Über Maerzfeld » few weeks ago, but he hung in there with us

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has a number of things to work on before training camp. His contract is no longer on the list. Bortles, the first quarterback taken in last months NFL draft, signed a four-year deal worth more than $20.6 million Wednesday. The third overall selection, Bortles signed the fully guaranteed contract before the second day of a mandatory, three-day minicamp. Bortles received a $13.3 million signing bonus. The Jaguars got a team option for a fifth year. "I never thought about, I need to sign. I cant wait to sign. I need to hurry up to sign," Bortles said. "It is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, signing your first NFL contract. So that was something thats cool and Ill cherish forever. But its definitely in the past and forgotten about in my mind." With Bortles under contract, the Jaguars have two unsigned draft picks -- second-round receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson. The team hopes to sign both by the end of the week. Bortles has been up and down during organized team activities, about what the Jaguars expected when they drafted him and planned to let him watch and learn in 2014 and take over next season. He continues to tweak his mechanics, mostly footwork, and his performances reflect that hes a work in progress. "Theres a lot to correct," Bortles said. "There are things that Im not doing well right now. But Im not worrying about it because Im trying to fix something else. It is a process. Its something that were working on thats going to take a while." Bortles played in a spread offence at UCF, rarely lining up under centre, so thats been a change. The biggest challenge has been getting his feet properly aligned. Hes accurate throwing to his left, but still has a tendency to step forward when throwing to his right. And its really affected his deep balls, which have fluttered and floated during OTAs and minicamp. "Youve got to make the stuff muscle-memory because what Ive been doing for 22 years isnt the right way," Bortles said. "But thats what Im used to doing, so Ive got to fix it. Its got to take time." The Jaguars arent worried. They drafted Bortles with an eye on the future. Jacksonville re-signed veteran Chad Henne and named him the starter even before selecting Bortles, and insist the plan is to hold the rookie until hes ready -- even if that means making him the backup until 2015. "Sometimes theres anxiety and sometimes hes pressing and trying to do too many things," coach Gus Bradley said. "Were just watching that and hell work through that. Some of the things he has to work through and he will." Bortles started 30 games at UCF before declaring for the NFL draft following his junior season. He went 22-5 as a starter, throwing for 7,598 yards with 56 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He also ran for 561 yards and 15 scores. He realizes the transition from college star to NFL starter will take time and patience. "It was the same thing freshman year of college, so youre just starting all over again," Bortles said. "Its just everybodys bigger, stronger and faster. Youre going through the same thing. Youre learning the new playbook, youre meeting new people and you have different challenges. Youve got to be able to have that quarterback amnesia and move past things." Vapormax Hvit Herre Norge . Marian Gaborik had two goals and an assist and Martin Jones made just 17 saves to record his fourth shutout of the season as the Kings snapped a three-game losing skid with a 3-0 victory over the lowly Oilers on Thursday. Nike Joyride Run Norge . Mike Ribeiro had a goal and an assist as Phoenix held on to snap a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. http://www.vapormaxnorge.com/vapormax-dame-norge/vapormax-flyknit.html . Obasi chested the ball past one defender, prodded it past another and then rounded the keeper before scoring from a tight angle in the 16th minute. Seconds after the restart, Obasi set up Klaas Jan Huntelaar for the Dutchmans 11th goal from 13 games this season. Vapormax Norge .S.-Portugal game on June 22 in the Amazonian jungle city of Manaus. FIFPro, the international soccer players union, had pressed FIFA to avoid the earliest kickoffs in the hottest and most humid weather. Nike Vapormax Plus Norge . But history aside, theyre still happy to participate in the Par 3 contest, traditionally held on the day prior to the first round of the Masters.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week, they discuss Richard Sherman, Kevin Durant, the NFL Draft and the MLBs review system. Dave Naylor, TSN 1050 My thumb is down to Seattle Seahawk Richard Sherman for his view that the NFL would not have banned LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life because the NFL is "more of a bottom line league." Richard, youre known as a smart guy, so surely you can understand that the NBAs decision to ban Sterling was as driven by its bottom line as it was by its moral convictions. Yes, Adam Silver did the right thing, but the NBA commissioner was also doing the one and only thing that would ensure Sterlings racist words wouldnt carve into the NBAs annual $5 billion revenue pie. Youre right about the NFL being a bottom-line league. But thats precisely the reason Roger Goodell would have done the exact same thing that Adam Silver did. Steve Simmons, Sun Media My thumb is up to Kevin Durant, here on Mothers Day, for making the greatest MVP speech maybe any athlete has ever made. In winning the MVP of the National Basketball Association, Durant made a modest, heartwarming, thoughtful, emotional speech, thanking his mom, bringing tears to his eyes - and with that to the eyes of many, including his mother. Durant thanked every teammate individually, saying something special and personal about each, along with mentioning his coach and his general manager and the support staff of the Oklahoma City Thunder. If you didnt like Durant before, you do now. If you havent heard thiis - and the way the NBA presents awards between playoff games you might have missed it - please go to your computer, take the time, go to Youtube and find it online.dddddddddddd Make that your gift to yourself today. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated My thumb is down to the NFL Draft, not because, like all drafts, it mocks free-market principles, but because it is so staggeringly long. Three days of non-stop, non-action - men in suits calling the names of younger men in more stylish suits. Instead of gazing at Mel Kiper Jrs remarkable hair, you could have driven from Halifax to Vancouver and back to Calgary, enjoying this land and making several doughnut stops. You could have been reading Catch 22 instead of been obsessing over who went 22. Yeah, I get it. The NFL rules the world. But its draft needs an editor worse than the Browns need a quarterback. Dave Hodge, TSN My thumb is down to one part of baseballs video review system, and one part only - like the NFL Draft - it takes too long. Otherwise, its fine, bad calls by umpires that would otherwise stand are corrected. The absence of childish rants by managers enhances the game. The opportunity for fans in the stands to study the play in question is a real breakthrough, but the length of time it takes for umpires and the MLB war room to make their decisions is a problem - one that is easily fixed, mind you. If theres not enough evidence to overturn a call in a strictly-enforced time limit, then the original call prevails. And thats the way its supposed to work, so replay doesnt take too long. ' ' '