At a point when he could be working on his improving his draft status, McCarron is at home. He said the decision to rest has nothing to do with any notion of a secured draft position.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the Senior Bowl in my hometown,” he told AL.com. “But my body was banged up during the year. I wanted to push through it and finish out the year for my teammates.
“When it came time to decide, I asked the advice of our team doctor, who are some of the best in the country. They said I should stay out of the game and get my body back to 100 percent healthy.”
Among McCarron’s known ailments this past season was a toe injury, sore shoulder and sore arm. He said he doesn’t need surgery — just rest and treatment.
“My shoulder feels better than it ever has now,” he told AL.com. “I’ve been working on my throwing mechanics and my arm is going to be stronger than it’s ever been.”
Between the Combine and Pro Days, he’ll have his chance to impress, but there’s a chance others might have gotten a jump on him at the Senior Bowl.
SNOW REHERSAL
The NFL and personnel at MetLife Stadium had a Super Bowl pop quiz on snow removal less than two weeks before the title game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks.
The league and stadium officials decided to use a winter storm that dumped a foot or more of snow in the New York City metropolitan area Tuesday as somewhat of a dress rehearsal to see how quickly they could clean the 80,000-seat facility that will hold the first outdoor Super Bowl in cold weather.
NFL executive vice president Eric Grubman said Wednesday an 18-hour time limit was set for removing the snow from the stadium, surrounding parking lots and access roads in the Meadowlands sports complex, where the game will be played Feb. 2.
Winter storm Janus is pounding the Northeast, a movement anyone associated with the Super Bowl — teams, media and fans, included — hope will be long gone before the Feb. 2 kickoff.
It was 17 degrees in East Rutherford on Tuesday.
YOUNG FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY
Vince Young tried to make his way back into the NFL this year and almost did with the Green Bay Packers. But in the end, he was left unemployed — a financial bind that made his money troubles worse and has forced him to finally file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The Houston Chronicle reports that the attorney for the former University of Texas and NFL quarterback filed the petition last week in federal bankruptcy court. Young’s assets were estimated between $500,001 and $1 million, and estimated liabilities fell between $1,001,000 and $10 million.
Young’s financial hardships seemed to really hit during the 2011 NFL lockout. He has been involved in two lawsuits related to a $1.8 million loan he obtained during that period. The loan came from Pro Player Funding, based in New York, and a New York state court granted judgment against Young to the company. Including interest, the amount owed is more than $2.5 million, according to an attorney for the company.
Attempts to collect the money have all failed.
Young filed a lawsuit against a group that includes his former financial adviser, Ronnie Peoples of Raleigh, N.C., and his former agent, Major Adams II, the Chronicle reports. It’s Young’s contention that they conspired with Pro Player Funding to obtain the loan and that Young never received the money.
Documents in that case lists Young with assets of $1.8 million and liabilities of $2.5 million — the money reflected in the Pro Player loan. His assets also included five cars, his home, NFL annuity, retirement funds and jewelry.
CLOWNEY EMBRACING PROCESS
Can we stop questioning Jadeveon Clowney's effort in regards to his NFL future? The top defensive end prospect in the 2014 draft is doing all the right things in the pre-draft process.
Earlier in the week, the former South Carolina standout declared that he's ready to go through every athletic drill at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis next month. Before then, he's working to get plenty of face time with scouts, coaches and executives during this week's Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Ala.
“It’s very valuable to put a face with a name, and be out here watching the guys,” Clowney told reporters, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Clowney decided to leave school after his junior season following the Gamecocks' bowl victory over Wisconsin. Given the title of the Senior Bowl, NFL hopefuls of his standing aren't required to be there. But the fact he is there, talking to teams that might take him (including the Houston Texans at No. 1 overall) is a great sign. Consider that Alabama quarterback prospect A.J. McCarron, a senior coming off a shaky final college game vs. Oklahoma, didn't stop by down the road in Mobile.
There are many who criticized Clowney as his 2013 production (three sacks) was a big dropoff from his dominant sophomore season (13 sacks). There was scrutiny of whether he took plays off, instead of looking at how his hard impact off the edge raised the level of the entire South Carolina defense while he was fighting through nagging injuries and constant double-teams.
Well aware of the whispers and doubters, Clowney has gone all in to silence the rest of them.
“I’m just going to take advantage of it and train and get better and just compete," Clowney added about the Combine. "I’m gifted and my work ethic is also going to set me apart.”
In addition to the Texans, the entire coaching staffs of the Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 3) and Atlanta Falcons (No. 6) are working with the prospects at the Senior Bowl. Those three teams are building up as the most likely destinations for Clowney.
EX-COWBOY BRENT CONVICTED
Former Dallas Cowboys player Josh Brent was convicted of intoxication manslaughter Wednesday for a fiery wreck that killed his teammate and close friend, Jerry Brown.
Brent, 25, showed no reaction when he learned the verdict. He was led from the courtroom in handcuffs in front of crying family members who were in the front row of the courtroom gallery.
He faces up to 20 years in prison, though he could also get probation. The sentencing phase was scheduled to begin on Thursday.
Attorneys from both sides remain under a gag order that prevented them from commenting after the proceedings.
Prosecutors say Brent, a defensive tackle, was drunk when he crashed his Mercedes on a suburban Dallas highway in December 2012, killing Brown, a linebacker on the Cowboys practice squad who had also been Brent's teammate at the University of Illinois. Officers who arrived on scene saw Brent trying to pull Brown's body from the wreckage.
Police say Brent's blood alcohol level was tested shortly after the crash at 0.18 percent, more than twice the legal limit for drivers in Texas. Prosecutors last week argued that the burly, 320-pound defensive tackle had as many as 17 drinks that night of the crash.
Brent's attorneys argued the blood tests used by police were faulty and that Brent could not have drank nearly that much. Attorney George Milner said his client was "guilty of being stupid behind the wheel of a car," not drinking beforehand.
Brent retired from the NFL last year, but his ties to the Cowboys were prominent at trial. Two current players, Barry Church and Danny McCray, testified about hanging out with Brent and Brown, first playing video games, then having dinner and going to Privae, a Dallas nightclub.
PRO BOWL DRAFT
NFL great Deion Sanders took quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Cam Newton with his first skill position picks in the Pro Bowl draft Wednesday, going for passers early before focusing on defense in building a team for one win.
Jerry Rice chose New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham and then Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy with his first two picks, giving active player captain Drew Brees his top target early to go along with two Saints offensive linemen picked Tuesday.
"I wouldn't rather be with anybody else, obviously," Graham told reporters after being picked. All five Saints in the Pro Bowl ended up on Rice's team.
The picks kicked off the three-hour process of divvying up 60 players for Sunday's all-star game. The draft played out on a beachside estate used for weddings and luaus on Oahu's west side, adjacent to the plush Ko Olina resort where the players are staying for the week with their families.
See the full 2014 Pro Bowl rosters: Team Rice and Team Sanders
Contributors: Rana L. Cash, Vinnie Iyer, The Associated Press
