NFL

Lawrence Taylor believes Ray Rice can still play in the NFL -- and believes SOMEONE should give the guy a second chance in the league this season.

It's an interesting stance for Taylor, who knows firsthand about getting a 2nd chance in the NFL.

After all, he was suspended by the league for 30 days in 1988 after testing positive for cocaine ... but came back to make 3 more Pro Bowls and a 2nd Super Bowl title.

There's more ... Taylor also believes the #1 pick in the upcoming draft should be Jameis Winston ... another guy with a rocky past.

Miley made it cool ... and now ex-NFL star Phillip Buchanon is out to make twerking competitive ... by releasing a brand new Twerk-obsessed board game ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Buchanon invented a booty shaking based game called "Twerkin-It" where the winner is totally determined by who can shake dat ass the best.

"I did it in two nights, I saw everyone was twerking so I thought, 'What if there was a game that people could play to keep the party going?'"

How does one play a game based on a dance? Phillip says you combine the dance itself with the one thing that makes people do it ... alcohol.

Players spin to determine which twerk move they must perform (there are many, consult YouTube), with the bad twerker having to swallow their pride and take a shot of liquor.

So far the $29.99 games are selling like hotcakes according to Phillip ... thanks mostly to big time celeb endorsements from guys like Flo Rida, Pleasure P, and Miami rap god (and booty music pioneer) Uncle Luke.

Phillip says that despite the success of the game he'd still love to attach a big time female endorser as the face (or ass) of Twerkin-It ... and he has a wish list.

"Rihanna, Beyonce, Kim K, Amber Rose or Miley Cyrus."

Good luck Phillip ... and good work Kanye ... for batting a solid .400 with that group.

Russell Wilson is having one hell of an off-season ... he just walked in to the White House State dinner with Ciara on his arm .... and she's looking DAMN FINE!!!!!

Rumors had been swirling about the Seattle Seahawks QB secretly dating the R&B singer ... but now, it appears to be official -- with Wilson bringing her as his date for dinner with President Obama and the Prime Minister of Japan.

Before Ciara came into the picture, Wilson -- who divorced his wife last year -- was spotted out with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition model Samantha Hoopes ... but clearly, she's out -- Ciara's in.

Mazel!

Ray Lewis is begging the people of Baltimore to STOP THE RIOTING ... explaining, "Violence is not the answer."

The former Baltimore Ravens linebacker -- and one of the most famous people in the city -- just went to social media to beg the rioters to end the chaos.

"Violence is not the answer. We must have peace in our city," Lewis said.

"We are a city that's built on believing in each other."

Former Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith also spoke out on the issue -- saying, "Violent protests have never produced the results that we have wanted. Even the great Martin Luther King adjusted his strategy."

Rob Gronkowski's new girlfriend just scored her first big modeling campaign -- landing a gig as the "brand ambassador" for a big watch company ... and she looks good.

As we previously reported, Gronk is all BF/GF with Camille Kostek ... a former New England Patriots cheerleader, news anchor and model.

Now, Kostek is the "fresh face" for the Benrus Watch Company -- which says it hired Kostek because "she represents all of our standards; beauty, intelligence, and a commitment to excellence."

Weird, that last one is more of a Raiders thing ...

Anyway, congrats!

There is serious buzz in the NFL community surrounding Ray Rice -- with multiple sources telling us there are a handful of teams that have expressed "legitimate interest" in the embattled running back.

Rice hasn't played a down in the league since KO'ing his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City casino last year ... but now, he's a free agent looking for a home -- and we're told the feedback is very positive.

Sources tell us Rice's agents have engaged with multiple teams recently -- and we're told there are serious discussions among team decision-makers about the possibility of bringing him on board.

One big NFL agent -- who does NOT rep Ray Rice -- told us he's convinced at least one team will take a shot at the former Pro Bowl player.

"He will be back on the field very soon with some team ... I can guarantee that."

The governor of Virginia says he's "aggressively" trying to move the Redskins OUT of Washington D.C. and into the 10th state -- telling TMZ Sports it's simply "where they belong."

Gov. Terry McAuliffe has been gunning for a brand new football stadium in Virginia -- and strongly believes it would be the PERFECT fit for the Redskins.

Jameis Winston will NEVER have to steal shellfish ever again ... 'cause a Tampa restaurant is promising to hook up Winston with more crabs than a Tijuana hooker -- as long as the Bucs draft him #1.

Here's the deal ... there's this place in Tampa called Skipper's Smokehouse that's FAMOUS for it's crab legs -- and the owner of the joint happens to be an FSU alum who graduated in '68.

The people at Skipper's told us they're well aware of Jameis' penchant for crab -- and want the QB to know, if he signs with the Bucs ... they're gonna "hook him up" with all the legs he can eat.

Chris Johnson is FLEXIN' again ... showing off his arm strength last night -- nearly 7 weeks after getting capped in the shoulder in a drive by shooting.

The NFL running back was leaving Hooray Henry's on the Sunset Strip -- when we asked how his recovery has been going ... ever since the incident in Orlando, FL in March 8th which left one person dead.

Chris has been training like a maniac over the past few weeks -- so we had to ask ... where do you want to play next season? His answer is about as honest as it gets.

Former NFL superstar Brian Urlacher clearly believes Roger Goodell treats the New England Patriots like they're above the law ... and Deflategate is the definitive proof.

Urlacher was hanging with Jay Glazer at their Unbreakable Performance Center in West Hollywood ... when we asked how he felt about President Obama joking about the scandal yesterday.

That's when the former Chicago Bears star attacked the issue with biting sarcasm.

"That didn't happen right? I thought it went away. No one ever got fined for it right? I haven't heard anything since the Super Bowl."

Urlacher proceeded to explain how the Falcons and the Browns got in trouble for far less serious infractions ... yet the Patriots have yet to face ANY consequences for the alleged cheating scheme.

Sorry ladies, Rob Gronkowski is officially taken ... dating a super hot former New England Patriots cheerleader ... multiple sources close to Gronk confirm to TMZ Sports.

The object of Gronk's affection is Camille Kostek -- who was on the cheerleading squad in 2013 and 2014 ... before switching careers and becoming a TV reporter.

There have been multiple sightings of the couple out and about recently -- but now, our Gronk sources say it's official ... they're dating and they're not trying to hide anything.

Congrats!!

President Barack Obama went in way harder on the New England Patriots than Seahawks coach Pete Carroll did in in the Super Bowl -- unloading a ton of jokes poking fun at the champs.

Obama had his A-game working as he ripped Bill Belichick, Rob Gronkowski and even attempted a Boston accent. Fittingly, the joke that fell most flat ... his Deflategate material. The Pats did not seem amused.

Darrelle Revis was also at the event ... which could've been awkward since he left the team this offseason to sign with the rival NY Jets.

The New England Patriots just arrived to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. ... again ... only this time, they're without the team's biggest star Tom Brady.

Gronk, Edelman, Belichick, Bob Kraft and more were all suited up and fired up for their meeting with President Obama ... a meeting they earned by winning the Super Bowl.

So why no Brady? The QB reportedly had to pass on the White House trip due to a family obligation -- though, it's unclear what that obligation is.

Dallas Cowboys' defensive end Greg Hardy just got hit with a tough penalty -- he's benched for 10 games without pay, after the NFL determined he brutalized his ex-girlfriend.

A 2-month NFL investigation determined Hardy attacked Nicole Holder 4 times. They concluded in May 2014, he:

-- used physical force that landed her in a bathtub

-- used physical force that landed her on a futon that was covered with 4 semi-automatic rifles

-- grabbed her by the neck, leaving visible marks

-- shoved her against a wall

Hardy, who was playing for the Carolina Panthers at the time, had been convicted of assault, appealed and had an automatic right to a new trial. But the second time around Holder refused to cooperate and the charges were dropped.

The Panthers deactivated Hardy in September, shortly after the Ray Rice graphic video surfaced, and Dallas picked him up last month.

Odin Lloyd's mother is moving forward with a wrongful death lawsuit against Aaron Hernandez AND the New England Patriots ... hoping to collect on the MILLIONS she claims the team was supposed to pay the former tight end.

Ursula Ward has re-filed docs in state court in Massachusetts that she originally filed back in 2013 ... claiming Hernandez should be held financially liable for the wrongful death of her son.

Of course, Hernandez was convicted of Lloyd's murder -- so, Ward has a pretty solid case against Aaron.

But in the suit, Ward also names the New England Patriots as "reach and apply defendants" -- meaning that if she wins ... she wants to be able to collect her judgment from the Pats.

Now, this is important because Ward claims that Hernandez has a right to collect $3.25 million of a signing bonus that she claims was due back in March 2014.

Odin Lloyd's mother tells TMZ Sports ... she's still deciding whether or not she will file a wrongful death lawsuit against Aaron Hernandez ... a lawsuit that could potentially be worth MILLIONS of dollars.

With Hernandez having been convicted of murdering the former semi-pro football player, the odds are extremely good that Lloyd's family would win a civil case against him.

And since Hernandez was an NFL star who made MILLIONS during his brief career ... there's real money on the line.

But when we spoke with Ursula Ward this week, she told us she had not made up her mind about whether she will go through with the lawsuit.