Latest On Tom Brady’s Appeal, DeflateGate
The NFL Players Association has officially published the appeal letter it sent to the NFL on behalf of Tom Brady, making it available through the union’s website. Within the letter, the NFLPA argues that the league violated the CBA by allowing league executive Troy Vincent to hand a four-game suspension to Brady, since he is not authorized to impose discipline. The union added that it plans to call Vincent and commissioner Roger Goodell as witnesses for its appeal, which means – according to the NFLPA – the case should be arbitrated by someone without close ties to the NFL.
As we prepare for the next stage of this contentious process, let’s round up the latest items on DeflateGate and Brady’s appeal….
- Goodell will likely interview suspended Patriots employees John Jastremski and Jim McNally as witnesses for Brady’s appeal, per Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- After Ted Wells was given a blank check and no deadline for his DeflateGate report by Goodell and the league, it will be difficult for the commissioner to disregard that report and conclude that its conclusions are inaccurate, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio points out that Goodell may have appointed himself as the arbitrator in this case because it avoids putting the league in a position where another arbitrator “overturns or undermines” the Wells report, embarrassing the NFL.
- Speaking of Wells, his statements to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (Twitter links) about the timeline of his investigation contradict information in the report itself, as Florio explains in a separate PFT piece.
- Goodell’s decision to hear Brady’s appeal himself “virtually assures” that it will wind up as a court case, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Florio tweets that a lawsuit will likely be filed soon in an effort to get Goodell to step aside as arbitrator.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe breaks down the Patriots’ rebuttal to the Wells report, writing that it makes some good points but falls short in answering a few crucial questions.
NFC Notes: Collins, J. Smith, Giants, Davis
In a piece for TheMMQB.com, Robert Klemko details La’el Collins‘ unusual draft journey, from the death of his former romantic partner Brittany Mills to his decision to sign with the Cowboys. Klemko’s story is full of interesting details, including a reveal that, despite telling teams their client would refuse to sign and would re-enter the 2016 draft if he was selected on Day 3, Collins’ agents were probably bluffing.
“We can put it on the record now: We were never going back in the draft,” Rick Smith of Priority Sports said of waiting for the 2016 draft. “If someone had drafted him, we would’ve had a long, long discussion about it, but at the end of the day you can’t go back in the draft. He could get injured, gain weight, or 10 great tackles could come out. Too many risks.”
Smith also revealed that a team – one that had already drafted four offensive lineman – told Collins’ camp it planned to select him in the seventh round, but ultimately decided against it after being informed again by Smith that it would be a waste of a pick. As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk notes, the only team that drafted four offensive linemen was the Rams.
Here’s more on Collins, along with a few more items from around the NFC:
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) has the specific details on Collins’ three-year, $1.599MM contract with the Cowboys, which includes a $21K signing bonus.
- Speaking on Thursday to Pro Football Talk, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said he should have “more of a feel” for defensive end Justin Smith‘s future today, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Smith has been mulling either returning for another season or retiring, and is expected to make his decision soon.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com passes along signing bonus and salary info for the Giants‘ undrafted free agent class. The team’s biggest UDFA investment was Tulane offensive lineman Sean Donnelly, who received $15K in guaranteed salary, along with a $15K signing bonus.
- Asked again about his contract negotiations with the Panthers, linebacker Thomas Davis referred to those talks as “a work in progress,” though he expressed optimism that “it’ll eventually get done.” Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer has the full quotes and details.
- Defensive tackle Josh Brent has decided to end his playing career, but that doesn’t mean his ties to the Cowboys will be severed, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, who writes that owner Jerry Jones plans to continue to support Brent in different ways.
Extra Points: Cowboys, Robison, Lions
Ryan Williams had chances last season to join another team’s 53-player roster, but he chose to stay on the Cowboys‘ taxi squad instead, Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram writes. Williams wanted to stay in Dallas so that he could get a shot to run behind the league’s best offensive line. This year, he’ll be competing with three other veteran tailbacks for roster spots, playing time, and carries. Williams has only 58 carries for 164 yards and no touchdowns over the course of his career, playing only five games since the Cardinals made him a second-round pick in 2011. Williams has a serious injury history, but he claims that he’s been healthy for the last three years.
- Vikings defensive end Brian Robison suffered a pectoral injury while working out on Thursday, according to Peter Schrager and Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The extent of the injury is not yet known, but the 32-year-old believes that he’ll be OK. The extent of the injury will not be known until medical tests are completed, but the injury is not believed to be serious, sources tell Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. Robison started every game in 2014, but he had just 4.5 sacks and 24 tackles, his lowest totals since becoming a starter in 2011.
- The Lions announced promotions for execs Scott McEwen, Lance Newmark, and Cedric Saunders, as Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes. The three men have a combined 55 years of experience with the team.
- After losing two straight years of football due to injury, Vick Ballard is worried that people have forgotten about him. Now, he’s preparing for Colts training camp, which could be his last shot in the NFL, Zak Keefer of the Indy Star writes. The Colts signed Frank Gore in March, used a sixth-round pick on a running back earlier this month, and signed two more tailbacks, so there’s lots of competition for the veteran this summer.
Chargers Sign Melvin Gordon
The Chargers have signed first-round pick Melvin Gordon, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Bolts selected Gordon with the No. 15 overall pick after moving up two spots to land him.
San Diego sent a 2015 fourth-round pick and a 2016 fifth-round pick to the 49ers to ensure that they would snare Gordon. Some wondered if that was a necessary move, but GM Tom Telesco later explained that he was fearful another team would trade up for Gordon since Todd Gurley came off the board so early. Telesco never expected Gurley to last until his pick at No. 17, but Gordon was the clear cut No. 2 tailback in the draft after the Georgia star.
Gordon, a Wisconsin product, posted the second-most single-season rushing yards in FBS History with 2,587, putting him less than 50 yards shy of the watermark set by Barry Sanders. Interestingly, Gordon and fellow first round pick Trae Waynes were good friends growing up.
Roger Goodell To Hear Tom Brady’s Appeal
9:32pm: The NFL has released a statement confirming that Goodell will hear the appeal, as Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. The statement indicates that NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent was the one who determined the punishment with Goodell being the one to “authorize” it.
9:15pm: Commissioner Roger Goodell will hear Tom Brady‘s appeal, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). Earlier today, the NFLPA formally filed its appeal on behalf of Brady and asked for a neutral arbitrator to preside over the case. Needless to say, this isn’t exactly what they had in mind.
The collective bargaining agreement, signed in 2011, allows the league’s commissioner to oversee appeals. Goodell could have vacated that position, but he will invoke his right to rule on the appeal.
Brady has armed himself with a top notch legal team that includes labor attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who recently represented Adrian Peterson in his suspension appeal. The Patriots, meanwhile, also seem ready to go to war with the league office. The franchise’s legal counsel published a rebuttal to the Wells report earlier today that is nearly 20,000 words long.
Minor Moves: Thursday
Today’s minor moves..
- To make room for Kyle Arrington on the 90-man roster, the Ravens released undrafted rookie linebacker Andrew Bose, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bose’s stay in Baltimore wasn’t long as he was just signed on Monday.
- Seahawks have waived defensive tackle Tory Slater with the injured designation, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Seattle signed the West Georgia product as one of their twelve UDFAs earlier this month.
Draft Signings: Browns, Bills, Titans
Here at PFR, we’re dedicating full posts to each player from rounds 1 and 2 that signs on with their respective teams. All of the other players, from rounds 3-7, are rounded up into posts such as these. The latest signings from rounds 1 and 2..
- The Browns announced that they have signed defensive back Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, a seventh round choice. The Browns have now agreed to deals with over half of their class, with seven of 12 players in the fold. That group includes second-round linebacker Nate Orchard and first-round defensive tackle Danny Shelton, but does not yet include the club’s other first-rounder, Cameron Erving.
- The Bills signed third-round guard John Miller and fifth-round running back Karlos Williams, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo news tweets. The Bills now have four draft picks signed and two to go.
- The Titans (on Twitter) announced that they have agreed to terms on deals with fourth-round fullback Jalston Fowler and fifth-round running back David Cobb. Fowler, an Alabama product, played in 53 games during his collegiate career. He recorded 113 carries for 738 yards and five touchdowns.
- The Broncos announced (on Twitter) that they have signed fifth-round pick Lorenzo Doss. The cornerback had three interceptions for Tulane in 2014. If both players make the roster, Doss will join former Tulane teammate Taurean Doss in the secondary. Denver tapped Nixon in the seventh round.
Patriots Notes: DeflateGate, Goodell, Kraft
Two NFL owners tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that they strongly support the punishments handed down by Roger Goodell to the Patriots, stating that he acted to uphold the integrity of the game. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has also come out in support of Goodell. All in all, Cole estimates that Goodell’s support has increased in the aftermath of DeflateGate, not down as many predicted. More on the Patriots..
- As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com talks with more people in the game about how much a mildly deflated football really matters, he’s getting the sense that DeflateGate will go down as one of the more overblown scandals in NFL history. The lengths that the investigation has gone to, in terms of time, money, and resources, are staggering to many. People are also questioning the level of scientific proof presented in the report.
- Patriots owner Robert Kraft is taking his DeflateGate battle against the NFL to absurd new levels, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News opines. Kraft is loudly defiant that his organization isn’t guilty of what they’re accused of, but the Pats have already admitted to cheating once before. Vacchiano also pokes fun at the notion that Jim McNally, the Pats employee that supposedly deflated footballs for Tom Brady, called himself “The Deflator” because he was trying to lose weight.
- The few passages of believability were overshadowed by mountains of nonsense, including the McNally excuse, Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. Mehta also found it strange that the Pats went to great lengths to defend John Jastremski and McNally one week after indefinitely suspending them.
Kevin Williams Pushing For Seahawks Return
Free agent defensive tackle Kevin Williams visited the Saints, but his preference remains returning to the Seahawks, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Williams, 34, says he wants to play at least one more NFL season.
“I want to go back to Seattle, but this is a business,’’ Williams said. “They’re still evaluating their roster. I guess there’s not that many 12-year veterans that everyone wants. Everyone wants to go younger.”
Williams went on to say that he had a good visit with the Saints but nothing is close yet with New Orleans. The veteran is no stranger to signing late in free agency – last season he signed with the Seahawks on June 12th. The six-time Pro Bowler had a solid season for Seattle in 2014 and became the starting nose tackle after Brandon Mebane was knocked out for the season with a hamstring injury in the ninth game.
Williams graded out as being very slightly below average in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He earned a -0.3 overall grade, a slight drop from 2013’s 0.9 mark. In 16 games last season, Williams recorded 38 total tackles with three sacks.
Steelers Sign Bud Dupree
The Steelers have signed first-round pick Bud Dupree, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). Dupree’s four-year deal will pay him $9.2MM with a $5MM signing bonus and a fifth option year.
Dupree had interest from several teams picking high in the draft including the Cardinals who tried to move up ahead of the Steelers. Of course, they were unsuccessful in their bid to land the Kentucky pass rusher after Pittsburgh plucked him at No. 22.
Dupree has been widely praised for his strength and athleticism. The former team captain recorded 7.5 sacks in his senior year, giving him 23.5 for his entire career at UK. Dupree impressed many scouts at the combine when he posted a 42-inch vertical leap and a 4.56 second 40-yard dash.