Latest On Browns WR Josh Gordon
Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon will be out of rehab on September 21, former Olympic sprinter Tim Montgomery tells Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Montgomery, who has been working with Gordon for the last six months, says that Gordon is hoping to have the indefinite suspension lifted soon after he is released. 
Gordon has had multiple problems with the league office, so it’s not clear if commissioner Roger Goodell would allow him to return to football right away. At minimum, one has to imagine that the NFL will want to see if Gordon can stay on the straight and narrow for a period of time before giving him the green light. If that’s the case, we might not see Gordon suit up in 2017.
If Gordon is allowed back in football, the Browns will have a tough decision to make. While Gordon is one of the league’s most talented receivers, he may not be a fit for Hue Jackson‘s locker room. Jackson said last year he was ready to move on from the 26-year-old, but he seemed at least open to his return when asked about him in May.
“He’s not back, so I don’t even want to really get into that right now,” Jackson said. “I wish Josh well, and we’ll cross all those bridges when we get there.”
When asked about Gordon’s status, a league spokesman told PFT that there is “no update” at this time. That means that Gordon has yet to file for reinstatement, which makes sense considering that he is still in rehab. When Gordon was denied reinstatement this offseason, the league informed him that he could reapply in the fall, so he could get the ball rolling soon.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick has been criticized by some for not publicly stating his desire to play in the NFL. On Sunday, Kaepernick broke his silence and made his intentions clear. 
“Yes,” Kaepernick said when asked by Shaun King of the Daily News (Twitter link) if he wants to play . “I’ve never stopped. I’m ready right now. Working out daily.”
Kaepernick is reportedly working out five days a week and is back to his 2013 weight of 230 pounds. This offseason, the 29-year-old was knocked for his slender frame and for not announcing that he wants to get back into football. He has now checked those boxes, but it’s not clear if or when he will get an opportunity to play. It’s possible that Kaepernick could get a call from a contending club in the event of an injury, but that would require him to learn someone’s playbook on the fly.
For now, it sounds like it’s NFL-or-bust for Kaepernick. But, if the NFL doesn’t come calling and he has a change of heart, he could have a place on the Montreal Alouettes.
Jerry Jones Blocking Roger Goodell Extension?
Commissioner Roger Goodell‘s current contract expires in 2019, though an extension was expected to be reached prior to the regular season getting underway. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen, the six-man compensation committee is expected to have a conference call on Wednesday to produce a specific term proposal for Goodell.
Also included on the call will be Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has made himself the unofficial seventh member of the compensation committee, which also includes fellow owners Arthur Blank (Falcons), Clark Hunt (Chiefs), Robert Kraft (Patriots), John Mara (Giants), Bob McNair (Texans) and Art Rooney II (Steelers). And, according to ESPN’s sources, Jones considers himself a representative of the remaining 26 owners who are not on the compensation committee, and he is impeding a new deal for Goodell. One person familiar with the contract negotiations said, “If not for Jerry, this deal would be done.”
Interestingly, but perhaps not coincidentally, Goodell was informed that Jones would take part in the process within the same time frame as the commissioner was deciding the eventual six-game suspension of Cowboys’ star running back Ezekiel Elliott for violation of the league’s domestic violence policy.
Jones has told the compensation committee that the other 26 owners believe Goodell is significant;y overpaid. As Schefter and Mortensen write, “Goodell’s earnings of more than $200 million since he was elected commissioner in 2006 — including a $44 million salary in 2015 — is at the core of Jones’ aggressive strategy in communicating with fellow owners.”
Some owners believe an extension is imminent all the same, while others believe there is no way a new deal gets reached anytime soon. Even if an extension is offered, it is unclear whether Goodell would be happy with it, as he would have to meet certain incentives to realize the same salary he has enjoyed in the past.
Jones was unavailable for comment and the league declined comment.
Lawrence Timmons Leaves Dolphins
Dolphins linebacker Lawrence Timmons left the team for unknown reasons and is not expected to play today, as Barry Jackson and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald report.
According to the Herald’s source, something “angered” Timmons and compelled him to leave the team, though the Dolphins do know where he is (Salgeuro tweets that a personal matter is likely at the source of Timmons’ frustration, and not something team-related). The team has declined to comment on the matter for the time being, and Timmons’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said he had no information to provide.
Miami signed Timmons to a two-year, $12MM deal this offseason. Timmons had been with the Steelers since being selected by Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2007 draft, and he earned a Pro Bowl bid in 2014. He turned in another solid season in 2016, compiling 114 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions. The veteran had started every regular season game for the Steelers since 2011, and he hasn’t missed a game since 2009, but that streak will come to an end today.
Timmons’ absence will further deplete a linebacker corps that has already lost Koa Misi and Raekwon McMillan for the season, and, to make matters worse, Rey Maualuga will miss today’s game with a hamstring injury. Justin March-Lillard, who was claimed off waivers on Sept. 3, could get the start in Timmons’ place alongside Kiko Alonso and Mike Hull (who will make just his second career start).
We will provide more details as they become available.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports was the first to report that Timmons was not at the team hotel in California
Sam Bradford Inactive For Week 2; Teddy Bridgewater Could Return Midseason
Vikings QB Sam Bradford is officially inactive for today’s game against the Steelers, which means that backup Case Keenum will get the start in his stead. Kyle Sloter, who was promoted from Minnesota’s practice squad earlier this week, will serve as Keenum’s backup.
This is tough news for the Vikings, as Bradford was terrific in the team’s Week 1 victory over New Orleans and had seemingly established a strong rapport with top wideouts Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Bradford is dealing with swelling, pain, and discomfort in the same left knee that had been repaired for torn ACLs in 2013 and 2014, and while he was briefly on the field for warmups today, he did not stay for long and did not test his knee much, if at all (as Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network tweets). Although Keenum has a 9-7 record as a starter over the past three seasons, Minnesota needs Bradford if it wants to make a playoff push. Kinkhabwala does report (via Twitter) that the Vikings are hopeful that Bradford will return next week.
In some good news for the Vikings, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link) reports that Teddy Bridgewater will be ready to play by midseason. Bridgewater suffered a devastating knee injury last year and is currently on the PUP list, but his return could be a boon for Minnesota, particularly if Bradford struggles with his health.
It was not too long ago that Bridgewater was considered the quarterback of the future in Minnesota, but his knee injury precipitated the team’s trade for Bradford and led to questions about whether Bridgewater would even be able to continue his career. While it is impossible to predict if he will xhibit the same level of ability he did prior to the injury, at least he appears to be on the right track at the moment.
East Rumors: Redskins, Elliott, Cutler
Redskins safety Su’a Cravens is expected to report to the team Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Cravens, of course, informed the club several weeks ago that he intended to retire only to reverse his decision almost immediately. Cravens has been in contact with head coach Jay Gruden, and the two have discussed football and life issues. As Rapoport suggests, the fact that Cravens is reporting does not necessarily mean that he will suit up right away, given that he is battling an injury and, as his recent history suggests, may be at a crossroads in his young life. Nonetheless, it is a positive step for one of the more promising defensive talents in the league.
Now for more from the league’s east divisions:
- The Redskins reshuffled their front office in June, but per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the team considered adding another executive during training camp. Washington reportedly brought in James “Shack” Harris, Charles Bailey, Bill Kuharich, and Ron Hill to watch practice and meet with other staffers, but the team ultimately decided to stand pat and does not plan to make any other additions at this time.
- Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has never been arrested or charged with a crime, but since June 2014, Elliott’s name has appeared in at least four investigations concerning assault, battery, domestic violence, and disorderly conduct, as Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes. The entire piece is well worth a read, and it suggests a troubling pattern of behavior that Elliott will need to correct in order to live up to his sky-high potential.
- Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler has impressed the team with his demeanor and work ethic, and if he plays well this season, Salguero writes that Miami would consider re-signing him and trading Ryan Tannehill, thereby creating a great deal of cap room and netting an early draft choice in the process. We are a long way from that happening, of course, but if Cutler somehow becomes a modern-day Jim Plunkett, Tannehill could be on a different sideline in 2018.
- We recently learned that the Dolphins were interested in trading for Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Miami went hard after the star DB, making attempts to land him both back early in the free-agency signing period and as recently as last month.
- Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower was riding a stationary bike after he left the team’s Week 1 contest with a right knee injury, leading to optimism that he might be ready for Week 2. However, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that Hightower sought a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews last week, which Hightower did not deny. Problems with his right knee forced Hightower to begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list, and given that New England’s defense clearly needs him, this is a situation worth monitoring.
Latest On Duane Brown, Tom Savage
Texans left tackle Duane Brown said he will not report to the team until after its Week 7 bye at the earliest, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. There is some significance to that date, as Brown could skip eight weeks before returning and still receive credit for an accrued season toward free agency, and La Canfora suggests that Brown will report in enough time to earn that credit.
However, Houston needs him back much sooner than that. The Texans’ offense has been anemic through their first two games of the season, and that is thanks in large part to their poor pass protection. Brown’s return would provide a much-needed boost to the team’s O-line, but La Canfora says there has been very little progress towards a new deal. The Texans have been unwilling to negotiate to this point, and that may not change given that the relationship between the two sides has become quite strained. However, Houston has also been unwilling to discuss trading Brown, even though there may be a number of potential trade partners given Brown’s talent and reasonable salaries in 2017 and 2018 (of course, those reasonable salaries are the cause of Brown’s discontent, so any acquiring team would need to satisfy at least some of his contract demands).
Houston quarterback Tom Savage may have been hurt the most by Brown’s absence during the team’s Week 1 loss to Jacksonville. Savage’s play was certainly sub-par, but he was under duress virtually the entire time he was in the game. Nonetheless, head coach Bill O’Brien felt compelled to make an in-game switch to Deshaun Watson, which almost certainly ended the short-lived Savage era in Houston.
That has fueled speculation that Savage could be traded, but La Canfora reports in a separate piece that Savage is not requesting a trade. His agent, Neil Schwartz, who went public with his displeasure over Savage’s benching earlier this week, said, “I’m not happy and Tom is not happy about this, but we’re not asking for a trade.”
Per La Canfora, at least four teams have expressed some level of interest in Savage over the course of the last year or so, but all were convinced that Houston was very high on the former fourth-round pick and that it would take a lot to pry him away from the Texans. That, combined with the support of veteran teammates that Savage enjoyed, made O’Brien’s quick hook somewhat puzzling, but given that Savage will be a free agent at the end of the year, it is perhaps not surprising that he is content to wait to see what the open market has in store for him rather than push for a trade now.
Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. Open To In-Season Extension
All offseason, we have heard that the Giants are not prioritizing a new contract for star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. In fact, the most recent report about the matter indicated that Big Blue had not so much as discussed an extension for OBJ, which makes sense given that he is under contract through 2018 at a very reasonable rate ($1.8MM this season, $8.5MM in 2018). Plus, the team could keep Beckham under club control for at least one more season after that through the franchise tag, and assuming Beckham continues to perform at the level he has established for himself, even the franchise tag salary might look like a bargain.
Nonetheless, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that both parties are open to working out an in-season extension. The Giants do not have a policy against in-season deals, and Beckham’s absence in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Cowboys only served to underscore his value. Beckham, of course, would love to get something done soon, as a new contract for him would represent a massive raise and could have a total value approaching $100MM.
The Giants have to be a little careful, because they do not want to set a precedent of handing out extensions to a player that has two years left on his deal. But Beckham is a generational talent, and New York brass has expressly stated that it wants OBJ to be a Giant for the rest of his career. If that’s the case, the Giants might have to do what they can to keep him happy, including making an exception to the two-year rule.
If anyone deserves such an exception, it’s Beckham. Through his first three seasons in the league, the 24-year-old has averaged nearly 100 catches per year for nearly 1,400 yards and 12 TDs. That puts him into rarefied air, and while La Canfora reports that negotiating a new deal will take work, it is hardly impossible.
Beckham has been battling an ankle injury that caused him to miss last week’s season opener, and he is questionable to make his 2017 debut against the Lions tomorrow night.
Extra Points: Derwin James, NFLPA, Peterson
Lawyer Cyrus Mehri wants to dethrone DeMaurice Smith as the head of the NFL Players’ Association. If elected, he says revamping the league’s discipline policy will be one of the first items on his agenda to be tackled.
“If I’m elected, in the first hundred days, I’m going to sit down with the commissioner and top brass and reform this discipline system, so we’ll have checks and balances for when the 2018 season starts up,” Mehri said at a town hall style meeting this week (via Charean Williams of PFT). “My guiding light is this: What’s best for the game? . . . I’ve taken the word ‘concessions’ out of the dialogue, and all we’re going to be talking about is what’s best for the game. What’s best for the game is to reform that system. What’s also best for the game is to dramatically improve the resources particularly at the club level to deal with and minimize and prevent from happening some of these off-the-field issues. Issues of DUIs. Issues of drug abuse. Issues of domestic violence that have kept players from playing, and they’re also human tragedies. So if we really redouble or triple the effort on that, to me, that’s something labor and management should be on the same page on, which is prevention of problems. That’s the difference between me and the incumbent, because the incumbent’s relationship is so poisonous and so contentious [with the NFL] that they can’t be problem-solving, but problem-solving is focusing on prevention of these issues.”
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Scouts see a future NFL superstar in Florida State safety Derwin James, NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread writes. James is only a sophomore, but talent evaluators are drooling over his freakish athleticism. One scout told Goodbread that James has the body type to play “about seven positions.” “I think if you take all the attributes of all the best ones, combine it into one, you’re getting close to Derwin,” FSU strength and conditioning coach Vic Viloria said. “He’s got strength like [Nigel] Bradham. He’s got the desire to chase the deep ball like [Lamarcus] Joyner, competitiveness like Jameis [Winston]. His ability to hit and be strong for a skill player is like Jalen [Ramsey]. … His acceleration is freakish; it’s that of a Devonta Freeman. … You can keep going down the list.”
- NFL players are anxious for the day that their contracts will be fully guaranteed, as Dave Campbell of The Associated Press writes. “When you think about what we do for our organizations, the injuries and the pounding that we take, you would think that there would be more appreciation for your players,” Saints running back Adrian Peterson said. “It’s just so unfortunate when you think about the physicality and the toll that football takes on your body.” Naturally, this will be another major focal point for the NFLPA in its next round of CBA talks with the league. It’s hard to imagine players getting fully guaranteed deals, but it’s possible that they could have some improved injury protection.
NFC North Notes: Vikings, Long, Bears
The Vikings outbid multiple suitors to sign Kyle Sloter to their practice squad, and the move ended up seeing the former college wide receiver promoted to the active roster in advance of Week 2. In addition to the Broncos, the Vikings presented a better offer than the Redskins or Bills in order to land Sloter, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports. A wide receiver at Southern Miss before a transfer to Division I-FCS Northern Colorado put him loosely on the quarterback radar come UDFA signing time, Sloter played extensively for the Broncos during the preseason. John Elway hoped the Broncos could pass him through waivers to Denver’s practice squad, but the GM preferred more experience to start the season. This led to the Broncos’ decision to reunite with Brock Osweiler for the time being.
Sloter’s active-roster contract won’t pay him much more than his practice squad agreement, since the latter deal is on the higher end of such accords, and the pact is nonguaranteed, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. He did not receive a signing bonus.
Despite the insurance addition, Sam Bradford is still expected to start against the Steelers. Case Keenum resides as his backup. Here’s more from the NFC North.
- The Bears will be without Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long for a second straight game to start the season. The team announced Long did not travel to Tampa Bay for the Bears’ Week 2 game. Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune notes (on Twitter) the Bears are hoping Long returns in Week 3. Long has not played since November of last season. A right ankle injury ended Long’s season, and the subsequent recovery process has now reached the 10-month mark. Prior to Long’s ankle injury, he’d missed one game out of a possible 56. Tom Compton started at left guard last week against the Falcons.
- Michael Floyd‘s activation after a four-game suspension could make for an interesting roster decision, with Tomasson noting (Twitter link) the Vikings would prefer to keep wideout Rodney Adams on the roster. A rookie fifth-round pick out of South Florida would seemingly be vying with a player of a similar profile to stay on the roster after Floyd returns. Seventh-round rookie Stacy Coley, out of Miami, serves as Minnesota’s other other newcomer wideout. Coley, though, played in Minnesota’s Week 1 game while Adams was a healthy scratch. Jarius Wright and 2016 first-rounder Laquon Treadwell are the second-stringers.
- The Vikings’ preference for Jayron Kearse and Anthony Harris led to Antone Exum being the odd man out when it came time to clear a spot for Sloter, Tomasson tweets.
- Second-round Lions pick Teez Tabor is making progress, but the former Florida cornerback might not be in line to see much action for a while.
- A 15-game starter for the Packers last season, Ladarius Gunter is now employed by another team. The Panthers claimed the third-year UDFA on waivers.