It is another Sunday, which means the weekend is almost over. And you all should be aware of this. But for now, let us enjoy this Sunday or something.

One of the big stories Saturday was the San Diego Chargers signing free agent Dwight Freeney. You can read more here.

Another big story that occurred late this week was the announcement of Rolando McClain’s retirement. Well Alabama Coach Nick Saban had a thing or two to say about McClain’s abrupt retirement. Saban has already been in the news once this week for being called some kind of mythical creature with horns and a pitchfork. Well, we here at Aerys have no opinion on whether or not Saban is…said creature. Therefore, feel free to continue to say Roll Tide 50 times and play with your Nick Saban commemorative action figure.

Former Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein remains optimistic he can be part of the NFL, according to the Denver Post. Klein went undrafted in the 2013 Draft.

The New York Daily News has the story on Cooper Taylor, rookie draft pick for the Giants. Taylor has Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, according to the Daily News.

The Washington Post released a survey Friday about NFL players and injuries.

We do have a couple of Aerys site updates. The Silver Lining has the latest news on the Raiders signings, which includes Josh Cribbs and Chris Kluwe. Dawg Treats has a story about the Browns signing quarterback Brian Hoyer.

Finally, for the Sunday shopping stuff. There are many high school graduations going on today all across America. Chances are, there will be graduation parties after the ceremony. Well don’t forget to bring a crock pot. Yes, you too can own a Dallas Cowboys crock pot. Bring a crock pot full of…well food to the parties. Or, you can always gift the crock pot to the kid moving on to college. Although I’m not really sure what use a crockpot will be in a dorm.

Enjoy the day though.

Gronk

Turns out that fourth surgery will more than likely be needed for Rob Gronkowski.

A doctor is slated to examine Gronkowski’s arm to see if an infection has persisted.

According to NFL.com:

Gronkowski had X-rays taken Wednesday as a precursor to surgery, and NFL.com’s Albert Breer reported that Dr. Jesse Jupiter, one of America’s top fracture surgeons, is set to perform the operation next week at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews was consulted in the case.

The Patriots expect Gronkowski to be ready for training camp, but they won’t have a true idea on his timetable until the plate in his arm is replaced.

If the infection has cleared — Gronkowski has been on antibiotics — no more surgeries likely will be needed. If not, Rapoport reports there almost certainly will be a fifth surgery that would make it unlikely he’d be ready for training camp in July.

Good luck to Gronk. Let’s hope he will be ready for games this fall!

QB Battle Brewing in Philly?
With rookie Matt Barkley ready to compete for a chance to be the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, Michael Vick is coming to camp turning some heads.

According to NFL.com, Vick seems to know what a great chance this is, too. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes that Vick’s “motivation” this year can’t be overstated. “(Vick’s) noticeably bigger and enthused about the offense,” Berman writes.

Vick has spoken plenty that he ran less last season by design. Now, he’s in an offense that should play to his strengths (mobility) with a vastly improved, healthier offensive line.

An exciting, running game? The Eagles? Color me intrigued! For more on Vick and the Eagles, check out the story here.

Minicamp Breakdown

Check out this team by team breakdown from each minicamp and stories to watch this summer.

Picture from @RumfordJohnny

Melvin Ingram Tears ACL
San Diego Chargers Melvin Ingram has torn his ACL in his left knee. If he has a complete tear, he could be out for the whole 2013 season. This leaves the Chargers with very little options for the outside lineback position since Shaun Phillips and Antwan Barnes left the team as free agents.

You can read more here.

Best Bloopers of 2012

Check out this video of the best bloopers of the 2012 season.

Mark Sanchez Drama

Carolina Panthers Steve Smith has stirred up some drama by ripping the New York Jets’ Mark Sanchez.

Smith’s comments from WFNZ-AM, the Sporting News and ProFootballTalk.com:

“He sucks.”

“I wouldn’t let Mark Sanchez throw me a paper bag sandwich.”

The Jets and Panthers meet in December. I guess we’ll see how this drama plays out then.

Wednesday was a busy day in the NFL. Here’s a quick round-up of all of yesterday’s action for you to kick off your Thursday with.

• 

  Will Honey Badger become the best playermaker of the 2013 NFL Draft?

  Cardinals’ GM Steve Keim believes rookie Tyrann Mathieu “could be the best playmaker in the draft. He just has such an unique skill, with instincts and getting his hands on the ball. He’s so opportunistic on the field.”

• David Garrard will be leaving the Jets as he “calls it quits.” In a text to Adam Schein, Garrard said his “knee is not holding up. Continuing to swell after practices. Limiting what I can do.” With Garrard leaving the Jets, I believe their QB total is now lowered to 50 QBs?
• Josh Cribbs signs with the Oakland Raiders.
• The Minnesota Vikings’ coach Leslie Frazier confirms his team is not interest in Brain Urlacher. Related to this, Erin Henderson, who seems to be the MLB this season, is “pissed” about the lack of respect he is getting.
• The Patriots will cut DL Kyle Love, who was diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes recently.
• Richard Sherman will use one of the now infamous replacement refs (the one that called a touchdown on the final play of the Seahawks/Packers game) as a umpire in his charity softball game. I guess the Seawhawks do owe that ref a little something, anyway!
• As Geno Smith searches for the perfect agent, he posts a picture of him and Jay-Z. Could he land with Z’s Roc Nation agency?
• Former NFL defensive end turned Boxer Ray Edwards believe boxing is safer than football. “Football is the only sport that is 100 percent injury prone,” he said.
• Bernard Pollard will not be at the White House when the Ravens visit President Obama.

Have a good Thursday everyone!

What’s that, it’s Wednesday already? Sorry I didn’t notice, I was too busy staring at this:

In case you’re blind, that’s 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick. Now might be a good time to join Instagram or start saving money for ESPN’s Body Issue.

I’m definitely ready for football season now. So is the NFL, apparently, as they released the preseason schedule yesterday.

ESPN is also ready for football season (and not just because it can show more shirtless players). Yesterday, they announced a new show to start in August called “NFL Insiders” which focuses on NFL news stories and information. So basically what I do here, but with less shirtless men? The catch is that former players and coaches aren’t allowed in the treehouse on the show. NFL32 has been cut to make room for this insider take on the league. (How many times am I allowed to mention shirtless players before my non-existent football guru status is revoked?)

What are NFL players allowed to do since they can’t be on ESPN’s new show? They can become boxers! At least that’s what former Minnesota Vikings/Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Ray Edwards did. In this interesting interview, he asserts that boxing is actually safer than football. His ideas sure do pack a punch.

That’s right, some of us don’t discriminate in our usage of former NFL players. Bonus points go to anyone who can read what that belt says (it’s not “6 pack” because I already tried that).

Because it’s Wednesday and you need something to get you over the hump, I’ll leave you with two links. One is for shirtless football players on Tumblr, as this Blitz has taken a drastic turn in that direction. And the second is for the Tumblr “Sports Balls Replaced with Cats” which is exactly what it sounds like:

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Emily Ritter is a contributing writer for Aerys Offsides. She never tweets about shirtless athletes (yeah right!) at @ebritter2.

Note the following work was inspired by this article. You can read some other great poetry on Mr. Reilly over at Awful Announcing. I’m somewhat certain I’ve destroyed every rule in the book, so my apologies to all poets out there:

RIck Reilly: Look for him at future poetry open mic nights. (Via Wikipedia)

I need to fill my 800 words
I cry at the Macbook
This column must be done
Or else I’ll never be able to enjoy my weekend

What can I write about?
Maybe Tiger?
Who am I kidding, he won’t win the Players
Kobe and the Lakers?
No, too irrelevant
I could write an inspirational piece
But it’s too late to do any research
Maybe I could write about the Yankees or Red Sox
They have a game this week, don’t they?

I need inspiration
I look to you, picture of Jim Murray
You’re nestled on my wall
Glasses and all
What do I do, Jim?
What can I write about?
I beg of you

Help me
Give me a grain
Your words have teeth
And have provided me wisdom
That was my dental joke

I look at the giant tee
The one Ben Crenshaw gave me after the Masters in 93
It lies next to my autographed Joe Montana Vortex football
Tee and football?
What about the model airplane on my desk
Why the Jets, of course

It has to be a Jets and Tebow column
What a great way to solve my 800 word dilemma
But people are tired?
What take can I possibly provide?

How about none
What!?
Yeah…Why do you need to provide something new?
I can write a Greek tragedy
No, Shakespeare didn’t work so well the last time I used it

How about a poem?
Yes…a poem
I took a poetry class once in high school
My degree from Boulder would make it cool

I could be Frost
It’s a cinch
You just rhyme every few versus
But I better be sure not to put in any curses

Who are the Jets quarterbacks besides Tebow?
Oh yeah, Sanchez
They also have a guy named Geno
I could do a lot with that man
You know what I mean-o

But what about the others
That kid from Alabama
Perhaps a Roll Tide is in order
Nah, too cliche
This poem doesn’t need cliches

But wait, we also have Garrard
Maybe I can make a reference to the Fugitive
But probably not

Matt Simms
How is he related to Phil
I better make a Sims video game reference
Less I seem not hip to today’s culture

It might not be 800 words
But who is really counting
Certainly not I
Now what rhymes with Tebow

NFL teams started rookie mini-camp late last week, kicking the first phase of the 2013 NFL season into gear with just 17 weeks to go until the first official game on Thursday, September 5th.

But one of the biggest stories around the league involves the off-the-field troubles of free agent wide receiver Titus Young, who made news once again last week after he was arrested three times in the same week, twice in the same 24-hour period.

Young’s father, Richard Young, told the Detroit Free Press that the young man the public has been exposed to as of late is completely out of character and is “not his son.”

“I hope they just forgive Titus because this ain’t none of Titus, it wasn’t none of his fault,” Young said. “I look at my son right now, I don’t see my son. That’s not my son. I know my son. Titus is not the boy I really raised, I’m saying the way he act, the way he intermix in society right now.”

Richard Young insists that his son’s behavior is a result of a brain disorder that he believes stems from a concussion suffered on the football field. Richard Young also explained that despite his son recently seeking help at outpatient facilities in Texas, Newport Beach and Malibu, CA., he has not been taking Seroque, an  antipsychotic drug prescribed to help him deal with the effects of the disorder.

According to the Free Press, the Lions reportedly urged Young to “get treatment for his problems” last spring, although they did not disclose the specifics due to HIPAA laws.

Young was supposed to re-enter a program Monday, but he is currently being held jail waiting arraignment and has been on a medical hold since his latest arrest.

Young played in 26 games with the Detroit Lions, showing flashes of potential and loads of upside, but he is sadly better known for his personal and legal troubles that spiked last spring.

Other News: 

• Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta signed a $2.023 million second-round restricted free agent tender with the Super Bowl champs on Monday, the team announced. Pitta can become an URFA in 2014, and it is likely Pitta and the team will aim to agree to a more long-term deal before he is able to test the free agent market.
• The Minnesota Vikings’ official team website released a video on Monday giving fans a preview of what to expect from the new state-of-the-art stadium that’s being constructed.
• According to ESPN’s Jeannine Edwards, new Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly has implemented a load of changes into his team’s nutritional plan, including making over the Eagles cafeteria. Kelly’s plan emphasizes lean protein’s (organic, hormone and antibiotic free lean meats and no and red meat), includes personalized smoothies and prohibits junk food. (Frankly, simple rules that we should all abide by, don’t ya think??)
• SB Nation’s Spencer Hall wrote a fascinating column about the coverage of the NFL, questioning why fans and media members alike stand for the from the poor commentary on shows like The NFL Today and the atrocious coverage of the league provided by everyone’s favorite football blogger, Mike Florio. “Aside from rare moments of Ron Jaworski sketching out an actual play or the work you see from Football Outsiders and Chris Brown, so much of what the NFL does is reduced to exchanges of bellowing nothing-isms,” writes Hall. “I don’t just mean The NFL Today on CBS, but it is certainly the master class on bellowing nothing-ism.” Hall attempts to explain the phenomenon.
• The Kansas City Chiefs have hired Chris Ault, “godfather” of the Pistol formation, as an offensive coordinator. Coincidentally, Ault, who will now work with former 49ers QB Alex Smith, worked with current 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick at Nevada.
• Tim Tebow  has reportedly been offered a job with the Philadelphia Soul, the city’s Arena Football League team. Ron Jaworski, who owns the Soul, reached out to Tebow offering him a gig “that would see him as their primary backup with a few specialty sets.” (Speaking of Tebow, Giants co-owner Steve Tisch told TMZ.com that he believes Tebow’s decision to play for the Jets derailed his career as an NFL QB. You can watch the video interview here).
• Think before you DM, exhibit A.

 Kristine Reese is the NFL Editor and Jets writer for Aerys Sports. You can follow her on Twitter @KristineReese.

Time for an afternoon pick-you-up! Blitz headlines, y’all!

I’m going to share the funny from NFL Memes with you guys first! Enjoy!

via NFL Memes Facebook

Oh! Adrian Peterson!

Titus Young has some problems, guys. Yes. I am understating the matter for sure. He was arrested Saturday morning for the third time in less than a week. Goodness. Really sad situation for someone thought to be  a promising athlete.

Peter King is discussing what most NFL fans have been either hoping or knowing since the the draft last month. The New York Jets could rid themselves of Mark Sanchez if Geno Smith wins the starting quarterback job. No more this? Jets fans rejoice! The Jets are apparently “smitten” with Geno.

Speaking of the Jets! NY Giants co-owner Steve Tisch shared his opinion on the disservice that was Tim Tebow going to the Jets.

Manti Te’o hopes to earn the respect of his teammates by displaying some hard work ethic. I’m sure this is very important to Manti. He needs to be seen as a football player. Not a guy that can be easily duped. Check out this story from the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Matt Barkley hopes to be the Philadelphia Eagles starting QB. He is confident he can do it too. Stop laughing! Check out this story from CSN Philadelphia.

Check out this interesting post from SBNation on why the NFL makes for such bad media.

Buddy Nix is transitioning out of his role as general manager of the Buffalo Bills to a role as special assistant with the team. Check out this from the Bills site. Doug Whaley is expected to take over as GM according to SBNation Buffalo Rumblings.

Amy Trask has resigned as CEO of the Oakland Raiders.

It is another Sunday! It is also Mother’s Day. So a happy mother’s day to all those moms out there.

In Oakland, one of the big stories Saturday was the announcement of Amy Trask, CEO of the Raiders, resigning.

Additionally, the Silver Lining has posted a full recap of all the Raiders draft picks.

Jack Del Rio is apparently still catching flack for the Broncos playoff game against Baltimore in January. But Del Rio is focusing on the future, according to the Denver Post. Probably for the best, right?

Sad news out of Pittsburgh as former Steelers defensive player and hall of famer Jack Butler passed away at the age of 85. Butler played nine seasons in the NFL and was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year.

Another former pro football player passed away this week as former New York Jets wide receiver George Sauer died Tuesday at the age of 69.

If you’re looking for an interesting read, the Herald Bulletin of Anderson, Ind. has a story on Jerome Kelley and his time working at the Indianapolis Colts rookie camp.

Speaking of rookie camp, the man known as “Kickalicious,” Havard Rugland, is taking part in camp with the Detroit Lions.

In Chicago, Bears Head Coach Marc Tressman is using a helmet cam for quarterbacks. Who knows, maybe we can see some of that footage someday…

Another rookie camp story takes place in Carolina as Eric Breitenstein took part at rookie camp this week, according to the State.

I don’t know if you’re a rugby fan, but if you are, well the NFL looks to be doing some partnerships with a professional rugby league in an effort to create a league in the United States, according to the Guardian.

Finally, if you’re looking for a shopping item for this edition, well you can purchase some NFL Rush Zone books for 99 cents. Ya know, if you’re interested in that thing.

Enjoy the day!

Seahawks Greg Scruggs Has Surgery

The Seattle Seahawks announced Thursday night that DT Greg Scruggs had undergone surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee. He injured his ACL prior to the NFL Draft but did not have surgery until after. Team physician Ed Khalfayan performed the surgery at the Seattle Surgery Center. The recovery from this surgery means he will most likely miss the whole season for the Seahawks.

You can read more here.

Cowboys Release QB Corp

Just two days after signing quarterback Aaron Corp, the Dallas Cowboys released him. Corp was the third quarterback on their roster. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Buffalo Bills last year. He was released twice by the Bills last year.

Redskins Kirk Cousins Can Sing

The Washington Redskins backup quarterback Kirk Cousins can sing. Check out this video of Cousins from his days in high school. He’s not half bad.

What would the Morning Blitz be without a daily Tim Tebow story? Or three?

Incomplete, right? (There’s a joke in there somewhere…)

Lucky for you there’s plenty of SUPER important Tim Tebow news and information to go around today. Here’s all the latest:

First, some lawyer dude from Jacksonville named John Morgan launched a campaign urging Shad Kahn and the Jaguars to sign Tebow. (You can check out the ad here, courtesy of Deadspin. It’s pretty genius).

Then, despite Morgan’s ads, the Jaguars – and their GM David Caldwell – once again insisted that they are not interested in signing the high-profile quarterback, even with their own very messy situation quarterback situation.

A few short hours later, CBS Sports’ national columnist Gregg Doyel released a column explaining how Tebow’s fans “loved his career to death.” It’s a very interesting perspective on Tebow-mania that is well worth a read.

Oh, but that’s not all. Finally, we had Mike Ditka weighing in on the quarterback, explaining his belief that Tebow can, in fact, play quarterback in the NFL. Yes, this was big major news on Wednesday. Pretty groundbreaking stuff, huh?

Although Tebow is currently a free agent and very much without an NFL team to call his own, he was recently named Forbes magazine’s most influential American athlete. And that explains why this is all news. Influence and stuff.

Bucs DB Ronde Barber will retire on Thursday.

Ronde Barber To Officially Retire

According to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, defensive back Ronde Barber plans announced that he will officially retire from the NFL in a press conference tomorrow at 2 pm EST.

Barber played his entire 16-year NFL career in Tampa Bay. He is the franchise leader in interceptions and defensive touchdown returns.

Levi’s Stadium Proposed As New Home For 49ers 

On Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers announced that Levi Strauss & Co. had purchased the right to put its name on the 49ers’ new 68,500-seat stadium. As part of the acquisition, the company plans to construct a brand new, $1.2 billion stadium for the team, called Levi’s Stadium, which will open next year.

“Levi’s jeans were designed for the 49ers during the Gold Rush,” 49ers CEO Jed York said on Wednesday. “It was a good fit for them then and it’s a good fit today.”

*Insert generic un-funny jeans related dad joke here*

The 49ers new stadium is currently viewed as the favorite to host Super Bowl L in 2016.

Other News:

• Veteran running back Felix Jones is scheduled to visit with the New England Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport. Jones had a visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday.
• In a press conference with the media on Wednesday, Jags GM David Caldwell explained that the team plans to give former Michigan QB Denard Robinson 10-15 snaps per a game as a rusher or receiver. He will also receive kickoffs.
• Former Lions WR Titus Young was arrested TWICE in the same day on Sunday, first for suspicion of driving under the influence and later for burglary.  No need to pile on — no comment is needed on this story.
• Free agent WR Josh Cribbs visited with the Jets on Wednesday, per Pro Football Talk.

Kristine Reese the NFL editor and lead Jets writer for Aerys Sports. You can follow her on Twitter @KristineReese.