NFL Notes: Richard Sherman, Broncos, Giants, Ravens

Richard Sherman

ESPN’s Seth Wickersham has a great article up about the events that led to the Seahawks fielding trade offers for CB Richard Sherman up that’s worth your time.

• One interesting nugget from Wickersham’s article is that Sherman reportedly told friends during the offseason that he could see himself playing for the Cowboys or possibly the Patriots.
• Wickersham mentions that Sherman was hoping Marshawn Lynch would come out of retirement and join him in New England.
• However, the Seahawks weren’t going to trade him unless they were able to get two first-round picks.

Broncos

Broncos GM John Elway said he expects to have a new contract in place before the start of the upcoming season.

“We’ll continue to work at it. I don’t see any problem with that,” Elway said Wednesday, via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “I look forward to being here with the Broncos for a long time.

“This is my home. This will always be my home. I’m not going anywhere. As a kid I moved around quite a bit, but Colorado and Denver will always be my home.”

Elway was asked if he expects to have a deal done before the start of the season, to which he said: “I don’t think there will be any doubt.”

Giants

Former Giants WR Victor Cruz believes the team intentionally suppressed his offensive production last year in order to make it easier for them to cut him.

“I felt it all year long. Halfway through the year I’m ballin’, the other half I’m not getting the ball. And you’re just like, ‘what’s going on?’ It was like ‘ok, I see what’s happening. They don’t want me here anymore.‘ ” Cruz said during an appearance on 105.1 FM, via SNY.com. “A lot of people probably don’t know this… Let’s say I played well – was a 1,000-yard receiver last year – it would have been more difficult from a fan perspective to cut me.”

“If I am a 1,000-yard guy, they’re like ‘why are you cutting Cruz? He just 1,000 yards and five or six touchdowns. That doesn’t make sense.’ But if I have 500 yards or whatever the case may be, it’s a little easier on the fans.”

Cruz said that it “hurt” to be cut by the team played so many years for.

“It hurt, to be real. I gave so much to them. Seven years,” Cruz said. “It definitely hurt . . . but every run has to stop at some point.”

Ravens

Ravens RB Danny Woodhead (ACL) said he’s back to practicing without any restrictions.

“Yes, I’m back. No restrictions,” Woodhead said, via BaltimoreRavens.com. “I’m just playing football now. I haven’t been thinking about needing to do stuff to rehab it because I’m healthy now. It’s exciting to get football going.”

“I feel really good,” Woodhead added. “I feel pretty similar [to before the injury], man, I really do. There may be a few days when I feel like there’s some rust, but I’ve been doing stuff. When you get hurt, you’re training more.”