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Jets wanted to sign Brian Hoyer

2013-05-19T15:37:07Z

The New York Jets were hoping to add Brian Hoyer before the quarterback signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent Friday, according ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi. Though Hoyer has an outside chance of winning the Browns' starting job, he may have had even better odds on the Jets, a team that is dissatisfied with Mark Sanchez and recently saw David Garrard retire unexpectedly.

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Hoyer was thrust into action with the Arizona Cardinals last season, taking over for Ryan Lindley against the Chicago Bears in Week 16 before starting the season finale against the San Francisco 49ers. Like the Cards' three other starting quarterbacks in 2012, however, Hoyer struggled. On the season, he went 30-for-53 passing for 330 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

The Jets may not have anything much better on the roster at the moment, however. Sanchez's struggles are well-documented. His 66.9 quarterback rating was among the worst for a starter in the NFL last year. Rookie Geno Smith will be gunning for the starting job, but he has yet to prove himself as a professional. Greg McElroy and Matt Simms are considered clear-cut backups.

Hoyer may have at least been given a shot in what is considered to be an open quarterback competition. Whether he would have been able to withstand the circus is another question.

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Browns quarterback competition: Jason Campbell could unseat Brandon Weeden

2013-05-19T14:56:55Z

Brandon Weeden's struggles as a rookie with the Cleveland Browns are well-documented. The 29-year-old threw just 14 touchdown passes to 17 interceptions, prompting many to question whether he truly is a franchise quarterback. The Browns signed Jason Campbell as competition in the offseason, and added Brian Hoyer this week to pad out the depth chart. Given that Weeden is standing on rocky ground, what are the chances someone else will start this season in Cleveland?

Head coach Rod Chudzinski confirmed recently that Weeden has been taking first-team reps in practice, ahead of Campbell and Thaddeus Lewis (perhaps on his way out after Hoyer's signing). ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi also felt that Weeden will eventually win the starting job, provided he plays up to his capabilities. Chris Pokorny at Dawgs By Nature agreed:

At this point, I think the Browns are still planning on entering the season with Brandon Weeden as their starting quarterback. The signing of Hoyer intensifies a possible competition between him and Jason Campbell, though.

Jason Campbell appears to have a legitimate chance of becoming the outright starter, however. He reportedly outplayed Weeden last Thursday, albeit against the No. 2 defense. Steve Doerchuk of the Canton Repository praised Campbell's arm and his "Roethlisberger-like size." Campbell has never had a sub-1:1 TD:INT ratio in his nine-year career. He was serviceable in his last two seasons playing with the Oakland Raiders and the Chicago Bears, completing 61 percent of his passes at 6.6 yards per attempt for eight touchdowns and six interceptions.

Hoyer is considered a long shot to compete for the starting job. Experts have been high on the fifth-year quarterback, however, despite his struggles when forced into action by the Arizona Cardinals last season. At the very least, Hoyer gives the Browns solid depth at the position in case of emergency. Although it's somewhat of a rarity these days given roster restrictions, don't be surprised if the Browns keep all three quarterbacks on their final roster.

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Greg Schiano won't rule out Mike Glennon for Buccaneers starting job

2013-05-19T13:48:36Z

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano may have sparked an outright May quarterback controversy. In an interview with the National Football Post, he suggested that rookie Mike Glennon has a fair shot of winning the starting job over incumbent Josh Freeman.

Schiano said he believes Glennon "can play quickly" if he is needed. "But our situation will be only if he's needed," he said. "Or if he wins the job. Look, I'm not against that. We have a starting quarterback. It's not like we're looking to find a starter. But competition is competition. Mike Glennon is a fierce competitor. I knew that when he was coming out of high school. Now being able to work with him a little, you can see it on the practice field."

In the process of touting Glennon as a potential immediate contributor, Schiano simultaneously affirmed that Freeman's spot is secure atop the depth chart. The contradiction is driving Buccaneers fans slightly crazy as they try to parse out truth from coach-speak. It's safe to say that Schiano really likes Glennon, however. He said recently that Glennon was his top-rated quarterback in the 2013 NFL Draft.

That said, Freeman should be considered the overwhelming favorite to reprise his role running the Bucs' offense. Sander Philipse at Bucs Nation ran down several reasons why.

The Bucs like Glennon, but they did pass on him in the second round to take Johnthan Banks. Obviously, they didn't feel he was an immediate franchise quarterback, either. Add in the fact that this team desperately wants to win now, and rookie quarterbacks tend to stand in the way of winning now (Glennon is no RG3) and Freeman is almost certain to remain the starting quarterback.

Schiano, like many coaches, subscribes to the idea that every starting job is an open competition, and will say so at every opportunity, even if there is a Hall of Fame player returning. His open praise of Glennon suggests that he is paying more than lip service to the rookie's playing chances, however. Freeman is the likely starter, but should he struggle, Glennon could see a lot of playing time this season.

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College baseball scores 2013: Down go LSU, UNC

2013-05-19T13:14:45Z

A pair of top-five college baseball teams will enter their conference tournaments next week without much momentum. No. 2 LSU and No. 4 UNC were both upset on Saturday. LSU fell 11-9 to No. 18 Ole Miss and UNC lost 8-7 in 11 innings to No. 7 Virginia.

LSU led 7-2 in the third inning before promptly relinquishing the lead to Ole Miss. Austin Anderson hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning to cut the lead to 7-5. The Tigers stretched the lead back to 9-5 in the sixth, but then gave everything back in the seventh. Kevin Berry came on in relief and gave up three runs on four hits with a strikeout in just 0.2 innings of work to earn the loss. After a pair of home runs from Will Allen and Preston Overbey, the Rebels led for good at 10-9.

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The game between UNC and Virginia was even wilder. Virginia led 4-1 in the eighth inning, but UNC mounted a fast comeback late. The Tar Heels scored two runs in the eighth on a walk with the bases loaded, followed by a Cody Stubbs grounder into a fielder's choice off of freshman reliever Josh Sborz. In the ninth, Colin Moran (4-for-5 on the day) lined a single off Sborz to score the tying run and send the game to extra innings.

The Cavaliers scored four runs in the 11th inning to put the game out of reach. Freshman John LaPrise hit a triple to score Nick Howard and Nate Irving, and notched his first career extra-base hit in the process. The Tar Heels responded with two runs with one out in the bottom of the inning. Skye Bolt hit a shot to the top of the back wall that was caught for the second out. Mike Papi scored on the play, but Michael Massardo was forced out at first. The double play ended the game and secured a 2-1 series victory for Virginia.

Top 20 scores

No. 1 Vanderbilt defeated unranked Alabama, 14-10, to clinch an SEC regular season title
No. 2 LSU lost 11-9 to No. 18 Ole Miss
No. 3 Oregon State cruised over No. 6 Oregon, 9-0
No. 4 UNC lost to No. 7 Virginia in 11 innings, 8-7, but UNC is still the No. 1 seed in the 2013 ACC Tournament.
No. 5 Cal State Fullerton defeated No. 24 UC Irvine, 3-2
No. 8 Florida State defeated No. 18 Clemson, 6-1
No. 9 NC State defeated unranked Duke, 9-1
No. 10 Louisville defeated No. 23 Pittsburgh, 7-4
No. 11 UCLA eked out a win over unranked USC, 7-6
No. 12 South Carolina fell 7-2 to No. 17 Mississippi State
No. 13 Arkansas fell to unranked Auburn, 11-6
No. 14 Arizona State beat unranked Arizona, 6-3
No. 15 Indiana clinched a regular season Big Ten title with an 8-1 win over unranked Ohio State
No. 16 Oklahoma State lost 5-4 to unranked West Virginia
No. 20 Rice shut out unranked Marshall, 6-0

Dee Milliner drops agent after NFL draft fall

2013-05-17T00:15:12Z

Dee Milliner has parted ways with Impact Sports after falling out of the top five picks of the 2013 NFL Draft, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. Like his soon-to-be New York Jets teammate Geno Smith, who also fired his agents, Milliner apparently was unhappy about his slip in the draft. Milliner's fall was less extreme, however. He still went in the top 10, coming in at No. 9 overall.

Per NFL rules, Milliner will have to wait at least five days before signing with new representation. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, however, Milliner has already reached an agreement with Pat Dye Jr., who has a history of handling former Alabama players. Dye and his agency, ProFiles Sports, have also represented linebacker Rolando McClain and tight end Colin Peek in the past.

As many expected, Milliner was the first cornerback taken in the NFL Draft. He was named a unanimous All-American selection, and a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thorpe awards after recording 20 pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble for the Crimson Tide last season. He is expected to help fill the void left after Darrelle Revis' trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Byron Nelson Championship 2013 scores: Keegan Bradley sets course record Thursday

2013-05-16T23:18:14Z

Keegan Bradley shot a 10-under 60 to set a course record at TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas, on Day 1 of the 2013 Byron Nelson Championship. He made 10 birdies and an eagle on the par-5 16th hole. Afterwards he said that the "holes looked huge."

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Bradley broke the course record by one stroke. His 60 topped his former career best by three strokes and tied Arron Oberholser (2006) and Sam Snead (1957) for the lowest score in the history of the Byron Nelson Championship.

Bradley's score arguably could have even been better. He hit bogey on his first and last holes of the day -- technically pins 10 and 9, respectively. The bogey on No. 10 irked him in particular. Bradley called it "probably one of the easiest holes on the course."

Going into Friday, Bradley holds a three-stroke lead over second-place Charl Schwartzel and a four-stroke lead over Ted Potter Jr., Harris English, and Robert Karlsson. Schwartzel's day was particularly clean. He hit seven birdies -- four on the front nine and three on the back -- and no bogeys.

Last year's Byron Nelson champion Jason Dufner finds himself in some early trouble. He began making eagle and birdie on his first and fourth holes of the day, but then proceeded to shoot 4-over for his next 10 holes. Dufner saved face with a birdie on No. 18, his last hole of the day, but finds himself in a tie for 78th-place at even-par going into the second round.

Full standings can be found at PGATour.com. Here's the current top 10:

1. Keegan Bradley: 10-under
2. Charl Schwartzel: 7-under
t3. Ted Potter Jr.: 6-under
t3. Harris English: 6-under
t3. Robert Karlsson: 6-under
t6. Ryan Palmer: 5-under
t6. Angel Cabrera: 5-under
t6.Camilo Villegas: 5-under
t9: Five players at 4-under

Kyle Love claimed by Jaguars, per report

2013-05-16T21:08:38Z

Defensive tackle Kyle Love was claimed by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, according to ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss. Love was released by the New England Patriots on Wednesday after being diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes. He was given the option to retire for a year and return to the Pats in 2014, but chose to be released in hopes of playing this season.

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The Jaguars also claimed defensive tackle Brandon Deaderick this week. Deaderick was released by the Patriots on Monday, giving the Jags two New England castoffs in a span of days. Both players could factor heavily into the Jaguars' rotation next season. The two took turns playing next to Vince Wilfork last season, combining for 43 tackle, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

The Jaguars revamped their interior defensive line in the offseason, also bringing in Sen'Derrick Marks from the Tennessee Titans and Roy Miller from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Love graded out as a better player than both according to Pro Football Focus, and should expect a regular role. Though lacking in star power, the Jaguars appear to have solid depth along their defensive interior wall heading into 2013.

Hopefully for Love, his health condition won't be an issue going forward. The Pats were apparently spooked enough to commit a potential violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Love won't be pressing charges, though that doesn't necessarily stop a third-party from taking action against the organization.

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