worst in the franchise's history. Bradley becomes the full time head coach in the franchise's history, joining Tom Coughlin, Jack Del Rio, and Mike Mularkey.

Bradley has spent the last four seasons in Seattle, where his defense has improved the last three seasons and finished in the top ten in points and yards in the last two. The Seahawks ranked first this season in points allowed per game (15.3).

The Jacksonville Jaguars ranked 30th in the NFL in total defense and desperately needs Bradley's defensive expertise.

"He's got a brilliant football mind," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said this week. "He's got a way of reaching people and touching people and getting the best out of them, coaches and players alike. He's got everything that you're looking for."

Bradley started his NFL coaching career in Tampa Bay as a defensive quality control coach in 2006 before becoming the Buccaneers' linebackers coach the next two seasons. Bradley also coached at North Dakota State, his alma mater, and Fort Lewis College.

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Chargers To Hire Broncos' Mike McCoy as Head Coach

January 15, 2013

The San Diego Chargers have decided to hire within the AFC West and name Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy as its next head coach.

San Diego had offered the job to McCoy on Tuesday, which prompted McCoy to cancel a scheduled meeting with the Arizona Cardinals regarding their head coaching vacancy.

McCoy becomes the second Broncos assistant coach to be hired as a head coach in the AFC West in as many years. Last season, the Oakland Raiders hired Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as its head coach.

McCoy had been the Broncos offensive coordinator since 2009 and was instrumental in helping the Broncos clinch a surprising AFC West title in 2011. He developed a read-option offense to play up to Tim Tebow's skill sets.

Mike McCoy will replace Norv Turner who was let go after many years of underachieving. Turner was 56-40 in six seasons as the Bolts head coach, leading the Chargers to the AFC Championship game in his first season as head coach.

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Bruce Arians Hospitalized; WIll Not Call Plays

January 06, 2013

Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has been taken to a Baltimore hospital and will not call plays for the Colts wild card game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Arians reportedly felt dizzy on Sunday morning and after doctors performed tests on him, they feel that he might have a virus or inner ear infection. No official diagnosis has been given.

Arians said he feels fine and is alright to coach, but doctors have ordered him to rest and not coach today. Instead of Arians calling the offensive plays for the Colts, quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen will call the offensive shots for the Colts.

Arians went 9-3 in twelve games as the interim head coach of the Colts as head coach Chuck Pagano was undergoing treatment for leukemia. Arians is a vital part of the Colts as he helped lead the Colts to an improbable playoff berth and has helped rookie quarterback Andrew Luck throughout this season.

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Chip Kelly Close to Deal with Eagles, not Browns

January 06, 2013

In a recent turn of events, it appears now as if Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly is close to a five year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles and not the Cleveland Browns as many have reported.

According to Brian Startare of Sportsradio 94 WIP in Philadelphia, that the Eagles have swooped in and taken Kelly from the clutches of the Cleveland Browns. Startare is so confident in his sources that if he is wrong he will fire his source.

Startare said in a tweet, "If wrong my source is fired."

The Eagles and Kelly met for over nine hours and appeared to have changed his mind on going to Cleveland. Kelly also interviewed with the Buffalo Bills before the team eventually hired Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone.

The Eagles seem to be a better fit for Kelly and his offensive scheme. It would allow Vick, McCoy, and Jackson to make big plays for the Eagles and, to me, that probably swayed him to go to Philly.

That and money. Truckloads and truckloads of money.

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Doug Marrone Will Become Next Bills Head Coach

January 06, 2013

League sources tell ESPN that Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone will leave the school to become the next head coach of the Buffalo Bills.

He has yet to sign a deal with the Buffalo Bills.

Marrone replaces the recently fired Chan Gailey, who went 16-32 in his three seasons in Buffalo.

Marrone's hiring comes as a surprise considering that Marrone had only compiled a record of 25-25 at Syracuse and had to win six of their last seven to become bowl eligible. The Bills had also interviewed Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly and former Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith.

Marrone has had seven years of experience as an NFL coach. He was a member of the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets coaching staffs in the past. His job at Syracuse was the first head coaching job of his career.

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