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Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata is no longer an intriguing international prospect with unknown potential.

The native Nigerian http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kerryon-johnson-jersey , who learned American-style football as a college student in Canada, is entering his third NFL season as an established starter upon whom the Saints are increasingly comfortable relying to plug up rushing lanes or make quarterbacks uncomfortable when they drop back to pass.

"We certainly look at him that way," Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said after practice on Monday evening. "He's established himself as a starting caliber defensive lineman in our league and he's certainly going to be a big part of what we're trying to get accomplished this year."

Onyemata, 25, always looked the part at 6-foot-4, 325 pounds. That's a big reason the Saints decided it would be worthwhile to use a fourth-round draft choice on him in 2016.

But Onyemata never envisioned an NFL playing career when he went to college in western Canada. He was there to study, and took up football because he was looking for an interesting way to diversify his college experience outside the classroom. He'd played soccer growing up, and was ready to try something new that perhaps suited his body type.

Ultimately, his academics-first approach to college 鈥?he earned a bachelor's degree in environmental science 鈥?might have aided his adjustment to the NFL.

"For a guy that had played as little football as he had, there was some terminology things that he had to learn ... but I wouldn't say that was any slower than it was for maybe any other rookie that we've had," Allen recalled. "So I think that's one of the things that's allowed him to be maybe as productive for us as he has, is that he is smart and learns really well. He's not a repeat-mistake offender."

Onyemata played in all 16 regular season games in 2017 Josh Allen Bills Jersey , starting the last six. He had 40 tackles, two sacks and one batted pass.

This past offseason, Onyemata took some time to return home in March to see family and friends in Africa, but also spent a lot of time in Baton Rouge, working with long-time defensive line coach Pete Jenkins on more nuanced aspect of his position, such as his initial movements at the snap and how to use his hands to improve leverage.

"Just having the mindset to get better and work on things you're not good at 鈥?that has been the goal," Onyemata said, adding that he now has a strong command of New Orleans' defensive scheme and the terminology used to call it. "You know what they're asking you to do and you know what they're expecting you to do, so you just go out there and do your job."

Saints center Max Unger was in his second season in New Orleans in 2016 and has witnessed Onyemata's evolution as a football player up close.

"The accent's still there," Unger said, but quickly added, "He's becoming Jeremy Kerley Color Rush Jersey , I think, the player that a lot of people thought that he was going to be and it's impressive to see his development, especially coming down from Canada and not having a lot of football under his belt.

"It's tough to go against, honestly," Unger continued. "I mean, look at him. He's a big, fast, physical guy that just needs to play as much football as he can. Again, it's a big jump to come into this league and I think that he has progressed pretty rapidly."

Unger said Onyemata's growth is evident in his awareness of what offenses are trying to do and how to defend it.

"You can be fast, you can be physical, but not knowing where the ball is, as a D-lineman Phillip Gaines Jersey Bills , I guess is half the battle," Unger said, adding the Onyemata is also better at disguising his own intentions before the snap. "All of those things, he's showing pretty rapid improvement in."

Marco Gonzales was looking for some retribution against the Kansas City Royals.

Gonzales (8-5) pitched a six-hitter for his first career complete game in the Seattle Mariners‘ 4-1 victory on Friday. The left-hander struck out seven and didn’t issue a walk while throwing just 96 pitches.

”My last outing against these guys didn’t go great – my second start of the year, I think – so I was looking for some payback, too. So I was a little more amped than usual,” Gonzales said.

Mitch Haniger and Mike Zunino homered for Seattle.

Gonzales had been chased after just 2 1/3 innings of what became a 10-0 loss on April 9, but Friday’s start was much different. Gonzalez, who’d never taken a game into the eighth inning until going 7 1/3 innings against Tampa Bay earlier this month, didn’t need more than 13 pitches to finish any inning against the Royals.

”He has a lot of confidence right now because everything that’s happened to him this year, he’s earned,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said.

Whit Merrifield singled to lead off the game and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rosell Herrera. Gonzales picked Merrifield off second base to erase the baserunner and would retire nine straight batters before running into a spot of trouble in the fourth.

Herrera doubled off the glove of left fielder Denard Span with one out. An infield single from Mike Moustakas put runners on the corners http://www.dolphinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jerome-baker-jersey , but Gonzales induced an inning-ending double play from Salvador Perez to keep the Royals off the board.

”The way that we’ve been playing and the fun that we’ve been having, I can’t wait for my fifth day to come,” Gonzales said. ”To be able to go out there and contribute in a positive way and have these guys rally behind you is pretty incredible.”

Royals starter Ian Kennedy (1-8) retired the first 10 batters he faced before running into trouble in the fourth. Jean Segura reached on an infield single to give Seattle its first baserunner of the game. Haniger followed with a two-run blast over the center-field wall to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead.

After fouling off three straight pitches with a 2-2 count, Zunino blasted a solo home run two rows from the top of the upper deck in left field to extend the Mariners’ lead to 3-0 in the fifth.

Kennedy left after five innings due to tightness in his left side that surfaced on the last pitch to Zunino.

”I felt it grab,” Kennedy said. ”And then the rest of the inning it stayed tight. The last couple pitches I was compensating for it, so I knew … the right thing to do is to say something.”

Segura added a two-out RBI single in the seventh inning off Brandon Maurer to give Seattle a 4-0 advantage.

Adalberto Mondesi doubled to open the ninth and Moustakas delivered a two-out single to center field to drive home the only run of the game for the Royals.

BONIFACIO RETURNS

Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio was recalled and back in the lineup for the Royals on Friday after completing an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Bonifacio was suspended in March after testing positive for Boldenone, which is an anabolic androgenic steroid. Bonifacio started the game in left field and went 0 for 3 with a strikeout. He hit .255 with 17 home runs and 40 RBIs in 113 games as a rookie in 2017. OF Ryan Goins was designated for assignment on Thursday to clear a roster spot. ”It was a tough time down there in Arizona. But I learned from it. It’s never going to happen again,” Bonifacio said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Perez was back in the lineup after exiting Wednesday’s game in Milwaukee in the ninth inning after taking a foul ball off his right leg.

Mariners: 3B Kyle Seager was back in the lineup after making only a pinch-hit appearance in Baltimore on Sunday. Seager has an ”avulsion fracture” in his big toe and was given the day off in the field to rest. It’s not expected to require a disabled list stint and Seager is planning to play through the injury.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel (2-9) will make his 17th start of the season on Saturday. Hammel has lost four straight starts and has allowed at least three earned runs in three of the four outings.

Mariners: RHP Felix Hernandez (7-6) will take the hill for the 18th time this season as he looks to continue a run of strong starts. After a rough first two months of the season, Hernandez has allowed just one earned run in three of his five starts in June.

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