Rolando McClain was drafted No. 8 overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2010 NFL Draft and retired twice already. He's now the starting middle linebacker on the Dallas Cowboys, while former New York Jet Stephen Hill is looking for a new team.
The Raiders released McClain in 2013 after the linebacker was facing legal issues and contemplated whether or not he would continue a career in football. He announced his retirement, only to return to football again this past year, and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year, $700,000 contract. But in April, McClain again announced his retirement and the Ravens placed him on the reserve-retired list.
But now, in his second return to the NFL after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, McClain will be the starting middle linebacker for Jerry Jones' team. In his debut with Dallas on August 16 against the Ravens, McClain had six tackles and a forced fumble. From that point on, the coaching staff viewed him as a good replacement for the injured Sean Lee, who was lost for the year with a torn ACL.
"Bruce Carter says he's starting strong side LB with Rolando McClain at MLB and Justin Durant weak side," wrote Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
While McClain has gotten lucky in his second return to the NFL, former Jets wide receiver Stephen Hill hasn't been lucky after his second year in the league. Hill was released by the Jets on Saturday after just two seasons with the team. Unfortunately he was known for his inability to catch the ball - a very bad label to be given as a wide receiver. He hasn't impressed the coaching staff this preseason and the Jets have decided to go with Jeremy Kerley on the opposite side of Eric Decker.
But Hill may find a second home in Carolina. It was reported that the Panthers had the former Georgia Tech receiver in for a workout on Monday, and based on their situation at wide receiver (it looks as if the starters will be rookie Kelvin Benjamin and Jerricho Cotchery), Hill might have a decent shot at earning a roster spot and competing for playing time. After all, his situation in New York wasn't the best with Mark Sanchez and rookie Geno Smith as his quarterbacks, so his ability to perform under a stable offense and quarterback remains to be seen.
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