AFC East Notes: Brady, Bills, Dolphins
Earlier today, we learned that a Minnesota judge ruled that the NFLPA’s appeal on behalf of Tom Brady will be transferred to Manhattan, where the NFL first filed its own lawsuit. According to NFLPA outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler, the union doesn’t view that as a big deal.
“It really doesn’t matter to us where the case is,” Kessler told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “What we finally have is a neutral forum. Before a neutral forum, we are very confident in our position.”
The NFLPA will have make some revisions when it re-files its appeal in New York, but “ostensibly we will be making the same arguments,” said Kessler, adding that the union is “very happy” to have Judge Richard M. Berman appointed to the case.
Let’s round up a couple more items related to the Brady situation, along with some other notes out of the AFC East….
- Kessler spoke yesterday to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, broadly addressing the NFLPA’s appeal on Brady’s behalf and explaining the case the union will be making in court. As Pelissero writes, the NFLPA’s appeal quotes Patriots owner Robert Kraft at length, and Kessler said of Kraft’s statement from earlier this week: “I’ve never more agreed with Robert Kraft in my life, about anything.”
- On the Dan Patrick Show today, NFLPA executive George Atallah said the NFLPA’s settlement offer involved Brady paying a fine instead of serving a suspension, and the NFL didn’t respond to that offer (Twitter link via Noah Coslov).
- Appearing at a “Business of Sports” breakfast in Buffalo on Thursday, Bills owner Terry Pegula said work on a new stadium for his team is “nothing urgent right now,” writes Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News. Commissioner Roger Goodell and some NFL owners have said that a new stadium will eventually be a necessity in Western New York, but Pegula pointed to several upgrades made on Ralph Wilson Stadium in recent years, suggesting it would be “foolish” to pursue a new stadium right after renovating the current one.
- Speaking today to reporters, including James Walker of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Dolphins owner Stephen Ross praised the talent on Miami’s 2015 roster, and said he and head coach Joe Philbin are expecting a payoff this year. While Ross didn’t specifically address Philbin’s job status, there has been plenty of speculation that the head coach will be on the hot seat if the Fins don’t make the playoffs this season.
Cowboys’ Keith Rivers Retires
Veteran linebacker Keith Rivers, who signed with the Cowboys back in March, has decided to retire. According to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter), the Cowboys have placed Rivers on their reserve/retired list, opening up a roster spot.
Rivers, a seven-year veteran, was a top-10 pick out of USC in 2008, drafted ninth overall by the Bengals. The 29-year-old spent his first four years in Cincinnati, appearing in 35 regular season contests for the Bengals before his final year with the team was wiped out by a wrist injury.
In 2012, the Giants acquired Rivers in exchange for a fifth-round pick, and the linebacker spent the next two years with Big Blue before joining the Bills for the 2014 season. He appeared in 12 games for Buffalo last year, making 16 tackles.
The Cowboys’ linebacking corps has taken a bit of a hit with Rivers’ retirement and Rolando McClain‘s four-game suspension to start the season. However, the team is still fairly deep at the position, with Sean Lee coming back from a season-ending injury and Jasper Brinkley and Andrew Gachkar having signed with Dallas in the offseason.
Irsay Optimistic About Hilton, Castonzo Deals
The Colts don’t intend to negotiate a new contract with quarterback Andrew Luck until 2016, and head coach Chuck Pagano also isn’t expected to have his contract extended before the season. However, team owner Jim Irsay believes there’s a good chance Indianapolis can lock up wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and left tackle Anthony Castonzo to new deals within the next few weeks, as he tells Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
“We have a little time with trying to work on a few extensions,” Irsay said. “There’s no reason Anthony Castonzo and T.Y. Hilton can’t get done. Look for us to keep core players and our top players. I don’t think it’ll be a distraction. I can’t see why we can’t get something done before Labor Day with T.Y. and Anthony.”
Both Hilton and Castonzo are entering the final year of their respective contracts — as a former first-round pick with a fifth-year option, Castonzo will earn a $7.438MM salary this season if he doesn’t agree to a new deal, while Hilton will get a more modest $1.542MM base salary.
There have been conflicting reports on Hilton’s contract situation recently, with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writing earlier this week that Luck’s eventual extension could make it tricky for Indianapolis to lock up Hilton to a big-money deal of his own. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report indicated that the Colts are currently engaged in extension negotiations with Hilton, adding that there’s a decent chance the two sides work something out within the next few weeks. Irsay’s comments seem to support that report.
As for Pagano, the Colts head coach reportedly turned down a one-year extension offer from the team earlier in the offseason, opting to coach the final year of his current deal instead. Despite the lack of an agreement, Irsay is confident that things will eventually work out with Pagano.
“With Chuck’s situation, we’ve had conversations and it’s all been friendly,” Irsay said. “He understands where I’m coming from. I understand where he’s coming from. My hope is we’re going to have a great season and Chuck will end up eventually signing an extension. Chuck is really motivated and he’s excited about this year.”
NFC Notes: Galette, Falcons, Panthers
Former Saints outside linebacker Junior Galette is visiting Washington today, and a person familiar with Galette’s thinking tells Mike Jones of the Washington Post that last year’s NFC East cellar-dwellers are the leaders to sign the free agent pass rusher. With that in mind, Jones breaks down the pros and cons of a possible Galette signing for Washington, noting that he’d certainly be an upgrade on the field, and likely wouldn’t cost a ton. However, the team will have to be certain that Galette won’t be a problem off the field and in the locker room.
Within his piece, Jones notes that the Buccaneers are also believed to be a potential suitor for Galette, though Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted earlier this week that there was no indication the Bucs were interested in signing the ex-Saint.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The Falcons have tended to steer clear of players with off-field red flags over the years, but team owner Arthur Blank said he supported the club’s decision to select cornerback Jalen Collins in the second round this year, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Multiple teams flagged Collins due to his marijuana use, and the rookie admitted after the draft that he failed at least three drug tests at LSU.
- Linebacker Luke Kuechly is the next Panthers player in line for an extension, but he tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer he’s not thinking about his contract. “This stuff gets done when it gets done,” Kuechly said. “We trust the guys in the building. So it’ll get done when it needs to get done.” GM Dave Gettleman has said he won’t negotiate extensions during the season, so Kuechly will have to wait until 2016 for a new deal if nothing gets finalized within the next few weeks.
- In a separate piece for the Observer, Person identifies five Panthers players on the regular-season roster bubble, including veteran receiver Jerricho Cotchery.
- With Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor reportedly mulling a holdout, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines Chancellor’s contract to see where he fits in the safety market.
Brady Lawsuit Moved From Minnesota To NYC
Minnesota judge Richard Kyle has ordered the NFLPA’s appeal on behalf of Tom Brady to be transferred to Manhattan, where the NFL first filed its own lawsuit, tweets Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal. The decision tips the scales in the league’s favor, since Minnesota courts are typically viewed as more labor-friendly and have ruled in favor of the NFLPA in the past.
As Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets, Judge Kyle found there was no reason for the case to have been filed in Minnesota, since the NFL is headquartered in New York, the arbitration proceedings took place in New York, and the award was issued in New York. Since the league also knew better than the NFLPA when Roger Goodell’s decision would be announced, it was able to gets its lawsuit in ahead of the union’s, and Kyle cited the “first-filed” rule when making his decision.
While the ruling is considered a positive sign for the league, it’s not necessarily all bad for the union. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, Judge Kyle was appointed by President George H.W. Bush, a Republican, while New York judge Richard M. Berman was appointed by President Bill Clinton, a Democrat. Democratic judges are generally believed to be more philosophically aligned with labor and individuals, rather than management, so Judge Berman figures to give Brady and the NFLPA a fair shake.
The NFLPA plans to refile its lawsuit against the league on behalf of Brady in Manhattan today, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
North Notes: Browns, H. Smith, Steelers
The 2015 season will likely be a redshirt year for rookie cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said on Wednesday, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. At one point, Ekpre-Olomu, who continues to recover from a serious knee injury, was viewed as a potential first-round pick, but Cleveland snagged him in the seventh round in May following his torn ACL and disclocated knee. The Browns will have to wait until the end of training camp to move the Oregon alum to injured reserve if they want to avoid the risk of losing him on waivers.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:
- “Nothing is going on” between Harrison Smith and the Vikings on the contract front, according to the safety himself, who tells Mark Craig of the Star Tribune that he and the club will likely discuss an extension after the 2015 season. Smith says he’s “not a fan” of the fifth-year option, which allowed Minnesota to lock him up through 2016. However, the 26-year-old tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he fully expects to remain with the Vikings in the long term.
- The Steelers should add Michael Vick to their training camp roster, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who writes that Ben Roethlisberger‘s backups have been “dreadful” in the spring and the early days of camp.
- Former Packers executive Andrew Brandt takes a look at the annual opening of Green Bay’s books, explaining in a piece for TheMMQB.com what the numbers mean for the team and for the NFL.
- Lions defensive ends Corey Wootton, Phillip Hunt, and Kerry Hyder are on the roster bubble as training camp gets underway, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Washington Hosting Junior Galette For Visit
Former Saints pass rusher Junior Galette has his first potential suitor, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who reports (via Twitter) that Galette will visit Washington, taking a physical for the team and meeting club officials.
Galette, 27, was the Saints’ best pass rusher over the last two seasons, recording 12 sacks in 2013 and picking up another 10 – along with three forced fumbles – in 2014. His production earned him a lucrative contract extension in September, but his offseason was dominated by negative headlines. In January, Galette was arrested on a domestic violence charge that was later dropped. More recently a video from 2013 surfaced showing a man that appears to be Galette involved in a beach brawl, striking a woman with a belt.
The off-field concerns resulted in the Saints releasing Galette on Monday, despite having to eat a huge chunk of dead money. Following the move, reports surfaced indicating that Galette had a negative influence on the New Orleans locker room, and his former teammates didn’t seem too broken up about his departure.
Nonetheless, Washington will kick the tires on Galette and find out if there’s a potential fit for him on a roster that features outside linebackers Trent Murphy, Preston Smith, and the just-extended Ryan Kerrigan. If the team does decide to add him, it wouldn’t be the first time this offseason that an NFC East team has signed a standout pass rusher facing potential league discipline for an off-field incident — the Cowboys, of course, added Greg Hardy earlier this year.
Galette’s physical could also provide crucial information for Washington as the team decides whether or not to sign him, since the edge defender is recovering from a pectoral injury.
NFC South Notes: David, S. Hill, Saints
Let’s wrap up Wednesday evening by taking a look at a few items from out of the NFC South….
- Buccaneers GM Jason Licht says that he’s having “some healthy talks” with linebacker Lavonte David regarding a new contract, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Licht said that a deal like this doesn’t get done overnight, but he’ll do “everything” he can “to make sure Lavonte is a [member of the Bucs] for a long time” (Twitter link).
- Meanwhile, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times classifies the David extension talks as “amicable but not fruitful” in his look at the Buccaneers linebacker.
- Panthers wide receiver Stephen Hill was issued a citation for a drug paraphernalia charge during a traffic stop in Concord, North Carolina on Tuesday afternoon, as Kevin Patra of NFL.com writes. According to the incident report, Hill was charged for knowingly possessing with intent to use drug paraphernalia, including two grinders with marijuana residue and a marijuana bowl. Hill was already a long shot to get a spot on the team with a significant role, but this incident hurts his chances even more.
- Speaking today to reporters, including ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett, Saints GM Mickey Loomis admitted that he’ll have to re-examine the steps that led him to locking up Junior Galette last fall. “I’ve got to say, ‘Hey, what could we have done differently? What were the red flags that we missed or that I missed?'” Loomis said. “I thought this was a player that’s had a lot of production for us and felt like the arrow was pointing up. At the time, I thought this was a good deal for us.”
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Tom Brady Updates: Wednesday
6:28pm: The NFLPA has officially announced its suit on behalf of Brady, providing a brief summary of its arguments, along with the full text of the appeal.
6:08pm: The lawsuit from Tom Brady and the NFL Players Association seeking to vacate Brady’s four-game suspension has officially been filed in Minnesota district court, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link), NFLPA attorney Jeffrey Kessler says the union filed suit on four grounds, including a lack of notice and Roger Goodell’s partiality. Breer notes (via Twitter) that the suit also refers to Brady’s June appeal hearing as one that “defied any concept of fundamental fairness.”
Unsurprisingly, several news, notes, and opinions on the Brady situation have trickled in over the course of the day, so we’ll use this space to round them all up. Here’s the latest:
News/rumors/quotes:
- The NFLPA will ask the judge to either rule by September 4th or to issue an injunction allowing Brady to play pending a ruling, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Kessler thinks the situation can be resolved by September 4th, as Pelissero tweets.
- At least two NFLPA player reps were “dismayed” by the union’s decision to vehemently defend Brady, since those players believe it’s likely that Brady is guilty and are concerned about the union’s spending on legal fees, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. (video link). In a letter to the NFL Players Association’s board of player representatives earlier this year, attorneys Tom DePaso and Ira Fishman explained why the NFLPA has paid so much more in legal fees than the MLB and NBA player unions over the last three years (Twitter links via Cole).
- Brady’s agent, Don Yee, told Ed Werder of ESPN (Twitter links) that his client was beyond cooperative with Roger Goodell and Ted Wells’ team and offered up all of his cell phone records. “I’m not sure there’s another person in America with a celebrity equal to Tom’s who would do that. Imagine Taylor Swift [doing that],” Yee said.
- Yee also offered up a theory on why the NFL has decided to file preemptively in New York federal court (via Twitter links). “One inference is they’re not confident in their reason, not confident in their evidence. [They’re] looking for a friendly jurisdiction down the street from Park Avenue because they’re saying to the world, ‘We doubt our evidence and reasoning can withstand any jurisdiction in America.’ They’re essentially admitting that.”
- Yee told Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com (Twitter links) that he contacted AT&T’s general counsel to see if they could technologically retrieve the contents of Brady’s text messages, but they could not. Said Yee: “They are an independent third party. If we were trying to hide something, why would we even reach out?”
- More comments on the matter from Yee to Curran and to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com can be found here and here.
- Judge Richard Berman, described as “fair” and “more than capable,” has been assigned the NFL’s lawsuit in New York City, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Breer, meanwhile, tweets that Judge Richard Kyle drew the NFLPA’s suit in Minnesota, and suggests that could be good news for the league.
Opinions/editorials:
- In a Pro Football Talk column, Florio wonders why Goodell didn’t increase Brady’s suspension, if the new information he received – since initially deciding on four games – convinced him that the Patriots quarterback deliberately obstructed the investigation by destroying his cell phone.
- Brady didn’t just show contempt for Goodell — he disrespected every other NFL player too, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes.
- When one of the league’s “most ambassadorial” owners like Robert Kraft makes such a strong statement about his lack of trust in the NFL’s ability to be fair and just, it’s hard to imagine things getting much worse for the league, writes Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.
- Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report implores Brady to come clean so that the NFL can avoid a civil war. In a separate piece, Freeman passes along a text message he received from a Patriots player: “It’s us against the world.”
- We may never know whether Brady was involved in deflating footballs, but it seems that his true crime in the eyes of the NFL and Goodell was refusing to play ball with the league, writes La Canfora in a CBSSports.com column.
Earlier: Robert Kraft, Tom Brady issue statements
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC East Notes: JPP, Mincey, T. Williams
Giants co-owner John Mara has “no idea’” when Jason Pierre-Paul will report to training camp, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes. Mara acknowledged it was “very disappointing” to him that Pierre-Paul refused to see two team officials who traveled down to Florida to check on his physical condition. Mara also said that no one from the organization has seen JPP’s damaged right hand, and he fears the defensive end is not “receiving very good advice right now.”
As Dan Graziano of ESPN.com writes, Pierre-Paul continues to rehab and get his own medical care near his home in South Florida. Here’s more on JPP, along with a couple other NFC East updates:
- Within Graziano’s story, he cites a source who says that Pierre-Paul expects to be healthy and to return to the field for the Giants this season “sooner than a lot of people think.”
- With defensive end Jeremy Mincey preparing to hold out from Cowboys camp, it sounds like the team is preparing to play hardball. According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link), Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said today that Mincey will be fined for each day of camp he misses, and the team won’t discuss a new deal as long as he’s absent.
- Having locked up linebacker Ryan Kerrigan to a long-term extension, Washington figures to focus on left tackle Trent Williams next. Head coach Jay Gruden confirmed today that Williams, who is entering the final year of his current deal, is in talks with the team about a new contract, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times.