Odell Beckham Jr wins Madden 16 cover vote:

It almost seemed inevitable that Odell Beckham Jr would win the Madden 16 cover vote when he was announced alongside Rob Gronkowski, Patrick Peterson, and Antonio Brown as the finalist to grace the video game’s cover for the upcoming season.

While Beckham’s career may not yet match up with Gronkowski’s, Peterson’s or Brown’s, Beckham’s impact on the NFL during his rookie campaign, was clear.

As inevitable as it seemed that Beckham would win the vote after it was announced by EA Sports, Beckham’s season seemed anything but a sure thing when the New York Giants opened training camp before last season.

It’s sometimes easy to forget what Beckham and the Giants went through to get the star receiver on the field for his rookie season, and it’s that struggle that made Beckham’s season even more surprising, and Beckham even more deserving of the Madden cover, his Offensive Rookie of the Year trophy, and all of the other accolades being heaped on the Giants receiver.

A fussy hamstring caused Beckham to miss just about all of Giants training camp, each of the Giants five preseason games, and the Giants first four regular season games. Despite missing every opportunity to get comfortable in his new position on the field, when Beckham finally hit the field his impact was immediate and dramatic.

Beckham wasn’t just the best rookie receiver in football last season, he was the best receiver in the league for the second half of the year. While many casual fans remember Beckham as “the guy who made that one handed catch against Dallas,” it’s possible that amazing catch distracts fans from what makes Beckham such a great talent.

As great as the catch against Dallas was, it wasn’t what made Beckham special a season ago. What made Beckham’s season special was the fact that he was dominant week in and week out. If Beckham has at least 90-yards receiving in the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, he’ll break Michael Irvin’s NFL record of nine consecutive games with at least 90-yards receiving, which he tied during the final game of the 2014 campaign.

For a rookie that missed all of training camp and his team’s first four games to have that kind of impact on the league is pretty remarkable, and for that reason Beckham was the right choice for the cover of Madden 16.

Baltimore Ravens ink Kyle Arrington to three-year deal:

Many were shocked on Monday when the New England Patriots released veteran cornerback Kyle Arrington after an offseason that saw both Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner leave town, but it was clearly a welcome surprise for the Baltimore Ravens, who wasted no time scooping up the corner on Wednesday.

Arrington patrolled the slot as the nickel corner for the Patriots as Browner and Revis held down the outside, and it seems likely he’ll fill the same role for Baltimore. The Ravens are very thin at the position, and Arrington immediately upgrades a secondary that needs the help and is hoping for better returns in 2015.

Ladarius Webb hasn’t been the same since returning from his season-ending  injury in 2012, and Jimmy Smith has never lived up to the hopes Baltimore had for him when they made him a first-round draft pick in 2011.

While Webb, Smith and Arrington all have some things to clean up, Arrington gives them an opportunity to have a solid defensive backfield if the Ravens can get each to play to their potential. If the Ravens can get adequate play from their secondary, they should be able to compete for a Super Bowl in a muddled AFC.

Jerry Jones praises Roger Goodell for fairness:

When it comes to NFL players and fans it seems NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is often public enemy number one. Despite the quickly cooling relationship between Goodell and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Goodell’s standing with the owners is rarely as contentious as it is with the league’s players or fans.

The often overlooked fact by the “Fire Goodell” crowd is that Goodell is simply an extension of the 32 owners he works for. You may not like Goodell, but he’s implementing rules and policies supported and often created by one or many of his 32 bosses.

One of those bosses, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stepped up and spoke out in support of Goodell this week, telling ESPNDallas.com’s Tim MacMahon, “He’s doing a great job, and I’m a supporter of his,” adding that fairness is one of the commissioner’s strengths.

While Jones isn’t dealing with a four-game suspension of Tony Romo, a million dollar fine, or the docking of first and fourth-round draft picks, the Cowboys have not been void of the commissioner’s hammer as new Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy’s 10-game suspension is just the most recent penalty Goodell has levied against the Cowboys or one of their players.