NFL Player News

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill is getting good feedback from his teammates this offseason, reports the Miami Herald.

The report says the player feedback on Tannehill is he's more instinctive, less mechanical and less robotic in his reads.

That's a good sign for the second-year quarterback, who should be better prepared after being a full-time starter as a rookie.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has agreed to a three-year contract extension that is worth $53 million in new money, reports ESPN.

He had two years and $23.5 million remaining on his previous deal. He is now under contract with the Lions through the 2017 season and is set to receive $43 million in guaranteed money.

Stafford, 25, signed a six-year contract worth up to $78 million, with $41.7 million in guarantees, when he was selected No. 1 overall in 2009.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is on the verge of signing a "blockbuster" contract extension, reports ESPN.

The extension could be finalized as early as Tuesday. Stafford is signed through 2015, but the Lions have said they wanted to rework his contract since his salary-cap hit is $20.3 million for 2013.

He is currently slated to earn $11 million in 2014 ($19.3 million salary cap number) and $15 million in 2015 ($17.7 million salary cap number).

Rams rookie wide receiver Tavon Austin said in an interview with NFL Network Friday he has built rapport with quarterback Sam Bradford.

"He looked for me a lot at practice," Austin said, per NFL.com. "He definitely believes in me and I definitely feel good about myself. He kind of talked to me, let me know the things I'm doing good, the things I'm doing bad as far as landmarks, if I should have kept the corner high or should I bend it off. I definitely believe he got a lot of trust in me and I got trust in him."

Nick Foles has a better chance to start for the Eagles than Michael Vick does. That's the opinion of Eagles beat writer Geoff Mosher of Comcast Sportsnet, who believes Vick has given up his lead in the race through the offseason workouts when both quarterbacks split reps 50-50. 

Mosher also notes that the Eagles' willingness to draft rookie quarterback Matt Barkley proved that they're not necessarily looking for a quarterback with mobility to run the offense. Instead, they want a passer who can make quick, timely decisions and throw with accuracy, qualities Vick hasn't always had. Their salaries -- Vick makes the most of any Eagles quarterback -- is a factor, too. 

Vick, Foles and Barkley will continue their battle when training camp opens in late July. 

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has worked with former Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington this offseason.

The Miami Herald reports that Pennington, who worked as a quarterback consultant at some offseason Dolphins practices, said Tannehill visited him in Kentucky.

"I gave him a few handouts that I found in my notes concerning leadership, favorite quotes, etc., that I thought may be useful," Pennington said.

The report said they talked for awhile about "teamwork, media interaction" and more, then "went to the horse races at Keeneland."

The Packers are trying to do a better job of protecting quarterback Aaron Rodgers already.

The National Football Post reports that Rodgers is the only player in NFL history to twice throw for 4,000 yards in seasons where he absorbed 50-plus sacks. To try and fix that problem, the Packers have flipped tackle Bryan Bulaga and guard Josh Sitton from the right to the left side.

The coaches also think the switch will benefit with a running game that hasn't ranked higher than 20th in the league since 2009.

Eagles rookie quarterback Matt Barkley isn't expected to challenge Michael Vick or Nick Foles for the starting job this season.

But the National Football Post reports that Barkley "has been fairly impressive in offseason workouts, and could loom as a key piece in the club's long-term future." Barkley said he feels comfortable in new coach Chip Kelly's offense, especially since he's seen it before as Pac-12 competitors between USC and Oregon.

"Watching it, you at least get a feel for what they're trying to do, and with the tempo," Barkley said.

Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline likes the way quarterback Ryan Tannehill has performed this offseason, saying he "has taken a huge step" in the way he's playing.

"I couldn't ask for more," Hartline told the Miami Herald. "He's making every throw. He's got great touch. His deep ball is awesome."

Tannehill has a revamped receiving corps this offseason with Mike Wallace, Dustin Keller and Brandon Gibson joining Hartline.

An article on the Browns' official team website insinuated that quarterback Brandon Weeden would open training camp as the starter, suggesting he was "ready to take the next step in his professional career" while Jason Campbell and Brian Hoyer were "there to push him to improve in practice." 

No one from the Browns' coaching staff or front office has named Weeden the starter, but he took a ton of first-team reps this spring and is all but sure to be the starter Week 1 vs. the Dolphins. Weeden's ready for the opportunity but says he's not satisfied with his offseason work. 

"I'm right where I wanted to be," Weeden said earlier this month. "There's obviously some things or some throws that I need to work on, that I maybe didn't hit when I was out here, but overall, I think my progress was pretty good. We had 16 practices, and I think each practice got better. Not only for me, but the offense, the flow, how fast we were playing, we were still operating really fast. I'm pleased with it. Am I satisfied? Absolutely not."