Free Agent K Nick Novak Recovers From Back Injury
Free agent kicker Nick Novak is healthy once again and ready to audition for teams, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. This week, Novak won a kicking competition at the John Carney specialty camp over Nick Folk and others, so it sounds like he’s back to his old form. 
Novak has enjoyed two separate stints with the Chargers: he first kicked for the club from 2011-14 before reuniting for a nine-game stretch in 2017. One of four kickers to appear in a game for Los Angeles last season, Novak converted only 9-of-13 field goal attempts and also missed an extra point. Towards the end of the year, Novak aggravated a back injury and was placed on IR. In 2016, Novak nailed 85.4% of his attempts with the Texans, which was a tick above his career average.
Novak, who will turn 37 in August, is hoping to get another shot in the NFL. There are no real kicker vacancies at this stage of the offseason, but it’s not uncommon for teams to bring in additional competition for the job.
Despite his struggles last year, Novak was once among the league’s best kickers. In 2013, he sank 91.9% of his attempts and connected on all eleven of his tries from 40-50 yards out.
Marcell Dareus Facing Second Lawsuit
On Wednesday night, we learned that Jaguars defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is being sued by a Texas woman who is accusing him of sexual assault and the transmission of an STD. In addition to that, Dareus is also being sued for a separate incident in January of 2017, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times writes. 
Dareus rented a mansion in Florida on the week of the college football national championship game. The defensive tackle invited the accuser to an afterparty at his place, where she alleges that he groped her against her wishes. The woman says she “blacked out” from drinking and woke up next to an unclothed Dareus. Realizing that there had been “sexual physical acts upon her person,” she left to go back to her hotel.
No criminal charges were filed after the alleged event and the accuser says that she initially kept the details of the incident private, “due to embarrassment and self-guilt.” In a court date on August 9, Dareus will move to have the lawsuit dismissed.
Regardless of how either case turns out, Dareus could be subject to NFL discipline following an investigation from the league office. The league’s conduct policy calls for a baseline six-game ban for sexual assault offenses.
Dareus, 28, came to the Jaguars in a midseason trade from the Bills. Dareus wound up playing in nine regular season games for the Jags as well as their three-game playoff run. Overall, Dareus graded out as the No. 51 ranked defensive tackle in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. It wasn’t his best season, but the Jaguars were hopeful that Dareus could get back to his old form this year. In 2014, he managed ten sacks from the interior.
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Bengals, Browns
The Steelers have a long history of developing wideouts, but heading into the 2018 campaign, they’re faced with a question mark in the slot, as Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune writes. While superstar Antonio Brown and 2017 second-round pick JuJu Smith-Schuster are locked in as Pittsburgh’s starters in two-receiver sets, but it’s unclear who will play in the middle of the field. The most obvious candidate might be rookie James Washington, but he’s viewed as more of an outside threat. Per Rutter, Washington and Smith-Schuster could be see time in the slot, but Marcus Tucker — who spent the 2017 season on the Steelers’ practice squad — may also see snaps. Eli Rogers, Pittsburgh’s main slot man in 2016, is still on the open market after suffering a torn ACL, but is expected to re-sign with the Steelers when he attains full health.
- Former first-round pick Cedric Ogbuehi has been a severe disappointment during the first three years of his career, but the Bengals offensive lineman is now feeling revived by a planned move from left to right tackle, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Coming in at right, at a new position, I felt comfortable,” said Ogbuehi. “Feeling comfortable is a big part of it. I played it. I know what to expect now. I know a lot; like what to do better than last time. I’m excited for the challenge. I’m excited for camp.” Cincinnati doesn’t much invested in Ogbuehi’s future, as the club has already rejected his 2019 fifth-year option. Additionally, the Bengals acquired Cordy Glenn from the Bills during the offseason, and will now install the veteran on Andy Dalton‘s blindside. Still, the 26-year-old Ogbuehi could have one last chance as a starter on the right side while working under new offensive line coach Frank Pollack, all before hitting free agency next March.
- In a roundtable featuring ESPN.com’s AFC North writers, Browns head coach Hue Jackson and Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco are viewed as the division’s participants most on the proverbial hot seat. Jackson, of course, is not only fighting for his job after posting one win in two seasons, but he’s also dealing with a new general manager — John Dorsey — who will likely jump at the chance to hire his own head coach if Cleveland disappoints once again in 2018. Flacco, meanwhile, could see first-round rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson push for Baltimore’s starting job as soon as this season, especially if Flacco repeats his 2017 woes.
- In case you missed it, PFR’s Zach Links outlined Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap‘s case for a contract extension, noting Cincinnati’s heavy investment along the edge position in recent drafts.
- The Browns auditioned former CFL cornerback Jordan Holland on Tuesday.
Marcell Dareus Sued For Sexual Assualt
An unidentified Texas woman is suing Jaguars defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, accusing him of both sexual assault and the transmission of a sexually transmitted disease, reports Chris Parenteau of News 4 Jacksonville.
The anonymous claims Dareus had sex with her after she had fallen asleep, and is now seeking $15K in damages. Thus far, it’s unclear whether any criminal suit has been brought against Dareus, but the Jacksonville defender’s attorney said his client isn’t aware of any current pending charges.
Dareus, whom the Jaguars acquired from the Bills just prior to the 2017 trade deadline, has been involved in off-field trouble before, but his violations have mostly been related to substance abuse. Legal resolution aside, Dareus could serve a league-imposed suspension based on the outcome of a sure-to-come NFL investigation. Policy standards indicate a baseline six-game suspension for a sexual assault incident, but the bans for such offenses have varied in length.
Jacksonville sent a fifth-round pick to Buffalo in exchange for the now 28-year-old Dareus, who went to play nine games for the club during the regular season and three contests during the Jaguars’ postseason run to the AFC Championship Game. $7.35MM of Dareus’ 2018 base salary is fully guaranteed, meaning he’ll collect that money whether he’s on Jacksonville’s roster or not. The same is true of that total on the Jaguars’ salary cap, although the club would realize a net savings of $2.825MM if the results of a future investigation lead to a release.
Latest On Bills RB LeSean McCoy
After being accused of disturbing domestic violence actions earlier this week, Bills running back LeSean McCoy has hired defense attorney Don Samuel, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports.
McCoy will launch a public relations campaign in the wake of the incident involving his ex-girlfriend, and has publicly denied all allegations. Although he was not located in the same state as his ex-girlfriend, Delicia Cordon, when she was reportedly abused, McCoy has been linked to the assault by his ex-girlfriend’s lawyer.
“The assailant demanded specific items of jewelry that had been previously gifted to Ms. Cordon by Mr. McCoy, which Mr. McCoy had requested back on many occasions,” the attorney’s statement explains. “In fact, after Ms. Cordon refused to return her jewelry gifts to Mr. McCoy, he would often suggest to Ms. Cordon that she could be robbed because the jewelry was expensive.”
Per Robinson, McCoy’s decision to hire Samuel is an indication that he’ll pursue an “aggressive” defense strategy as he seeks to clear himself of the abuse allegations. Samuel, for his part, has experience in the NFL realm, as he defended then-Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis against murder charges in 2000 before aiding Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger against sexual assault claims in 2010.
As Mike Rodak of ESPN.com notes, the NFL could choose to place McCoy on the commissioner’s exempt list while the investigation — both by authorities and by the league itself — is ongoing. If the NFL takes that step, McCoy would be temporarily barred from participating in either practice or games.
Junior Galette Could Still Re-Sign With Redskins?
Although the Redskins in May informed Junior Galette that he would not be re-signed, the veteran edge rusher indicated Wednesday that his run in the nation’s capital may not yet have reached its end. “Lol still a chance,” Galette replied on Twitter when asked if a new contact with Washington remained a possibility.
Whether or not Galette’s tweet is any indication of serious interest on the Redskins’ part is unclear, especially given that team executive Doug Williams said in March that the club was “moving in another direction.” Washington is well-stocked along the edge, as starters Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith are backed up by 2017 second-rounder Ryan Anderson and free agent acquisition Pernell McPhee.
If he were re-signed by the Redskins, Galette probably wouldn’t have much of a role. Other clubs that have expressed interest in Galette, however, do have a clear need at defensive end/outside linebacker: a club like the Rams, who were linked to Galette in March, still has a gaping hole at edge defender, while the Browns could use another end to play opposite Myles Garrett. Galette, who has also drawn interest from the Raiders, has reportedly also considered retirement.
Galette, of course, was once a double-digit sack force with the Saints from 2013-14, but injuries and off-field issues have turned him into more a rotational player. After suffering those aforementioned torn Achilles tendons in both 2015 and 2016, Galette finally got in a full season with the Redskins in 2017, and played extremely well on 37% of the club’s defensive snaps. While he only posted three sacks, Galette managed 25 pressures and graded as the league’s No. 30 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Browns Audition CFL CB Jordan Holland
The Browns worked out former Canadian Football League cornerback Jordan Holland on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Holland, who stands 5’10”, 190 pounds, last played for the Edminton Eskimos but has also spent time with the Cleveland Gladiators (Arena Football League) and Billings Wolves (Indoor Football League). He’s the son of 49ers outside linebackers coach Johnny Holland, who spent the 2016 campaign as the Browns’ linebackers coach. The younger Holland played his college ball Prairie View A&M University, an FCS school in Texas.
Given his dearth of NFL experience, Holland will likely have a difficult time making any roster in the league, but Cleveland’s 53-man squad could be especially hard to crack given the Browns’ offseason additions of Denzel Ward, T.J. Carrie, E.J. Gaines, and Terrance Mitchell, all of whom will join holdover Briean Boddy-Calhoun.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/11/18
Today’s minor moves:
New York Giants
- Waived: CB Kenneth Durden
Washington Redskins
- Waived: P Sam Irwin-Hill
FOX May Hire Jeff Fisher As Analyst
Jeff Fisher recently said that he is still eyeing an NFL head coaching job, though he does not want to work as a coordinator or assistant in the interim. In keeping with that, Fisher could stay involved in the football world as an analyst. FOX Sports is talking to Fisher about serving as one of its NFL game analysts this season, sources tell Michael McCarthy of the Sporting News. 
Fisher was not seriously considered for any head coaching vacancies this offseason, even though he was reportedly eyeing jobs with the Colts, Browns, and Bears. The Bears hired Matt Nagy, the Colts went with Frank Reich, and the Browns retained Hue Jackson despite speculation that his job was in jeopardy. Fisher has connections throughout the NFL, but those contacts did not yield an interview this year.
Fisher boasts 22 years of head coaching experience, but he has five 8-8 seasons and four 7-9 seasons (plus one 7-8-1 campaign) on his record. Those numbers largely overshadow his successes, including his multiple playoff teams in Tennessee.
In his nearly five year run with the Rams, Fisher went 31-45-1 with no playoff appearances. He had better success with the Titans, though they reached the Super Bowl just once in his 17 years at the helm. Overall, Fisher owns a career 173-165-1 regular season record.
It’s not immediately clear whether Fisher would serve as a color commentator for FOX or as a studio analyst.
Jets Sign Brandon Bryant
The Jets are expected to sign former Mississippi State safety Brandon Bryant, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Bryant wasn’t selected in Wednesday’s supplemental draft, clearing the way for him to sign with Gang Green.
The team announced the signing Monday.
Bryant has been praised for his high-end athleticism, but he didn’t set the world on fire at his pro day. Still, he ran a 40-yard-dash in the 4.4-second range for teams and he’s viewed as someone who could be a special teams contributor right off the bat.
In a recent scouting report, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com praised Bryant’s “huge upside” and ability to take off in every direction. While he moves well laterally and effectively covers receivers on crossing patterns, Pauline was less effusive in his evaluation of Bryant’s physicality and sense of urgency.
As a freshman, Bryant totaled 63 tackles, three interceptions, and six pass breakups. He has not been able to reprise that performance since then, however, and off-the-field troubles have hurt his stock in recent months. Bryant was arrested and charged for a DUI in January of last year and was declared academically ineligible for this season, prompting him to go pro.
The Jets will start Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye at safety and project to have Terrence Brooks and J.J. Wilcox as their top backups while Rontez Miles heals up from a knee injury. Bryant will work to crack the roster in the coming weeks, and, if he succeeds, he could displace Appalachian State product Doug Middleton.