Truth & Rumors > NFL

07:06 AM ET 05.22 | Broadway Joe is at it again. Joe Namath calls Gang Green's prized rookie QB Geno Smith a "sensational athlete" with "good size." And Namath also thinks drafting Smith was unnecessary. "No, I don't think they needed a quarterback," Namath said at the United Way's 20th annual Gridiron Gala at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel on Tuesday. "They needed the other positions filled. Possibly offensive line. They got some defensive line. The safeties are still questionable. The outside linebackers are still questionable." To Namath, the Jets already had a quality quarterback in embattled starter Mark Sanchez. Sanchez has struggled in the last two seasons. But Namath attributed that to "distractions."

New York Daily News

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07:05 AM ET 05.22 | With Brian Urlacher gone, Lance Briggs has embraced change, even if he's not terribly fond of it. The weak-side linebacker has become the signal caller of the defense, a chore generally reserved for middle linebackers. But Briggs, preparing for his 11th season, took notice of the leadership void [Urlacher's] departure created and volunteered for the duty as the Bears overhaul the position while keeping most everything else intact on a unit that finished fifth in total defense in 2012. "I miss everybody, you guys," Briggs said after Tuesday's organized team activities practice at Halas Hall, the first time he has talked with reporters this offseason. "I miss everybody."

Chicago Tribune

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07:04 AM ET 05.22 | Play-calling duties may no longer be part of Jason Garrett's job description, but he still has a job. [Many] wondered if his title would be next. But team owner Jerry Jones says Garrett -- coming off back-to-back 8-8 seasons -- isn't coaching for his job in 2013. "No, no he's not," Jones told NFL.com's Albert Breer on Tuesday. "No. What we're doing is taking the assets that we have and Jason being right at the top -- certainly our premiere asset -- and we're using him to the best of our ability." The Cowboys have yet to clarify exactly who will call plays after Bill Callahan was named offensive coordinator in January. They don't expect to make that decision until after the first preseason game. That makes zero sense."

NFL.com

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07:04 AM ET 05.22 | Among the NFL's most interesting storylines this offseason is who Chip Kelly will start with under center in 2013. Michael Vick, of course. The Eagles have paid him $3.5 million. Why else cure Vick's fumbling problem, which has dogged him for a decade? ... Further, Kelly's mere presence has somehow convinced Vick that he has been able to read defenses for a dozen years. This same Vick acknowledged a few years ago that, as a Falcon, he often declined to study video coaches made for him of the opposition. Finally, Matt Barkley's cotton-candy passes, all soft and sweet, are not NFL-ready. And, while Nick Foles might "feel confident with" the zone-read scheme, the key to any option attack is, well, the options. Foles runs a 5.14-second 40-yard dash.

Philadelphia Daily News

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07:01 AM ET 05.22 | So productive, so talented -- and there's more. Von Miller has played only two seasons for the Broncos, but he already has carved out a tidy slice of the team's record book. The outside linebacker has the franchise record for sacks in a season (18 1/2) and most sacks in his first two seasons (30), and he tied a team record for most forced fumbles in a season (six). Still, Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio said there is more to come -- which is bad news for opposing offenses. "He can get better," Del Rio said. "Yeah, he can get more consistent. Certainly he had a tremendous number of impact plays -- tackles for loss, sacks, quarterback hits. ... [But] we want to find a way to be more consistent, make less errors."

The Denver Post

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