pays fine in connection with 2017 car crash By Kieran Nicholson The Denver Post July 17, 2018

Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has settled a Douglas County traffic case, pleading guilty to a “lane usage violation” and paying a $50 fine.

Sanders was running late for a Broncos practice on Aug. 22, 2017, when he got into a traffic collision.

Driving a Range Rover down a median, with emergency blinkers flashing, Sanders’ SUV collided with another vehicle when an 18-year-old driver cut into the median.

At the time of the accident, Sanders told deputies he was “running late for work” and “trying to get around traffic.”

The collision happened at about 7:45 a.m. on southbound South Chambers Road near Mainstreet in Parker. No one was seriously injured in the collision. An additional traffic count was dismissed Monday and the case is closed.

Packers' books show that NFL distributed over $8 billion By Darren Rovell ESPN July 17, 2018

The NFL distributed more than $8 billion in national revenue, mostly from its television deals, in 2017.

Each team pulled in $255 million, according to financials revealed on Monday by the Green Bay Packers, a team that is a public company because it sells shares from time to time to raise money, even though its shares are technically worthless.

The bump is an increase of 4.9 percent in national revenues, attributed to an escalator in the league's TV deals and the league's package becoming more valuable.

Packers president Mark Murphy said any effects from the NFL's tough season, including the national anthem controversy, did not manifest in the books.

As for the Packers themselves, they say they generated $199 million in local income. While that's up 0.8 percent from last season, Murphy said the Packers had fewer offseason visitors to Lambeau Field and the Packers Hall of Fame after missing the postseason for the first time since 2008.

Total revenue for the team has been climbing since the Packers renovated Lambeau in 2003, with 2017 bringing in another record -- $454.9 million.

The team has invested $370 million to expand and renovate Lambeau in the last eight years. New upgrades this season will include concession grab-and-go stations, a new sound system and LED stadium lights.

The team netted $38.6 million, down from $72.8 million; Murphy says that has largely to do with a previous bump in revenue from league-shared relocation fees. None of the teams received any money yet from the Rams and Chargers moving to Los Angeles and the Raiders eventually moving to Las Vegas, but the line item was credited to all teams last year.

Increased costs included travel, as the retirement of aircraft previously used by airlines to charter teams has meant the team now has to send two planes, instead of one, to road games, Murphy said.

Expenses should go up soon, as Murphy said he expects to sign quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose contract expires at the end of the 2019 season.

"We want to get a deal done with Aaron and Aaron wants to get a deal done with us," Murphy said.

Murphy said the Packers have so far invested $65 million into Titletown, an area surrounding Lambeau that has sprouted into a new community. Phase 2 of the development will include residences.

Murphy said the project means a lot more given its scope in a much smaller community, compared to other teams that have brought land around where their stadiums reside.

"We really feel like this will have a much larger impact in Green Bay than Patriot Place does to New England," he said.

Despite missing the playoffs last season, Murphy isn't worried about filling the seats. He said more than 99 percent of season-ticket holders renewed for the upcoming season and that the Packers' waiting list, the longest in the NFL, now stands at 135,000 people.

NFL continues to tinker with changes to kickoff By Kevin Seifert ESPN July 17, 2018

The NFL is mulling additional changes to its redesigned kickoff. This is an unusually late development caused in part by a hectic scramble this spring to make the play safer.

An NFL spokesman said Monday that any adjustments would be "minor." But as training camps approach, there remains a rare uncertainty about the league's full plans for the play.

The league published its 2018 rule book, with updated kickoff language from its May 22 approval by NFL owners, on June 28. Any additional changes would require the NFL to take the unusual step of recalling and then republishing what was assumed to be a final document.

In a statement released to ESPN, NFL spokesman Michael Signora said: "The NFL officiating and football operations staff, with competition committee approval, may make some minor tweaks to the language to further clarify the rule. If so, that information would be circulated to all clubs and the rule book updated accordingly."

NFL data showed in March that concussions were five times more likely to occur on kickoffs than on other plays. In response, the league called together a group of special-teams coordinators in May to discuss possible changes.

In a surprisingly swift action, the NFL adopted their ideas -- which essentially make the kickoff more like a punt -- for a one-year trial.

That eagerness has pushed the limits of the league's usual rule transition timetable. According to sources, some concerns arose over the weekend at the NFL's annual officiating clinic in Plano, Texas. Competition committee chairman Rich McKay was in attendance during discussions of portions of the rule that at least some officials think will be difficult to administrate consistently.

One of the concerns, according to sources, is the decision to eliminate two-man "wedge" blocks but not all double-teams.

As currently written, the rule states: "After the ball is kicked, a double-team block is permissible only by players who were initially lined up in the setup zone. A double-team block is defined as two players from the setup zone coming together in an attempt to block for the runner."

That would require officials who see a double-team block during a return to know where the players were originally lined up, a mechanic that is not part of their current approach to kickoffs. It is one of several concerns that officials have about the rule. Retired referee Terry McAulay, now an NBC Sports rules analyst, told ESPN last month that the new kickoff is a massive adjustment for officials.

"It isn't getting as much press, but the kickoff change, this may be the biggest change I've ever seen," McAulay said. "People know so little about it. There are so many restrictions on what either side of the ball can do. ... I spoke with a special-teams coordinator who is excited about it, and I know we all feel it can be great for the game. But [officials] have to wait and see. There are a lot of intricate rules in terms of what [players] can and cannot do."

The timing of the next round of changes is unclear. Referees and other game officials will circulate through training camps this summer to better understand how teams plan to implement the new rule.

The NFL's best under-25 starting lineup: Our picks, runners-up By STAFF ESPN July 17, 2018

What would a lineup of under-25 NFL all-stars look like? Glad you asked. We polled 43 of our NFL insiders -- reporters, analysts, former players -- to find out which players under age 25 will be the best at each position over the next three seasons.

The results included four Saints (the most of any team), three players drafted in April and nine players age 22 or younger.

ESPN Insider Field Yates wrote the analysis of each selection.

Quarterback , Percentage of vote: 65.1

Few quarterbacks have galvanized a franchise as expediently as Watson did the Texans in 2017. Watson, 22, has exceptional football IQ and character to lead teammates paired with unique arm talent (particularly in the vertical passing game) and dynamic athletic ability.

Runner-up: Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

Running backs , Los Angeles Rams Percentage of vote: 58.1

Regardless of what Gurley's timed speed is -- and you know he's fast -- his functional play speed is even better. A step for Gurley, 23, in the open field usually means six points. With outstanding receiving skills and a diverse list of open-field maneuvers, he's a true dual-threat back.

Saquon Barkley, Percentage of vote: 46.5

A projection for the 21-year-old Barkley based off a sterling career at Penn State, the Giants are hopeful that a skill set highlighted by an abundance of power, soft hands in the passing game and uncommon return skills will yield immediate returns. His polish on and off the field boosted his case as a can't-miss draft prospect.

Runner-up: Ezekiel Elliott,

Wide receivers Stefon Diggs, Percentage of vote: 53.5

Diggs, 24, has shown the ability to dominate in different ways at the NFL level. He excelled as a vertical threat as a rookie, chewed up catches in a volume role as a sophomore and took another step in his third season. When the ball is in the air, Diggs is a good bet to win in man-to-man coverage.

Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs Percentage of vote: 53.5

Hill has made his mark already as a speed threat in the NFL. It's not hyperbole to suggest the 24-year-old is the fastest player in the league, routinely impacting the game as a receiver, runner and returner. Hill has a compact frame but plays with some power, too.

Runner-up: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers

Tight end , New York Giants Percentage of vote: 48.8

The reality of some NFL offenses is that tight ends are asked to serve frequently in a detached alignment, working in a slot role that requires immense athletic skills. Engram, 23, is in some ways a jumbo wide receiver, firmly cementing his spot as a bright spot in the Giants' offense as a rookie.

Runner-up: Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers

Offensive tackles Jack Conklin, Tennessee Titans

Percentage of vote: 72.1

While some still believe that the value of a left tackle surpasses that of a right tackle, Conklin's immediate emergence on the right side for Tennessee proves it's a position of massive influence. Powerful and technically sound, the 23-year-old is currently recovering from a knee injury.

Ryan Ramczyk, Percentage of vote: 51.2 percent

During a time when NFL teams are finding the challenge of identifying ready-made offensive linemen more difficult, Ramczyk, 24, stepped into a starting role right away. He played every snap in 2017 and handled multiple positions.

Runner-up: Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens

Guards Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts Percentage of vote: 93 percent

Nelson was a near-unanimous pick, a reflection of his pedigree coming out of Notre Dame. The 22-year- old plays with a blend of nasty and surgical attention to detail. Indy hopes he'll set the tone for the line for a decade.

Andrus Peat, New Orleans Saints Percentage of vote: 25.6 percent

The 24-year-old Peat is a dancing bear, an impressive athlete for a player of his size with positional versatility.

Runner-up: Will Hernandez, New York Giants

Center , Minnesota Vikings Percentage of vote: 60.5 percent

The center position involves more than just meets the eye; Elflein, 24, absorbs great responsibility pre- snap in getting the offensive line in sync. His acclimation to the pro game from his college days was an expedient one.

Runner-up: Frank Ragnow, Detroit Lions

Interior linemen , New Orleans Saints Percentage of vote: 53.5 percent

Rankins, 24, is unique in this sense: He's an immovable object in the middle of the Saints' defense that makes the group decidedly better against the run, while also adding value as an intention rusher.

Leonard Williams, New York Jets Percentage of vote: 74.4 percent

Williams' length stands out, as the long-levered and versatile 24-year-old defender makes it hard for an offensive lineman to stay engaged. His value will transcend his statistics, but those are already quite impressive.

Runner-up: , Washington

Pass-rushers Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers Percentage of vote: 93 percent

Bosa, 23, drew pre-draft comparisons to J.J. Watt, an almost unfair parallel for any player to face. And yet, he has been a dominant force with some shades of Watt in terms of next-level power and acceleration.

Myles Garrett, Percentage of vote: 53.5 percent

Garrett was a bit limited by injuries as a rookie but made his mark all the same. He may have been the best talent on the Browns' roster last season when the team went 0-16. Much more impressively, the 22- year-old may still be the most talented player on an improved roster.

T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers Percentage of vote: 51.2 percent

The younger Watt, 23, is a terrific athlete and has the reactive skills to be a factor in coverage. Oh, did we mention he's already an immense force as a rusher for a defense that led the NFL in sacks last year?

Runner-up: Yannick Ngakoue,

Linebackers Myles Jack, Jacksonville Jaguars Percentage of vote: 74.4 percent

In a league where offenses stress a defense every inch of the field horizontally, Jack's athletic tools stand out. The 22-year-old has already established himself as a ferocious tackler, cooling any concerns over a serious college knee injury.

Deion Jones, Percentage of vote: 60.5 percent

Jones, 23, carries a rep as one of the game's best coverage linebackers already. He runs like an oversized defensive back while also setting the tone as a hitter. He's the quarterback of Atlanta's defense.

Reuben Foster, San Francisco 49ers Percentage of vote: 32.6 percent

Foster's NFL career is young, but what already stood out was his feel for finding the football. The 24-year- old must stay healthy and will serve a two-game suspension to begin the season, but he could emerge as San Francisco's best defensive player.

Runner-up: Kwon Alexander,

Cornerbacks , New Orleans Saints Percentage of vote: 60.5 percent

Lattimore's ability to play on an island is reflective of his confidence, reactive athletic ability and ball skills. It's hard to quantify how much mental toughness impacts defensive back play; the 22-year-old Lattimore has a ton of it.

Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville Jaguars Percentage of vote: 95.3 percent

No player earned a higher percentage of votes in this exercise than the 23-year-old Ramsey. The question may not be whether he's one of the best players under 25, but rather whether he's on track to becoming the league's best defensive player.

Runner-up: Tre'Davious White,

Safeties Landon Collins, New York Giants Percentage of vote: 67.4 percent

Collins, 24, almost immediately emerged into a leadership role for the Giants. He's a check-the-box safety, with the ability to do almost any task asked of him. He'll make you remember his hits too, with excellent playing strength.

Jamal Adams, New York Jets Percentage of vote: 65.1 percent

Adams oozes confidence with good reason. His pattern recognition and proactive athletic skills will align with a bucket of interceptions in time, while he's also a player ready to run the alley as a box defender. The 22-year-old can hang in coverage versus tight ends.

Runner-up: Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers

Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs Percentage of vote: 55.8 percent

Butker, 22, had a historic season, as his 38 field goals for the Chiefs in 2017 were the most by a rookie in league annals. He has a cannon for a leg, nailing 38 of 42 attempts, connecting on all of his extra points and booming 78.2 percent of his kickoffs for a touchback.

Runner-up: , New Orleans Saints

Punter Michael Dickson, Seattle Seahawks Percentage of vote: 32.6 percent

It's rare to see a specialist win the MVP of a bowl game for a major college program, be selected a unanimous All-American, forego his final college season or earn a fifth-round NFL selection. Dickson, the Seahawks' 22-year-old fifth-rounder in 2018, did them all. They hope for him to become a major weapon.

Runner-up: Rigoberto Sanchez, Indianapolis Colts ‘This is what I was meant to do’: How former Broncos safety Tyrone Braxton reinvented himself By Nicki Jhabvala DenverBroncos.com July 17, 2018

It was shortly after 6 p.m. on Dec. 2, 2006, when Tyrone Braxton slammed into his dead end.

The cops showed up to a home in Aurora, where he and three others were using drugs and, although Braxton bolted, he didn’t make it far. He was stopped by the police and caught with marijuana and cocaine.

Six years after capping a lengthy NFL career as a defensive back and two-time champion, Braxton was heading down a path so many of his childhood friends traveled.

Three days after his arrest, Braxton stood before a crowd of reporters in Denver and admitted he had a drug problem. (He pleaded guilty to possession and avoided jail time.) He labeled the arrest “a wake-up call” and said the Aurora police “did me a favor.” He knew he had to change because Braxton had a wife and two kids and his then-12-year-old daughter told him she hated him and didn’t want him around.

“There’s nothing worse than a dad who can break his daughter’s heart,” he would later say.

Over the last decade, Braxton, 53, has reinvented himself, devoting his life to his family and to others in Denver whose lives mirror his youth and who have made some of his mistakes. He fulfilled a promise to his mother, repaired his once broken family, earned a master’s degree and began the work he says is his true passion.

Today, Braxton counsels middle school and high schools students in the throes of addiction and hardship. Soon, the Super Bowl champ, Pro Bowler, licensed clinical social worker, addiction counselor, father and husband will add another title — one he never believed would be attached to his name: doctor.

“I can’t really say I’m surprised,” his former teammate and Ring of Fame safety Steve Atwater says. “That’s kind of been the hallmark of Tyrone Braxton.”

Odds were, if you grew up the way Braxton did, you didn’t make it out. College was a pipe dream. The NFL was a fantasy.

“You ever been to Madison (Wisconsin)?” Braxton asks incredulously.

Madison, he explains, is surrounded by lakes, and the Braxton family lived in an apartment complex along a bay of one of those lakes. They were the projects, but Braxton didn’t know any different. It was home. He remembers how he and his friends used to go fishing across the bay.

“I can remember, I swear, must have been five or six of my closest friends, and all of their dads beat their moms,” he says. “Of all of us, I’m the only one holding down a steady job right now. It’s odds. They say, ‘Well, you made it. Why can’t everyone else?’ It’s the odds. Odds are, a person who grew up in my environment isn’t going to make it.”

Braxton beat those odds, in more ways than one.

He was one of five children born to Beatrice Chatman, a young mother who was a victim of domestic violence and worked multiple jobs to keep her kids fed. Braxton watched his two older brothers run the streets and spend years in prison. Many of his friends growing up led similar lives.

Braxton believes his path took a detour in part because of Wally Schoessow, his football coach at James Madison Memorial High.

“He helped a lot of us kids from my side of town get scholarships and go to college and change their lives. A whole bunch of them,” Braxton says. “He was an older white guy. He’d pick us up, take us to practice in the morning, we’d eat at his house. He didn’t really talk to us a lot, but he really showed us how to be a man.”

At 5-foot-11 and barely 180 pounds, Braxton never envisioned a future in football. It was fun. It was a game. But football landed him a scholarship to North Dakota State, where he was a two-year starter, played on three national championship teams, earned all-conference honors as a senior and would later be inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame.

Football also led him to Denver, where he was chosen by the Broncos with the second-to-last pick (No. 334) in the 1987 draft.

The odds again said Braxton wouldn’t make it any further.

But by his third NFL season (1989), he was a starting cornerback for the Broncos and led the Super Bowl- bound team with six interceptions that year. They called him “Chicken” for his skinny legs and everyone knew Chicken.

“I remember my rookie year was his first year starting, and the first game of the season he intercepted a pass and ran it back for a ,” Atwater says. “Tyrone, he never was the biggest, the fastest, the strongest guy, but he was always around the ball and always made plays.”

Braxton played 13 NFL seasons, starting four of his first seven at cornerback for the Broncos, then spending the 1994 season as a backup safety for the Dolphins. When he was cut loose by Miami, the 28th- ranked Broncos defense brought him back to be its starting strong safety.

Braxton went on to become the lowest Broncos draft pick to earn a Pro Bowl selection (1996) while with the team. He played in four Super Bowls; he reached the pinnacle of his career with an interception of Brett Favre in Super Bowl XXXII to set up a touchdown (the Broncos won 31-24); he followed with another ring in 1999. Braxton totaled 36 interceptions in his career — his 34 as a Bronco is tied for fourth-most in team history alongside Champ Bailey.

“I hate to admit it, but I didn’t want him,” Broncos defensive coordinator Greg Robinson said in 1997. “When this guy walked in, I thought, ‘Are you kidding me? We’re going to play this guy at safety?’ But the people in this organization knew him, knew what he was all about. We developed some injuries and Tyrone got an opportunity to show us what he could do. It didn’t take us but a few weeks to figure out that this guy was a football player.”

Braxton’s response: “That’s been the story of my life.”

Braxton left the NFL at a peak most never reach. Four Super Bowls. Two rings. The true underdog story.

Problem was, it never felt like his peak.

“My goal was never to get to the NFL,” he says. “Of course, when I got the opportunity, I wasn’t going to turn it down. But my main goal was never to be a football player. It was always, ‘What else is there?’ There was always something missing. I win the Super Bowl, win national championships — is this it?”

His first years as a retired player led to various jobs — real estate, trucking — but also a search for himself that led him down a path toward trouble that nearly cost him his family. When football ended, so did his drive and his structure. What was familiar for so many years in Madison consumed him in Denver as he partied and drank and used.

When his daughter told him she didn’t love him anymore, he promised to do better. He had also promised his mother long ago that he would he complete his undergraduate degree. So in 2009, at age 45, he took online courses for a semester to complete his bachelor’s degree in university studies from North Dakota State.

“It was 2010 when I really said I want to help out people,” Braxton says. “But that was similar to my original plan when I went to college. My coach, I wanted to be like him.”

The following year, Braxton enrolled in the Master of Social Work program at Metropolitan State University of Denver, all the while working at Gilliam Youth Services Center, a detention facility downtown where he tried to get through to teens facing a future in adult prison. He knew how this could end for them; by the time Braxton graduated high school in Wisconsin, his older brothers were in prison.

Braxton worked three years as a case manager with the Mental Health Center of Denver, helping offenders dealing with addiction and homelessness (among other things) become self-sustainable. Upon earning his license in clinical social work, he joined Denver Health, providing substance misuse therapy to Denver Public School students living in environments similar to his in Wisconsin.

Today, Braxton splits his time between Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College and Thomas Jefferson High in Denver.

“A lot of it is trauma — physical and sexual abuse, neglect, domestic violence, drugs,” he says. “The kids see this in their household and it reminds me a lot of what my household was like. The problem is a lot of people write them off. They’re bad in class, kids are acting up and they treat them as villains and bad kids. I was that kid.

“Our society writes people off too quickly. A teenager goes and commits a crime and, ‘He’ll never be any good.’ People change, but a lot of times they’re not given the opportunity.”

Some of Braxton’s patients deal with chronic anxiety that may never fade until their surroundings change. Some go to school each day wondering if their parents, undocumented emigrants, will be there when they return. Many deal with depression. Many see domestic violence daily. Most have turned to drugs to ease the pain.

One of the children he counsels has frequent panic attacks. Braxton is working with her to change her thoughts and find ways to cope. Another was molested by her mother’s boyfriend and turned to marijuana to relax her mind because the nightmares were frequent.

Another child was a runaway who got hooked on heroin and was trafficked. She was 15 at the time.

“A lot of times kids just want someone that’s going to listen to them, and I like that it’s coming from me, a big black man whose stereotype is, ‘We’re not sensitive. We’re not engaging. We’re mean and we’re going to rob you,’” Braxton says. “I want to break down all those stereotypes.”

The therapy sessions in school aren’t geared to “fix” anything or anyone. Most have to return to their troublesome surroundings every evening. And it’s rarely the children that need the “fixing.” Braxton uses the analogy of a cruise ship.

“Cruise ships don’t turn sharply,” he says. “We just want to make slight changes to change the course.”

Elizabeth Braxton looks back on the rough years as a blessing. She and Tyrone separated for a stretch, as she sought to protect her two young kids, but then he began to piece his life back together.

“I realized that anybody who’s lived with an addict or spent time with an addict, there’s nothing you can do, even if you spent many hours, years even, trying to change that person,” she says. “It was really hard for our family and everything, with young kids and having that be so public was really, really painful. If it was just me, I can handle that. But it was something that, particularly for our daughter, who was middle- school-aged at the time, it was pretty hard.

“But in the long run, I’m so proud of him. A lot of people when you’re an addict you either die or you get it together.”

For the past 15 years, Elizabeth has taught at Florence Crittenton High, a specialty school in Denver for pregnant or parenting teens. Most of her days are spent traveling across Denver and beyond to help young parents complete their studies. Many have faced hardship similar to Tyrone as a youth.

The professions of Elizabeth and Tyrone intersected as their family reunited.

“I didn’t grow up around any of that stuff at all,” she says. “At the time I didn’t know what to do. But I think it has definitely helped me in my career and has definitely helped me grow as a person and realize nobody’s life is perfect. We grew up in a nice neighborhood — everything nice, nice, nice and you think everything is just perfect everywhere. But it’s really not. I think that’s the biggest lesson, that sometimes everybody’s life gets messy and it’s OK to let people help you.”

Although Tyrone’s latest move has shifted their original plans as empty-nesters, Elizabeth has embraced it. Because when he starts something, she knows, he’s all in.

Last fall, Tyrone began a Ph.D. program in health and behavioral sciences at the University of Colorado Denver. Tacked on to his days as a social worker and addiction counselor with Denver Health are four classes a semester.

“I want to show little black boys, little brown boys that it’s not just about sports or rapping or becoming an entertainer,” he says. “You can do anything. So I want to be that type of role model. A lot of kids I work with now are not doing well in middle school or high school, and I was kind of that kid. It wasn’t because I wasn’t smart. It was because I didn’t apply myself.”

Each year, Braxton typically likes to catch a few Broncos games, but he never made it out to Mile High last season. His weekends have been dedicated to reading and research. He may not see a game this year either, facing a semester packed with statistics, research methods and a colloquium. By the end of next year, he has to settle on a dissertation topic and he’s leaning toward something on children and substance abuse because he has the data and the working experience to back it. He knows it. He’s lived it.

Braxton is on a track to graduate in 2022 — shortly after his son, T.J., is expected to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. T.J., a straight-A student at Denver East High, is on an academic scholarship and is considering a career in law. His daughter, Chloe, lives in Denver and works at a Boulder pharmaceutical company.

“It was definitely a process in repairing the family unit and coming back together in one household and everything like that,” Elizabeth says. “It was easier for my son because he was little and doesn’t really remember that much of it. It wasn’t quite as easy for my daughter, but it’s been 10 years now since we came back together. It took time, but time heals things.”

Braxton said he chose the Ph.D. program at CU Denver, in part, because it removes the focus from the patient and shifts it toward the possible causes, the social determinants of health. More of the “why” and less of the “who.”

Research says that many of Braxton’s social determinants should have led him to a life in prison, or on the streets or worse. Instead, he found a different route.

“I always wanted to help other people,” he says. “This is what I was meant to do. I just took the scenic route.” Coach's Corner: Penn State HC James Franklin on WR DaeSean Hamilton By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com July 17, 2018

As the Broncos head toward training camp, DenverBroncos.com is taking a detailed look at several members of this year’s rookie class. And aside from Denver’s coaching staff, who better to call than their college coaches? These players honed their techniques while at school, and their coaches know better than most what to expect from these rookies.

The series continues with Penn State head coach James Franklin, who reflected on the time he spent with receiver DaeSean Hamilton.

Aric DiLalla: How would you describe DaeSean’s game?

James Franklin: He’s just a guy that’s conducted himself like a pro for about three years now. Everybody at Penn State within our organization was very confident that DaeSean was going to go to the Senior Bowl and perform well. Once coaches and scouts had a chance to kind of work with him and see him perform in person in terms of route running, in terms of play making, in terms of understanding the playbook, in terms of how to attack techniques — we all knew he was going to do extremely well. This is something he’s very passionate about. He’s one of the hardest-working guys on our team — if not the hardest- working guy on our team — at really working on his craft. I think you’re going to see a guy that probably is going to have an opportunity to perform at a higher level than most rookies and not just based on physical attributes, not a guy who’s just physically gifted in terms of speed, in terms of quickness, in terms of size. He has that, but the thing that really separates him is his maturity, his approach, his passion for the techniques and the fundamentals of his position. I think those are the things that will jump out about him pretty early.

AD: The Broncos’ head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterback have all talked about DaeSean as a steal in the draft. Do you think he was a little bit undervalued coming out of school?

JF: Well, yeah, because I think it goes back to what I was saying before. Everybody puts such an emphasis — which I understand — just on raw horsepower in terms of numbers. In terms of the vertical jump, in terms of [the] 40[-yard dash], in terms of a lot of things like that — and I get that. You want to have as many of those raw ingredients to start with and then allow great NFL coaches to kind of build on it from there. But you’re talking about a guy that, when you watched him at the Senior Bowl, his route running was far superior to most of the guys there and was really able to make some really good defensive backs struggle to cover him. [He] was able to create separation with just understanding how to use his body and his footwork [and] how to create separation and become a friendly target for the quarterback. To me, he’s that guy that the quarterback’s going to love on third down. He’s going to be very reliable. He’s going to make a bunch of contested catches. He’s going to understand the big picture. He’s going to be a great teammate. He’s going to be unselfish. There’s a lot of value in that.

… I would probably describe him as a high-value, low-risk type of guy. Some of these guys may have the tremendous horsepower in terms of speed, vertical jump, body type — those types of things — but there’s a fair amount of risk you’re taking on, because those guys have maybe never been able to maximize their talents. Here’s a guy that’s really been working on his craft for a number of years, not just when he showed up to the NFL. He’s been doing it for a number of years.

AD: From a personal side, many people have heard about DaeSean taking care of his brother and what type of guy he is, but are you able to shed more light on who DaeSean the person is?

JF: I think obviously because of his background, some of the dynamics of his family — you’re looking at a guy who’s very mature for his age. He’s had a lot of life experiences. He’s had a lot of responsibility on his plate at an early age. He’s a guy that’s very appreciative of his blessings, a guy that has a lot of patience with his others. You’re talking about a guy that’s caring and thoughtful and intelligent. I think the way he was raised by mom and dad and some of his family dynamics with his brother gives him a unique perspective on the world and on relationships and I think has had a huge impact on how mature he is and how hard working he is. Another thing that impacts him is him thinking about [how] he’s going to be the caretaker for his brother probably for the rest of his life. With those things comes a lot of maturity and a lot of perspective.

PFATS members Steve 'Greek' Antonopulos, Vince Garcia present Denver West with athletic training supplies grant By Aric DiLalla DenverBroncos.com July 17, 2018

On behalf of the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society, Broncos Director of Sports Medicine Steve "Greek" Antonopulos and Head Athletic Trainer Vince Garcia presented Denver West High School with a $2,000 check for athletic training supplies on Monday at UCHealth Training Center.

Denver was one of four cities where local high schools were given a grant to improve the quality of athletic training care.

Helen Latham, an athletic trainer at Denver West, represented the school on Monday and expressed her gratitude for what the funds will do for the students at her school.

“Most high schools don’t have a very big budget, and I’ve been working with what I have and what’s available to me,” Latham said. "This is going to help a lot for the kids and [for us] being able to provide medical care to them that’s better than, ‘You have Band-Aids at home.’ And that’s a lot of what we have to do at the high school level, because we don’t have a big budget. This will go a long way for them.”

Antonopulos, who has long been involved with PFATS, knows the impact this sort of gift can have on Denver West.

“The and the Denver Broncos are very involved in youth football,” Antonopulos said. “It’s exciting from an athletic training standpoint, because the health and welfare of our athletes is our primary consideration today in everything we do. Especially in this case, honoring a high school athletic trainer. She’s done a lot with a little.”

Packers financials show that NFL made billions despite national anthem controversy By John Breech CBS Sports July 17, 2018

If you're looking for a job that pays well, you might want to consider being an NFL owner, because the league's 32 teams pulled in some serious money in 2017.

According to financial information released by the Packers on Monday, the NFL distributed more than $8 billion in national revenue that was split among the league's 32 teams. The $8.1 billion in revenue meant that each team received roughly $255 million from the league. According to Bloomberg, the $8.1 billion was a revenue-record for the NFL and a total that was slightly up from the league's revenue total of $7.8 billion in 2016.

The league was able to hit a record number this year due in large part to the fact that the price for the Thursday Night Football package increased substantially. The bulk of the NFL's national revenue comes from the league's TV deals, but other forms of revenue are also included in the calculations.

Although the national anthem issue seemed to be a never-ending controversy for the NFL in 2017, Packers president Mark Murphy said the issue didn't do anything to hurt the financial health of the league this year, according to ESPN.com.

The Packers annual financial statement is generally the one time each year where outsiders are able to get a closer look at how an NFL team is run from a financial standpoint. Since the Packers are a publicly owned a team, they have to reveal their financial disclosure each year.

Besides getting a $255 million check from the NFL, the Packers also generated $199 million in local income, which is money they don't have to split with other teams. Overall, the Packers had a record $454.9 million in revenue last year. Despite that large number, the team's operating profit was only $34.1 million, according to Bloomberg.

The team won't have any problem putting together a contract for Aaron Rodgers though, and that's because that Packers have a healthy reserve fund that's worth roughly $380 million, team treasurer Mark McMullen told the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

As for the league itself, Bloomberg estimates that the NFL pulled in an estimated $14 billion in revenue last year. However, it's impossible to know the exact number because the league no longer has to release any financial documents after dropping its tax exempt status in 2015. NFL ponders options for Wembley By Daniel Kaplan Sports Business Journal July 17, 2018

The NFL has an option to play games at Wembley Stadium in London through 2025 and expects to make a decision about whether to exercise it after the upcoming season. The current agreement, struck in 2015, runs through 2020.

Under the existing deal, the Jacksonville Jaguars play one game a year at the venue in north London, as they have done each season since 2013. The league is expected to exercise its option but the decision is tied to what Jacksonville does.

“Presumably it would be part of the Jaguars continuing to extend their commitment to play a game a year there,” said Mark Waller, NFL executive vice president of international.

The Jaguars are greatly satisfied with Wembley, and approximately 12 percent of the club’s revenue is derived from the London game, said Hussain Naqi, senior vice president of international development for the team. The club’s owner, Shahid Khan, wants to buy the stadium outright, a process that is slowly proceeding in London.

The option to extend the deal belongs to the NFL, not Wembley — which is currently owned by the Football Association, the governing body of soccer in England — and it does not need an owners’ vote, Waller added.

The NFL first began playing an annual game in London in 2007. In total, the league has played 21 games in London, 18 at Wembley and three at Twickenham.

This year, the league also begins playing at the new Tottenham stadium. The NFL has a 10-year deal with the EPL club to play 20 games there over the next 10 years, starting with this season’s Oct. 14 game between the Seahawks and the Raiders. The two Wembley games take place on Oct. 21 (Titans vs. Chargers) and Oct. 28 (Eagles vs. Jaguars).

Flowers starts Collective Sports to rep coaches By Liz Mullen Sports Business Journal July 17, 2018

Richmond Flowers III has launched an agency that counts about 30 NFL coaches as clients, including Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and New York Jets offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates.

The new firm, called Collective Sports Advisors, will be based in Walnut Creek in Northern California.

Flowers had been hired by CSE Talent to develop a football coaches representation practice last year, but he said that was a one-year deal with a mutual option to continue. Flowers said he decided to opt out of the agreement because he wanted to build his own business, and said the parting was amicable.

Danny Martoe, CSE Talent president, declined to comment.

Flowers is a former NFL player and a former NFL coach. He played wide receiver at Duke and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2001. He played for the Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys before getting a job as an assistant offensive coach with the Washington Redskins. He was also an offensive assistant for the 49ers and worked with coaches who are now clients.

Other clients include 49ers quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello, Cowboys defensive backs coach Greg Jackson and Texans defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, as well as several coaches who Flowers declined to name.

Flowers comes from a celebrated family that was featured in a Sports Illustrated story written by the late William Nack headlined “In the Name of the Father.” Flowers’ father, Richmond Flowers Jr., was a wide receiver at Tennessee and played safety in the NFL for five years, after being selected in the second round by the Cowboys. His grandfather, Richmond Flowers Sr., was Alabama attorney general and gained fame for fighting racial segregation. Emmanuel Sanders pleads guilty to lane change violation after crash By Charean Williams Pro Football Talk July 17, 2018

Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders pleaded guilty to a lane change violation after a car wreck last August, Denver’s CBS4 reports. He will pay a $50 fine.

Sanders was cited for careless driving after jumping the median to avoid heavy traffic. Investigators said he hit a minivan, who also was pulling into the median illegally.

The van driver was cited for careless driving as well.

Sanders, 31, enters his ninth season, having made 464 catches for 6,156 yards and 33 .

NFL teams’ national revenue increased by 4.9 percent in 2017 By Michael David Smith Pro Football Talk July 17, 2018

Despite declining television ratings, the NFL brought in more money than ever before through its broadcast deals in 2017.

Each of the league’s 32 teams took in $255 million in national revenues last year, which translates to $8.16 billion across the league. That’s an increase of 4.9 percent from 2016, according to Darren Rovell of ESPN.

National revenue comes from the league’s TV deals with NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN and DirecTV, as well as licensing and merchandise revenues. That money is split evenly among the 32 teams. Last year was the first time national revenue topped $8 billion.

For 2018, national revenue should be up again, as FOX will be paying significantly more for Thursday night games this year than NBC and CBS paid to split the package last year. A sustained decline in the league’s TV ratings could eventually cause the league’s revenues to decline, but that’s highly unlikely to happen before 2022, when the current TV deals expire.

Although national revenue represents the bulk of the money that NFL teams make, local revenues are significant as well. The Packers’ books show the team brought in just under $200 million in local revenue. NFL’s interest in Lincoln Riley and OU’s offense “blown out of proportion a little bit” By Charean Williams Pro Football Talk July 17, 2018

Lincoln Riley downplayed talk of NFL teams’ interest in him and his offense.

“That got blown out of proportion a little bit,” the second-year University of Oklahoma head coach said during Big 12 Media Days, via Jori Epstein of the Dallas Morning News.

Riley, 34, became an NFL story this offseason when Kirk Herbstreit revealed that most NFL teams have picked Riley’s brain about his offense. The ESPN college football analyst later added that he expected NFL teams to “knock on [Riley’s] door” in the future.

The Riley hype machine picked up steam when Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer called Riley “what [Chip] Kelly once was” for NFL coaches and scouts and predicated NFL offenses will “look a little more like Oklahoma” this fall.

Riley clarified Monday that his chats with NFL staffers came while they were in Norman scouting his players, including Baker Mayfield, Orlando Brown and Mark Andrews.

The coach would not get into specific conversations with NFL teams or level of interest about his offense. He said some lasted only a few minutes, while others delved into scheme intricacies and best team management practices, according to Epstein.

“All these chances to talk are very helpful for us,” Riley said. “It’s been nice to have a few more resources [we can] bounce ideas off.

“We’re appreciative to have the chance to visit with those people.”

For the new helmet rules, ejections aren’t the biggest concern By Pro Football Talk July 17, 2018

In the first edition of Peter King’s Football Morning in America, NFL senior V.P. of officiating Al Riveron attempts to address concerns about the new helmet rules (and, yes, there are two of them, not one) by explaining that the new rule that prohibits players from lowering their helmets and initiating contact will not lead to an “ejection-fest.”

That’s fine. That’s nice. But that’s hardly the primary reason to believe that potentially revolutionary changes to the game of football will happen as these two new helmet rules took root.

Ejections will indeed be rare. The real question is whether there will be a flag-fest (or a fine-fest) arising from violations of the new rule regarding lowering the helmet or the much broader (and much less noticed) expansion of the unnecessary roughness rule to prohibit any and all ramming, butting, or spearing with any portion of the helmet, without regard to whether the helmet was lowered or whether contact was initiated.

If these two new rules result in a flurry of flags, coaches will adjust. And the game will change, up to and including minimal or no use of the three-point stance. If these two new rules result in a flurry of fines, the game probably won’t change much? The coaches don’t pay the fines, the coaches want to win, and the coaches will continue to expect the game to be played a certain way, even if it hits the players in their bank accounts.

“We have had zero resistance from the coaches,” Riveron told King. That’s possibly happening because the coaches still don’t fully appreciate how aggressively these new rules will be enforced, and because they’re simply choosing to believe those who privately claim it won’t be a big deal.

Given the breadth of the new rules and the clear motivation to take the head out of the pro game so that mom and dad will let Jimmy play football at the youth level, I won’t believe it won’t be a big deal until it’s not a big deal.

And I have a nagging feeling it will indeed be a big deal.