Truth & Rumors > NFL

05:20 PM ET 05.22 | In the coming days, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is set to join the National Football League???s $100 million club. The Falcons want to lock up Ryan for the future. He's guided the team to five straight winning seasons and two NFC South titles. General manager Thomas Dimitroff has said they want to do Ryan's deal in a creative manner that will not severely hamper the team???s long-term salary-cap situation. The topic of Ryan???s contract came up on NFL Radio SiriusXM as commentators Tim Ryan (no relation to Matt) and Pat Kirwan discussed the pending contract extension. They used New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees??? five-year, $100-million contract and Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco???s six-year, $120-million deal as comparable deals.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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05:13 PM ET 05.22 | irst and foremost, Bruce Arians coaches the offense, even though he's got the whole team to worry about as new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. And that offense was the target of his criticism as the team resumed OTAs on Tuesday. "We're just not picking it up fast enough," he said. "We're still not picking it up the way I'd like to - at all positions." Arians singled out the receivers. "I don't like mistakes. I really don't like mental mistakes," Arians said, "especially if you made the same mistake last week. That should be corrected and in the books by now, and our receivers are not getting that done." Even the supremely consistent Larry Fitzgerald dropped a sidelines catch he makes 99 percent or more of the time.

CBS Sports

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05:08 PM ET 05.22 | San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree suffered a torn Achilles tendon during organized team activities Tuesday and will soon undergo what could be season-ending surgery, a person informed of the injury told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the 49ers haven't commented on the injury, which used to be an automatic season-ender but has since become one that can sometimes be rehabbed in a matter of months ??? as Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Da'Quan Bowers did last year. Both players tore the tendon in the spring and returned to the field after starting the year on the physically unable to perform list.

USA Today

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05:03 PM ET 05.22 | Locker, who is coming back from surgery in January to his left non-throwing shoulder, pronounced himself ready to go. ???I don't expect there to be anything that will hold me out,??? Locker told reporters on Tuesday. As for the details of his recovery, Locker said the shoulder now feels normal ??? or back to the way it was before he first suffered a dislocation in last year's season opener against the New England Patriots. ???I don't know a whole lot about it as far as if it's supposed to be better or stronger, but I can tell you it feels better and just the same as it did before I got hurt,??? Locker said. ???I haven't had any problems with it. I haven't had any moments with it where, I'm like, 'Aw, man, I can feel that,' or 'it slipped a little bit.' It feels great. It feels normal and I'm excited about that.???

247 Sports

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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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