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I’m not much of a gambler. I can say for certain that I’ve never made a bet on a sports-betting app while at the Tennessee Titans’ headquarters, a place I routinely frequent as a part of my job.

Legally in this state, though, I could have. And I’d have had no clue – until recently – that doing so would have set off all sorts of alarm bells. Given the location tracking used by betting sites, they’d have probably looked into it and figured out I wasn’t a Titans player or employee. But how can you know? Could have caused real problems.

A hypothetical, but that’s beside the point.

Point is, I didn’t know.

And that means I can’t help but feel for Titans offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere.

On Thursday, the NFL revealed the Titans’ starting right tackle will be suspended six regular-season games “for betting on non-NFL sports at the club facility.” Indefinite suspensions were announced for three other players, except those players were found to have bet on the NFL. Harsh punishments made sense in those instances.

With Petit-Frere, though, it’s more difficult to see what he did wrong.

He is allowed to bet on sports as a resident of Tennessee. He is allowed by the NFL to bet on sports outside of his own league. It’d be OK in the league’s eyes for him to do that at home or at nearly every location in Tennessee. He just isn’t allowed to do it at the Titans’ facility or while traveling with the team.

More: NFL suspends three more players for entire 2023 season for gambling violations

It’s a distinction so seemingly arbitrary – and a violation so careless in nature – that you’ve got to believe Petit-Frere when he says he didn’t know he was breaking the rules.

“I have always strived in every stage of my life to follow the rules,” he said in a statement to ESPN. “I did not knowingly break the rules. Even after attending a league presentation, I was unaware about the specifics around placing bets from a team facility.”

If true, that’s on…

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Training camp is less than a month away, yet there are still talented players that are available for any NFL team to sign. As the league reaches a “slow” part of the calendar, teams aren’t in a rush to sign free agents — and vice versa — since this is the time players and coaches are away from the facilities. 

As the top free agents remaining are looking for a team, they still are feeling out their offers with training camp on the horizon. For all the updates on the top free agents available, here’s a rundown on their search for their next team. 

Quarterback

Wentz wants and intends to play this coming season and has been keeping fresh by spending time in Tampa working with former NFL head coach Jon Gruden. Wentz has reportedly been throwing and studying film with Gruden as he waits for his next opportunity. 

Wentz would be open to a backup role and he is in no rush to sign with a team, despite receiving some interest. Instead, he planned to wait to see what develops, which seems like it could continue into training camp considering teams will largely be off for the next month.  

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There is no end to the number of NFL offseason lists out there. One of the more recent comes from NFL media’s Dan Hanzus who thought to put together a list of those at each position he would call a “Superstar”.

There was no set number of players who he considered worthy of such a title. For instance, there were seven quarterbacks and just four running backs.

Among those running backs, there was a notable omission — reigning rushing title holder Josh Jacobs.

The four running backs who were included were Nick Chubb, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, and Jonathan Taylor.

Why are they Superstars and Jacobs isn’t? Hanzus explains his reasoning.

Then there’s Josh Jacobs, the NFL’s reigning rushing champion and an absolute stud for the Raiders last season. Does one season of superstar production make you a superstar? I suppose it could (hi, Jonathan Taylor). Color me a touch wary, with Jacobs coming off a season in which he ranked second in the NFL in carries (340) and first in touches (393). We’ve seen in the past how the bill can come due for that kind of workload.

Hmm. So, it would seem Hanzus thinks Jacobs in a one-season wonder. That’s fair. Jacobs’s 1653 yards was by far the most of his career by over 500 yards. The Raiders seem to be essentially challenging him to do it again with the franchise tag as opposed to signing him to a long term deal.

Other than Jacobs, only Davante Adams was named to the Superstar club among a group of ten wide receivers.

Not sure why the list of Superstars is made up of only offensive skill position plays and one kicker (Justin Tucker), but maybe that’s another list?

Story originally appeared on Raiders Wire

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Former Arkansas and Michigan quarterback Ryan Mallett died on Tuesday. Mallett, 35, drowned at a Destin, Florida, beach and was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital. 

According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, first responders were called to the beach around 2 p.m. ET when reports came in that a group of people near the sandbar were struggling to make it back to the shore. Once he was brought back to the beach, Mallett was unresponsive.

“One of the individuals, an adult male, went under and lifeguards say he was not breathing when pulled out,” the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “Lifesaving measures were immediately undertaken but the man was pronounced deceased at the Destin Emergency Room.”

Mallett began his career at Michigan and transferred to Arkansas after his freshman season. He emerged as a star for the Razorbacks in 2009, throwing for 3,624 yards and 30 touchdowns. He led the the Hogs to an 8-5 record that included a win over East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl.

Mallett was even better the following season. He threw for 3,869 yards and 32 touchdowns, leading Arkansas to a 10-3 record, a berth in the Sugar Bowl and a No. 12 finish in the final AP Top 25. That performance earned him second-team All-SEC honors for the second straight season. Mallett broke virtually every program passing record during his time under center with the Razorbacks. 

“We are shocked and saddened by the passing of Ryan Mallett,” Arkansas said in a statement posted to Twitter. “He was a Razorback legend with larger-than-life talent and a personality to match. He led our program to some of our best moments in recent memory. He will be missed by everyone who knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his mother Debbie and his extended family.”

The New England Patriots selected Mallett in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He went on to play seven seasons in the NFL with the…

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There isn’t much controversy putting Myles Garrett at the top of any defensive line list. However, a level of respect is earned when the best of the best name you as one of the elite defenders they have witnessed play in their career. Lane Johnson has been one of the more dominant Offensive linemen over the past decade, and recently, while on the Richard Sherman Podcast, he revealed his Top 5 Pass rushers.

Rounding out the top of the list is Former Texas A&M Unanimous Consensus All-American Myles Garrett, who took the league by storm after being drafted 1st overall in the 2017 draft. He was no one-hit wonder as he went on to be voted to the pro bowl four times and be named an All-Pro four times.

Below is what he said about his top 5:

“I would say Myles [Garrett]. I’ll tell you, Maxx Crosby is a really good player. T.J. Watt. Those guys, man… Obviously, they’re skilled, but those players, they’re so smart, So, those three. Micah [Parsons]. I had some really battles with Demarcus [Lawrence],” Johnson said. “I’ll tell you one guy who people don’t know. You could ask Trent [Williams], you could ask Tyron [Smith], Olivier Vernon might have been the hardest player for a lot of guys to block.”

When it’s all said and done, Garrett is headed for Canton if he can stay healthy and keep his production at a high level. He was a great ambassador for Texas A&M, and I hope to watch him play for years to come.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

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Story originally appeared on Aggies Wire

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