Report: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will make more than $6 million in 2019, 2020

By JJ Stankevitz

June 25, 2014

Oklahoma’s regents did more than approve $370 million in upgrades to Gaylor Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Wednesday.

According to the Oklahoma’s Jason Kersey, coach Bob Stoops will make $39.9 million over the seven seasons remaining on his newly-reworked contract, including crossing the $6 million threshold in 2019 and 2020.

In the immediate future, Stoops will earn $5.25 million in 2014. According to USA Today’s coaching salary database, only three coaches made more than $5 million in 2013: Nick Saban, Mack Brown and Bret Bielema. Brown’s replacement, Charlie Strong, is slated to make $5 million in 2014 while Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin will earn $5 million this year as well.

The bump over $5 million puts Stoops in rarefied air, though he’s earned it over his 15-year tenure in Norman. Oklahoma has only won fewer than 10 games three times under Stoops, has nine top-10 finishes and won a BCS title in 2000. While the Sooners have a storied football history, they weren’t a player on the national scene for about a decade before Stoops arrived in 1999.

With quarterback Trevor Knight — you know, the guy who dismantled Alabama in the Sugar Bowl — Oklahoma’s a trendy early pick to contend for a spot in the first-ever College Football Playoff this fall.

Ravens Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda back to full strength

By Aaron Wilson The Baltimore Sun
June 24, 2014

A year ago, veteran guard Marshal Yanda was dealing with scar tissue and a grueling rehabilitation after undergoing rotator cuff surgery five days after the Ravens' Super Bowl XLVII victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Now, the Ravens' three-time Pro Bowl blocker is healthy after starting every game last season. Unlike last year, Yanda had the entire offseason to lift weights and strengthen his shoulder heading into this season.

“Injuries are part of the NFL," Yanda said last week during the final day of the Ravens' mandatory minicamp. "They’re just a part of it. So, you take it one day at a time, and you definitely do as best you can that day.

"Last year at this time I wasn’t even lifting yet, and this year now I’ve been lifting for a long time and feeling good. You can’t change that, so you just take it one day at a time. You approach it as a pro and you get after it.”

Yanda, 28, is entering his eighth NFL season and has two years remaining on his five-year, $32 million contract with $5.5 million base salaries due this year and in 2015.

The gritty Iowa native was named to the NFL Network top 100 players list for the first time, ranked 55th overall in voting by NFL players.

Yanda's toughness is legendary.

Yanda grew up on a farm in Iowa, rising at dawn to perform back-breaking chores. He once won a cash bet as a rookie when he allowed cornerback Samari Rolle to repeatedly jolt him with a Taser.

Yanda started and finished a key AFC North game two seasons ago against the Cincinnati Bengals days after undergoing a painful leg surgery. The Ravens won the division title that day with Yanda in the lineup.

"Marshal is your typical Iowa lineman, a really tough kid with his technique down to a science," former Chicago Bears director of college scouting Greg Gabriel told The Baltimore Sun last year. "He's got that farm-boy strength, and you could run a clinic by watching his technique. He's considered an overachiever because he's undersized, but he's as good at what he does as anyone in the league."

Yanda is upbeat about the Ravens' opportunity to improve with the hiring of offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak and the installation of his zone-blocking scheme. The Ravens finished 30th in total offense last season, 29th in rushing offense and allowed 48 sacks.

"I think it could be really good," Yanda said of the running game. "We’re all excited; we all like running the zone scheme and know that Gary [Kubiak] is going to do that, and we’re just excited. We all love running the ball.

"We understand that we’ve got to pass the ball as well, but as offensive linemen, you always love to run the ball, and we’re excited to do that. We understand we’re going to have to pass the ball a bunch as well to win, too, so it’s exciting.”

The Ravens have revamped their offensive line, adding a new starting center after trading for Jeremy Zuttah to replace Gino Gradkowski. Rick Wagner is running with the first-team offense at right tackle following Michael Oher's departure in free agency. Kelechi Osemele returns at left guard after undergoing season-ending back surgery last November. And the Ravens retained left tackle Eugene Monroe with a $37.5 million contract.

Yanda has been the constant presence for the past seven years with 88 starts in 99 career games.

Yanda said he'll judge the progress of the offensive line more when training camp starts in July. The first full-team practice is scheduled for July 24.

“Obviously the pads aren’t on [now], so it’s going to be a whole different element with the pads and just getting the timing down with the pads and stacking days at that point and building a football team," Yanda said. "It starts in the offseason, and it definitely starts come training camp on who we’re going to be and what we’re going to be about.”

New York Giants’ Markus Kuhn Quietly Made Big Impression During Offseason Workouts

June 21, 2014
By Dan Benton


When Linval Joseph left and signed with the Minnesota Vikings early on in free agency, the common belief was that 2013 second-round pick, Johnathan Hankins, would immediately step in and take over at defensive tackle for the New York Giants. And although he's had an impressive Spring, it's not a sure bet to pencil him in alongside Cullen Jenkins just yet.

Despite Hankins flashing more often than not, he's been met step-for-step this Spring by a forgotten man: 2012 seventh-round pick Markus Kuhn.

Kuhn, who tore his ACL in Week 10 of his rookie season and missed much of the 2013 season recovering, arrived for offseason workouts in tremendous shape and with a warrior's mentality. And his relentless work ethic, which has been soundly praised by Tom Coughlin since the defensive tackle arrived as a rookie, has helped draw the attention of the decision-makers.

"I’ve been extremely impressed with Johnathan Hankins. Markus Kuhn came back from the injury last year and played just a little bit last year. I’ve been extremely impressed with both of those guys," defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. "They have, technique-wise, accomplished a lot in phase one, phase two and phase three of the offseason program and then just their knowledge of the game, I think they’ve done a really, really nice job."

With the exception of one day earlier this week when he had to leave the field due to a heat-related issue, Kuhn has been a persistent presence in the middle of the defensive line — and Perry Fewell wasn't the only one to take notice.

"He had an outstanding offseason, really outstanding practices. He and Hankins, they’ll definitely get more reps in training camp than Mike P and Cullen if everything goes as planned," defensive line coach Robert Nunn said. "He showed up every day. When we go out there and go in team situations Markus was, there wasn’t a day that went by that we didn’t call his name out in a positive manner."

Regardless of who wins the starting job, this sort of competition and improvement in their play can only serve to help the Giants moving forward. If they're able to activate four quality defensive tackles on gameday to go along with health at defensive end, that immediately gives Big Blue a tremendous advantage.