The Oakland Raiders signed free agent guard Jonathan Cooper, who could provide valuable depth at the position. Cooper, 29, a North Carolina product, was the No 7 overall selection of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2013 NFL Draft. Cooper’s career has been injury plagued, limiting him to just 46 career games (31 starts) in six seasons. 
He missed his entire rookie season with a broken leg, and injuries limited him to a combined nine games in 2016 and 2018. 
He played two seasons with Arizona (2014-15), followed by single seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. The Raiders will be without guard Richie Incognito, who was suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
In a corresponding move, the Raiders waived wide receiver Montay Crockett. The team signed the 25-year-old in June. He has never appeared in an NFL game, despite spending time in the Cardinals, Redskins, Jacksonville and Green Bay organisations.
Free agent RB Collins 
undergoes leg surgery
Free agent running back Alex Collins is recovering from surgery for a broken leg, delaying his opportunity to catch on with a team before the start of the NFL season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the injury took place about two weeks ago but it’s unknown how the injury occurred.
In an Instagram post on Monday night, Collins said he isn’t giving up on resuming his NFL career. “I refuse to be discouraged,” wrote Collins, who most recently played for the Baltimore Ravens. “Instead, I have faith and am optimistic about the process. I believe that all that has happened is making me physically and emotionally stronger, and is necessary for me to succeed in life.”
Seattle drafted Collins in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he appeared in 11 games for the Seahawks that year, carrying the ball 31 times. He joined the Ravens a year later, leading the team in rushing yards (973) and yards from scrimmage (1,160). He shared the duties with Gus Edwards and Kenneth Dixon in 2018, and scored eight touchdowns and gained 411 rushing yards before ending the season on injured reserve with a foot injury.
The Ravens waived Collins in March after he was arrested following a car accident near the team’s headquarters. He was charged with possession of more than 10 grams of marijuana, intent to distribute it and possession of a handgun in a vehicle. With Collins’ legal case close to settled, teams had expressed interest and he was expected to play in 2019.

Broncos in stalemate with second-round QB Lock
Contract staredown could become stalemate between the Denver Broncos and second-round quarterback Drew Lock. The Missouri product reportedly insisted through his agent on being paid a “quarterback premium” and getting a higher-value contract than left guard Dalton Risner, who was the 41st pick by Denver, one slot ahead of Lock. According to reports, negotiations stalled and a holdout from one or both second-rounders could be in the offing. Risner has not signed as his agent resists having a player on the same roster, taken one spot later in the draft, take home more money or a greater guarantees.
The NFL slotting system dictates the outlay of money for all players in any slot in the draft. Based on that system, Risner would get a four-year contract worth $7.1mn, including a signing bonus of $3.214mn. Lock would get a four-year deal worth $7mn and a $3.119mn bonus.

Conner: Doctors gave me ‘about a week’ to live in ’15
Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner revealed he was told he was close to death when diagnosed with cancer as a student at Pitt in 2015. Speaking recently on a podcast hosted by former Duke pitcher Mike Seander, Conner said he sought medical attention when he was having trouble sleeping as he recovered from a torn MCL in his junior season.
“I’m rehabbing for that, trying to make a comeback before the season ends,” Conner, 24, said. “And then I’m rehabbing and [stuff and I get] night sweats, bro. I’m getting like 15 minutes of sleep at night, going through it. Sleep, who [doesn’t] love sleep? That’s the worst in the world... And so I get some tests done, and I got tumours surrounding my heart... I got tumours growing all around it, and it’s pressing.”
Doctors diagnosed Conner with stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma and found tumors in his neck and chest. “The doctor told me I had a week left,” Conner said. “He said, ‘You got about a week. If you [don’t] get this treated, you about a week at the rate it’s growing.’” After sending cancer into remission and rehabbing his knee, Conner returned to the Panthers in 2016, gaining 1,394 all-purpose yards and scoring 20 touchdowns. The Steelers selected Conner in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.