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Jon Beason
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Beason talks have stalled, agent says
Jul/31/07 04:59 AM | Permalink
SPARTANBURG --The agent for rookie linebacker Jon Beason said Monday the Panthers are refusing to give his client a reasonable contract.

"If ever a player wanted to be practicing in training camp, it's Jon Beason," Michael Huyghue said. "But there's a business side to it, and I don't think our requests are at all unreasonable.''

Beason, the 25th overall pick in this year's draft, has missed five practices. Huyghue said the sides remain in contact, but there has been no progress in talks. The Panthers do not comment on negotiations. Beason is in Jacksonville, Fla., and working out with a personal trainer.

Huyghue said the sticking point isn't about money, but the way cash is distributed. The agent said the Panthers have refused to include a second-year option as part of Beason's guaranteed money. Huyghue said almost all other first-round picks who have signed have been given second-year options. Instead, he said, the Panthers are offering a bonus in the third year that would not be guaranteed and would be based on Beason reaching certain incentives.

The seven players drafted immediately after Beason have signed and the picks closest to Beason have received five-year deals worth an average of slightly more than $2.2 million a season with about $6 million in guaranteed money.

(charlotte.com)
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Former Chaminade, UM star Jon Beason's holdout continues
Jul/30/07 03:40 PM | Permalink
SPARTANBURG, S.C. Na'il Diggs feels as though he's contending with the supernatural as he seeks to keep his starting job with the Carolina Panthers.

First-round pick Jon Beason was expected to take Diggs' spot at outside linebacker. But with the former Chaminade-Madonna and UM standout unsigned and holding out, Diggs worked with the first team for the second consecutive day Sunday.

"It's a ghost. Right now, that's what it is. I'm really competing against a ghost," Diggs said. "What I've got to do is keep making plays on the field."
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Panthers, Beason far apart
Jul/30/07 03:32 PM | Permalink
(AP) - It appears one rookie won't be on the field when the Carolina Panthers practice tomorrow.

The team reached a stalemate in negotiations today with first-round pick Jon Beason, making it likely he'll be the team's first rookie holdout in four years.
General manager Marty Hurney says the two sides are, in his words, "miles apart."

Beason is a linebacker from Miami and the 25th pick in the draft. He's expected to start camp working at outside linebacker, but also provide insurance at middle linebacker in case Dan Morgan can't return after multiple concussions.
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Greg Olsen deal sets early parameters for Beason
Jul/04/07 11:59 AM | Permalink
The contract agreed to on Tuesday by tight end Greg Olsen of the Chicago Bears could impact how the Carolina Panthers structure the deal of their first-round pick, Jon Beason.

Beason was the 25th player selected inApril's NFL draft; lsen was 31st overall.

Olsen, the first first-round pick to sign this year, will get a five-year contract with a maximum value of $10.696 million, according to ESPN's website. The contract will pay Olsen a signing bonus of $250,000 and a $720,000 roster bonus in the first year, with a 2007 base salary of $285,000. ESPN 's website also reported that there is an option bonus of $3.545 million, and there are reporting bonuses of $100,000 in 2009, $140,000 in 2010 and $125,732 in 2011. The base salaries in the deal, after the first season, are $370,000 (2008), $460,000 (2009), $550,000 (2010) and $650,000 (2011). Olsen can earn an additional $2.921 million in incentives and escalators and a one-time playing time incentive of $578,700, the website reported.

Beason, of course, will make more than his former college teammate at Miami given he was taken five spots ahead of him. However, the structure of the deal could be similar.

(blogs.gastongazette.com)
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Panthers bringing along first round pick Beason slowly
Jun/10/07 02:54 PM | Permalink
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — What made linebacker Jon Beason so attractive to the Carolina Panthers on draft day was his versatility.
But learning two positions is tough - especially if you're a rookie.

"He's an instinctive guy and I think he's had some background at both outside backer and inside backer in his career," coach John Fox said. "As far as it relates to our system, we'll bring him along primarily at one spot, but kind of keep it an idea."

The speedy Beason was primarily an outside linebacker at Miami, but played middle linebacker on passing downs. The Panthers hoped the former Miami star could start right away on the outside, and provide important insurance with oft-injured Dan Morgan playing the middle.

But for now, Beason has been working behind incumbent starter Na'il Diggs at outside linebacker during this month's optional workouts.
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Beason getting up to speed
Jun/07/07 10:45 AM | Permalink
Carolina rookie linebacker Jon Beason is into the second week of summer school, and he is ready to give an assessment of the defense he is learning to play in.

"I like it,” said Beason, who was chosen with the 25th overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Panthers. “I think it’s a good fit for me. We like to come after people and pressure guys. It’s a lot like what we did at Miami, so it’s an easy transition.

“I’m just waiting to get into pads. The speed in the trenches has been the same. I’m really impressed by the receivers and the DB’s, how quick they are and their ball skills. Other than that, it’s been the same, but I know when those pads come on and those big uglies start coming after me, it should be a little different.”

One thing the Panthers find beautiful about Beason is his versatility. His ability to play multiple linebacker positions could prove invaluable next season.

“He is an instinctive guy, and I think he's had some background at both outside and inside backer during his (college) career,” said Panthers head coach John Fox. “As far as it relates to our system, we'll just bring him along primarily in one spot with kind of keeping an idea about the others.
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Foxhole: Fox on Jon (Beason)
Jun/03/07 07:08 PM | Permalink
On rookie Jon Beason's ability to play multiple linebacker positions: He is an instinctive guy, and I think he's had some background at both outside and inside backer during his career (at the University of Miami). As far as it relates to our system, we'll just bring him along primarily in one spot with kind of keeping an idea. A lot of players have that responsibility. We've got some DB's that have to know a couple of different positions and the same with d-linemen. By the time you get to the season and you go into it with a 46-man squad for the game, there has to be position flexibility, whether it's seven o-linemen that are typically active or six or seven d-linemen. It will be the same with linebackers.

On if Beason is being brought along more slowly because he is still learning how to play linebacker after starting his college career at safety: With any rookie, you bring him along as fast as they are capable. It doesn't matter what the coaches know. It's what that player knows. Again, it's too early to say how fast we're going to bring him along at this point, but we'll give him all he can handle.

On defensive end Mike Rucker setting a target date of returning to practice during training camp: I think that's a pretty big window. At this point, it will be week-to-week, and we'll see how he comes along. We won't rush him and we'll be smart with it. Even once he starts practicing, we'll be smart. We'll have to wait and see.

On if Rucker can be brought along more slowly because he is a veteran and knows the defense: I think the fact that he's pretty comfortable in our system defensively and we've not changed that much, you always tweak a couple of things every offseason, but the fact that he's got those years of experience in our system, sure that doesn't freak you out too bad.

(panthers.com)
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Jon Beason Update
May/06/07 09:50 AM | Permalink
Beason will wear #52 for the Carolina Panthers.
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Beason Looking to Learn
Apr/30/07 10:54 AM | Permalink
I'm glad I get to say I told you so about Jon Beason not making a mistake by leaving after his junior season.

Beason's excited about becoming a Panther because it provides him the opportunity to learn from former Hurricane and Carolina veteran Dan Morgan.

Check out what the former Chaminade-Madonna standout had to say to Carolina media about becoming the Panther's first-round pick.

On how he feels about being drafted by the Panthers: It's funny, I was just talking to my agent about it and I told him that ever since I declared that I was coming out early that I wanted to be a Carolina Panther.

On why he said that: I just felt it was a great fit for me, to come in and play with and learn from Dan (Morgan), a guy I trust. We're both Hurricanes. I know he's going to look out for me. I think it's a great place to live. I know it's on the rise as far as real estate goes. The uniforms. I love everything. It's a great place
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Beason getting full backing as LB pick
Apr/26/07 08:55 AM | Permalink
Fullback might not be a high-priority position in the NFL, but the Patriots would strongly consider selecting one in the first round of Saturday's draft. The only catch: That fullback is now a top-shelf linebacker.

When Jon Beason was entering his first season at the University of Miami, he was indeed a bulldozing fullback. Yet two games into his college career in 2003, he suffered a shoulder injury and never took a snap at the position again. Instead, Beason was switched to linebacker the following season, as Miami had a complete turnover at the position with Jonathan Vilma (first round), D.J. Williams (first round), and Darrell McClover (seventh round) entering the NFL.

Beason remembers that Miami had just four linebackers on scholarship at the time. He had taken some snaps at the position at Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Fla., and figured there could be worse things than following in the footsteps of Hurricane linebackers such as Vilma, Williams, Ray Lewis, and Dan Morgan.
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Bears and the NFL Draft: Linebackers Height just part of tall tales
Apr/25/07 07:39 PM | Permalink
LAKE FOREST -- Miami linebacker Jon Beason stands 6 feet tall and reporters at the February NFL scouting combine asked if lack of ideal height affected his play.

"Not at all," he said. "You look at Zach Thomas, London Fletcher, those guys are 5-9," Beason said. "If there was one thing I could change, it would be my height, because supposedly they think that has something to do with playing linebacker; if I had another inch."

There are a lot of linebackers in this draft echoing Beason's sentiment -- too many to make some personnel people comfortable. With so few linebackers taller than 6-1 and some under 5-10, no one was confused whether the 2007 combine was an NBA or NFL sanctioned event.
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Draft preview: Miami linebacker's height only slight
Apr/19/07 09:02 AM | Permalink
The NFL likes linebackers with size, speed and tackling ability, which means some teams in the NFL won't like Miami's Jon Beason.
Beason has speed and he's one of the surest tacklers among this year's draft-eligible linebackers. Plus, he played at a school that has produced a litany of NFL linebackers, most of them good ones.

But it's his size that's the problem. At 6-foot, 237 pounds, he's considered short for an outside linebacker –- and that's not me talking, it's NFL scouts combing through prospects for flaws.

With Beason, they didn't have to probe.

"It's going to take a perfect place with a perfect system to fit him," said one scout. "Someone like Tony (Dungy) or Lovie (Smith) would be ideal for him. They like smaller guys who are fast. (Bill) Belichick would find a place for him, too. But he may not fit some clubs, particularly those playing a 3-4."
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Patriots Draft: Beason Talks About Visits
Apr/16/07 08:41 AM | Permalink
Between flights while on his way to San Diego on Thursday, Miami LB Jon Beason provided Scout.com's Ed Thompson with a summary of his first two NFL pre-draft visits to Cincinnati and New England. Listen in as he talks about his visits, the teams' levels of interest, his impressions and much more.

In arguably one of the best inside looks at how an official pre-draft player visit goes in New England, University of Miami linebacker Jon Beason tells Scout.com's Ed Thompson about his recent trip to Foxborough. New England Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Peese, linebacker's coach Mike Patricia and some of the other player personnel behind the scenes at Gillette Stadium spent time with this top NFL Draft prospect. The Patriots staff wanted to take a more comprehensive look at a player who may be on the roster for years to come.

Beason, ranked as one of the top prospects in the NFL Draft, would fill a major area of need for the Patriots. With Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel on the back end of their distinguished careers, an influx of talent provided by a player like Beason would provide security at the position this year. He will have an opportunity to learn from some of the best players at the position hastening his development into the type of impact player many envision him becoming.

Beason talked about his grueling pre-draft visit schedule, the difference from New England visit to the one he had in Cincinnati, and some of the testing the Patriots put him through.

(patriots.scout.com)
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Draft Risers and Fallers
Apr/10/07 08:30 AM | Permalink
1. up Jon Beason, OLB, Miami (Fla.): Beason had a personal Pro Day workout for scouts on April 5, and his performance there has his stock, already rising, potentially moving him to the top of the outside linebacker class. Though undersized at 6-feet, 233 pounds, Beason's combination of athleticism and versatility has scouts comparing him to Detroit second-year linebacker Ernie Sims. Sims, you may recall, was ranked by most as the third or fourth best outside linebacker of the 2006 class and a mid to late first-round pick. However, in the weeks leading up to the draft, his stock inexplicably began to rise, ultimately resulting with the Lions taking him ninth overall. Sims, a 16-game starter, went on to lead the Lions with 144 tackles, finishing tied for 12th in the NFL. In clocking in at 4.62 seconds in the 40-yard dash and posting solid numbers in the broad (10-feet) and vertical jumps (32.5"), Beason could take advantage of a weak linebacker crop and be on the verge of a similar late rise.

(cbs.sportsline.com)
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UM's Beason has workout
Apr/07/07 12:47 PM | Permalink
Former University of Miami linebacker Jon Beason, who is expected to be a first-round selection in the NFL Draft later this month, went through a workout for seven teams, including the Miami Dolphins, on Thursday morning at Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna High.

Beason ran the 40-yard dash in the low 4.6-second range, with scouts placing his best time around 4.62 and 4.63 seconds. He also hit 10 feet in the standing long jump, and his vertical jump was measured at 32.5 inches.

''Overall, I would probably give myself a seven out of 10,'' Beason said. ``I was a little disappointed. I didn't put everything together like I wanted to. All in all, they're still happy with me.''

Beason, 6-0 and 233 pounds, leaves today for personal visits with several NFL teams and will not return home until April 20.

''It was fun just getting it all out of the way, putting this part of the process behind me,'' Beason said.

(herald.com)
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Beason To Visit Dolphins
Apr/04/07 10:33 PM | Permalink
Players from UM and other local colleges, including Hurricanes linebacker Jon Beason, are set for pre-draft visits today at Dolphins headquarters in Davie.

(sun-sentinel.com)
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Beason's Workouts
Mar/30/07 08:40 AM | Permalink
Hurricanes OLB Jon Beason will work out at 10 a.m. on April 5 at Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Fla., where he went to high school. Beason has visits scheduled with the Bengals, Giants, Colts, Steelers, Lions and Chargers.

(nfl.com)
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Beason coming up
Mar/28/07 10:34 AM | Permalink
According to a league source, Miami LB Jon Beason has been scheduled for an April trip to Gillette Stadium, making him the third known player to take one of the 20 in-house visits the team is allowed to stage. He joins Tennessee WR Robert Meachem and Purdue OLB/DE Anthony Spencer in that group.

At first blush, Beason looks like an ideal fit for as a Tampa-2 “will” linebacker, which in most cases would make him iffy for the Patriots’ gap-control system. But after coming in at 6-foot and 237 pounds at the Combine, while clocking a 4.6 40-yard dash, New England has shown strong interest, having worked him out privately after the Hurricanes’ Pro Day in Coral Gables. His athleticism is key, especially considering the team’s struggles in covering tight ends down the seam and in the hook-to-curl zones over the last two years. He would project to the inside in the Patriots’ system, as he spent all of college — after converting early from fullback — as an off-the-line ‘backer.

Beason has close to 10 visits set up, and has steadily risen up draft boards after projecting into the second round at the beginning of the process. About half of the linebacker’s scheduled visits are with teams drafting above the Patriots’ first first-round pick (24th overall). He’ll also have another workout for about 15 teams in Coral Gables on April 5.

(bostonherald.com)
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7 Points With Miami LB Jon Beason
Mar/24/07 12:43 PM | Permalink
Miami's Jon Beason is getting ready for his Pro Day on April 5th, and he took a few minutes to talk with Scout.com's Ed Thompson about what he'll be doing that day, his Combine experience and more in this exclusive interview.

Ed Thompson: What are you doing right now as you continue to prepare for your final steps into the NFL?

Jon Beason: As of today, I'm just training hard for my Pro Day on April 5th, which I'm excited about. The feedback I'm getting from my agent is that I really don't have to run the forty again, but I want to. I want to be able to do it healthy and put my best foot forward and show the clubs how fast I am.

ET: You've already shown them your great sideline-to-sideline speed during the season. Do you think you'll really gain that much running the forty again?

JB: I'm expecting to run it in 4.5, which is a big improvement from my Combine numbers. So it's really just for me and my well-being.
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NFL Network Feature Path to the Draft - Jon Beason
Mar/22/07 09:11 AM | Permalink
Check out the NFL Network's feature video, Path to the Draft, on Jon Beason. Click at the top on NFL U Video Highlights or click here!
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Beason gets look
Mar/13/07 12:26 PM | Permalink
The Patriots are scheduled to put University of Miami linebacker Jon Beason through a private workout today in South Florida.

Beason, a projected first-round pick, is considered one of the most athletic linebackers in the NFL Draft.

At 6-feet, 236 pounds, he is not as big as Mississippi's Patrick Willis and Michigan's David Harris, who are considered traditional "mike" linebackers for a 3-4 defense. A team captain at Miami, Beason spoke last month at the NFL Combine about the possibility of playing in a 3-4.

“I think it would be a challenge, because at UM we run a 4-3. I talked to some scouts and coaches and they see me as a 'mike', an inside backer in a 3-4," he said. "I don’t think it would be that different. It’s still a two-gap responsibility, so it’s a lot like what I do at 'will'.”

Beason is represented by Marty Magid of MRM Sports & Entertainment, LLC, which is based in Conshohocken, Pa.

(boston.com)
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LB Beason has tweaked ACL
Mar/05/07 12:39 PM | Permalink
According to NFL.com's Gil Brandt, University of Miami linebacker Jon Beason only weighed in at the Miami pro day because of a "tweaked ACL." He's supposedly going to be okay to test some time in April, but that's going to throw up some red flags with NFL teams.

(buffalobills.com)
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Beason choice a mistake?
Feb/25/07 05:59 PM | Permalink
Did linebacker Jon Beason make a mistake by skipping his senior season to enter the NFL Draft?

Seems like he did if you believe NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper. According to Kiper, Beason is no better than a third-round pick and may slip into the fourth round.

I haven’t talked to Beason since mid-January, but I can assure you he wasn’t thinking about the fourth round when he decided to come out.
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Mike Mayock on Jon Beason
Feb/21/07 10:55 PM | Permalink
"At linebacker, there are some interesting kids this year because of the juniors that came out. Jon Beason from Miami is under some people's radar. He might be the best linebacker in the draft."

(buffalobills.com)
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