The BC Lions of the CFL released proCane WR Darnell Jenkins. Jenkins was released on Friday evening after missing a number of practices with injury problems.

“He [Jenkins] needed to be out there to have a chance,” Buono said. “We saw enough of him to make the decision. He wasn’t going to make this team.”


(vancouversun.com)

The lawyer for suspended New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma hit back at NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Saturday, accusing Goodell of being "misguided and irresponsible," in a statement obtained by NFL.com's Steve Wyche.

The statement comes a day after the existence of an alleged "ledger" was leaked to the media as key evidence in the team's "bounty" scheme that gave cash rewards to defensive players who injured opponents.

"Commissioner Goodell accuses Saints players of putting money on the head of specific opposing players -- the so-called ledger, as described by the anonymous sources, identifies no players, either Saints or opposing players," Peter Ginsberg said in a statement.

The ledger is to have kept track of the money earned by Saints defenders for types of hits -- dubbed "cart-offs" and "whacks" -- that injured opponents, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports. A hit that knocked an opponent out of the game was reportedly worth $1,000.

Ginsberg alleges that Goodell was told the ledger wasn't used for a bounty program but for rewarding clean play with small sums of money, saying the "'whacks' and 'cart-offs,' though regrettably named, were descriptions of good, clean, legal plays, and that any dirty or penalized play resulted in fines to players, not awards."

Vilma, who has been suspended for the entire season by Goodell for his role in the pay-to-injure program, has sued the commissioner for defamation.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said he had no comment on Ginsberg's statement.

"The facts are plain and simple," Ginsberg said. "During the three seasons in question, Jonathan Vilma was one of the least penalized players not only on the Saints but in the NFL. There is not one instance in which Jonathan Vilma set out to injure a player or gave any incentive to another player to injure an opposing player."

Vilma laughed off the ledger as evidence of a bounty program on his Twitter account Sunday by saying: “I've been asking the nfl for evidence for 2mos and got nothin but somehow a ledger gets "leaked"...and the leak was wrong! lol I love it”

Three other current players have been suspended by the league for their role in the bounty program, which is said to have run from 2009 to 2011 by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Saints defensive lineman Will Smith has been suspended four games, while Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita was suspended three games and Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove suspended eight games. Fujita and Hargrove were members of the Saints at points of program's life span.

All four players have appealed their suspensions, and the NFL Players Association has filed two separate grievances questioning Goodell's authority to rule on such matters.

Saints head coach Sean Payton was suspended for a year, general manager Mickey Loomis eight games and assistant head coach Joe Vitt six games. Williams, the architect of the program, has been suspended indefinitely.


(nfl.com)

VANCOUVER — He’ll be going to B.C. Lions rookie camp, but, at age 29, receiver Darnell Jenkins is expected to have a little more polish than most first-year CFL prospects.

After spending two seasons on the practice roster of the New England Patriots -- one of four NFL organizations he’s spent time with -- Jenkins has had his rough edges worked over significantly by head coach Bill Belichick, offseason training partners Randy Moss and Deion Branch and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Brady has a reputation for being his own harshest critic. He not only places lofty expectations upon himself, he does so with his teammates.
Jenkins can attest to that.

“He’s very sharp mentally, and he expects you to keep up with him, or you get chewed out,” said Jenkins, one of four import receivers whose signings were announced Monday by the Lions. “He’ll call plays in the huddle, then change it at the line, and he expects you to run your routes properly, or he’ll have something to say about it.”

Even if Brady is one of the most accurate throwers in NFL history, his deliveries are not always on the money -- purposefully so, Jenkins said, to maintain an admirable touchdown-to-interception ratio. So a receiver had better be prepared to field a low or high throw or one that requires him to leave his feet.

“He’ll throw a ball low, to protect the route, and you better be able to get it,” Jenkins said. “He’s very strict about route running and ball placement. You need to be able to make the difficult catch.”

Jenkins was released by the Patriots after training camp last September and spent the winter in Boston training with NFL receivers Moss and Branch, who were equally demanding and gave him an earful if he slacked off. The former Miami Hurricane caught the Lions’ attention at an offseason free-agent camp in Dallas, for which Jenkins was prepped by his college teammate, Lions defensive back Anthony Reddick.

“Anthony told me that Canadian football is a very aggressive game,” Jenkins said. “And I consider myself an aggressive receiver. That’s something that Randy and Deion taught me. I loved working with those guys.”

The Lions other receiver signings include Mike Moore from Georgia, Juan Nunez from Western Michigan and Correy Earls from Georgia Tech. Moore (Detroit Lions) and Nunez (Cleveland Browns) also have some NFL experience.

The search has been on-going in B.C. to find a deep-threat, pass receiving complement to take away defensive pressure from Geroy Simon and Arland Bruce. Jenkins, who also returns kicks, feels he can be that guy.

Rookie camp opens Wednesday at Thompson Rivers University/Hillside Stadium in Kamloops. Veterans report on Saturday.


(vancouversun.com)

The Philadelphia Eagles cut rookie running back Graig Cooper. The Eagles are deep at the running back position, so look for Cooper to sign as a free agent with another team, he looked quite good this pre-season. The Eagles also cut WR Sinorice Moss. Moss had another great training camp, but was a victim of a deep crop of WRs. Moss has the talent and has shown it when given the opportunity and when healthy. WRs go down due to injury quite often, look for a team to pick him up.

The Miami Dolphins cut TE Dedrick Epps. Epps was cut last year as well but eventually made the Dolphins practice squad. Look for him to latch onto the practice squad again considering how thin the Dolphins are at the TE position.

WR Darnell Jenkins was cut by the New England Patriots. Most scouts seem to think he will find a spot on someone’s roster.

S Jared Campbell, brother of Arizona Cardinal Calais Campbell was cut by the Cardinals. Campbell played well in limited action in the preseason. He may be able to make a practice squad.

The New England Patriots, in a surprise move, cut safety Brandon Meriweather. Meriweather who has been to two consecutive Pro Bowls reportedly freelanced too much in the Patriot backfield and was underperforming. It’s not clear as to whether it was also money issue, but Meriweather is definitely still an elite talent at safety in the NFL. Look for teams thin at that position like the Dolphins and Chiefs to go after Meriweather.

Baraka Atkins LB/DE who had been signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason was cut as well. Atkins was one of the final cuts of the Denver Broncos last year after spending the beginning of his career with the Seahawks.

10-year veteran DL Damione Lewis was cut by the Houston Texans. Lewis was a late addition to the Texans squad last year and played very well both last year and this preseason. What didn’t help Lewis this year was the fact that the Texans changed to a 3-4 defense and Lewis is much better suite as a DL in the 4-3.

Brett Romberg who was a surprise signing by the Atlanta Falcons only a couple of days ago, after not playing at all during the 2010 season, was cut by the Falcons as concerns over their starting center’s health subsided. Don’t be surprised to see Romberg get signed if the Falcons sustain an injury there.

Running back Damien Berry was cut by the Ravens. Berry was slowed by an ankle injury that he suffered in the first game of the pre season, and as a result didn’t play until the fourth game. Berry has NFL skills. BERRY WAS SIGNED TO THE RAVENS PRACTICE SQUAD.

LB Tavares Gooden. Gooden was drafted by the Ravens to eventually replace Ray Lewis at the MLB position, but injuries have really slowed his career. Gooden, if healthy, can start for most NFL teams, but this pre season was no different as he continued to deal with injuries. THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS SIGNED GOODEN TO A 1-YEAR DEAL.

Rookie defensive back Ryan Hill was waived by the Minnessota Vikings. Hill didn’t play a lot this pre season but when he did, like in the final pre season game for the Vikings, he performed well leading the team in tackles. The Vikings had Hill listed as a safety. He has the size and speed to play both corner and safety which gives him the type of versatility a lot of teams look for.

Javarris James, RB who led the Indianapolis Colts last year in rushing touchdowns after playing only about half the season was cut by the Colts.

Second-year defensive lineman Dwayne Hendricks who was on the NY Giants practice squad last year and was called up and played in a regular season game last year for the Giants was cut. Giants did have a very good pre-season. THE GIANTS SIGNED HENDRICKS TO THEIR PRACTICE SQUAD.

Rookie DB Corey Nelms was cut by the 49ers. Nelms was a surprise free agent signing and did get playing time in the preseason. THE 49ERS SIGNED NELMS TO THEIR PRACTICE SQUAD.

Rookie Fullback Patrick Hill was cut by the Tennessee Titans. Hill didn’t get any carries in the preseason for the Titans.

The Patriots were busy on Monday, releasing 11 players.

The players cut were: LS Matt Katula, TE Garrett Mills, S James Sanders, CB Jonathan Wilhite, DL Kade Weston, WR Tyree Barnes, WR Darnell Jenkins, DB Malcolm Williams, PK Chris Koepplin, DE Clay Nurse and OL Mark Wetterer.

Jenkins needs to latch on somewhere other than New England. After missing the final cut last year, he returned as the seventh wideout this season. Patriots also released WR Tyree Barnes and FB Eric Kettani.


(rotoworld.com)

For a practice squad wideout, Darnell Jenkins did all right in 2010. He made $125,000 -- about $37,000 more than the $88,400 that most practice squad guys around the league are making.

But the 28-year-old Patriot, who has shuffled through four different practice squads since coming out of the University of Miami in 2008, is itching to get going.

With a wife and three young daughters (soon to be 10, 9 and 4), the uncertainty he faces is far different than the players who have spent even a season or two at the end of an active roster.

Mr. Jenkins and family are not exactly well-to-do.

"It's very difficult," admitted Jenkins. "It's a good thing I'm not a big spender or anything like that. I tell my family all the time, we have to be careful here. But we put some money away . . .

"But budgeting is very important. I make my money through the season. When the season is here, the money is here. With no season, there's no income."

Players that spent 34 weeks on an active roster in 2009 and 2010 are entitled to a $60,000 stipend from the lockout fund the NFLPA set aside. The stipend for practice squad players, however, was a fraction of that. But there are programs in place to help players like Jenkins pay their bills. After a few phone calls and conversations with teammates, Jenkins got himself pointed in the right direction and was able to get some assistance to tide his family over.

"I pay for my own training and the bills, and I saved up a good amount of money to make it," he explained. "We knew we would go through this problem so I did my best to save. And I'm a homeboy. Every now and then, you'll see me out getting something to eat if my wife doesn't cook, but other than that, I'm in the house playing Xbox."

Only Patriots fans who pay attention to the preseason will remember Jenkins. He actually led the Patriots in receiving yards during the 2010 practice games, catching 6 balls for 145 yards and a score. At 5-10, 198 pounds, he's solidly built and he has excellent speed. He's a good prospect and a good man, which explains why teams remain interested in having him on their practice squads, just an injury away from real relevance.

During this offseason, Jenkins has been working out in Foxboro at the training organized by Jerod Mayo. He dutifully runs routes for backup quarterback Brian Hoyer, working at all the receiver spots because he needs to be ready if any one of them opens up.

It was a different vibe last week when about 25 more Patriots came to town to work at Boston College in workouts organized by Tom Brady.

"Brady is more of a coach to us younger guys," said Jenkins. "Brady works at a very fast pace and likes to get the feel of Wes [Welker], Deion [Branch], Julian [Edelman] and Brandon [Tate] and working a lot with them. When we did our camp with Brady, we got a feeling of what it will be like when we come back [from the lockout], but we got a lot of work done with all three quarterbacks (Brady, Hoyer and Jonathan Crompton). Our bond on this team is strong. We have positive leaders and we got a lot of great chemistry.

"I'm just waiting on the opportunity," said Jenkins. "Me getting older, it makes me just work harder. I feel I'm ready to go and can do anything the team asks me to do. I understand I have to know all the positions because I'm fighting for a spot on the team. I know physically and mentally I'm ready to step in when my number is called."


(csnne.com)

The loss to the New York Jets was a big deal for all sorts of reasons that have been explored at great length.

For all of the New England Patriots it meant disappointment. For some of them it meant time to play golf. For some players who have not been in the NFL long enough to have made their futures secure, it can mean time to look for work elsewhere, especially since the league has been talking lockout.

Take Darnell Jenkins, for instance. The Patriots’ wide receiver has been on the injured reserved list for the last couple of months, and when I spoke with him he was considering other options for employment.

“We never know what to expect from the NFL,” Jenkins said. “So, I mean, we got notified. Me, I got a coaching application. I’m taking it serious.”
When I met with Jenkins last week, he was getting his hair cut. The barber joked that he was trying to prepare Jenkins in case he had a job interview.

Darnell Jenkins didn’t laugh.

“We have to feed our families, and some people have kids, and you have to think of something fast,” Jenkins said. “If you’re not already financially stable for the rest of your life, then you have to do something and you have to act fast.”

For Jenkins, who has just signed a future contract with the Patriots that could mean more time on the practice squad, a lockout might mean the end of a football career that has barely begun. It might also mean the beginning of a career coaching high school football, or possibly a return to the University of Miami for one more semester, to finish his degree in sociology.

“I grew up in the poverty area of Miami, and that’s the most my mom ever wanted,” Jenkins said. “Playing football is one thing, but she really wanted me to go to school and be her first child to graduate from college, so whatever makes her happy, that’s what I’m willing to do.”

For Patriots fans, it’s too bad that the Jets figured out how to cover Tom Brady’s receivers so well. For football fans in general, it will certainly be too bad if the league locks out the players in March.

But for individual players, especially those who haven’t played long enough to get rich, losses and even lockouts are just part of the context of their attempts to move along.



(onlyagame.wbur.org)

The Patriots on Monday re-signed seven players who ended the season on their practice squad.

Tight end Carson Butler, quarterback Jonathan Crompton, wide receiver Buddy Farnham, defensive lineman Marlon Favorite, wide receiver Darnell Jenkins, cornerback Thad Turner, and safety Ross Ventrone all signed reserve/future deals and will join the team when rosters expand to 80 players later this offseason.



(espn.com)