In 2014, during a Chicago Bears training camp, tight end Martellus Bennett did not appreciate the clean tackle rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller put on him. The next thing you know, Bennett slammed Fuller to the ground like a rag doll. A little scuffle among teammates that was quickly broken up with hugs followed.
Fast forward to 2015 training camps, where teams are taking their frustrations out on each other almost on a daily basis. To quote Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along”? There are several questions to ponder here. Did the offseason get so relaxed that all that pent up energy has nowhere to go? Are players who were traded or picked up in free agency having a hard time adjusting to change? Or can it be that their jobs are threatened by the new rookie taken in the draft? It appears to be a combination of all of these questions.
NFL Joint Practices: Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Let’s face it, not all players like each other. Dallas Cowboys star wide receiver Dez Bryant is not feeling the love with his team lately. Earlier in OTAs, Bryant threw a punch at cornerback Tyler Patmon, with an explanation that it was a “fight between brothers.” He was recently involved in the joint practice fight with the St. Louis Rams.
Or how about Carolina Panther quarterback Cam Newton getting into a scuffle with cornerback Josh Norman when he was tackled by him. At least Cam was smiling about it while he was trying to take off Norman’s helmet. And of course, the fight was dismissed as a fight between brothers.
The best one was between quarterback Geno Smith of the New York Jets and IK Enemkpali over money owed. Was it a sucker punch or did Smith have it coming? No brotherly love here, as Enemkpali was released after breaking Smith’s jaw. Enemkpali was picked up by the Buffalo Bills and Smith is out until mid-season.
Now with several teams in joint practices, the environment of competition has elevated. The Houston Texans and the Washington Redskins tried a joint practice, only to have a practice transfer into chaos with everyone getting involved. At a different field, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Marlon Moore took off his helmet and traded blows with Buffalo Bills linebacker Preston Brown.
Just the other day, the joint practice between the St. Louis Rams and the Dallas Cowboys came to big blows when running back Tre Mason got into a wrestling match with defensive end Randy Gregory. However, it got real when a bunch of players were pitted against each other, wailing onto a gigantic pile of rage. The fans who were on the other side of the fence during the melee enjoyed every minute of it.
And just yesterday, the Philadelphia Eagles got into a little skirmish in a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens. But all was well when good guy quarterback Tim Tebow stepped in as the peacemaker.
Let’s face it, if you haven’t already put the pieces together, the majority of these fights are the results of one-on-one matches between offense and defense. No one likes to look like the fool and when you are vying for a spot on the team, pride gets the better of you. Maybe they should all take a page from Andrew Luck’s book on player courtesy. When Luck gets sacked by an opposing defender, he doesn’t pick a fight. Instead, Luck smacks them on the helmet or taps them on the chest and says, “Good hit man!”
Let’s keep the carnage to a minimum boys. Regular season is just around the corner and that’s when it counts.
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