INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Louisiana Tech defensive end Jaylon Ferguson and Colorado State wide receiver Preston Williams have already completed their work in Indianapolis.They didn’t lift weights http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/bobby-evans-jersey , didn’t get clocked in the 40-yard dash, didn’t even appear on the NFL telecast. Instead, they took medical tests and tried explaining to team officials why they couldn’t work out with everyone else at the league’s annual scouting combine.The opportunity was a crucial, minor victory for two potentially high draft picks with checkered pasts — and a major win for the 32 teams debating where Ferguson and Williams belong on their draft boards.“The hardest thing for us to do is the medical, physical and interview process,” Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said Thursday. “It’s hard to fly a prospect to 32 different cities, which is why the combine started in the first place. We bring them to one central location. We all bring our doctors here. We get the medical evaluation done. It would be very difficult to do it if they weren’t here. So, the fact that they’re here for a physical and limited interviews, it does helps us.”Ferguson and Williams would not have gotten this chance just two years ago when league officials disallowed running back Joe Mixon and receiver Ishmael Zamora from attending the combine because of prior criminal convictions.Last year, the NFL changed its rules by allowing players with similar histories to go through the medical checks.This year, it permitted Ferguson, Williams and Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to also interview with teams despite failing background checks. Simmons did not attend after suffering a torn ACL while training for the combine.Ferguson and Williams took full advantage of the chance to tell their stories.“I explained that was at a different point in my life. I was 18, and I’m not really a bad guy,” Ferguson told The Associated Press when asked about his conviction on a simple battery charge stemming from a fight during his freshman year at college. “As I explained the story, I think a lot of people understood.”Athletically, there’s little doubt the three belong in town with more than 300 other college prospects.Ferguson led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 17½ sacks last season and was Conference USA’s top defender. The 6-foot-5 Greg Gaines Jersey , 269-pound star finished his career with an FBS-record 45 sacks, breaking Terrell Suggs‘ record.Simmons was considered a disruptive inside force at 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds before the injury. The two-time all-SEC lineman had 163 tackles, seven sacks, three blocked kicks and two touchdowns in three seasons at Mississippi State.Williams used his 6-4, 210-pound frame to catch 96 passes for 1,345 yards and 14 TDs last year in his only season at Colorado State.The questions? A video showed Simmons hitting a woman while he was in high school, and Williams was arrested in September 2017 after allegedly shoving a woman and grabbing her by the arm, then again a month later when he allegedly violated a protection order by placing “approximately 200” phone calls to the same woman.Simmons pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of simple assault and was found guilty of malicious mischief. Williams pleaded guilty to the harassment charge in March 2018, a conviction that initially led to the revocation of his combine invitation.“It was great they let him do everything they did, but obviously they didn’t handle it the right way,” said Michael Swenson, Williams’ agent.Just having Ferguson and Williams in town helps team executives.While fans focus on times and measurements and scouts look for prototypical players and future stars, coaches and general managers spend much of their time evaluating things fans never see — like answers to cold, hard questions.“I think you’re trying to take the temperature of all the players. That’s again where I’m most excited this week,” said Mike Mayock, the new Raiders general manager and former NFL Network analyst. “We’re just trying to figure the kid out. What makes the kid tick Christian Wilkins Jersey , I think, is more important than anything coming out of this week.”And nobody has more at stake right now than Ferguson, Simmons and Williams.“They asked me the whole story, it felt like it was a broken record,” Ferguson said. “But I feel like I cleared up my name for the most part.”
TORONTO — The New York Yankees will open an 11-game road trip in Toronto on Friday, a journey that will take them to the All-Star break.

But the Yankees received some bad news on what was an otherwise a happy Fourth of July.

After the Yankees defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-2 in the rubber match of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, it was revealed that their superb rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres had a hip strain that will sideline him until at least mid-July.

Torres will be on the disabled list when the Yankees (56-28) open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays (40-46) at the Rogers Centre.

The Yankees will start right-hander Sonny Gray (5-6, 5.44 ERA) against Blue Jays right-hander Sam Gaviglio (2-2, 3.97).

Torres was removed from the game Wednesday during the fourth inning and an MRI showed a strain.

“Any time you’re talking about a groin, a hamstring, quads or a hip — once you have a strain in there, you can punch through it or make it a worse strain,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “So, I think the wise thing is to do this now. Gleyber wants to take a couple of days and work through it, but I think he also understands this is the best thing for him and for us.”

Infielder Tyler Wade will be recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the game on Friday. After going 3-for-35 (.086) in 13 games with New York early in the season, Wade was demoted to the RailRiders and batted .271/.332/.376 with two homers and 18 RBIs.

Torres is batting .294/.350/.555 in 63 games with 15 homers and 42 RBIs for the Yankees since being called up from Triple-A April 22.

The Blue Jays lost their game Wednesday to the New York Mets 6-3 to split the two-game interleague set. They are 3-3 on the homestand and 23-23 overall at home.

Gray has pitched well at the Rogers Centre http://www.miamidolphinsteamonline.com/michael-deiter-jersey , going 2-3 with a 1.88 ERA in seven career starts while pitching for the Yankees and the Oakland Athletics, who traded him to New York during last season.

The 28-year-old is 4-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 11 career starts against Toronto. As a Yankee, he is 1-1 with a 2.96 ERA in five starts against the Blue Jays, and he is 0-0 with a 3.52 ERA in three starts this season.

Gray has lost his past two starts, including Saturday against the Boston Red Sox when he went 2 1/3 innings, his shortest of the season, and allowed six earned runs.

“That was embarrassing for me and I think for everybody in here,” Gray said. “I haven’t beat a lot of teams since I’ve been here. I’ve been bad against the Red Sox, I’ve been bad against a lot of teams. I don’t think one particular team you can say has my number or whatever. I’ve been bad against multiple teams.”

“The good thing about Sonny is, he’s got the equipment to get this right,” Boone said. “He’s got the stuff to be the same pitcher he’s been at times in his career. This guy’s still a dude. He’s got to dig his heels in and it’s on all of us to try and help unlock that.”

Gaviglio has faced the Yankees once in his career, pitching seven scoreless innings against them June 6 in a no decision as New York won 3-0 in 13 innings.

In his most recent start, the 28-year-old allowed three runs, four hits and three walks in seven innings Saturday against the Detroit Tigers but did not factor in the decision. Toronto won the game 4-3 on Justin Smoak’s leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth inning.

This will be Gaviglio’s 11th appearance and ninth start with Toronto after going 0-0 with a 1.86 ERA in five starts with Triple-A Buffalo.

The Blue Jays made two moves before the game Wednesday, designating right-handed reliever Preston Guilmet for assignment and returning left-hander Tim Mayza on option to Buffalo. Right-handers Luis Santos and Rhiner Cruz were called up from Buffalo. Each had a scoreless relief outing against the Mets.

The Yankees lead the season series 7-3.