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NFL

Chiefs' Laurent Duvernay-Tardif back in medical school after signing $41 million deal

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two days after signing a contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs worth $41 million, guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was back in his hometown of Montreal tending to his other passion: medicine.

Duvernay-Tardif was making his rounds visiting geriatric patients at an area hospital Thursday as part of his medical school curriculum at Montreal’s McGill University.

“The cutoff is usually 65 and older and we’re kind of the specialist in geriatric syndromes: delirium, dementia, really frail people and polypharmacy [the effects of taking multiple medications for differing health problems],” Duvernay-Tardif said in a conference call with reporters who cover the Chiefs. “So we’re giving a consult from either emergency or from the wards about patients that have one of those conditions. Our job is to assess them and make recommendations and then to follow them up.’’

Duvernay-Tardif went about his business as if his football world wasn’t turned upside down earlier in the week. The Chiefs committed to their 2014 sixth-round draft pick, selected on his athletic ability, smarts and potential because he had never played the 11-man version of football, in a way that was shocking. He’s one of the NFL’s highest-paid guards.

That doesn’t change his plans with regard to med school.

“I took Monday and Tuesday off because I had to fly to Kansas City,’’ Duvernay-Tardif said, sounding slightly guilty about having to make the quick but very lucrative business trip to sign his new contract.

“It’s actually something I promised myself, that I was going to graduate. I’m going to finish next year, on schedule, by May 2018.’’

Duvernay-Tardif will remain in Montreal and in med school for the next couple of months. He will return to Kansas City in May for the start of offseason practice, using the same arrangement he has since being drafted by the Chiefs.

“For me, it’s a question of principle,’’ Duvernay-Tardif said. “My message I try to pass on to kids and people who are playing football right now at the lower levels in Canada is that it’s possible to combine both passions at the same time. I’ve always had a passion for medical school and I’ve always had a passion for football. I think it’s my duty to finish my studies. Plus, I’m so close from finishing. I have four more months left. I’ve been studying for that. It’s been like six years now, so I think it just makes sense to finish that.

“Yes, there are going to be a lot of questions about residency and getting specialized because, of course, you need to be a full-time student in order to do that. But I think first things first — let’s finish [med school], let’s get a good season next year and then we’ll figure it out after that.”

Duvernay-Tardif said he plans to play the five years on his Chiefs contract. But medicine will never be far away. He studies on his days off during the season to keep fresh. He rushed back to McGill during the Chiefs’ bye week in 2015 to take an important exam that he had to postpone that summer because he was participating in Chiefs training camp.

On Wednesday, with the ink on his new contract barely dry, he was immersed in it.

“When we hang up, I’m going to go see another patient that just presented an emergency,’’ Duvernay-Tardif said. “So, yeah, I keep myself busy.”

NFL

Seahawks' Legion of Boom faces offseason questions
7:22 AM ET

  • Sheil KapadiaESPN Writer

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    • Covered the Philadelphia Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine and Philly.com from 2008 to 2015.
    • Covered the Baltimore Ravens and the NFL for BaltimoreSun.com from 2006 to 2008.

Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider was asked Wednesday whether cornerback DeShawn Shead will be healthy for the start of the 2017 season.

“For the start of the season? I wouldn’t think so,” Schneider said.

Shead suffered a knee injury in the Seahawks’ divisional round loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He tore his ACL, but coach Pete Carroll said after the season that it was a “really significant” injury, indicating there was additional damage.

Shead, a restricted free agent, started all but one game at right cornerback last season and played well. He was in line to start opposite Richard Sherman once again in 2017 before suffering the injury.

Now, suddenly, cornerback is a glaring need for the Seahawks.

“It pushes it up,” Schneider admitted, later adding, “Everybody’s like, ‘We’re not going to draft for need.’ Well, in this day and age, you kind of have to.”

The Seahawks have some relatively unknown young cornerback options such as DeAndre Elliott, Pierre Desir and pending free agent Neiko Thorpe. They’ve done a great job with player development at this position in the past. Shead worked his way up from a practice squad player to become a starter. Sherman was originally a fifth-round pick. And Byron Maxwell was a sixth-round selection.

But Seattle will look to add more options in the weeks ahead.

Free agency has been unkind to them in the past with Cary Williams failing to make it through the whole season in 2015. Seahawks coaches have said that free agents often have difficulty picking up their particular step-kick technique. Carroll hinted strongly after Williams was released that he prefers to build cornerback through the draft with young players who have not played in other NFL systems.

This year’s class is loaded with options who fit what the Seahawks are looking for. Under Carroll and Schneider, they have never drafted a corner before the fourth round, but this could be a year where they buck that trend.

Meanwhile, at left corner, Sherman is coming off a tumultuous season in which he was involved in sideline shouting matches with defensive coordinator Kris Richard and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell on separate occasions. Schneider, however, said that the organization’s view of Sherman has not changed.

“No, he’s an elite player,” Schneider said. “I think everybody has bad days. Congratulations if you don’t. But we love him. He’s an elite player.”

At safety, Kam Chancellor, who had an ankle cleanup procedure, is entering the final year of his deal and will be looking for a contract extension.

And Earl Thomas is recovering from a broken leg he suffered in Week 3.

As long as Carroll is the coach, the secondary will be a focus. But the Seahawks have questions to answer and moves to make this offseason to ensure that the pass defense is positioned for success in 2017.

NFL

John Harbaugh: Ravens will contend for a title because of Joe Flacco

The Baltimore Ravens came to the NFL combine knowing they need to upgrade at cornerback, improve their pass rush and bolster their wide receivers.

The Ravens, though, don’t have any problems with confidence despite missing the playoffs in three of the past four seasons.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we will contend for a championship next year,” coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday in Indianapolis.

Why is Harbaugh so optimistic following an 8-8 season?

Since entering the NFL in 2008, Joe Flacco has won 10 playoff games, more than any quarterback other than Tom Brady during that span. Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire

“The biggest thing in terms of where we are as a football team is the fact that we have a quarterback,” Harbaugh said. “We have a championship-caliber quarterback. We have a guy who is capable of carrying a football team and has done it in the past.”

That quarterback, Joe Flacco, has come under scrutiny since leading the Ravens to a Super Bowl in 2012. He is among the highest-paid players in the NFL, even though he is statistically not among the best quarterbacks.

Flacco’s average of $22.1 million per season ranks fifth in the NFL, but his passer rating of 83.5 was No. 24 in the league last season. Over the last four seasons, he is 29-29 as a starter with 80 touchdowns and 61 interceptions (third-most in the NFL).

An increasing number of NFL fans say Flacco is not an elite quarterback, according to a new poll released in January by Public Policy Polling. But since entering the NFL in 2008, Flacco has won 10 playoff games. Over that span, only Tom Brady has delivered more postseason victories, with 11.

Some of Flacco’s struggles recently are a reflection of his supporting cast. He doesn’t have the same luxury as Matt Ryan, who is throwing to Julio Jones, or Ben Roethlisberger, who is surrounded by Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.

Flacco’s top targets last season were the oldest receiver in the NFL (Steve Smith), a tight end who had two hip surgeries (Dennis Pitta) and a wideout who hadn’t had a 1,000-yard season in five years (Mike Wallace).

“We need to do everything we can do to put a football team around our championship-caliber quarterback,” Harbaugh said.

Ravens officials spoke candidly after the season about how Flacco needs to elevate his game. Owner Steve Bisciotti said the Ravens need to get more out of him, and Harbaugh said the Ravens have to help Flacco play at the level of his compensation.

On Wednesday, Harbaugh made it a point to show his strong support for Flacco. He steered the discussion to his quarterback and the team’s championship chances after being asked about his defense.

“The No. 1 piece we have in place is the most important piece — that’s the quarterback,” Harbaugh said.

NFL

Rams tag CB Johnson for second year in a row

INDIANAPOLIS — The Los Angeles Rams placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on Trumaine Johnson for a second straight year Wednesday, a move that puts him on track to be the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback in 2017.

The two sides still have until July 15 to come to terms on a long-term extension, but that seems unlikely.

Johnson, a third-round pick out of Montana in 2012, is the first cornerback to be tagged in back-to-back years since Charles Woodson in 2004 and ’05. Johnson made $13.952 million when he was tagged in 2016 and will now get a 20 percent raise that will put his upcoming salary at about $16.75 million.

The Rams lost their former primary cornerback, Janoris Jenkins, last offseason, when he signed a five-year, $62.5 million contract with the Giants. They also lost free safety Rodney McLeod to the Eagles, and now their strong safety, T.J. McDonald, is set to be an unrestricted free agent.

Tagging Johnson is a response to how quickly the Rams have lost key depth throughout their secondary, but also an indication for how much they value him.

Johnson, 27, has allowed only 10 touchdowns and a 72.6 passer rating across 338 targets throughout his career, according to Pro Football Focus. He intercepted 15 passes from 2012 to ’15, tied for fourth in the NFL during that span.

His production slipped a bit this past season. Johnson’s interceptions dropped from seven in 2015 to one in 2016. Among the 81 corners who were on the field for at least 50 percent of defensive snaps, Johnson ranked 37th in snaps per catch allowed (11) and 34th in QB rating when targeted (89.4).

But at 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, Johnson is the only Rams corner with size and length. The next four on their depth chart — E.J. Gaines, Lamarcus Joyner, Blake Countess and Troy Hill — are 5-10 or shorter.

Franchising Johnson leaves the Rams with somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million in salary cap space, with needs at receiver, offensive line, linebacker and in the secondary.

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