COWBOYS
Elliott may play Saturday
FRISCO, Texas — Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott appears set for the only game he is expected to get until his suspension over a domestic violence incident ends in late October.
Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett said Thursday he was leaning toward Elliott playing the preseason game against Oakland on Saturday night, with a plan similar to Elliott’s only exhibition appearance as a rookie. He had seven carries for 48 yards on 14 snaps at Seattle last year before he became the NFL’s leading rusher.
Elliott faces a six-game suspension after the NFL concluded he used physical force against his girlfriend at the time last summer in Columbus, Ohio, where Elliott starred for Ohio State. Elliott has denied wrongdoing, and an appeal hearing is set for next week. If the ruling stands, Elliott will go on the suspended list the first week of the regular season and be eligible to return to the active roster Oct. 23. The Cowboys didn’t use Elliott in the first three preseason games, but he’s been a full participant throughout training camp. Last year, he missed a large portion of the preseason because of a hamstring injury before rushing for 1,631 yards and helping the Cowboys to a 13-3 record.
Garrett has maintained that the preseason plan with Elliott had nothing to do with the looming suspension.
“I think the biggest thing is just having the mindset of preparing him for Week 1 of the season,” Garrett said. “That’s the approach we’ve taken with him and anything beyond that we’ll take as it comes.”
TEXANS
Strong suspended
HOUSTON — Houston Texans receiver Jaelen Strong has been suspended without pay for the team’s season opener for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Strong can participate in Houston’s last two preseason games and all practices in preseason. He can return to the roster on Sept. 11 following Houston’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 10. The punishment comes after Strong was arrested for possession of marijuana in Arizona in February 2016.
Strong was a third-round pick of the Texans in 2015 and appeared in 10 games as a rookie before missing eight games last season with an ankle injury.
The suspension is a blow for the Texans, who will already be without receiver Will Fuller when the season starts after the second-year player broke his collarbone early in camp.
PACKERS
Bulaga out at Denver
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers won’t have veteran right tackle Bryan Bulaga available for Saturday’s preseason game at Denver.
Whether Bulaga will be available for Week 1 against Seattle hasn’t been determined.
Bulaga sustained an ankle injury during a drill at Wednesday’s practice. After lying on the ground for about a half-minute, Bulaga got up and limped off the practice field in obvious pain.
GIANTS
Blake replacement signed
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants have signed defensive back Tim Scott, filling a roster spot that opened when veteran Valentino Blake left the team.
The team said Thursday that Blake left the day before and was placed on the exempt/left squad list. It didn’t say why he left.
A six-year veteran, Blake had played in 78 NFL games with 18 starts. He appeared in all 16 games for Tennessee last season. He had an interception against Pittsburgh in the Giants’ preseason opener. Scott had been released by the Washington Redskins this month. He was not on an NFL roster last year.
RAIDERS
Penn to get some reps
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Oakland Raiders Pro Bowl left tackle Donald Penn is expected to get on the field for at least a few plays this week after ending his lengthy contract holdout.
Penn stayed away from the team for 26 days before finally reporting on Wednesday just as practice started. Penn practiced again on Thursday and is expected to travel with the team to Dallas before Saturday night’s exhibition game against the Cowboys.
“We’ll get him a few reps,” Coach Jack Del Rio said. “We’re not going to play him long, but we’ll probably get him a few reps in the game.” Del Rio didn’t overplay Penn’s importance, saying his return added “depth” to the line.
Penn was looking for an improved contract but General Manager Reggie McKenzie said earlier in training camp that he would not negotiate a new deal with Penn until he arrived at camp.
Penn, 34, is entering the final year of an $11.9 million, two-year contract. He is scheduled to earn $5.8 million in base salary this season with another $1.3 million in incentives and bonuses.
Penn turned down interview requests Thursday.
FALCONS
Freeman likely out
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Falcons running back Devonta Freeman, who is in the NFL’s concussion protocol, likely won’t play in the final two exhibition games, Coach Dan Quinn said Thursday. “For him, it would be unlikely that he would (play in the fourth exhibition game),” Quinn said. “I would like to get him back out practicing.” Freeman, a two-time Pro Bowl player, is the final stages of the league’s five-step concussion protocol. He left practice Aug. 13 and has not practiced since. He has started running and likely will work out Saturday before the game against the Cardinals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Last season, Freeman had 1,079 rushing yards with 11 touchdowns and 462 receiving yards with two touchdowns.
BILLS
Kaepernick not worth it
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy said he believes quarterback Colin Kaepernick would represent too much of a distraction for some teams to sign him.
McCoy said the media “chaos” that signing Kaepernick would bring is not worth it for what he believes is just “an OK” player.
McCoy shared his views at his locker following practice Thursday while answering a question about players protesting the national anthem.
McCoy said he believes in freedom of speech while also saying he believes players can “choose a better platform to state their beliefs.” He then turned his focus to Kaepernick, who remains unsigned after opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
It’s easier on teams to take on a distraction if it involves a star player such as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady or New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr., McCoy said. He said that’s not the case with Kaepernick because Kaepernick would have difficulty making some teams’ rosters.
Kaepernick became a polarizing figure in the NFL last season when he refused to stand for the national anthem to protest police brutality against blacks.
More than 1,000 people crowded the steps of the NFL’s midtown Manhattan offices on Wednesday to demand Kaepernick be signed by a team before the start of the season next month.
NFL
Draft has $95M impact
April’s NFL draft had an economic impact of almost $95 million for Philadelphia.
According to a report commissioned by the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau and conducted by Temple University’s Sport Industry Research Center, direct spending during the three-day event in April was $56.1 million. The NFL began moving the draft around the nation in 2015, going to Chicago for two years. Philadelphia was next, and many league cities are bidding to stage future drafts, including next April.
Temple’s survey showed the draft attracted attendees from 42 states. Proceedings were held at the city’s iconic Art Museum, with the Rocky statue at the top of its steps, and drew a record 250,000 attendees. “When we chose to pursue the draft, we did so with the goal of an economic win for our city and region,” says Julie Coker Graham, PHLCVB president and CEO. “We are thrilled that not only did it generate substantial economic activity for Philadelphia, but we were also successful in showing the world that this city is a premier destination for sports, big events and tourism in general.”
Sports on 08/25/2017