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• Santa Clara, Houston awarded Super Bowl 50, 51

Andre Smith absent from Bengals OTAs

2013-05-21T22:43:14Z

One noticeable absence from OTAs on Tuesday for the Cincinnati Bengals was tackle Andre Smith. Fresh off of signing a three-year, $18 million deal, Smith was not at the voluntary workouts, according to Bengals.com.

Cincy Jungle: Marvin Lewis talks the importance of OTAs

Head coach Marvin Lewis was not worried, though, saying that Smith had to take care of some things before he showed up. With several injuries along the offensive line, the Bengals have had some issues finding bodies during OTAs.

While Smith's absence is not a cause for concern yet, it does raise a few eyebrows because of his past. His workout habits have been in question over the years.

Smith entered free agency as one of the top tackles on the market but could not find many suitors. Cincinnati chose to wait out the process before signing him on April 26. He's an integral part of an offensive line that includes Andrew Whitworth at tackle, Clint Boling and Kevin Zeitler at guard and Kyle Cook at center.

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Chargers sign Max Starks

2013-05-21T22:13:05Z

The San Diego Chargers upgraded their offensive line on Tuesday by signing left tackle Max Starks, Starks tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. Starks will likely start for San Diego next season.

A member of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2004, Starks will supply a veteran presence along the Chargers' line. Last season, Kevin Haslem and Jared Gaither manned the left tackle position but neither was very effective. Haslem was released to open up a spot for Starks on the roster.

Starks has been a fairly reliable presence since being drafted, as he missed 21 games in nine seasons with Pittsburgh. At 6'8, 345 pounds, he has the body to support the blind side.

Prior to the signing, it appeared as though San Diego was set to go into the season with King Dunlap starting at left tackle. It is unclear what Dunlap's role will be with the Chargers after the signing of Starks.

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Melvin Ingram injury: Chargers LB could return in 2013

2013-05-21T21:44:51Z

Even after his ACL tear last week, the San Diego Chargers are holding out hope that Melvin Ingram will play at some point in 2013, according to UTSanDiego.com. Ingram has a best-case scenario of six months recovery time, and that would have him available to play in November.

While that is still up in the air, one thing that is for certain is that San Diego needs Ingram on its defense. Antwan Barnes and Shaun Phillips departed during free agency, leaving a gaping hole at linebacker that Ingram, a 2012 first-round pick, was expected to fill.

As a rookie, Ingram did not make the impact that San Diego expected he would. He recorded just one sack and 41 tackles in his first year with the team. An enhanced role, though, had expectations high for Ingram.

Even if Ingram is healthy enough to make it back at some point, he could still be placed on injured reserve if a roster spot is needed.

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Jamar Taylor injury: Dolphins rookie has sports-hernia surgery, per report

2013-05-21T21:19:50Z

The Miami Dolphins thin secondary suffered an unexpected setback on Tuesday as rookie cornerback Jamar Taylor had sports hernia surgery and is out 4-6 weeks, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Taylor is expected to be back in time for training camp.

A second-round pick from Boise State, Taylor figured to be the starter opposite Brent Grimes. This injury, though, might slow his development enough to put a wrench in those plans.

Taylor was supposed to breathe new life into a depleted secondary. Grimes is recovering from a Achilles' tendon injury, while Miami let starter Sean Smith leave in free agency.

The rookie from Boise State was a three-year starter with the Broncos. During his career there he had seven interceptions and 11 tackles for loss. He showed good athleticism at the NFL Combine, running a 4.39 40-yard dash and posting a 35-inch vertical leap. He was selected with the 54th pick of April's draft.

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NFL news: San Francisco and Houston get Super Bowls, Tony Romo has surgery and more

2013-05-21T21:05:30Z

The Super Bowl cannot be won or lost in May, but the bid to host the big game can. The cities of San Francisco and Houston were rejoicing this afternoon after they were awarded the 2016 and 2017 Super Bowls, respectively.

The Bay Area will be hosting Super Bowl L, which is the 50th year. San Francisco has not hosted the game since 1985, but a brand new stadium in Santa Clara set to open in 2014 helped secure the bid. Meanwhile, Houston gets Super Bowl LI after hosting the game in 1974 and 2004. Miami was the runner-up to the bids.

The Phinsider: No Super Bowl for Miami

One player hoping to one day get a Super Bowl appearance under his belt is Tony Romo, and the Dallas Cowboys quarterback was in the news today after he was declared out for OTAs due to a cyst removal surgery he had just before the NFL draft. The cyst was removed from his back, and Romo expects to be ready for minicamp in June. He added that he could play today if it were the regular season.

Elsewhere on the quarterback front, the New York Jets could decide on a starting quarterback before training camp begins. The decision should come down to Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith, and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg suggested that it's possible a starter could be named by the end of OTAs. Gang Green Nation took some time to breakdown Mornhinweg's comments and what it means for the Jets.

While Sanchez and Smith are just trying to get some playing time, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan wants some money and security. Ryan is in the last year of a six-year contract, and Falcons' owner Arthur Blank wants a deal done 'as soon as possible." Ryan's current deal was for $66 million, but this contract is expected to be over $100 million.

And finally, the Detroit Lions have made sure that they will be represented in the postseason -- by sponsoring a bowl game. The Lions are expected to replace Little Caesers in 2014 as the host of the bowl game that takes place at Ford Field. The game will likely be between ACC and Big Ten teams. Pride of Detroit takes a look at the unique decision made by the Lions franchise.

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Browns claim Miguel Maysonet, according to report

2013-05-21T20:58:28Z

The Cleveland Browns have claimed undrafted free agent Miguel Maysonet off waivers on Tuesday after he was let go by the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Adam Caplan of PhiladelphiaEagles.com. The running back is expected to compete for a reserve role with Cleveland.

Earlier this offseason, Maysonet appeared as though he might win the No. 3 running back job with Philadelphia. Although the Eagles gave him a $10,000 signing bonus (the most for any undrafted running back), he was waived. ESPN New York reported that the Eagles front office wanted Maysonet, but head coach Chip Kelly did not.

Maysonet, who starred for Stony Brook in the FCS, rushed for more than 1,900 yards last season. He could not participate in OTAs because his class had not yet graduated.

He'll face plenty of competition in Cleveland, as the team has Trent Richardson, Montario Hardesty, Dion Lewis, Chris Ogbonnaya and Brandon Jackson. Richardson rushed for 950 yards as a rookie last season.

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