Armonty Bryant Gets Four-Game Suspension
The NFL has suspended Lions defensive end Armonty Bryant four games for violating its substance abuse policy, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
This is the third suspension in the past year for Bryant, notes Birkett, who suggests that it’s time for the Lions to cut bait on the soon-to-be 27-year-old. Detroit re-upped Bryant back in March, but as a minimum salary benefit deal with a meager $40K signing bonus, escaping the contract would be easy for the club.
Bryant, whom the Lions claimed off waivers from the Browns last October, appeared in just five games in 2016 (all with Detroit), but he did tally an impressive three sacks during his short campaign. In the best season of his four-year career, 2015, Bryant totaled 14 appearances and 5.5 sacks.
With Bryant at least temporarily out of the picture, the Lions look even thinner at defensive end behind starters Ezekiel Ansah and Kerry Hyder. They’re currently set to enter the season with Cornelius Washington, Anthony Zettel and late-round rookies Jeremiah Ledbetter and Pat O’Connor among their reserves at the position, as Roster Resource shows.
Panthers Likely To Name Marty Hurney Interim GM
The Panthers are set to bring back former general manager Marty Hurney to take over for the fired David Gettleman. Hurney is meeting with Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who reports that the club will hire Hurney on an interim basis if the interview goes well. Hurney would run the Panthers through 2017, and the team would use that time to vet full-time candidates (Twitter link).
Hurney works for ESPN Radio in Charlotte, but he previously served as the Panthers’ GM from 2002-12 and oversaw three playoff teams – one of which earned a Super Bowl berth. The Panthers went just 80-85 during that span, but Hurney was nonetheless responsible for bringing in a few of their current linchpins in Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Greg Olsen.
In reuniting with Hurney, the Panthers would pass on reported GM candidates in their own director of college scouting, Jeff Morrow, Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden and Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen. However, those three (and others) could still be possibilities down the line for the Panthers, who look poised to turn to Hurney, head coach Ron Rivera and director of team administration/salary cap specialist Rob Rogers in a temporary power structure, as Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Panthers, Davis Have Discussed Extension
Before his stunning firing as Carolina’s general manager on Monday, Dave Gettleman reportedly wasn’t in any hurry to sign Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis or tight end Greg Olsen to contract extensions. However, speaking with Kelsey Riggs of WCNC on Tuesday, Davis revealed that he and the Gettleman-led Panthers did discuss a new deal.
“We had actually engaged in contract talks. They presented something and we presented something back and we were just in the process of negotiating,” said Davis, who added that it’s “really sad and disappointing” and “unfair” that the contract situations of him and Olsen have been partly attributed to Gettleman’s ouster.
Talks with Gettleman “were going well,” according to Davis, who’s “thankful that the organization is willing to do it.” Given that the organization is led by owner Jerry Richardson, who reportedly counts Davis among his favorite players, odds of an extension seem high.
Despite Davis’ advanced age, the 34-year-old presented a compelling argument for a new contract last season, his 11th as a Panther, when he secured his second Pro Bowl nod. That honor came after Davis logged his fifth 16-start campaign, led Panthers defenders in snaps (1,009) and totaled 106 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a touchdown.
While Thomas’ rating at Pro Football Focus was less impressive than his traditional numbers – the outlet ranked his performance a middling 43rd among 88 qualified linebackers – it’s clear he has established himself as both a dependable player and a heart-and-soul member of the franchise. Beyond that, there could be further incentive for the Panthers to extend Davis. By locking him up past 2017, they’d perhaps reduce his current cap hit ($8.25MM).
NFC Notes: Rodgers, Panthers, Elliott, Cards
The Packers have not discussed a contract extension for Aaron Rodgers with his agent, David Dunn, the quarterback told a Milwaukee TV station last week (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). Given that Rodgers still has three years left on the deal he signed in 2013, the Packers don’t have to work anything out imminently. However, on the possibility of Rodgers becoming the NFL’s highest-paid player again in the near future, team president Mark Murphy admitted to Demovsky, “You need to plan for it.” Unsurprisingly, Murphy added that the franchise regards re-upping the two-time league MVP as a priority. Rodgers topped all NFLers when he signed his five-year, $110MM deal four years ago, but salaries around him have increased significantly. As a result, the 33-year-old is set to rake in just the sixth-highest amount at his own position this season ($22MM).
More from the NFC:
- Prior to his firing on Monday, Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman wasn’t in a rush to sign linebacker Thomas Davis or tight end Greg Olsen to contract extensions, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. With Gettleman now out of the picture, Davis and Olsen could cash in over the next couple weeks, suggests Person, who relays that those two are owner Jerry Richardson’s favorite players. Given that Richardson’s running the show for the GM-less Panthers at the moment, he’s free to lock up the pair of veteran cornerstones.
- While some of Carolina’s ex-players have taken pleasure in Gettleman’s ouster, current Panthers offensive tackle Michael Oher is upset over his departure. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Oher noted that Gettleman has been supportive of him during his nearly yearlong recovery from concussion issues, writing: “While on the plane headed to see Concussion specialist Mickey Collins I learned Dave Gettleman has been dismissed . . . this is news that I hated to hear . . . in this business you don’t build personal relationships but I can honestly say I had one with Mr. G . . . he is the only person Besides R. V (team trainer Ryan Vermillion) and Dr. Heyer who has constantly checked on my well being, condition and state of mind that I’ve been suffering from my injury. Guy really cares about you as a person just not the player . . . also is interested in how your family is as well . . . hated to hear that news but I know he’ll be fine . . . and for the people who were happy and had something do with it downstairs, Karma’s a MF!!”
- In addition to the incident that transpired over the weekend, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is also facing a misdemeanor charge for speeding. He is appealing that conviction, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. The running back is accused of going 100 mph in a 70 mph zone back in April.
- Tight end, cornerback and running back stand out as positions the Cardinals could address this summer, observes Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Aside from starter Jermaine Gresham, the Cardinals lack established options at tight end, where Troy Niklas and Ifeanyi Momah have dealt with injuries and Hakeem Valles is coming off a rookie season spent mostly on special teams. The Cards may bolster their depth at corner, but they won’t make any Darrelle Revis-esque splashes in free agency, according to Somers. At running back, head coach Bruce Arians is seemingly content with Kerwynn Williams backing up superstar David Johnson, though there could be room for free agent Chris Johnson‘s return if Andre Ellington and the Cards’ young reserves don’t show well in the coming weeks, per Somers.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Details On Steelers’ Offer To Le’Veon Bell
The Steelers were unable to sign franchise-tagged running back Le’Veon Bell to a multiyear deal by Monday’s deadline, but they did make him a competitive offer. The club’s proposal was for five years, suggests Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and came with an average annual value of $12MM, $30MM across the first two years of the contract and $42MM over the first three seasons, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).
After rejecting the Steelers’ pitch, Bell will play the 2017 campaign for $12.12MM, and judging by the team’s offer, he seems likely to receive the tag again next year if he turns in another quality season. By designating Bell as their franchise player in 2018, the Steelers would pay him roughly $14.5MM. If Pittsburgh was content to give Bell $14MM per annum over the first three years of the deal, it stands to reason the team would be willing to commit that type of money to him next offseason for a single campaign.
Had Bell accepted the Steelers’ offer, he’d have reset the market at the position – something he’s aiming to do. It’s unclear how much guaranteed money Pittsburgh would have handed him, but Bell’s pact clearly would have outdone the RB-leading AAV ($8MM-plus) and total value ($40.05MM) the Bills’ LeSean McCoy secured on a five-year contract in 2015. McCoy also paces all backs in guarantees ($18.25MM).
While Bell, 25, could play both this year and next under the tag, the twice-suspended star’s future thereafter looks murkier. The Steelers likely wouldn’t place the tag on him for a third straight year, and once the 2019 offseason rolls around, he should have far more tread on his tires. Thanks to both his rushing and pass-catching prowess, Bell has already accrued 1,135 touches during his four-year career at a position where players don’t tend to age well. Nevertheless, Bell is betting on himself in hopes of reeling in a deal even larger than the one Pittsburgh wanted to give him.
More Reactions To Cousins/Redskins Talks
It’s time to trade Kirk Cousins, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com opines. In Barnwell’s view, the Redskins blew it with Cousins by lowballing him and then bashing him in a bizarre public statement. At this juncture, it seems unlikely that Cousins will stay with the Redskins long term and Washington can only keep him off the open market with an expensive third franchise tag, giving a record $78.4MM over three seasons to a quarterback who they did not feel was worthy of big money.
Giving up Cousins in a trade might sting, but it would be even worse to lose him for nothing. Barnwell wonders if the 49ers might be willing to give up a 2018 second-round choice and Brian Hoyer in a trade. Or, perhaps the Browns would give up the Texans’ 2018 first-round pick plus a restructured Brock Osweiler. Neither trade feels like a big win for Washington, but it might be the logical move after the way things have played out.
Here’s more on Cousins:
- If Washington was not going to sign Cousins long term, they should have drafted a quarterback or signed one in free agency, Mike Lombardi of The Ringer tweets. Without that, he says, the Redskins to operate with no leverage. To play devil’s advocate, the Redskins already have a quality backup in Colt McCoy and there’s weren’t a ton of affordable quarterbacks available who were clearly better than him in free agency this year. They also like Nate Sudfeld as their developmental quarterback. To drum up leverage, they would have had to draft a QB who was markedly better than Sudfeld, and that would have meant drafting one in the first two or three rounds. That’s a costly move to make for a leverage play.
- Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, liked some very interesting tweets in the hours following the deadline, Peter Halley of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. One tweet compared the Redskins to a desperate and bitter guy in a budding relationship.
- Cousins’ future in Washington could partially hinge on how well he works with coach Jay Gruden this year, ESPN.com’s John Keim opines. With Sean McVay out of the picture, Gruden will be calling the plays and working more closely with Cousins than he has in the past. Cousins will probably also want to see the restructured Washington front office move in a positive direction.
- In an interview on Tuesday morning, Cousins said that staying with the Redskins is still his first choice. However, he also confirmed that he did not send an offer to the team.
Witness: Ezekiel Elliott Did Not Throw Punch
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was said to be involved in a fight over the weekend that left one man with a broken nose. However, the running back has not been arrested for his involvement as of this writing and there are varied accounts of what transpired. Michael Huffman, a bouncer from Wichita Falls who was in the bar on Sunday night, says the alleged victim was the instigator and Elliott did not do anything wrong. 
“It didn’t go down like that,” Huffman wrote in a private message to Domingo Ramirez Jr. and Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram. “Everybody is saying that, but he didn’t throw the punch … Zeke was just standing there arms folded chilling feeling the crowd. Then I seen DJ getting loud toward the vicinity of Zeke and then I see an overhand right come over the back of Zeke shoulder that landed square in DTrain’s face and he went to sleep. He didn’t even see it. Then the crowd circled and dispersed. I’m surprised a whole video hasn’t been released yet.”
Other witnesses have said that the man throwing the punch appeared to be Elliott. But, if Huffman’s account of events can be verified, then the running back will avoid punishment from the legal system and the NFL. On Monday, an NFL spokesman confirmed that the league is investigating the matter.
Kirk Cousins On Latest Round Of Talks
It’s not just about the money. Kirk Cousins says that he did not sign an extension with the Redskins in part because he wants to further evaluate the organization after its front office shakeup. 
“We felt like we needed more time,” Cousins told 106.7 The Fan.
Of course, it also didn’t help that the Redskins did not improve their offer made in the spring. The last proposal he received from the team effectively only granted him two guaranteed seasons with an average annual value that he only would have accepted one full year ago.
Cousins also confirmed that he did not present the Redskins with an offer during this round of talks. He considered doing so as the deadline approached, but ultimately he held off.
“Up until a week ago, I was praying over whether we should send them an offer,” Cousins said. “I felt peace about not making an offer and leaving it in the team’s court.”
If the lowball offer wasn’t insulting enough, then one might think that Cousins was offended by team president Bruce Allen referring to him as “Kurt” Cousins during a statement to the media on Monday afternoon. When it came to that, Cousins took the high road.
“I‘ve been called Kurt my entire life. … [It] doesn’t matter. It is what it is. It’s fine. Not a big deal.”
Cousins says his first choice is to stay with the Redskins, but we’ll find out if he really means it next offseason.
Fallout From Steelers, Bell Talks
With the franchise tag extension deadline in the rear view mirror, Le’Veon Bell is set to play out the season on a one-year, $12.12MM deal. Here’s the latest on the Steelers and their star running back:
- Bell says he’s taking it upon himself to push the market for running backs. “It’s a little frustrating, but it’s a business,” Bell said of this round of negotiations (via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). “I’m not in a rush to sign for something I’m not valued at if I feel I’m worth more than what they are offering me. … The running back market definitely took a hit, and I can’t be the guy who continues to let it take a hit. We do everything: We block, we run, we catch the ball. Our value isn’t where it needs to be. I’m taking it upon myself to open up some eyes and show the position is more valuable.”
- Any absence by Bell gives his backup more playing time and that could theoretically cause problems for him, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. That wasn’t a concern with veteran DeAngelo Williams as his backup, but if Bell misses time it will crack the door open for rookie James Conner. The Steelers also improved their receiving corps with the addition of wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, so the two rookies could theoretically fill in for Bell’s rushing and pass catching. At the same time, it’s hard to see the rookies combining to match Bell’s production.
- Now that Bell’s contract cannot be addressed until after the season, the Steelers would like to do long term deals with defensive end Stephon Tuitt and linebacker Ryan Shazier, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets. She also notes that left tackle Alejandro Villanueva remains unsigned. Villanueva has not signed his Exclusive Rights Free Agent tender with the hope that he will be offered a more lucrative deal.
Latest On Panthers’ GM Candidates
The Panthers shocked the NFL world earlier today by firing general manager Dave Gettleman, but they may have done so with candidates in mind. Carolina “loves” Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden, Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen, and Panthers director of college scouting Jeff Morrow, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
[RELATED: Potential Candidates For Panthers GM Job]
All three potential contenders for the Carolina position have ties to the Panthers organization. Cowden, who interviewed for the Chiefs’ vacancy last month, spent 16 years with the Panthers before taking a position with Tennessee last summer. Likewise, Schoen worked for Carolina from 2001-08, and is now under the employ of former Panthers executive Brandon Beane in Buffalo. Morrow, the only internal candidate named in Florio’s report, was promoted to director of college scouting as part of a Panthers’ personnel reshuffling in May.
As Florio notes in a separate piece, it seems unlikely the Panthers would move on from Gettleman at this time of year without having a general idea on replacements. However, given the timing of the move, an interim general manager could also make sense, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer wrote earlier today.