Latest On Michael Floyd
We learned yesterday that embattled Vikings wideout Michael Floyd tested positive for alcohol during his house arrest, which could lead to jail time. Later, the player’s agent released a statement defending his client (via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter on Facebook):
“Michael Floyd started his 96-day home monitoring on March 13, 2017. During this time period, Michael was tested a minimum of six times per day. For the first 90 days, Michael’s blood alcohol content was 0.0 for all of his 500 plus tests.
On June 10, 2017, Michael watched movies at his place of residence until 3:00 a.m. During that time, he drank several bottles of kombucha tea drinks, unaware that the drinks contain alcohol.
On June 11, 2017 at 5:30 a.m., Michael was tested and his blood alcohol content was .055. Michael was tested again at 5:54 a.m. and his blood alcohol content was down to .045. Michael was tested again at 6:23 a.m. and his blood alcohol content was .044. He then went back to sleep and missed a test at 6:33 a.m.
Michael was five days away from the end of his home monitoring. Prior to and after this incident, Michael has not had any alcohol whatsoever since the start of his home monitoring. Unfortunately, the kombucha teas that Michael did drink resulted in a positive blood alcohol content reading. As a result, the Court wishes to hear from Michael on June 26. At that time, Michael will have an opportunity to explain how this unfortunate test result happened.”
Floyd was originally supposed to have an alcohol-detecting ankle bracelet, but he agreed to random breathe tests in order to have the device removed. Between the 11th and 12th of June, these tests came up positive for alcohol five separate times, with three of those occasions being categorized as “high alcohol tests.” Of course, this stems from Floyd’s arrest last year for a “super extreme DUI” in Arizona.
After having compiled at least 800 receiving yards over the previous three seasons, Floyd took a noticeable step back in 2016. The wideout hauled in 37 receptions for 488 yards and five touchdowns. His one-year deal with Minnesota doesn’t contain any guaranteed money, so the organization can easily cut bait with Floyd if he receives further punishment.
Miller’s Latest: Prospects, Rams, Chargers, Bears
Per usual, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller had several notable opinions and hot takes in his weekly column, led by a debate on whether Ezekiel Elliott is the best running back in the NFL (the writer ultimately surmises that the title belongs to Le’Veon Bell).
Of course, Miller touched on a number of other important subjects. While the entire article is worth reading, we’ve picked out some of the notable tidbits below…
- Penn State running back Saquon Barkley‘s draft stock continues to climb, as Miller claims that the offensive weapon could end up being a Le’Veon Bell–type player. Meanwhile, the writer declares that Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen is the top signal-caller in the 2018 draft.
- Speaking of draft prospects, Miller is rather enthusiastic about the talent on Clemson’s football team. The writer believes that defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and defensive end Clelin Ferrell all have potential to be top-1o picks, although it’s worth noting that Lawrence won’t be available until the 2019 draft.
- While Aaron Donald showed up to Rams mandatory minicamp, the defensive lineman is still seeking a brand-new contract. Miller believes the former first-rounder will ultimately become one of the highest-paid players in the NFL once he signs an extension. Miller also notes how Texans offensive lineman Duane Brown and Panthers tight end Greg Olsen are also seeking a new deal.
- The four-year deal for Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram is “news you should take note of,” said Miller. The organization now has the former first-rounder and Joey Bosa locked up for several years, creating quite the formidable (and youthful) defensive front.
- Bob Stoops suddenly announced his retirement as the head coach of the University of Oklahoma, shocking the NCAA. Miller notes that the 56-year-old could be in line to replace John Fox if the Bears decide to look for another coach next offseason, although the writer notes that Jeff Fisher could be another candidate.
Extra Points: Kap, Wilfork, Titans, CBA
Speaking Thursday, commissioner Roger Goodell rejected the notion that NFL owners are blackballing free agent quarterback and political activist Colin Kaepernick, noting (via ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez) that teams “all want to get better. And if they see an opportunity to get better as a football team, they’re going to do it. They’re going to do whatever it takes to make their football team better. So, those are football decisions. They’re made all the time. I believe that if a football team feels that Colin Kaepernick, or any other player, is going to improve that team, they’re going to do it.” While one wouldn’t expect Goodell to publicly throw owners under the bus, Kaepernick is likely, at minimum, an NFL-caliber backup. Yet, after throwing 16 touchdowns against four interceptions and finishing second among QBs in rushing yards in 2016 (468, with a 6.8 YPC), the longtime 49er hasn’t garnered much interest this offseason.
Elsewhere around the sport…
- As was the case a month ago, free agent nose tackle Vince Wilfork is unsure whether he’ll attempt to continue his career in 2017 or retire. “Mentally, I’m where I’ve been all this while, I’m 50-50,” Wilfork told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Friday. Wilfork added that he’s not going to rush into a decision, and he shot down the idea that his retirement talk is a ploy to avoid training camp and the preseason. “Camp now is like ‘Camp Cupcake.’ You’re only in pads for 10 days,” he said. “I mean, it’s so different now, so anybody that thinks I’m missing because I want to miss training camp or preseason, man, that is baloney.” Wilfork, a 13-year veteran who spent his first 11 seasons in New England and the previous two in Houston, is coming off the 12th straight campaign in which he started in all of his appearances. The 35-year-old took part in 15 of the Texans’ regular-season games in 2016 and picked up 21 tackles.
- Bears wide receiver Kendall Wright swiped at his previous employer, the Titans, earlier this week, implying to Kevin Fishbain of Pro Football Weekly that they’ll rue letting him go. On why Tennessee reduced his playing time last season, including making him a Week 17 healthy scratch, Wright said: “That’s a question I can’t [answer]. Ask them. They’’ll feel it after this year.” The onetime 94-catch man (2013) hauled in a career-worst 29 receptions in 2016, but Wright believes he “probably was the best receiver on the Titans roster last year.” After, in Wright’s words, only “playing like 10 plays a game” last season, the sixth-year man is now part of a Chicago receiving corps that includes two other notable veteran newcomers in Victor Cruz and Markus Wheaton, 2016 breakout Cameron Meredith and injury-challenged 2015 first-rounder Kevin White.
- Talks on a new collective bargaining agreement haven’t begun because the players have yet to give NFLPA boss DeMaurice Smith permission to negotiate with the league, reports Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). That’s not ideal for the league because it prevents it from hammering out new television and media deals, suggests Cole. The current CBA runs through 2020.
AFC Notes: Browns, Texans, Jags, Jets
Second-round signal-caller DeShone Kizer is in the mold of Super Bowl-winning division rivals Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) and Joe Flacco (Ravens), according to Browns quarterbacks coach David Lee, but it doesn’t sound as if he’ll see the field for a while. “He’s got a great future,” Lee told reporters, including Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com. “He’s just a long way from being ready. He’s not ready, but he’s climbing on it, and he’s making progress.”
Kizer, the 52nd overall pick from Notre Dame, is competing against Brock Osweiler and Cody Kessler to open the season as the Browns’ starter. Osweiler has impressed Cleveland’s coaches since coming over in March in a surprising trade with Houston, and the fact that he’s the most experienced and accomplished of the Browns’ QBs matters to Lee. “You can say what you want, but the guy in the last two years has taken two different teams [Texans and Denver Broncos] to the playoffs, and there’s nobody else in that room that can say that,” Lee pointed out. “Plus, this is his sixth year of experience. [The other guys have] got [little or] no experience. … So he’s the senior citizen. He looks like a guy who’s played before. He’s great at the line of scrimmage. He’s great in the huddle, I mean calming effect. Is he the quarterback? We don’t have one yet, but he’s in the mix for sure.”
- The Texans worked out safety Jaiquawn Jarrett on Monday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Jarrett, a former second-round pick, spent the first two seasons of his career with the Eagles before joining the Jets from 2013-15. He didn’t appear in the NFL in 2016. A veteran of 47 career games, Jarrett boasts nine starts through five pro seasons. Houston has no plans to sign either Jarrett or fellow defensive back Aaron Williams, whom the Texans hosted earlier this week, as Wilson writes in a full article.
- Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey underwent core muscle surgery Thursday, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafalo, who adds that he should be ready for the regular season (Twitter link). Ramsey also dealt with a notable injury last spring, a torn meniscus that required surgery and kept him out of organized team activities and minicamp, but still went on to post an excellent rookie season. Last year’s fifth overall pick, Ramsey started all 16 of the Jags’ games, intercepted two passes (one of which he returned for a touchdown) and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 21st-best corner.
- Josh McCown has a smaller-than-anticipated lead over Christian Hackenberg as the Jets’ training camp quarterback battle approaches, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. McCown wasn’t all that sharp in minicamp, whereas Hackenberg exceeded expectations, per Cimini, who notes that Bryce Petty is a clear third in the race. The Jets invested a second-rounder in Hackenberg only a year ago, but it seems the ex-Penn State Nittany Lion is widely regarded as a lost cause after he couldn’t crack the lineup last season for a club whose QB play was among the worst in the league. But Hackenberg should get on the field sometime this year for a team that’s now in a full-scale rebuild.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Jaguars Wrap Up Draft Class
The Jaguars have signed their third-round pick, defensive end Dawuane Smoot, per a team announcement. The signing of Smoot means the Jaguars have locked up their entire seven-player draft class.
Smoot, the 68th overall selection, is coming off a four-year career at Illinois that saw him rack up 38.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks. Now, the 6-foot-3, 264-pounder will act as depth as part of an impressive defensive end group that includes offseason signing Calais Campbell, Dante Fowler and Yannick Ngakoue, who combined for 20 sacks last year.
Here’s a look at the rest of Jacksonville’s 2017 draft class:
- 1-4: Leonard Fournette, RB (LSU)
- 2-34: Cam Robinson, T (Alabama)
- 4-110: Dede Westbrook, WR (Oklahoma)
- 5-148: Blair Brown, LB (Ohio)
- 7-222: Jalen Myrick, CB (Minnesota)
- 7-240: Marquez Williams, FB (Miami)
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/16/17
Friday’s minor moves:
- The Vikings have waived undrafted rookie Tommy Armstrong, whom they signed just over two weeks ago. The former Nebraska quarterback auditioned at running back with the Vikings before moving to safety, but Armstrong didn’t do enough in his 13 practices as a defender to keep his roster spot. Armstrong was an effective dual-threat QB during his four college seasons, totaling 90 touchdowns (67 passing, 23 rushing).
NFC Notes: Floyd, Cousins, 49ers, Eagles
Vikings wide receiver Michael Floyd is fighting back against a report that he violated his house arrest rules by testing positive for alcohol, telling Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: “Totally false. The whole thing is false. You can’t believe everything TMZ says.” Floyd, who had completed 91 days of his 96-day house arrest sentence as of Monday, is due in court June 26.
His agent, also named Brian Murphy, released a statement Friday, part of which says (full statement here via ESPN’s Adam Schefter):
“On June 10, 2017, Michael watched movies at his place of residence until 3:00 a.m. During that time, he drank several bottles of kombucha tea drinks, unaware that the drinks contain alcohol.
On June 11, 2017 at 5:30 a.m., Michael was tested and his blood alcohol content was .055. Michael was tested again at 5:54 a.m. and his blood alcohol content was down to .045. Michael was tested again at 6:23 a.m. and his blood alcohol content was .044. He then went back to sleep and missed a test at 6:33 a.m.”
More from the NFC:
- Newly named Redskins senior vice president of of player personnel Doug Williams told NFL Network on Friday that he wants the team to extend contract-year quarterback Kirk Cousins “in the worst way” (via Conor Orr of NFL.com). Williams isn’t involved in talks with Cousins’ camp, though, as president Bruce Allen and VP of football administration Eric Schaffer “have been on this negotiation for a long time.” In the event the Redskins are unable to prevent Cousins from hitting free agency next winter, they’ll have to “search long and hard to find” a capable successor, Williams noted. “But at the same time, we got a capable backup here in Colt McCoy, who can hold the fort down for a while or even take it the long distance.”
- The 49ers have not broached an extension with safety Eric Reid, the contract-year defender told Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Reid, a 2013 first-round pick who’s set to play his fifth-year option season at a $5.676MM salary, is moving from free safety to strong safety this year. Between that and the fact that San Francisco has a new regime, including head coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, the team likely wants to see if Reid’s a fit before considering making a long-term commitment to him, notes Wagoner. Saleh’s impressed with Reid so far, calling the 25-year-old “unbelievable from a mental standpoint,” “very athletic” and “strong.”
- The Eagles announced some changes to their scouting staff on Friday, including promoting Trey Brown from director of college scouting to player personnel executive college/pro and hiring Ian Cunningham to take over Brown’s old post. Brown was among a few candidates who interviewed last month for the Bills’ then-vacant general manager job, which ended up going to Brandon Beane. Cunningham’s new to Philly, having spent the previous nine years with Baltimore. There, he worked with Joe Douglas, whom the Eagles hired as their vice president of player personnel last year.
Bears DL Akiem Hicks Seeking New Agent
On the verge of an important year, Akiem Hicks is looking to make a change in representation. The Bears defensive lineman has parted ways with agent Frank Murtha and is currently in the process of interviewing new potential agents, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. 
“I am a free agent that is almost a free agent,” said Hicks, who is entering a contract year. “You get it?”
Hicks joined the Bears on a two-year, $10MM free agent deal after spending time with the Saints and Patriots in 2015. He’s set to earn $5MM this season and is hoping to land another lucrative deal for 2018 and beyond.
In his last go-round through free agency, Hicks chose a shorter deal with Chicago over a longer pact offered by the Patriots. His gamble has paid off and he is now eager to cash in.
“I know it’s not always the best way to think of it with this being a business, but I want to get what I deserve or get what I have earned,” he said, while adding that he would like to stay in Chicago. “If I earned a new contract, that’s what I earned. If I don’t, that’s the case. It’s really not up to me. I get to put my stuff on the field and show them what I can do, but I can’t make them go upstairs and sign me to a different piece of paper.”
Hicks had a career-high 71 total tackles last season plus five tackles for a loss and seven sacks. He also played in a career-high 931 snaps, proving his durability. At a time when top defensive lineman are getting big dollars, the 27-year-old (28 in November) could be looking at a monster deal in the spring.
NFC Rumors: Kaepernick, RG3, Eagles
Three NFL executives tell Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that they see former 49ers signal caller Colin Kaepernick as the best backup quarterback option available. Of course, we have watched many other QBs come off of the board while Kaepernick remains unsigned.
“Kaep, [Shaun] Hill, Dan Orlovsky, Robert Griffin III,” said one AFC exec when asked to rank the best remaining options.
A fourth exec surveyed by Fowler opined that Griffin is actually the best QB left on the market. Meanwhile, one official in the group said he wouldn’t sign Griffin “under any circumstances.” It seems like teams agree more with the latter opinion as Griffin has drawn very little interest this offseason.
Here’s a look at the NFC:
- After flirting with free agent receiver Jeremy Maclin, the Eagles are unlikely to pursue fellow pass-catcher Eric Decker, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Philadelphia, which was reportedly the runner-up in the Maclin sweepstakes, pursued the now-Raven because of their previous relationship with the wideout, per Garafolo. The Eagles don’t enjoy that sort of familiarity with Decker, and are comfortable with their current crop of wide receivers, which includes Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Jordan Matthews, and Nelson Agholor.
- There’s “nothing new” to report on contract talks between the Rams and Aaron Donald, L.A. GM Les Snead told reporters (including Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com). Snead’s comments are notable since a deal appeared to be imminent just three weeks ago. Donald skipped OTAs while his reps negotiated a deal with the team, but it will apparently take some time before the two sides can finalize a deal. Naturally, the Rams are still working hard to get something done. “Aaron Donald is a priority for us,” Snead said. “That’s about all I can say.”
- Former Lions receiver Anquan Boldin may be looking to play near his home in Florida in 2017. Meanwhile, the Lions are probably not interested in a reunion.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Lions, Glover Quin Discussing New Contract
The Lions and Glover Quin are in talks about a new contract, the free safety tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Quin first approached the Lions about a new deal last month and it appears that some progress has been made on that front. 
Quin is entering the final season of a five-year, $23.5MM contract he signed as a free agent in 2013. The 31-year-old says that he wants to finish his career in Detroit.
“I’ve played going on five years here, good majority of my career,” Quin said. “Some of my better years. My growth. So to kind of get to finish up here, obviously it’s not where I started but it was a team that accepted me, brought me in, allowed me to play the way I knew that I could always play, so to get an opportunity to finish here would be excellent.”
The Pro Bowler believes that he still has “three or four more high-level years” in him, adding that his increased football IQ has him feeling like he is right in his prime. Not everyone can play at a high level in their 30s, but Quin has managed to stay remarkably healthy throughout his career. He currently has the longest starting streak among NFL safeties at 116 consecutive games, the seventh longest streak overall.
Quin recorded 68 tackles and two interceptions last year. The advanced stats at Pro Football Focus placed him 23rd in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 90 qualified safeties.