NFL teams have begun preparations for the upcoming year as rookie minicamps kicked off this weekend, and training camps are right around the corner. However, the biggest news of the day involves former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who is no longer a convicted murderer after a judge threw out the conviction because Hernandez killed himself in the midst of an appeal. As we shift our focus back to the field, here are all the latest NFL rumors you need to know.
Reuben Foster to be a "full go" for training camp
San Francisco 49ers rookie linebackers Reuben Foster is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, and head coach Kyle Shanahan had previously said that it may cause him to miss part of the regular season. However, general manager John Lynch told Sirius XM Radio that Foster's recovery is ahead of schedule and he should be "full go" by training camp:
#49ers GM @JohnLynch49ers: @ferrarifoster is one of those freakish athletes those guys tend to heal faster. He is a head of schedule.
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) May 9, 2017
#49ers GM @JohnLynch49ers: Come Training Camp we expect @ferrarifoster to be "full go" and I can't wait to see it.
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) May 9, 2017
Foster had 115 tackles with 13 tackles for loss and five sacks in 15 games last season for Alabama.
Cowboys limiting Jaylon Smith's workload
Linebacker Jaylon Smith, the Dallas Cowboys' second-round pick in the 2016 draft, missed his entire rookie season as he recovered from a serious knee injury that resulted in nerve damage. They were hoping that he would be able to participate in rookie minicamp, but the team now plans to limit his involvement, according to ESPN's Todd Archer:
After saying during the draft that the Dallas Cowboys' 2016 second-round pick would participate in the upcoming minicamp for the 2017 rookies, coach Jason Garrett said Sunday night that Smith will go through the meetings and walk-throughs only.
The Cowboys are in Phase 2 of their offseason program, which includes on-field teaching sessions as well as strength and conditioning work. After such a long layoff, the Cowboys want to be smart with Smith's work on the field and not overly tax him from the start.
"He's going to do the veteran stuff on the field on Tuesday and Thursday, so I don't anticipate him doing a lot on the field over the weekend," Garrett said at the Taste of the Cowboys event benefiting the North Texas Food Bank.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also said at the draft that Smith's recent improvement has the Cowboys believing he'll be able to make a full recovery and won't need to play with a brace on his foot.
Raiders plan to open new Vegas stadium by June 2020
The Oakland Raiders had planned to relocate to Las Vegas in two years, but it appears their new stadium won't be ready until June 2020, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Construction of a 65,000-seat domed football stadium is expected to begin in January and be completed by June 2020, giving the Raiders three months to move in before their first NFL regular-season game.
The Las Vegas Stadium Authority’s draft of a preliminary project timeline shows a 30-month construction period after stadium bonds are issued. Site work on 62 acres at Interstate 15 and Russell Road, purchased by the Raiders for $77.5 million on May 1, is targeted by December.
The stadium authority board is expected to discuss the timeline at Thursday’s meeting at 1 p.m. at the Clark County Government Center.
The Raiders have a current lease that allows them to play at Oakland Alameda Coliseum in Oakland through the 2018 season. Their plans for the 2019 season remain unknown.
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