New Audio Of Tyreek Hill, Fiance Emerges
We have a new update in the Tyreek Hill situation. Earlier Tuesday, Kansas City sports radio station 610 KCSP aired previously unheard audio of the Chiefs receiver and his fiance, per Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports. 
The new audio comes from the same recording that aired on a local TV station back in April. The TV station hadn’t aired this part, and in this new audio Hill can be heard denying the domestic violence incident he plead guilty to back in 2014. Hill was starring at Oklahoma State at the time, and his conviction led to him being dismissed by the team.
“… You ruined my life and you lied on me in 2014, bro,” Hill said. “And if you want to rewind that night we can rewind that night too, [expletive]. You was in my house. And did I pick you up and slam you? Hell no, I picked you up and put you out my door and after that you left. And on my son you did that, bro. And then then you get in the courtroom you want to sit up there and cry on the stand. ‘He hit me, he hit me.’ Man, come on bro,” he continued.
There’s then an exchange where Hill repeatedly asks if he hit her back then, and his fiance doesn’t really answer. The two can be heard going back and forth about the 2014 incident for a while before pivoting to the more recent allegation of child abuse, which is where the TV station picked up in April. Paylor has the full details on everything that’s new, but ultimately it doesn’t sound like this is going to effect Hill’s status with the league.
A source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network that the NFL had the full version of the audio “months ago”, so this isn’t new to them (Twitter link). So far the investigation seems to be going about as well for Hill as he could’ve hoped given the circumstances. A few months ago it looked like his time with the Chiefs was coming to an end, but the recent reporting indicates he won’t be punished too severely.
The meeting between Hill and the league’s investigators reportedly went “very well” for the embattled receiver, and the Chiefs are now expecting him to be suspended for a maximum of four games. The team is expecting him to be at training camp later this month, and apparently could even reopen extension talks with Hill soon. We’ll keep you posted if there are any further developments.
Jadeveon Clowney Won’t Get Extension From Texans, Will Play 2019 Under Franchise Tag
Jadeveon Clowney won’t be getting an extension from the Texans. The two sides aren’t going to get a deal done before the July 15th deadline, sources told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
That means that Clowney, the first overall pick back in 2014, will play the 2019 season under the franchise tag. The deadline for franchised players to get a new deal is in less than a week, and we hadn’t heard of much progress between the two sides, so this isn’t too shocking. While pushing for a new deal Clowney has been staying away from the team, and he didn’t attend the team’s mandatory minicamp last month.
Wilson reports that Clowney is “not expected to miss any games, but likely to miss at least a major portion of camp.” Clowney clearly isn’t too happy to be playing under the tag, and it sounds like he won’t be showing up until the last minute. After the Texans fired GM Brian Gaine, there were reports that his handling of the Clowney situation contributed to his firing.
The Texans are now in the unique situation of operating without a general manager. After they fired Gaine, they failed in their attempt to lure away Nick Caserio from the Patriots after New England filed tampering charges. Caserio’s contract is up after the 2020 draft, and the Texans are widely expected to make another run at him then. It’s possible that a new front office could be able to soothe things over with Clowney, but free agency will have come and gone by the time Caserio is out of his Patriots contract.
As of right now, it seems highly possible that this will be Clowney’s last season in a Texans uniform. Clowney has played very well, making the Pro Bowl each of the last three seasons, but Houston seems reluctant to reset the market and break the bank for him. In 15 games last year, Clowney had nine sacks, 16 tackles for loss, and three fumble recoveries.
5 Key NFL Stories: 6/30/19-7/7/19
NFL, NFLPA hope to sign new CBA soon. Things appear to be going surprisingly smoothly in negotiations between the two sides. Earlier this week, we heard that they were hoping to have a deal done before the start of the 2019 season. For the past year-plus, there’s been constant worrying about a potential work stoppage, but that doesn’t seem too likely at the moment. That being said, there are still some potential hiccups, which we outlined here. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is also reportedly taking on a prominent role in the negotiations. We’ll likely be hearing a lot more about this situation as the summer progresses, and we’ll make sure to keep you posted.
No suspension for Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys’ star running back won’t be suspended for an incident with a security guard in Las Vegas that took place back in May. The whole ordeal always seemed minor, but the league took it quite seriously. Zeke was summoned to meet with Roger Goodell, and the league investigators even interviewed his girlfriend. Elliott is under team control for two more years, and we heard recently that the team was hoping to extend him soon. That’s good news for the Ohio State product, since earlier reports had indicated Dallas was going to hold off on extending him.
Randy Gregory to apply for reinstatement. The embattled Cowboys pass-rusher is looking to get reinstated yet again. Gregory has always been high on talent, but has been unable to stay out of trouble with the commissioner’s office. Since entering the league in 2015 he’s already been suspended a handful of times, including for the entire 2017 season. He was conditionally reinstated prior to last year, and racked up six sacks in 14 games before another failed drug test saw him slapped with an indefinite ban. Jones thinks that he’ll be able to play this season, and the team recently signed him to an extension.
Tedy Bruschi suffers stroke. We got some unfortunate news on Friday when word broke that Bruschi had suffered another stroke. Bruschi’s family released a statement that read in part “Tedy is recovering well, and would like to thank the nurses, doctors and staff at Sturdy Memorial Hospital for all they have done. Tedy and his family thank you for your ongoing encouragement, and kindly ask for privacy at this time.” The former Patriots linebacker suffered a stroke in 2005 during his playing days with New England, and returned to the field later that same year. All of us here at PFR are hoping for a full and speedy recovery, and send our best wishes.
Josh Rosen unlikely to start Week 1. The Dolphins traded a second-round pick for Rosen back in April, but they aren’t going to just hand him the starting job. Earlier this week, we heard that Rosen is a “clear underdog” to start Week 1. One Dolphins player reportedly said that Ryan Fitzpatrick “impressed everyone as a leader and that he was clearly the best quarterback in the offseason program.” Fitzpatrick seems to have a solid leg up in what will be one of the few open quarterback battles in camps this year. While Fitz is capable of playing very well for stretches, ultimately the Dolphins are planning for the future and not looking to win in 2019, so it would be a shock if we don’t see Rosen at some point.
AFC Notes: Patriots, Bills, Steelers
Bill Belichick did something he had never done before when he drafted N’Keal Harry 32nd overall in April. During his time in New England, the Patriots had never drafted a receiver in the first round before, so they must’ve been high on the Arizona State product. That being said, Harry won’t be handed anything because of his draft status. Plenty of receivers have come and gone without making much of an impact on the Pats, so Nick Underhill of The Athletic tracked a few of them down to see what advice they might have for Harry.
Underhill talked to 2006 second-round pick Chad Jackson, 2004 fifth-round pick P.K. Sam, and Chad Johnson, who joined the team toward the end of his career in 2011. Underhill asked them about their advice for working with Belichick and Brady and Jackson, one of the Patriots’ biggest draft busts, had some interesting comments. “Some people say Brady’s an asshole, and he can be at times – everybody can be an asshole at times,” he said. “The guy wants perfection. He wants everything done right. I’m sure he makes his mistakes too, but it’s not like everybody else.”
Jackson said Harry will have to be prepared for a lot, and that he wasn’t ready for it. “I think I went to the wrong organization when I first got drafted,” he said. “They expected a lot from you, which is, of course, OK, but I think they put the expectations a little bit higher than for any type of rookie coming in.” All of them stressed that developing a chemistry and a relationship with Brady were important, with Johnson saying he “didn’t really have time to come in and build that currency with Tom.” The whole piece is worth a read, and provides an interesting glimpse into life on the Patriots. Harry should have an easier time than any of those three did, but it’s not a given.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Bills made overhauling their offensive line a priority this offseason. Josh Allen spent most of his rookie year running for his life, so it makes sense. The team made some high profile signings like Mitch Morse, Ty Nsekhe, and Spencer Long, but they also added Quinton Spain. Spain is competing for a starting spot at one of the two guard positions, and his cause got hurt by a thumb injury that required surgery and sidelined him for the rest of spring practices. Fortunately for him, Spain is expected to be ready to go for the start of training camp, per Nate Mendelson of the team’s official site. Spain entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Titans back in 2015, and started at least 13 games in each of the past three years for them. He received average marks from Pro Football Focus last year, grading out as their 35th-best guard. Spain is probably a favorite to win a starting job, and Buffalo’s offensive line looks on paper to be a lot better than it was last year.
- Marcus Gilbert, the Steelers‘ longtime right tackle, was traded to the Cardinals this spring. That means the Steelers will have a new right tackle, and most have assumed it’ll be Matt Feiler. Feiler filled in for an injured Gilbert, and ended up starting ten games last year. But while he’s the favorite, Feiler isn’t taking it for granted and is insisting it’ll be an open competition. “I’m not by any means the starter,” Feiler said earlier this offseason, per Mike Prisuta of the team’s official site. “Anytime you’re out here, you’re getting pushed by the younger guys.” “It’s up for grabs,” he added. “It’s going to be a tough battle.” While the comments are interesting and suggest we may have to pay attention to the position in camp, it would still be a surprise if Feiler isn’t starting Week 1. While he took the majority of first-team reps, Prisuta does note that he rotated some with 2018 third-round pick Chukwuma Okorafor during spring work. Feiler is a 2014 undrafted free agent from Bloomsburg University, who had only started one game before last year.
- In case you missed it, Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders is looking uncertain for the start of the season.
Former Second-Round Pick Titans DL Austin Johnson On Roster Bubble
Former second-round pick Austin Johnson isn’t in great standing with the Titans. The 43rd overall pick of the 2016 draft has struggled to make an impact and might not be long for the team.
The defensive lineman is going to be fighting for a roster spot in training camp, according to Jim Wyatt of the team’s official site. Wyatt does note that defensive coordinator Dean Pees had some praise for him earlier this offseason, but he won’t be guaranteed a spot because of his draft pedigree. Last season, Johnson played around 38 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in a rotational role.
In 16 games and nine starts, he finished with 22 tackles, one sack, and two passes defended. It was by far the most playing time he’s received in his young career. Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, Johnson is scheduled to make $1.8MM in 2019. Wyatt does note that his salary won’t be held against him, and Tennessee will only cut him if he gets beat out by someone better.
The Penn State product has been a disappointment in the pros, and Wyatt writes that he needs to get more “disruptive.” The Titans drafted Jeffery Simmons in the first round back in April, but fortunately for Johnson he’s expected to miss his entire rookie season. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s safe, and it sounds like there’s a good chance Johnson is looking for a new home this fall.
Cameron Meredith Unlikely To Make Saints?
It looks like the pay cut Cameron Meredith took back in March might not be enough to save him. The Saints receiver reduced his base salary from $3.4MM to $1.3MM, but it seems like it won’t matter. 
Not only did Larry Holder of The Athletic leave him off his recent New Orleans roster projection, he also sounds very pessimistic about his chances of making the team. He writes that there “are probably receivers I’ve left off the roster right now that would have a better shot at sticking” than Meredith does. Harsh.
It’s been a tough couple of years for Meredith since his breakout 2016 season, when he racked up 888 yards in just 14 games with the Bears. Meredith was supposed to be Chicago’s top receiver in 2017, but he suffered a devastating injury in the preseason which included a torn ACL and additional damage to his knee. After missing the entire year, he signed a two-year offer sheet worth $9.6MM with the Saints as a restricted free agent.
He never really recovered from the 2017 injury, and he was placed on injured reserve after just six games with the Saints last year due to issues with the same knee. He finished with only nine catches for 114 yards and a touchdown in his first season in New Orleans. He had a scope on his knee after the season, and hasn’t participated in any practices this offseason. Even though he’s still only 26, his longterm health appears to be in question.
It’s a tough situation, and hopefully Meredith can get back on the field soon and make an impact. The former undrafted free agent from Illinois State is undeniably talented, and if he can prove he’s healthy then we haven’t heard the last of him. Holder also left Rishard Matthews, a recent veteran receiver signing, off his roster projection.
Extra Points: Riddick, Jeremiah, Bengals, Bills, Knox
There seems to be a growing trend of NFL media personalities making the jump to front offices. Mike Mayock recently left NFL Network to become the Raiders’ GM, and since then we’ve heard rumors about a handful of big names. Back in May we heard that the Jets were targeting Daniel Jeremiah, also of NFL Network, for a prominent role in their front office. New Jets GM Joe Douglas apparently wanted him, but Jeremiah wasn’t interested. Now, it turns out the Jets aren’t the only ones that have pursued the 41-year-old draft analyst. “Jeremiah is continually rebuffing NFL advances,” according to Lindsay Jones of The Athletic.
Jones also writes that she thinks “we’ll continue to hear Louis Riddick’s name a lot in personnel circles.” Riddick, an ESPN analyst, interviewed for the Giants’ GM job back in late 2017 before they ultimately hired Dave Gettleman. Both Riddick and Jeremiah are very highly regarded, so it’s not shocking news. Still, it’s an interesting development. How Mayock fares in Oakland might go a long way in determining how many teams take this approach in the future.
Here’s more from around the league on a quiet Saturday evening:
- The Bengals suffered a tough blow a couple of weeks ago when it was announced that Jonah Williams would likely miss his entire rookie season with a shoulder injury. Williams was the 11th overall pick in April’s draft, and Cincy was counting on him to start at left tackle. Cordy Glenn will slide over from guard to take his place, but the Bengals are now pretty thin at tackle. As such, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic expects the Bengals to make a move to add a tackle “whether a veteran cut, waiver pickup or trade.” The Bengals also have to find a replacement for Glenn at left guard, and last we heard 2016 fifth-round pick Christian Westerman is the early favorite. There aren’t too many appealing veteran options on the open market, so perhaps the Bengals will try to swing a trade. With Glenn on the left side and former Giants castoff Bobby Hart on the right side, the Bengals don’t have an enviable situation at tackle.
- It’s often said that tight end is the hardest position to transition to the pro game from college at other than quarterback. Rookie tight ends don’t usually make huge contributions, as it takes them a while to adjust. Don’t tell that to Dawson Knox and the Bills. Knox, a third-round pick from Ole Miss, has a shot to start from Week 1 for Buffalo, according to Vic Carruci of the Buffalo News. Knox never was used a ton as a receiver, racking up only 284 yards in his last year at Ole Miss, but he did average an impressive 18.9 yards per catch. The Bills finally let Charles Clay go this past offseason, but they also signed Tyler Kroft to a three-year deal, who profiles as Knox’s main competition. Kroft suffered a broken foot back in May and might not be ready for the start of the regular season, which could force Buffalo’s hand with Knox.
Emmanuel Sanders Uncertain For Week 1
The Broncos are going to be counting on their young receivers in 2019. Emmanuel Sanders was Denver’s top option last year, but he went down with a torn Achilles late in the year.
His recovery has reportedly been going smoothly, but the veteran is unsure if he’ll be ready when the season starts. Sanders said recently that “being available for the Broncos’ opener ‘feels realistic,’” per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic (Twitter link). While that certainly doesn’t mean he’ll definitely miss regular season time, “realistic” doesn’t exactly sound like a huge vote of confidence from Sanders.
Jhabvala adds that Sanders was unwilling to provide “a concrete timetable on his comeback.” Sanders’ injury was especially tough because he had been having a great season before going down. After a tough 2017, he had reestablished himself as a top receiver, racking up 868 yards in just 12 games. Shortly before Sanders went down, the Broncos traded away longtime staple of their receiving corp Demaryius Thomas.
The Broncos are now thin on veterans, and will be leaning on second-year players like Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton. Achilles injuries can be tricky, and Sanders is 32 now. Even when he comes back, he likely won’t be 100 percent right away, and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to regain his prior form. Denver’s offense is going to look completely different next season with Joe Flacco under center and new offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello calling plays.
Back in May, Sanders shared a video of himself doing his first post-surgery sprints, but it’s a long road back from such a devastating injury. Sutton, a 2018 second-round pick from SMU, showed a lot of promise as a rookie, and he’ll be counted on to play a much bigger role next year. For Flacco’s sake, hopefully Sanders is able to make it back soon.
POLL: Will The Bills Reach .500 In 2019?
The Bills are going to be an interesting team in 2019. They’ve got a lot of young talent, but how the team does will almost entirely come down to the development of Josh Allen. Allen showed a lot of flashes as a rookie, but he also struggled with his accuracy and decision-making.
To be fair, Allen was playing behind a ragtag offensive line and with one of the worst receiving corps in the league. Buffalo made upgrading both areas a priority this offseason, and they made some big moves. They completely overhauled their group of pass-catchers, signing Cole Beasley and John Brown in free agency. They also signed center Mitch Morse to become the new anchor of their offensive line, and highly-regarded tackle Ty Nsekhe who had spent the previous few years in a reserve role with Washington.
To help replace the retiring Kyle Williams, they drafted defensive tackle Ed Oliver out of Houston ninth overall. The defense is stacked, and they were one of the best units in the league last year. The Bills finished 6-10 last season, which was good for third place in the division.
The Dolphins are widely expected to take a big step back, which means it’ll either be the Bills or Jets behind the Patriots in the AFC East pecking order next season. Buffalo made the playoffs in 2017 with a 9-7 record, and that seems to be a reasonable goal. Head coach Sean McDermott has been widely praised for the culture he’s instilled during his couple of years with the Bills, but everything will ultimately fall on Allen’s shoulders.
So, what do you think? Will Allen take the next step with an improved group of weapons and offensive line, or will he be unable to put it all together? Will the Jets and Sam Darnold pass them in the AFC East, or will the Bills separate themselves?
Cast your vote below (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comments section:
Extra Points: CBA, Supplemental Draft, Saints, Onyemata
Everything we’ve heard so far indicates that discussions between the league and the NFLPA on a new CBA have been positive. Things seem so be going surprisingly smoothly, and earlier this week we heard the two sides hope to have a deal done before the 2019 season starts. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of issues to be resolved. As we track the negotiations this summer, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com is out with a great piece detailing the fight ahead.
Graziano broke down the nine biggest issues in the talks, and the whole article is well-worth a read. Graziano cautions that while everything seems positive for now, it’s “a complex negotiation with pitfalls.” Graziano writes that the owners have run out of money for stadiums that they were allotted in the previous CBA, and that’s “seen by many connected with the talks as the main reason the owners are interested in doing a new deal as soon as possible.” He writes that “they need money to help with stadium projects in places such as Buffalo, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Carolina, Washington and even Los Angeles, where Rams owner Stan Kroenke would likely enjoy a bit of league-sponsored help with his project.” If the players are going to allow the owners to take more money off the top for ‘stadium credits’ as they’re called, Graziano writes that they’ll demand a greater share of the net revenue in return.
Among many other interesting nuggets, Graziano notes that the players have a good shot of getting the ‘fully funded rule’ erased, which “requires teams to hold in escrow any portion of a player’s contract that is fully guaranteed.” It currently dissuades owners who might not want to tie up all the cash from giving out longterm guaranteed contracts, and doesn’t exist in any of the other major leagues.
Here’s more from around the league:
- This year’s Supplemental Draft will be more intriguing than most. Washington State safety Jalen Thompson‘s entry into the draft ensured that there would be at least one player selected. We heard last week that Thompson had a 3-4th round grade on him before last season, but there’s another player with good shot of getting picked. Former West Virginia Marcus Simms is “likely to be chosen” as well, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Simms held a workout on Monday which was attended by half the league’s teams, including by Raiders GM Mike Mayock. The draft is scheduled for July 10th, so we should know pretty soon.
- Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata was recently suspended for the first game of the 2019 season, but at least he won’t be facing any further legal trouble. Onyemata completed a diversion program and won’t be prosecuted in his marijuana case, per Ramon Antonio Vargas of NOLA.com. Unfortunately for Onyemata this didn’t all happen before the new CBA took effect, as the league is reportedly likely to stop punishing players for marijuana use. Onyemata, a 2016 fourth-round pick, has blossomed into a key contributor for the Saints, and New Orleans’ defensive line will be a bit thin in Week 1 with him and Sheldon Rankins both sidelined. Last year Onyemata played around 60 percent of the team’s defensive snaps as a run-stuffer, and received very strong marks from Pro Football Focus.