NFL Player News

Geno Smith, who figures to be in a battle for the Jets starting quarterback job with Ryan Fitzpatrick, said Monday after the team's first voluntary workout that he needed to perform better this season, per Newsday. 

"In this league, there isn't room for excuses ... moral victories. I've got to put this team in a position to be successful," he said. 

Smith managed 2,525 yards, 13 touchdowns with 13 interceptions a season ago.

New Bills coach Rex Ryan brought in veteran quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor in the offseason, but that doesn't mean he's ready to give up on EJ Manuel. 

"And then EJ. Let's not just throw him out after two years. Aaron Rodgers never took a snap for three years. So let's see where Manuel's going to be," Ryan said, per the Buffalo News.

Ryan plans to have a quarterback competition during OTAs and training camp. 

Jets coach Todd Bowles is a fan of competition. 

Instead of being content with quarterbacks Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Matt Simms competing for the starting job, Bowles, via the Newark Star-Ledger, said the team has plans to add a fourth signal caller to the mix. 

Bowles said this on a conference call with season-ticket holders. 

"Ryan's going to compete, as well as Geno's going to compete," Bowles said. "And we hope to add somebody else to help compete with that along with Simms."

That could mean many things, such as adding a veteran quarterback, a mid-to-late-rounder or someone looking to get back in the league. Or perhaps it's a sign the Jets want to take a quarterback — possibly Marcus Mariota — with the sixth overall pick if the opportunity arises. 

The Bengals signed veteran backup quarterback Josh Johnson on Thursday, the organization announced. 

Johnson was drafted in the fifth round by the Buccaneers in 2008 but mostly served in a backup role. He did start one game with the Bucs in 2011, filling in for an injured Josh Freeman. Once his time in Tampa Bay was up, he bounced around with the Bengals, Browns and 49ers in consecutive seasons from 2012-2014. 

Johnson was with the Bengals for the 2013 season. He was active each game that season, backing up Andy Dalton. 

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was in new offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi's system for the first time last season. The team plans on taking more chances down the field in Stafford's second season in the new offense, Lombardi said, according to the team's official website.

“In his second year (in the offense) he’s going to be that much more comfortable,” Lombardi said.

“We’ll be able to tailor the offense a little bit more to what he likes and what he’s good at. I thought he played smart football and sometimes to a fault. We’ll look for him to maybe take a few more chances this year with the football.”

Although Stafford didn't take many shots down the field, he did throw a career-low 12 interceptions in 2014. 

The former first overall draft pick has thrown for 21,714 yards with 131 touchdowns and 85 interceptions during his six-year career.

Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been in talks to land a contract extension this offseason, and while a large portion of the deal will be guaranteed, the quarterback will not receive a fully-guaranteed contract, NFL.com reports.

CBSSports.com NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported on March 21 that Wilson and the Seahawks were not close to an agreement. La Canfora also said during the NFL combine that it's possible Wilson plays out his rookie deal with the team. He has a cap hit a little less than $1.7 million in the last year of his rookie contract.

After suffering his second season-ending injury in nine months last year, quarterback Sam Bradford contemplated retiring but his former quarterbacks coach from Oklahoma talked him out of it, according to Philly.com.

Bradford, who was aquired by the Eagles in a trade in March, missed the entire 2014 season with the Rams after tearing his left ACL during a preseason game.

Josh Heupel, a former college coach, talked with Bradford after the injury and persuaded him to stay in the NFL.

"When a player goes through a big letdown, it's natural to be down," said Heupel. "I just tried to reach out to him and say, 'Hey, I still see this in you as a person and a player. I think the best is yet to come for you. You've got to get yourself healthy and get yourself back on the field and get yourself in the right environment ...'"

Heupel, who coached Bradford during his 2008 Heisman Trophy-winning season, is currently the offensive coordinator at Utah State.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is just one of five quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards. However, since he accomplished the feat in 2011, his passing yards have declined each season.

Stafford passed for 4,257 yards and attempted 602 passes in 2014 -- his first year under coach Jim Caldwell. While at the NFL owners' meetings in Phoenix this week, Caldwell said it's probably safe not to expect Stafford's numbers to change much in 2015.

"Here's the thing I want to make certain you guys understand, and see what I see just in terms of my vision," Caldwell said, per MLive.com. "When I tell you we're not going to throw the ball anymore than we threw it, that's a fact. We're probably not going to throw it (more).

"If we do throw it more, that means we're struggling, we're not winning, we're not a very good football team. OK? Plain and simple. Maybe that ball's got to be distributed a little bit differently, but I don't anticipate those numbers changing, overall, a significant amount."

After implementing the pistol formation into the offense to help take stress off of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' leg in 2014, the Packers are considering to use it more often this season, according to the Journal Sentinel.

"I like the pistol," head coach Mike McCarthy said during a break at the NFL owners meetings this week. "I think there's a lot of value regardless of the injury to Aaron. I know he likes it. There's a place for it year-round in your offense."

Although McCarthy has no intention of turning Rodgers into an option quarterback, the system provides unpredictability for opposing offenses.

"I would say this is about the third year it's been part of our pace and installation," McCarthy said. "Really, when we moved to it exclusively there at the end of the year it really wasn't a change for us.

"I liked it from a self-scout standpoint. It gives you another self-scout variable when you're in the gun, but you also have the tailback behind you. (There are a) lot of benefits to it."

Quarterback Sam Bradford has played seven games over the past two seasons while getting his left ACL repaired twice. Eagles coach Chip Kelly, who traded for Bradford, said he is not overly concerned about the injury risk.

"Look at our starting receiver last year [Jeremy Maclin], who had 85 catches," Kelly said at the NFL owners meetings, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Look at the year he had coming off of two ACLs.

"Look at our center. Jason Kelce had an ACL right before I got there and had a sports hernia in the middle of last season, and still made the Pro Bowl. Our left tackle [Jason Peters], who is arguably a Hall of Famer, has had two Achilles' [injuries] and is playing at an outstanding level.

"I would say it's easier for a quarterback with a knee injury [to come back] than a shoulder injury, as we went through the history of it. We didn't bring Sam in to run the ball 75 times a game. I think it's a lot easier for a quarterback with an ACL than it is for a receiver with an ACL. The history in terms of sports science right now and what doctors are doing is unbelievable."