With interest waning and many fans questioning the game’s integrity, it appears the NFL isn’t afraid of compromising that integrity as long as it means more interest overall, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network.

According to Breer, the NFL is looking to add elements that would make the All-Star game into more of a “game show” than a real NFL game. The elements could even include incentives that would be paid out at different points during the game with the ultimate purpose being “so every single minute of the game has some sort of thing that’s going to keep fans interested and engaged.”

Game show elements could be the solution, then again, they could just make things even worse for the Pro Bowl. No, fans don’t watch strictly for the competitive nature of the game (as the games are never really that competitive), but they might be even less inclined if it becomes more like The Price is Right and less like football.

Something needs to be done to boost interest in the game; Roger Goodell and company just need to make sure that it’s the right thing.

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The Patriots signed wide receiver Mark Harrison, who — Gasp! — is a Rutgers graduate, and kicker David Ruffer from Notre Dame to fill out their 90-man roster.

Harrison, 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, is another terrific athlete with great measurables, including a 4.46 40-yard-dash time, 38.5-inch vertical and 129-inch broad jump at the NFL combine. He was inconsistent during his four years at Rutgers, but he did produce at a pretty good level his senior season with 44 catches for 583 yards and six touchdowns. He makes the fifth Rutgers rookie on the Patriots, joining teammates Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon, Steve Beauharnais and fellow undrafted rookie Brandon Jones.

Ruffer went undrafted from Notre Dame last season but didn’t link on with an NFL team. He won the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s best place kicker, as a junior in 2010 after hitting 18 of 19 field goals, but his senior season was a disappointment as he missed six of 16 kicks. For his career, Ruffer hit 83 percent of his field goal attempts. He is likely in camp to push incumbent kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who struggled at times in 2012.

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The NFL and NFL Players Association are on the verge of changing the timing of the NFL draft and moving the start of the league year, and free agency, to before the combine, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

With the new layout, the draft, which is now held annually in the last weekend of April, will move to the middle of May for each of the next three seasons. The initial reasoning behind the move is to avoid a conflict with Easter, which will fall on the final weekend of April in 2014, but it seems the NFL has been hoping to move the draft back for some time now.

The other big change in the NFL offseason calendar would be for the league year and NFL free agency to begin ahead of the scouting combine. The scouting combine took place in the final week of February this offseason with free agency beginning in the second week of March. It’s more likely that the combine will move, along with the draft, into the middle of March and that free agency would begin around the beginning of March as it does now.

The NFL has the authority to change the date of the draft without the NFLPA’s consent, but a change to the start of the league year needs the NFLPA’s approval.

The changes fall in line with the NFL attempting to create more buzz in the offseason, including one premier event each month.

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Two days after waiving defensive end Brandon Deaderick, the Patriots decided to release veteran defensive tackle Kyle Love, as well. Love’s release comes as a result of a non-football-related injury, according to his agent Richard Kopelman of KLASS Sports.

“We have been informed by the New England Patriots that Kyle Love will be released NFI (Non-Football Injury/Illness),” Kopelman told Mike Reiss of ESPN. “This comes on the heels of Kyle having been diagnosed within the past two weeks with Type-2 diabetes. Naturally, we are disappointed that the Patriots decided to part ways with Kyle, especially in light of the fact that a number of elite professional athletes with diabetes – both Type-1, which is known to be far more difficult to manage than Type-2 diabetes – have had very successful careers in professional football, hockey, baseball and basketball.”

Love, 26, had experienced recent weight loss and had to change his diet accordingly, per Kopelman, but apparently the disease did not impact his offseason work with the team.

“Prior to the diagnosis, Kyle recently experienced unexplained weight loss, but since being diagnosed and having altered his diet, Kyle has regained most of the weight he lost, is in good health, and was not limited in any way during offseason workouts in which he was engaged up until being told he would be released.

Love is expected to adjust accordingly, and his NFL career shouldn’t be impacted by the disease.

“Having consulted with leading authorities on the effects of Type-2 diabetes, we have every reason to believe that Kyle will, in the immediate future, be at 100 percent, and will be prepared to participate in training camp in a couple of months. As Kyle said, ‘there is no way something like this is going to stand between me and a long and successful NFL career.’”

Love started 11 games for the Patriots in 2012, recording 25 tackles and 1.5 sacks alongside Vince Wilfork on the Patriots’ defensive line. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State after the 2010 draft. He played in nine games, recording seven tackles and one sack, during his rookie season, and followed that up with a full 16-game slate and career highs with 33 tackles and three sacks in 2011.

Love was slated to carry a $1.1 million cap hit in 2013, and the Patriots should save about $850,000 in cap space with the release.

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The Patriots announced a few roster moves on Monday, including the surprise release of veteran defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick.

Deaderick, 25, was a seventh-round pick in 2010 and has spent the past three seasons making contributions on the Patriots’ defensive line. He played in 34 games, starting 14, and managed 51 tackles and five sacks during his tenure in New England.

He played sparingly as a rookie but saw increased time in his second year, playing a significant role in the Patriots’ run to the Super Bowl in 2011. He played in 14 games in 2012, but lost playing time to Kyle Love and rookie Justin Francis as the season wore on. The additions of interior linemen Armond Armstead and veteran Tommy Kelly seem to have made Deaderick expendable, leading to his release.

The team signed two offensive lineman, adding some much-needed depth to their line, with former Chargers guard Tyronne Green, which his agent confirmed this morning, and undrafted rookie free agent R.J. Mattes.

Mattes, 6-foot-6, 313 pounds, was a four-year starter at North Carolina State, rotating his playing time between guard and tackle.

The Patriots also announced the release of wide receiver Andre Holmes.

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Buddy Nix, who has been the Bills’ general manager for three seasons, has elected to step down from that position and instead take on a role as a special assistant with the team, the Bills announced Monday.

BREAKING: #Bills GM Buddy Nix will step away from his role as GM and tradition to Special Assistant.

—
Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) May 13, 2013

The Bills haven’t made the playoffs in 14 seasons, and they came no closer to breaking that streak during Nix’s tenure. The Bills went 16-32 during his three seasons as GM. Nix is also charged with giving quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick a six-year, $60 million extension, including $24 million guaranteed, and then releasing him one season into the new deal.

Nix’s announcement isn’t much of a surprise, as the team has been in constant transition since the end of last season, including the hiring of new head coach Doug Marrone.

Doug Whaley, who has spent the past three seasons as assistant general manager,  is expected to take over as GM for Nix, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News.

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Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Buddy Nix

After adding a pair of wide receivers in Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce during the draft, the Patriots agreed to a deal with veteran wideout Lavelle Hawkins on Thursday, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. His deal is for two years. He also visited with the New York Giants and Houston Texans before signing in New England.

Hawkins, 26, spent his first five seasons with the Tennessee Titans, enjoying his most productive season in 2011 — his only full 16-game season — catching 47 passes for 470 yards and a score. He also served as a great special teams player, returning kickoffs and punts at times as well as playing on coverage teams during all five seasons.

Hawkins joins a wide receiver crew that includes Danny Amendola, Donald Jones, Michael Jenkins, Julian Edelman, Matthew Slater and the two rookies. So, making the roster won’t be a cakewalk, but if he can stay healthy then Hawkins would be a good depth option for the Patriots.

Oh, and he likes to hurdle defenders occasionally during the preseason. Check that out below.

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Photo via Twitter/@Lavelle_Hawkins

Former Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones was in for a visit to Foxboro on Thursday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The plan is for Jones to work out for the team.

Jones, who just turned 26 on Wednesday, spent five seasons with the Cowboys after being selected 22nd overall in the 2008 NFL draft. He enjoyed some early success in a shared backfield with Marion Barber, averaging better than 5.2 yards per carry during his first three seasons, but he was never able to establish himself as a primary or durable option.

His injury history, which included just two full 16 game slates in five seasons, eventually saw rookie running back DeMarco Murray overtake the starting job during the 2011 season. Jones was reinserted as the starter for seven games in 2012, but he managed just middling stats with 111 carries for 402 yards and a 3.6 yards-per-carry average — well below his career average of 4.8.

With Stevan Ridley, who gained over 1,200 yards in 2012, Shane Vereen, Brandon Bolden, Leon Washington and newly added LeGarrette Blount already in house, Jones may have a tough time even making the roster never mind competing for playing time.

Jones has worked out for a few other teams recently, including the Philadelphia Eagles, according to the league transaction wire.

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Photo via Facebook/Felix Jones

The Titans decision makers are discussing signing veteran pass rusher John Abraham to a contract this week, according to ESPN’s Adam schefter.

Abraham has visited with a handful of NFL teams already this offseason, making his rounds but unable to find a deal suitable for both sides. He stopped in for a visit with the Titans last week and it sounds like that could be his final stop altogether.

While teams like the Broncos, Seahawks and Patriots all wait to see if his price will drop, the Titans are taking action and appear to have the inside track on signing Abraham.

There were rumors that Abraham was considering retirement, and a cryptic tweet he sent out last weekend only added fuel to that fire, but it seems he is still planning to take the field next season.

The Patriots were suspected to be the front runners for Abraham’s services, but if Abraham signs with the Titans, they may have to readjust their priority list.

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Photo via Facebook/John Abraham

Terrell Owens

Owens caught some passes from Brady at USC in early April and, like almost any intelligent NFL player, would want to play with Brady and the Patriots full time, according to BlindsideFootball.com.

“I think that’s a no-brainer,” Owens said. “You look at what they’ve done over the years. Under the tutelage of Tom and Coach [Bill] Belichick, I think the sky would be the limit in terms of what I’d be able to do. Considering my body of work and my history of playing the game.”

Owens also revealed that his training session with Brady was more of a coincidence rather than the well-thought-out plan it appeared to be.

“We happened to be on the same field at the same time and it obviously created a big buzz with the two of us being on the field throwing the football around,” Owens said. “There was really nothing organized about it as far as me trying to get with the Patriots or him pursuing me or anything like that. It just happened to be us being out there on the same field at the same time.”

The six-time Pro Bowl receiver has not played a game in the NFL for two seasons now, but he does still believe he can play at the highest level. The Patriots did have a glaring need at wide receiver earlier this offseason, but a strong draft at the position seems to have solved that issue. So, even if Owens is capable of returning to that All-Pro form, it’s unlikely Belichick is looking to add another receiver to the mix right now.

Plus, Owens has a newly established pro bowling career to attend to — and with scores like this, he’ll need to give it his undivided attention.

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The former Falcons defensive end is visiting with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

The Titans are in need of a veteran pass rusher to help bolster their defensive line, and Abraham likely isn’t asking for quite as much money as fellow free agent Dwight Freeney.

Abraham has visited with other teams over the past few months, including the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and, of course, the Patriots. But he has yet to find a deal intriguing enough to sign on the dotted line. So, a reasonable offer from the Titans could change his mind.

The Patriots still appear to be the front runners for his services, but it’s unlikely they would sign him until sometime closer to the beginning of training camp. His visit with the Titans could always pique the Patriots’ interest and spark up contract talks in an effort to finally get a deal done.

There is always the chance that Abraham’s visit is just a smoke screen intended to regenerate interest from other teams. Then again, it seems no team is going to sign him until he lowers his asking price.

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Photo via Facebook/John Abraham

Just as reports of “aggressive discussions” about trading return specialist Jeff Demps began to sprout up, the Patriots made things official dealing him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Tom E. Curran of CSNNE. The club announced the deal via Twitter as well, adding the deal was pending the trade terms.

The Patriots agreed to deal Demps and a seventh-round pick (No. 229 overall) to the Bucs in exchange for running back LeGarrette Blount.

Blount was very productive in his first two NFL seasons, gaining over 1,700 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns, but he took a backseat to rookie Doug Martin in 2012. Head coach Greg Schiano preferred Martin over Blount and the numbers proved that with Martin carrying the ball 319 times to Blount’s mere 41.

Blount won’t be expected to take on a feature role in New England, either. With Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen slated in as the Patriots’ primary backs, Blount will likely compete for the third tailback role with second-year back Brandon Bolden.

The hope is that he will add some good depth and can be the punishing between-the-tackles runner and take the lead in short-yardage like he showed during his first two seasons.

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Photo via Facebook/LeGarrette Blount

Demps spent last season on injured reserved, but was expected to be a major contributor on special teams in 2013. That changed a few weeks ago when Demps decided he was going to continue his track career and wanted to return to football around midseason, which likely didn’t sit too well with Bill Belichick.

The Patriots have been shopping him around for a few weeks now, but it appears a deal may be imminent, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

Demps’ agent Daniel Rose addressed his client’s future earlier in the week, hinting that if the Patriots don’t want him a number of other teams would be interested.

“I would think the lack of picks [for New England] a deal would be done over the draft as I am certain if the Patriots aren’t willing to let him do both there are other teams who will.”

Demps was a silver medalist on the USA Olympic 4-x-100 team at the 2012 Summer Games, but seemed ready to return to football afterward. He signed with the Patriots in August and played briefly during the preseason before being placed on season-ending IR.

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Photo via Twitter/@FerRangel76

Tebow has long been criticized for having a long, loopy throwing motion and atypical mechanics for an NFL quarterback. But all that has changed this offseason, Clarkson said in an interview with Newsday.

Clarkson has a long history of success with NFL quarterbacks, including Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Leinart and potential first-round prospect Matt Barkley. Now, he’s seeing some positive results with Tebow, too, which he says all starts with his footwork.

“The footwork is essentially what caused a lot of his looping motion,” Clarkson said. “A lot of what was happening with his throwing motion and why it was elongated was because of the way he placed his feet at the end of his drop. Right before he’d make his throw, his hips would stop at mid-motion, and the ball would come off in funny places. So that was one thing that we really honed in on, was trying to tie his feet up.

“We worked a lot on slowing the game down for him in terms of on the field, but also speeding up the game for him in terms of mechanics,” he added. “Most of what people have talked about in his throwing motion were really based on his footwork.”

Clarkson did focus on some of the positives about Tebow’s game as well, and he believes that the improved mechanics will only serve to improve the quarterback’s ability.

“He sees the field extremely well. He anticipates where things are going to happen, but his relationship with his feet going to his arm didn’t mesh. He would look like he was throwing into coverage. He was throwing into the right spot, but he was just late because he couldn’t transfer his weight properly.”

Tebow, 25, struggled to find the field last season with the Jets, throwing just eight passes in 12 games. He led the Denver Broncos to the divisional playoffs just one season before, but teams — even the Jets — are still hesitant to give Tebow a shot at their starting job.

Clarkson suggested recently that Tebow’s trade to the Jets was made with malicious intent from the Broncos. He hypothesized that the Broncos planned to “kill two birds with one stone” with the deal, crushing incumbent starter Mark Sanchez‘s confidence while all but eliminating Tebow.

But the well-renowned instructor hopes that the adjustments he and Tebow have worked on this offseason will change that reality.

“I would hope wherever he ends up, they give him an opportunity to play, because if they do, they’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Clarkson said. “I think the guy can still play.”

There doesn’t seem to be much of a market for Tebow right now, and even the Jets don’t appear interested in keeping him around. But, if what Clarkson says is true, then most teams would be smart to at least give him a chance.

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The Ravens will open the season in Denver with an AFC divisional playoffs rematch against the Broncos, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. The game will be played on Thursday, Sept. 5.

https://twitter.com/JasonLaCanfora/status/324900897043931136

Typically, the Super Bowl champion gets to host the regular season opener, but the Ravens were unable to convince the Orioles to change their schedule to accommodate the opportunity.

The Ravens-Broncos playoff showdown turned into a double-overtime thriller, so there should be some interest no matter what. But there should be some added intrigue with Elvis Dumervil wearing black and purple in his return to Denver, especially after the way his controversial departure went down.

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The Patriots hosted three prospects at Gillette Stadium on Monday, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

The trio included Louisiana Tech wide receiver Quinton Patton, UCLA defensive end Datone Jones and Florida State defensive end Cornellius “Tank” Carradine.

Each of the three are very intriguing prospects for the Patriots, given their needs heading into the 2013 season. Patton is especially interesting, considering their glaring need at wide receiver after the departures of Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd. Defensive end would also be an interesting area to address in this year’s draft as the Pats traded up to take defensive end Chandler Jones just last year.

The Patriots’ list of potential first rounders just continues to grow but, in just a little over a week, all the dust will be settled.

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Sanders signed an offer sheet with the Patriots on Wednesday, agreeing to bolt from Pittsburgh for New England on a one-year deal. Now, the Steelers have until Monday to decide whether to keep the restricted free agent, which has the Steelers’ front office split.

The decision makers down in Pittsburgh are split 50-50 on whether to match the offer to Sanders, according to ESPN’s John Clayton. Half reportedly want to keep the talented wide receiver and the other half wants the draft pick.

The biggest issue for the Steelers right now is that they are tight up against the salary cap and Sanders’ $2.5 million deal, which is double the price of Pittsburgh’s original tender for him, would bring them even closer to that cap wall. There is also the notion that the Patriots have already sewn up some good will with Sanders and that he would bolt for New England after the season and the Steelers would be left with nothing.

Whatever decision the Steelers come to, the Patriots can at least feel good knowing they came away with a win.

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Photo via Facebook/Emmanuel Sanders

Gronkowski, who has undergone three surgeries already, is delaying a fourth surgery intended to check on his infection and install a new plate in the repaired left forearm, according to Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. Instead, the Patriots tight end will continue his course with antibiotics for a few more weeks and see if the infection subsides completely.

Late last week, all signs pointed toward Gronk needing a fourth and eventually fifth surgery, drawing his his status for the start of the 2013 season into question. But his agent Drew Rosenhaus cleared the air, assuring Patriots fans that no decision had been made.

Gronkowski will still need a fourth surgery to replace the plate in his forearm either way, but if the infection clears out ahead of time then the All-Pro tight end would likely be back to full health by the time training camp opens.

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After signing Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to an offer sheet earlier on Wednesday, the Patriots also agreed to terms with one of their own, according to Mike Garafolo of USA Today.

Julian Edelman has re-signed with the Patriots on a one-year deal, returning another weapon to the Patriots’ offense. The deal likely wont’ have much guaranteed money, but it is laden with incentives, according to Ian Rapoport.

Edelman visited with the New York Giants late last week, leading to speculation that he could be headed out of town, but apparently it wasn’t much more than flirtation between the two sides.

His return to the Patriots gives Tom Brady at least one reliable option on offense and helps to beef up an otherwise unsteady receiving corps. Edelman caught 21 passes and three touchdowns in nine games in 2012, but a variety of injuries kept him off the field and a broken foot suffered in Week 13 sidelined him for good.

After sitting with a barren receiving corps for much of the offseason, the Patriots have now agreed to deals with five wide receivers this offseason. Assuming Sanders’ offer sheet goes through, the Patriots’ depth chart at receiver would include Danny Amendola, Donald Jones, Michael Jenkins, Sanders and Edelman. And for a team once concerned with their options heading into next season, they now appear fairly set at the position.

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Photo via Facebook/Julian Edelman

The Patriots have offered the wide receiver a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The details of the deal aren’t yet known.

Sanders is a restricted free agent with a third-round tender, meaning that along with paying Sanders the Patriots would have to send a third-round pick in this year’s draft to Pittsburgh to complete the deal.

The Steelers have five days to match the Patriots’ offer, but they might not even be able to. The Steelers are already right up against the salary cap and still have more free-agent needs to fill. If they do match New England’s money, they risk missing out on players like running back Ahmad Bradshaw and others who would help provide stability.

Sanders visited New England in March and there were rumors that the receiver had signed a tender with the team at that time. Those rumors were quickly shot down and it seemed that the Patriots may not be interested in signing Sanders after all. But rumblings about the team’s potential interest continued to surface, and it appears they were just patiently waiting to strike.

A third-round pick out of SMU in 2010, Sanders developed into a dangerous weapon for the Steelers during his three seasons in Pittsburgh. He enjoyed his most productive NFL season in 2012, catching 44 passes for 626 yards and a touchdown while playing all 16 games.

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Photo via Facebook/Emmanuel Sanders