September 21, 2018 3:05 pm IST
TAMPA http://www.greenbaypackersteamonline.com/clay-matthews-jersey , Fla. (AP) As a veteran quarterback accustomed to ever-changing roles, there’s little Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn’t experienced during a 14-year NFL career.
He’s been a starter and a backup – several times.
Now, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are counting on him to help them weather Jameis Winston’s three-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
And then head back to the bench.
”I thought I had seen and been through it all,” said Fitzpatrick, who’s entering his second season with his seventh pro team. ”But another year, another different situation.”
Not that the 35-year-old is complaining.
Fitzpatrick signed with Tampa Bay before last season, knowing coach Dirk Koetter sought him purely as a backup.
”I’ve learned that you view it as a one-game-at-a-time opportunity. That’s just the way it is in this league,” Fitzpatrick said.
”In 2015, when I played with the (New York) Jets, I was a backup and ended up (playing) the whole year with the situation there,” he added. ”In 2016, I was a starter and I ended up getting benched three times. Every year is different. You have to take it game by game and just go from there.”
Fitzpatrick, who turns 36 in November, entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2005.
In addition to the Bucs and Jets, he’s also played for the Cincinnati Bengals Jerrell Freeman Jersey , Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans, completing nearly 60 percent of his passes for 26,991 yards, 173 touchdowns and 136 interceptions.
He’s one of just four players in NFL history – along with Vinny Testaverde, Gus Frerotte and Chris Chandler – to throw TD passes with seven different teams.
Winston, suspended following the league’s investigation of an allegation that he groped a female Uber driver during a ride in March 2016, will miss games against New Orleans, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to begin the season.
Fitzpatrick rejected the notion that his role is to ”save the season.”
”The season hasn’t even started yet. … It’s a cliche, but it’s one game at a time. You have to look at it that way,” Fitzpatrick said. ”Not even based off last year, talent-wise, looking at the team we have out here, I’m in the huddle on offense, and it’s a pretty exciting huddle to be in as a quarterback looking at some of those guys.”
With Winston missing three games and portions of two others because of injury Ramon Humber Jersey , Fitzpatrick went 2-1 as a starter a year ago. Three seasons ago, he threw for a career-best 3,905 yards and 31 TDs with the Jets.
Koetter noted that Fitzpatrick has 119 career starts and said he has total confidence in the veteran’s ability to handle the offense.
”We’re fortunate enough to have him,” Koetter said. ”We saw what he could do when he was our starter last year for three games. There’s no reason for us to be afraid of Ryan playing quarterback for us. He’s going to play fine.”
And Winston, who’s allowed to practice during training camp and play preseason games, intends to do whatever he can help Fitzpatrick and No. 3 quarterback Ryan Griffin, a fifth-year pro who’s never taken a snap in a regular-season game.
”As a teammate first, I understand it’s about this team and I am going to be there for Fitz as much as I can,” Winston, entering his fourth season, said.
”But it’s also about getting Ryan (Griffin) ready as well,” the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner added. ”My influence on this team is going to be positive, and I’m going to be their best support system they have.”
—
The New York Jets have filled two big holes on offense and special teams.
The team announced on Thursday the signings of running back Isaiah Crowell and kicker Cairo Santos.
Crowell, who had agreed to terms as free agency opened Wednesday, comes to the Jets on a contract for three years and $12 million.
He will help replace veteran Matt Forte Jeff Heath Jersey , who recently retired. Crowell had 3,118 yards rushing and 21 TDs with 96 catches for 770 yards and a score in his four seasons with the Browns. He hasn’t missed a game in his NFL career, and his durability and age – he’s 25 – made him an attractive option for the Jets.
Crowell spent his first four seasons in Cleveland after signing with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama State in 2014. He ran for 853 yards and two touchdowns last season, and caught 28 passes for 182 yards.
New offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates will likely use Crowell as a complement to veteran Bilal Powell and second-year back Elijah McGuire in New York’s running game.
Crowell shared carries with Duke Johnson the past two seasons, but averaged nearly 4.5 yards per carry during that span. He reunites with quarterback Josh McCown, who played with him with the Browns.
Crowell was also involved in some controversy while in Cleveland. He was frustrated last December when coach Hue Jackson gave him just two carries after a 59-yard run at Baltimore. Crowell liked some tweets from fans critical of Jackson, but the two then spoke and later insisted things were fine between them. Crowell also talked last season about wanting to get a contract extension .
The running back also apologized and donated a game check to a police charity in 2016 after he posted a graphic anti-police image on his Instagram page after the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
Crowell began his college career at Georgia and was selected as the SEC freshman of the year, but was dismissed from the football team the following offseason after a few legal and disciplinary problems. He enrolled at Alabama State and played his last two college seasons there before declaring for the NFL draft.
Santos signed a one-year contract with the Jets, who were in need of a kicker after Chandler Catanzaro signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent.
Santos, the NFL’s first Brazilian-born player, had been with Kansas City since 2014 before being released early last season. He kicked in two games for Chicago before being placed on injured reserve with a groin injury.
Santos has converted 84.1 percent of his field-goal attempts, along with 96.2 percent of his extra points in his career.
The native of Sao Paul was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Tulane. He was solid in his first three years with Kansas City, but struggled with injuries last season.
Santos injured his groin during training camp and was forced to sit out the preseason, but was ready for the season opener. He reinjured his groin in Week 3, was placed on IR and then waived by the Chiefs four days later. Santos joined the Bears a few weeks later and kicked in two games before again hurting the groin and landing back on season-ending IR.
”I still believe I’m the same successful kicker I was when I was playing in Kansas City Jordan Reed Jersey ,” Cairo told the team’s official website . ”I needed a franchise that would believe in me that I will be that same kicker. By the way I’ve been treated by the New York Jets, that’s how they see me. Those are my goals: to come in, have a good year and hopefully remain here for a long time. I think we’re aligned in those goals and, one step at a time, I pray that we’ll get there.”
The Jets have been busy during the first two days of free agency . In addition to signing Crowell and Santos, they also re-signed McCown and safety Terrence Brooks, and added former linebacker Avery Williamson. New York has also agreed to terms on deals, according to multiple reports, with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, cornerback Trumaine Johnson and center Spencer Long – but the team has not yet announced those moves.
—
Authentic Womens Marcus Davenport Jersey
EverywhereAnnouncementsBlog EntriesPage BlogsClassifiedsDocumentsEventsPage EventForumsForum CategoriesGroupsGroup DocumentsGroup Discussion PostGroup Discussion TopicPollsMembersVideosPage VideosDiscussionsPage PostPage TopicForum PostsForum TopicsReviewsPage ReviewsOffer Review
