The 6’4, 260-pound linebacker has become a force in Houston’s defense since being taken in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. He had a breakout season in his second year in the league, recording 129 combined tackles, five sacks and one forced fumble. That performance was good enough to earn him second-team All-Pro honors.
Last year, he had 95 combined tackles, three sacks, one pass defended and one forced fumble.
Houston lost its all-time-leading tackler when it released Cushing earlier this offseason. However, the team believes McKinney is ready to lead the linebacking corps. Texans general manager Brian Gaine said as much about the 25-year-old linebacker in May, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle:
The free-agent safety saw his pair of drug charges, which included a third-degree felony charge, dropped on Thursday, according to Hillsborough County (Fla.) Court records.
Ward was arrested Jan. 3 and charged with possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from an Oct. 25 incident when Tampa police investigated an alarm call at Ward’s apartment, according to an incident report. During the investigation police discovered approximately 99.9 grams of marijuana in two glass jars. The Tampa Bay Times reported the Jan. 3 arrest was on an outstanding warrant related to the October incident.
PAMONA, NY Giants defensive end/linebacker Olivier Vernon was one of the NFL players who took a knee last season during the Star Spangled Banner in protest of police brutality and social injustice, which drew the ire of President Donald Trump.
However, Vernon says that the Giants have yet to meet as a team regarding the rule change and what the plan is for 2018.
It’s different territory for a whole lot of us, Vernon said. I can only go off of what I know right now. Eventually. When we have a conversation, that’s what we’ll do. We haven’t gotten to that point yet.
[laughs] I think if guys were in the physical shape to be able to play more positions and be able to be elite in multiple positions, then that would elevate the sport of football. I think it would be that much better to have these guys who just don’t come off the field, kind of like basketball. That’s why I try to stay in shape, I try to eat right, just in case the game takes that left turn and goes that way, I’ll be ready to play whatever.