HEADLINES

Month: August 2015

Offseason In Review: San Diego Chargers

August 13th, 2015 at 2:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Notable signings:

Leading up to the start of free agency, it was reported that a reunion between cornerback Brandon Flowers and the Chargers was likely. About 48 hours before things got started on March 10th, an agreement was struck. The four-year deal, which pays Flowers a healthy $36.4MM with $18.1MM guaranteed, is slated to keep Flowers in San Diego through the 2018 season. In his first season with the Charger, Flowers finished as the league’s 15th-best CB among 108 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The 29-year-old, who ranked as PFR’s No. 22 free agent, started 14 games, accruing two interceptions in the process. After being released by the Chiefs last summer, Flowers signed on with San Diego on a one-year pact that netted him $3MM. He got himself a significant pay bump this time around.

The Chargers had significant problems on the offensive line in 2014 and they addressed that issue early on with the signing of Orlando Franklin. The 27-year-old Franklin has spent the first four years of his career with the Broncos, playing right tackle from 2011-13 before moving to left guard last season. Franklin excelled in his positional transition, finishing as the league’s 13th-best guard according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

While the O-Line struggled overall, King Dunlap was one of the brighter spots of that unit for San Diego. Way back in February, the Bolts signed him to a multi-year extension. Dunlap, 30, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Eagles before signing with the Chargers in 2013. He has appeared in and started 27 regular-season games for the Bolts, emerging as their most dependable offensive lineman. Dunlap’s teammates named him San Diego’s Lineman of the Year in 2014 and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated him the 23rd-best tackle in the league out of 84 qualifiers. That followed an even more impressive sixth overall ranking in 2013.

In March, Stevie Johnson narrowed down his list of suitors to two teams – the Chargers and Patriots. After taking some time to mull it over, the former Bills notable went with San Diego. Johnson, 28, spent the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Bills before being sent to San Francisco a year ago in a trade. While the Kentucky product didn’t make a real impact for the 49ers, he enjoyed some success in Buffalo, putting up three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2010 to 2012, and grabbing 23 touchdowns during that three-year stretch.

Another notable wide receiver, Jacoby Jones, will be joining the Bolts this year, after signing a two-year free agent deal. Jones, 30, returned kicks and punts for Baltimore in 2014, but his role on offense was significantly reduced — after being targeted 68 times and hauling in 37 passes in 2013, Jones received just 18 targets and caught nine passes in 2014. He also averaged 30.6 yards on 32 kickoff returns, and 9.2 yards on 30 punt returns. For what it’s worth, the Ravens say they’re confident that they can replicate Jones’ production on special teams. Jones, meanwhile, will aim to prove that he is more than just the product of a good system.

Jimmy Wilson, 28, spent the first four years of his career in Miami, appearing in 60 games as a Dolphin and intercepting four passes. He totaled just eight starts during his first three seasons before amassing a career-high 13 in 2014. Eight of those starts came at cornerback, while the other five were from the safety position. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) wasn’t impressed with Wilson’s work as a corner last year, ranking him 94th out of 108 qualifiers. However, the site rated him a far better 34th out of 87 safeties.

Notable losses:

In February, the Chargers made it known that they wanted to retain Ryan Mathews. However, in March, we didn’t hear much about a possible reunion. Early on in the free agent process, Mathews paid a visit to the Eagles and the rest, as they say, is history. Considered an injury-prone player for the first three seasons of his career, Mathews finally stayed healthy and put it all together for the Chargers in 2013, rushing for a career-high 1,255 yards. He was unable to keep that run of good health going in 2014 though, playing just eight games for San Diego due to injuries. The former 12th overall pick can be one of the league’s best backs when he’s at 100%, but we haven’t seen much of that lately.

Eddie Royal caught 62 balls for 778 receiving yards with the Chargers last season and both marks were his best since his rookie season with the Broncos in 2008. The 29-year-old put himself on the map with his tremendous rookie performance in 2008 and became a focal point of the Bolts’ offense over the last two seasons. While the stats have come and gone for Royal since 2013 (no wide receiver really sees consistent targets in Philip Rivers‘ offense), he had proven himself to be a reliable option. Royal signed on with the Bears in the spring.

Before the start of free agency, the Chargers informed Dwight Freeney that they wouldn’t be pursuing another deal with him this offseason. Freeney didn’t rack up the same gaudy sacks totals with the Chargers that he did with Indianapolis as he posted just four total sacks from 2013-14. There’s evidence that he still has plenty of football left in him despite the unimpressive sack totals, but the Chargers felt that they wanted to move in a different direction. As of this writing, Freeney remains on the open market.

Even though he saw less than 400 snaps on the Chargers’ defense last season, Andrew Gachkar drew a significant amount of interest around the league since free agency began in March. The Vikings, Panthers, and Raiders all expressed interest in 26-year-old linebacker, who had spent his entire career in San Diego. While he started only five games in 2014, Gachkar was a key contributor on special teams, where he played on 217 snaps and posted 12 tackles. Ultimately, he got a two-year deal from Dallas.

Marcus Gilchrist was drafted by San Diego in the second round of the 2011 draft, and he started all 16 games for the club in each of the past two seasons. He fared poorly according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) in 2014, ranking 72nd out of 87 eligible safeties. However, he graded out much better in 2013, finishing as the 20th-best safety out of 88. He has tallied five interceptions in his four-year career, so he has not been much of a playmaker despite his strong tackling abilities and mentally-sound play. The Chargers wanted to keep him, but they didn’t want him as bad as the Jets.

Longtime Chargers offensive lineman Jeromey Clary announced his retirement shortly after the New Year. Clary, who spent the 2014 season on the team’s reserve/PUP list after undergoing hip surgery, said that he had been planning on retirement for a long time. Although he was a sixh-round pick, Clary soon became a mainstay in San Diego’s lineup, starting 93 of the 103 games he played for the team during his career, primarily at right tackle.

Nick Hardwick, 33, served as San Diego’s starting center ever since being selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2004 draft, the same year the team added Phillip Rivers. Even though Rivers continues to be the team’s franchise QB, Hardwick decided to call it a career in February. This past season, a neck injury forced Hardwick to the injured reserve list after Week 1, wiping out a streak of 67 consecutive starts. Considering he had already mulled the possibility of retiring a year ago, and had endured a neck injury in the past, the news did not come as a huge surprise. Hardwick’s contract also expired this winter, so the Chargers aren’t carrying any cap hit on their books for him in 2015.

Chad Rinehart regressed significantly last year after a decent initial campaign in San Diego, ranking as the fifth-worst guard Pro Football Focus (subscription required) measured. In March, San Diego decided that it wouldn’t give Rinehart a third year in powder blue. San Diego saved $3.25MM in cap room but incured a dead-money penalty of $1MM by cutting him.

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2015 first-round pick (No. 15; RB Melvin Gordon) from the 49ers in exchange for a 2015 first-round pick (No. 17; DL Arik Armstead), a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 117; TE Blake Bell), and a 2016 fifth-round pick.

Extensions and restructures:

Corey Liuget, who turned 25 in March, has been a key contributor at defensive end for the Chargers since being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft. The former 18th overall pick has started 61 regular season contests for the club in his four seasons, including all 16 games in each of the last three years. In 2014, Liuget notched a career-high 57 tackles and recorded 4.5 sacks to go along with a pair of forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. In June, the Chargers made Liuget a rich man and locked him down through 2020.

Draft picks:

  • 1-15: Melvin Gordon, RB (Wisconsin): Signed
  • 2-48: Denzel Perryman, ILB (Miami): Signed
  • 3-83: Craig Mager, CB (Texas State): Signed
  • 5-153: Kyle Emanuel, OLB (North Dakota State): Signed
  • 6-192: Darius Philon, DL (Arkansas): Signed

Melvin Gordon was widely viewed as the best running back in the 2015 class and many believed that there was a significant dropoff between him and the next one down on the board. That’s why the Chargers took no chances and traded up from No. 17 to grab the Wisconsin star. Gordon gained 2,587 yards on the ground last season, the second-most in FBS history behind the 2,628 yards put up by an Oklahoma State tailback by the name of Barry Sanders.

Other:

  • Hired former Falcons DC Mike Nolan as linebackers coach.
  • Learned TE Antonio Gates would be suspended four games (performance-enhancing substances).
  • Exercised 2016 fifth-year option for LB Melvin Ingram ($7.751MM).
  • Signed nine players to reserve/futures contracts.
  • Signed 21 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

On July 2nd a rash of NFL suspensions came down and none were more surprising that the four-game suspension levied upon Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, who popped positive for PEDs. Gates, the Chargers‘ all-time leader in catches, will now cede the starting tight end job to understudy Ladarius Green, someone who many feel is a future star.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Philip Rivers, QB: $17,416,668
  2. Eric Weddle, S: $10,100,000
  3. Antonio Gates, TE: $9,762,500
  4. Corey Liuget, DT: $7,977,000
  5. Donald Butler, LB: $5,480,000
  6. Malcom Floyd, WR: $4,716,668
  7. Orlando Franklin, G: $4,400,000
  8. Mike Scifres, P: $4,347,500
  9. Brandon Flowers, CB: $4,250,000
  10. King Dunlap, LT: $4,125,000

In recent years, the Chargers have been a good but not great team that has yet to really solidify their status as championship contenders. Now, with several notable names leaving Denver this offseason and uncertainty in both Oakland and Kansas City, the Bolts could be in position to win the AFC West for the first time since 2009.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Bills, Geno

August 13th, 2015 at 1:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Richie Incognito and Percy Harvin are worth the gamble for the Bills because of their talent, but linebacker IK Enemkpali is not, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. Not only is the linebacker not on the same level talent-wise, but Buffalo does not have a clear need for him at this time. Carucci also doesn’t care about the events leading up to the punch heard ’round the world – he feels there is no justification for what Enemkpali did. Here’s more on the Bills and Jets..

  • After getting a second medical opinion, Jets quarterback Geno Smith has elected to go forth with surgery on his broken jaw, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Jets will “take a look” at their quarterback situation after returning from their Thursday night preseason game against the Lions, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Many have concluded that Rex Ryan signed Enemkpali just to take a shot at the Jets, but the Bills do think that he’s a good player, Jenny Vrentas of The MMQB writes.
  • The NFL has yet to decide on whether Enenkpali will be placed on paid leave, a league spokesman tells Mike Florio of PFT.
  • The Bills announced (on Twitter) that Enemkpali will issue a statement this afternoon. Interestingly enough, the announcement identifies the former sixth-round pick as a defensive end.
  • There was absolutely no reason to make this move, other than for Rex to feed his desire for attention, Leo Roth of the Democrat & Chronicle opines.

Steelers, Antonio Brown To Discuss Contract

August 13th, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Zachary Links

1:00pm: The Steelers are reluctant to re-work Brown’s deal any time soon as they still have him under contract for another three years, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.

10:15am: Agent Drew Rosenhaus is a busy man this week. After securing a new five-year, $65MM deal for client T.Y. Hilton, Rosenhaus is now set to meet with Steelers brass in Jacksonville to discuss reworking Antonio Brown‘s contract, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

Brown signed a six-year, $43MM deal with the Steelers prior to the 2012 season. Despite leading the NFL in receiving yards last season, the average annual value of the 27-year-old’s contract ranks 14th among wideouts, putting him behind players like Victor Cruz and Pierre Garcon. Still, Brown explained late last month that he would not hold out in order to get a better deal.

“Holdouts never go well,” said Brown. “Just look at history. It always ends badly. It wouldn’t be the best decision. I make a lot of money. I pull up to camp in Rolls-Royces.” 

Although 2014 was the first time Brown led the league in either catches or receptions, his first All-Pro season certainly didn’t come out of nowhere. In 2013, the 26-year-old racked up 110 catches and 1,499 yards, placing him second in the NFL in both categories.

Brown left Drew Rosenhaus to sign with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in May of last year but months later came back to the Miami-based power agent.

 

 

Reactions To T.Y. Hilton’s Extension

August 13th, 2015 at 11:56am CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday morning, the Colts and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton agreed to a five-year extension worth a reported $65MM with $39MM guaranteed. That deal put Hilton just yards away from the substantial five-year, $70MM deals inked by Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas just weeks ago and that kind of cash made it worthwhile for him to forfeit testing his value on the open market down the road. Here’s a look at some of the reactions to Hilton’s new pact..

  • Colts GM Ryan Grigson is moving away from Bill Polian’s philosophy of only doing new deals with players after contracts are completed and that suggests that an extension for Andrew Luck will get done in 2016, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets.
  • Jimmy Sexton, Julio Jones‘ agent, is probably happy with Hilton’s deal, Corry tweets. Sexton likely views Hilton as a tier below Jones, which would set his the Falcons receiver up for a payday that exceeds the contracts signed by Hilton, Bryant, and Thomas.
  • Now that Hilton is under contract, the Colts won’t have to tag him in 2016. That means that the franchise tag available for use on someone else, like left tackle Anthony Castonzo or tight end Coby Fleener, Mike Florio of PFT writes. The tender is much lower for tight ends than left tackles, so Florio writes that it would make sense for the Colts to sign Castonzo to a new deal and use the tag on Fleener.
  • Locking up Hilton is just the start for the Colts and their core players, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes. Wells feels that Castonzo is next on Indy’s to-do list, with tight ends Dwayne Allen and Fleener to follow. Wells seems to think that Luck staying is a foregone conclusion, writing that Colts owner Jim Irsay will make him the league’s highest paid player.
  • If Bryant and Thomas were playing under $12.823MM franchise tags, then Hilton wouldn’t have gotten this extension, Corry tweets.
  • Kevin Bowen of Colts.com looked at how the Hilton talks unfolded over the course of the offseason.
  • Hilton is getting paid but the deal is a win-win for the wide receiver and the team, Gregg Doyel of the Indy Star writes. Doyel also commends Hilton for his professionalism in the wake of the team’s selection of Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett, a player who has a very similar skill set.

Extra Points: Rivers, L.A., Enemkpali, Tabb

August 12th, 2015 at 10:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Sources continue to tell Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that they don’t expect Philip Rivers and the Chargers to agree to terms on an extension before the season, though it’s not unfathomable that the two sides will reach a compromise. According to Acee, the Chargers and Rivers both eventually want to work out an agreement that will allow the quarterback to retire with the team, but disbursement of guaranteed money in the third year of any deal is among the current sticking points in negotiations.

Eric Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears from a league source that San Diego is willing to guarantee the third year of Rivers’ new contract, which is common for franchise quarterbacks, and Acee acknowledges that such a detail is unlikely to be a long-term roadblock. But if the two sides don’t agree on the structure of the extension soon, they may wait until 2016 to get something done.

Here are a few more Wednesday night odds and ends from around the NFL:

  • During the owners’ meeting in Chicago this week to discuss possible relocation to Los Angeles, both the Carson and Inglewood groups made strong presentations, and both projects have their share of supporters, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, a large group of owners supports the Raiders and Chargers‘ joint Carson proposal, since it would solve the “California dilemma” in one fell swoop. On the other hand, a vocal contingent of owners – including Cowboys owner Jerry Jones – support Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood proposal, since they feel the Rams owner’s deep pockets would make the project work.
  • Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times also has a recap of this week’s meeting regarding L.A., and touches on several of the same points as Cole. According to Farmer, many owners believe Kroenke has the best location and stadium plan, but he’s less popular among his peers than Chargers owner Dean Spanos, and St. Louis has done more than San Diego and Oakland to keep its franchise.
  • Explaining his decision to claim IK Enemkpali off waivers today from the Jets, Bills head coach Rex Ryan told reporters that Enemkpali “was a good teammate” last year in New York, adding that there’s no guarantee the former sixth-round pick will make Buffalo’s regular season roster (Twitter links via Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News and ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak).
  • According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Ryan remains a fan of the player who Enemkpali cold-cocked — Mehta writes that, after landing the Bills‘ coaching job this winter, Ryan wondered aloud to friends if the Jets would trade Geno Smith to Buffalo.
  • Saints rookie tight end Jack Tabb underwent surgery this week to repair a torn ACL, a source tells Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Waived last Friday by the team, Tabb is currently on New Orleans’ injured reserve list and will miss the 2015 season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/15

August 12th, 2015 at 9:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves from around the league:

  • After being waived/injured by their respective teams, DB Shamiel Gary (Dolphins), QB/WR Devin Gardner (Steelers), and LB Quinton Alston (Buccaneers) have landed on those clubs’ injured reserve lists, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
  • Several days after waiving him with an injury designation, the Steelers have removed safety Isaiah Lewis from their IR with a settlement, tweets Wilson.

Earlier updates:

  • A year ago, the Patriots ignored a so-called unwritten rule when they claimed injured rookie running back Tyler Gaffney off waivers from the Panthers when Carolina was trying to sneak him through waivers and onto the injured reserve list. Today, the Patriots waived Gaffney themselves, hoping to place him on IR if he clears, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The former sixth-round pick missed the 2014 season with a knee injury, and is still looking to get fully healthy.
  • The Falcons have signed cornerback Mike Lee and waived/injured nose tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Lee, who initially signed with Atlanta as an undrafted free agent in May, was cut by the team last week.
  • When they claimed IK Enemkpali off waivers from the Jets today, the Bills needed to make a corresponding move to clear a roster spot. According to a team release, the club waived tight end Clay Burton with an injury designation to create that opening.
  • Cornerback Brandon Smith‘s pact with the Cowboys is a two-year deal, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Smith officially signed with Dallas on Tuesday.

FA Notes: Jets, Cooley, Patterson, Shembo

August 12th, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jets did their due diligence in reaching out to a number of representatives for available quarterbacks on Tuesday, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. Still, as we learned late Tuesday night, the Jets don’t have workouts scheduled with Rex Grossman, Tyler Thigpen, or any other quarterback.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Jets are poised to stick with the three quarterbacks they currently have on their roster for now. The team may decide to add a veteran later in the preseason — I expect that decision will rely in part on how the current QBs look in the preseason, and how Smith’s recovery from his jaw injury progresses.

Let’s check in on several more notes related to free agents and the open market…

  • Last we heard, tight end Chris Cooley had generated some interest from the Cardinals, but his old team in Washington hadn’t discussed signing him. While Cooley may still sign with Arizona or another team, it sounds like he really wants to return to D.C. On ESPN 980 today, Cooley said it would “literally be the greatest thing in the world” to play for Washington again, writes Peter Hailey of CSNWashington.com.
  • Former Dolphins and Jets cornerback Dimitri Patterson, who is currently without an NFL home, is facing a felony child abuse charge stemming from an August 1 incident at a South Florida shopping mall, says Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. We haven’t heard many rumblings this offseason about Patterson landing with a new team, and his legal trouble will likely further decrease the likelihood of him signing a new NFL contract.
  • Another free agent who was facing felony charges – former Falcons linebacker Prince Shembo – has had those charges dismissed, his agent tells D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Shembo, who was accused of killing his ex-girlfriend’s dog, pleaded to a misdemeanor and a $1,000 fine, per agent Adisa Bakari. “Now that this matter is settled, we are excited to see if he can resume his career in the NFL,” Bakari said of his client.
  • Despite head coach Mike Pettine‘s confirmation that the Browns have discussed Ray Rice, that doesn’t mean the team has interest in signing him, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, who outlines why the Browns aren’t seriously considering Rice, and shouldn’t.
  • After Arian Foster underwent groin surgery, the Texans auditioned several running backs and attempted to sign Pierre Thomas. However, since failing to lock Thomas, the team doesn’t appear to be in the market for a free agent back, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
  • Free agent wideout Gerrard Sheppard, who played his college ball at Towson, worked out for the Patriots today, per Wilson (via Twitter).

Steelers Sign David Nelson, Put Suisham On IR

August 12th, 2015 at 5:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers have made a handful of roster moves, replacing two injured players with two healthy bodies. According to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter), the team has placed kicker Shaun Suisham on injured reserve and waived/injured running back Cameron Stingily. With the two openings, Pittsburgh signed veteran wide receiver David Nelson and Braylon Heard.

Nelson, 28, has spent the last several seasons with the Bills and Jets, recording 138 catches and 1,530 receiving yards over the course of his five-year career. His best season came in Buffalo in 2011, when he racked up 658 yards and five touchdowns on 61 receptions. Most recently, Nelson grabbed eight balls in part-time action for the Jets last year, but was cut in October when the club acquired Percy Harvin. The Florida product also tried out for the Bengals this summer.

As for Suisham, we heard earlier this week that the Steelers kicker suffered a torn ACL and was expected to miss the 2015 season — this transaction confirms it. The club signed free agent kicker Garrett Hartley yesterday to replace Suisham for the year.

Heard, meanwhile, replaces Stingily in the Steelers’ backfield this month, but will have an uphill battle to earn a spot on the team’s regular season roster, even with Le’Veon Bell suspended for the first two games. Stingily figures to land on Pittsburgh’s IR if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

According to Kaboly, wide receiver Jarrod West also worked out for the Steelers before they decided to sign Nelson.

Latest On DeflateGate, Brady Appeal

August 12th, 2015 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The session in Judge Berman’s courtroom today in New York – which included Tom Brady, Roger Goodell, and reps from the NFL and NFLPA – has now concluded, and union executive director DeMaurice Smith didn’t have much to say as he left for the day, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

“We won’t be making a formal statement other than to say we had a productive day in court,” Smith said. “We’ll get back to work on the issue.”

Part of today’s hearing was open to the public, and NFL Media legal analyst Gabe Feldman, who was in attendance, suggests Judge Berman’s goal was to ask questions that created some fear on both sides that they could lose the case (link via NFL.com).

“I think that it was a big part of the purpose of this morning was for the judge to poke holes in both sides,” Feldman said. “To say, I have some serious questions about both of your cases and I could rule against each of you based on the questions I have. So rather than risk losing it all, rather than risk a worst-case scenario, why not move a little bit in toward something of a settlement rather than face my decision.”

Here’s more on the hearing:

  • Judge Berman grilled the NFL extensively about its reliance on Ted Wells’ report and the lack of a “smoking gun” implicating Brady in any football deflation, writes Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today. While Berman’s line of questioning to the league may have been more aggressive and pointed than his questions to the NFLPA, he made it clear that he had yet to determine which side would prevail in litigation.
  • It may time for Brady to consider making a deal that would reduce – but not eliminate – his suspension, suggests Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com, observing that “Judge Berman wants a settlement and he’s going to smash these sides together to make one.”
  • A settlement still seems unlikely, says ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss in his recap of the public portion of today’s meeting. Meanwhile, UNH law professor Michael McCann believes that the NFL has to be concerned about setting a troublesome precedent if it reaches a settlement with Brady and concedes too much (link via CSNNE.com).
  • In the opinion of WEEI’s Mike Petraglia, Wells’ report – and the NFL’s reliance on it – will be the undoing of the league’s case against Brady.

Bills Claim IK Enemkpali Off Waivers

August 12th, 2015 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after he was cut by the Jets following his altercation with quarterback Geno Smith, IK Enemkpali has a new NFL home. In a surprising twist, Enemkpali was claimed off waivers today by the team led by his old head coach — according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Bills have claimed the former Jets defensive end.

Rex Ryan, heading into his first season as the head coach in Buffalo, held the same position in New York a year ago when the Jets used a sixth-round pick to draft Enemkpali out of Louisiana Tech. It makes sense that Ryan would recognize the 24-year-old’s value on the field, having seen him first-hand in 2014 — Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweeted today that people around the NFL thought Enemkpali would play again in the league, since he has some talent.

Still, after Enemkpali punched his quarterback in the locker room, it appeared unlikely that another team would take a flier on him right away. Albert Breer of the NFL Network noted today (via Twitter) that more than one team left Enemkpali off its draft board in 2014 due to concerns about his anger issues.

Enemkpali only saw the field sparingly in his rookie season, playing 40 defensive snaps and contributing a little on special teams as well. The young pass rusher could face NFL discipline and even criminal charges for punching Smith, according to an ESPN.com report, as the league confirmed it’s reviewing the Tuesday skirmish that left the quarterback with a broken jaw.

The addition of Enemkpali is the latest in a string of eyebrow-raising acquisitions for Buffalo, whose locker room will also feature Richie Incognito and Percy Harvin. Of course, Ryan said earlier this year, after being hired by the Bills, that he wanted to “build a bully” in Buffalo.

Load More Posts