Latest On Jason Pierre-Paul
4;42pm: Don’t expect Pierre-Paul to sign his franchise tag until he’s ready to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) cautions. The Giants can’t place him on the Non-Football Injury list until he inks a deal. Rapoport adds (link) that the two sides haven’t ruled out JPP playing in Week 1. Of course, no one will know his timetable until more is known about his hand.
Meanwhile, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes that Giants officials have been in South Florida since Monday night but still have not been able to visit JPP. As for right now, they’re waiting patiently, hoping he’s alright.
3:48pm: The Coral Springs PD is no longer investigating Pierre-Paul, having determined the incident didn’t happen within their jurisdiction, reports J.P. Pelzman of The Record (all Twitter links). That doesn’t mean another police department won’t look into the incident, however. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets that once police determine where the incident occurred, they might proceed with an investigation.
2:56pm: According to Raanan, the Coral Springs Police Department in Florida has launched an investigation into the accident that injured Pierre-Paul’s hand. Depending on the the information they gather, JPP could face charges that include criminal possession of fireworks, writes Raanan, citing Coral Springs public information officer Capt. Brad McKeon.
10:30am: A handful of reports on Jason Pierre-Paul‘s condition and his contract situation surfaced on Monday, with some of those reports providing conflicting information. The severity of JPP’s hand injury, sustained over the weekend in a fireworks accident, remains unclear, and the team may or may not have withdrawn a $60MM contract offer in the wake of the incident.
Based on Monday’s reports, it seems likely that Pierre-Paul will ultimately play on a one-year deal in 2015, with a stint of the non-football injury list a possibility. It also appears unlikely that his hand will be 100% healthy anytime soon.
With that in mind, here are Tuesday’s latest updates on the star defensive end:
- The Giants sent their vice president of medical services, Ronnie Barnes, to Miami to check in on Pierre-Paul at Jackson Memorial Hospital, but he hasn’t been able to get much information about the 26-year-old’s condition, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. According to Vacchiano, the Giants have been stuck getting most of their updates from JPP’s agent, which is the main reason why the team has yet to issue a statement or make any definitive decisions. In response to a report indicating the defensive end could miss some of the regular season, one team source told Vacchiano, “Until we know what we’re dealing with, nobody knows if he’ll miss anything.”
- One team source told Vacchiano that yesterday’s report on the Giants pulling a $60MM to JPP off the table was “not accurate,” suggesting that there may not have been a concrete offer to rescind. A deal in the $60MM range may have been discussed, but some in the NFL believe Pierre-Paul was seeking more than that.
- Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post, who first refuted the report of the rescinded contract offer, hears that there’s still a multiyear offer on the table, but that Pierre-Paul is unlikely to accept it. If that’s true, I can’t imagine that offer represents a fair market value for an injured JPP, let alone a healthy one.
- Giants officials are in Miami today to visit Pierre-Paul and hope to have a better idea of how he’s faring by the end of the day, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jordan Raanan of NJ.com adds (via Twitter) that the Giants’ contingent include key figures in the organization, not including owner John Mara.
- If Pierre-Paul signs his franchise tender and is placed on the non-football injury list for the start of the regular season, he’d have to sit out at least six weeks. As such, JPP’s best move may be to not sign his tender until he’s healthy, since that would allow him to be activated immediately, says Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Of course, that decision will depend heavily on the 26-year-old’s recovery timetable.
- In a piece for NJ.com, Raanan explains how the NFI list works, and how its features would apply to JPP.
Cole’s Latest: Pierre-Paul, Jets, Hardy
Nearly two weeks ago, I identified a number of NFL storylines worth watching during the break between June minicamps and the start of training camps. Among those topics? Jason Pierre-Paul and his fellow franchised players, extension candidates like Muhammad Wilkerson, and suspension appeals for players like Greg Hardy. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report delves into all three of those storylines today, so let’s round up the highlights:
- According to Cole (video link), the Giants believe that Pierre-Paul “dodged a bullet” and that the hand injury he sustained over the weekend could’ve been worse. The team believes at this time that there’s no nerve damage in JPP’s hand that can’t be recovered from. However, the defensive end will likely undergo a skin graft procedure on his hand – if he hasn’t already – which is an uncommon health issue for an NFL player. Per Cole, the Giants are prepared to place Pierre-Paul on the non-football injury list to start the season, if necessary, which would sideline him for the first six weeks. We rounded up the rest of today’s JPP updates right here.
- Even before the NFL announced that Sheldon Richardson would be suspended for four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, the Jets were concerned about eventually getting him locked up to an extension, says Cole (video link). The team considers Richardson a better player than Wilkerson, and initially preferred to extend Richardson, but his suspension, along with concern about his potential salary demands, may make Wilkerson the more likely extension candidate.
- Cole (video link) hears from sources close to Hardy that the Cowboys defensive end is losing his will to fight the NFL in regard to his 10-game suspension, having been worn down by a long legal process. If Hardy’s appeal results in his ban being reduced by two or four games, he may be willing to accept the penalty rather than continuing to fight the NFL by filing a lawsuit against the league.
Largest 2015 Cap Hits By Team: AFC South
Before NFL training camps get underway later this month, we’ll be taking a closer look at the top 2015 cap hits for teams around the league. We began our series in June by focusing on the NFC East and AFC East divisions, and last week we looked at the NFC North, AFC North, and NFC South. Today, we’ll head back to the AFC to examine the South division.
Listed below are the top 10 cap hits for the coming season for each of the four AFC South franchises, accompanied by some observations on the spending habits of those clubs. Let’s dive in….
Houston Texans:
- J.J. Watt, DL: $13,969,000
- Johnathan Joseph, CB: $11,750,000
- Duane Brown, LT: $9,500,000
- Arian Foster, RB: $8,706,250
- Brian Cushing, LB: $7,891,250
- Kareem Jackson, CB: $7,453,125
- Andre Johnson, WR: $7,319,585 (dead money)
- Brian Hoyer, QB: $5,218,750
- Jadeveon Clowney, DE/OLB: $5,062,045
- Derek Newton, RT: $4,500,000
Total: $81,370,005
Not many players have an interior defensive lineman atop their list of cap hits, but no other team has an interior defensive lineman that has the same impact on the field that Watt does. Without a top quarterback to pay, the Texans are able to devote a significant chunk of cap space to defensive players like Watt. Of course, the All-Pro had originally been slated to have an even higher cap number in 2015 before a restructure reduced that figure by $8MM.
Joseph, Cushing, and Jackson are the notable defenders besides Watt taking up sizable pieces of cap room, and their performances will go a long way to determining how the Houston defense performs this season, and what sort of value the Texans are getting out of their top 10 cap hits.
Cushing stayed mostly healthy in 2014 after missing more games than he played in 2012 and 2013, but it wasn’t one of his better seasons. Joseph, meanwhile, has been effective but perhaps overpriced — an extension this offseason added two seasons to his contract at a rate of $7MM per year, which is a more reasonable rate. As for Jackson, he re-upped with the Texans in the offseason, so this will be the first year of his new deal with the team.
Indianapolis Colts:
- Vontae Davis, CB: $11,250,000
- Andre Johnson, WR: $7,500,000
- Robert Mathis, OLB: $7,470,586
- Anthony Castonzo, LT: $7,438,000
- Arthur Jones, DL: $7,100,000
- Andrew Luck, QB: $7,034,363
- Trent Cole, OLB: $6,953,125
- Gosder Cherilus, RT: $6,900,000
- Greg Toler, CB: $5,833,334
- D’Qwell Jackson, LB: $5,750,000
Total: $73,229,408
With only one player on the roster whose cap hit exceeds $7.5MM, the Colts have loaded up on players in that $5MM-7.5MM range — everyone but Davis on this list is separated by a mere $1.75MM. Of course, some of those players will likely eventually have to take pay cuts or be released when Luck’s big payday arrives, but for now, the fact that the former No. 1 pick remains on his rookie contract allows the Colts to surround him with several mid-level investments.
Of course, one reason the Colts were able to add several of these players at reasonable prices is that many are likely past their primes. Mathis is 34, Cole will turn 33 in October, and Jackson will turn 32 in September. Those veterans are expected to be key contributors on defense, and if their performances don’t match up to their salaries, we could see them become release candidates a year from now.
The other noteworthy veteran on this list is Johnson, who shows up on two separate top-10 lists in the AFC South, since he’s still counting for over $7MM in dead money on the Texans’ cap. The standout receiver will turn 34 later this week. However, taking into account the numbers he has posted in recent years in Houston while playing with mediocre quarterbacks, it’s not hard to see why the Colts were willing to commit a decent portion of cap room to him this year to see what he can do with Luck.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
- Julius Thomas, TE: $10,300,000
- Jared Odrick, DL: $9,000,000
- Jermey Parnell, RT: $8,000,000
- Paul Posluszny, LB: $6,885,416
- Davon House, CB: $6,500,000
- Luke Joeckel, LT: $5,782,254
- Sen’Derrick Marks, DT: $5,425,000
- Zane Beadles, G: $5,000,000
- Chris Clemons, DE: $5,000,000
- Blake Bortles, QB: $4,694,273
Total: $66,586,943
The first few names on the Jaguars’ list of top 10 cap hits reads like a who’s-who of the team’s offseason free agent signings. Thomas, Odrick, Parnell, and House all headed to Jacksonville as free agents in March, while Posluszny reworked his deal with the club.
Most of the time, cap numbers for newly-signed players start small before increasing in the later years of their contracts, but the huge amount of cap room Jacksonville held heading into the offseason allowed the team to frontload those deals — the 2015 cap numbers for those four free agent signees all exceed the annual values of their contracts. In 2016, their combined cap hits will total $27.8MM, as opposed to $33.8MM this year.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Jaguars’ free agent class performs in 2015, since players like Parnell and House weren’t even starters for their old teams. But, like every other team in the AFC South, Jacksonville isn’t currently devoting big bucks to its quarterback, which gives the club the flexibility to roll the dice on these players with upside. If they don’t pan out, they’ll be gone long before Bortles reaches his second contract.
Tennessee Titans:
- Jason McCourty, CB: $8,600,000
- Andy Levitre, G: $8,600,000
- Michael Griffin, S: $8,100,000
- Jurrell Casey, DL: $6,720,000
- Delanie Walker, TE: $5,275,000
- Sammie Lee Hill, DT: $4,666,668
- Brian Orakpo, OLB: $4,468,750
- Derrick Morgan, OLB: $4,000,000
- Da’Norris Searcy, S: $3,625,000
- Ropati Pitoitua, DL: $3,612,500
Total: $57,667,918
No team that we’ve examined in our series so far has a smaller No. 1 cap charge than the Titans, whose $8.6MM figures for McCourty and Levitre pale in comparison to some other cap hits around the league — you could triple that number and still not match Drew Brees‘ $26.4MM, for instance. The lack of an eight-digit cap hit for any player ensures that the Titans’ top 10 players count for only about $57.67MM overall against the cap, which is also easily the lowest figure we’ve encountered so far.
With nearly $26MM in cap room still remaining, the Titans have more space than every other NFL team except the Jaguars, and it’s a little curious that the Titans didn’t emulate their division rivals when it comes to structuring free agent contracts. Orakpo, Morgan, and Searcy all signed free agent deals with Tennessee this spring, but those contracts aren’t nearly as frontloaded as Jacksonville’s. That trio will count for $20.785MM against the Titans’ 2016 cap, nearly doubling their combined total for 2015.
Of course, there’s one notable name missing from this list, as first-round pick Marcus Mariota has yet to sign his rookie deal with the Titans. As the second overall pick, Mariota will be in line for a 2015 cap number of $4,402,541 when he eventually signs his contract, which would place him eighth on this list, bumping off Pitoitua.
Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Dez Bryant Updates: Tuesday
We’re eight days away from this year’s deadline for franchised players to reach multiyear contract agreements with their current teams, and if there’s one player who seems most likely to work something out with his club, it may be Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant. Although some reports have suggested there hasn’t been much progress made between the two sides, Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan indicated last week that the Cowboys and Bryant were “comfortable” with the state of the negotiations, suggesting there’s a good chance of a deal before the July 15 deadline.
Here’s the latest on the Bryant situation:
- Echoing Fisher’s report, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) continues to hear that a new deal for Bryant isn’t out of the question this week. La Canfora expects things to continue evolving between the wide receiver and the Cowboys star, with a possible conclusion by mid-week. On Sunday, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report noted that owner Jerry Jones and son Stephen Jones will be out of the country until July 10 or 11, which could theoretically hold up the deal.
- Bryant’s situation has become the most fluid of the franchise-player negotiations, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While Florio doesn’t rule out the possibility of the Cowboys locking up their Pro Bowl receiver soon, he notes that – for now at least – there are no tangible signs that a deal is imminent.
- Pointing to Calvin Johnson as an example, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com explains why Bryant may want to cash in on a long-term extension now rather than going year to year. The Lions paid their star receiver $16.2MM annually coming off a season in which he posted nearly 1,700 yards, and while he topped that number in the first year of his new deal, Johnson’s production has declined over the last two seasons. As Seifert observes, some decline is to be expected for receivers at that stage of their careers, so signing a multiyear pact now may represent Bryant’s best opportunity to maximize his earnings.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Community Tailgate: 7/6/2015
We’re still more than two months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
The topic of the day in the NFL world has been the fallout from Jason Pierre-Paul‘s fireworks accident over the weekend, which resulted in a hand injury for the star defensive end. The severity of that injury isn’t yet known, though various reports have revealed a few details — JPP reportedly burned the flesh off his hand and fingertips, and has been in the hospital for two days. However, his injuries aren’t believed to be career-threatening, and he isn’t expected to lose any fingers.
The Giants know enough about the incident to have pulled a $60MM contract offer for Pierre-Paul off the table, according to a report today from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. While the injury clearly plays a significant part in that decision, the poor judgment Pierre-Paul showed in putting himself in such a position probably factored into the move as well.
With a long-term offer for JPP not currently on the table, it looks increasingly likely that he’ll have to accept his one-year franchise tender and play out the 2015 season on that deal. The 26-year-old may also forfeit some pay if he has to spend time on the non-football injury list. Earlier this afternoon, I laid out a few potential scenarios for Pierre-Paul and the Giants, with the July 15 deadline for a multiyear contract looming large.
Since we don’t have many definitive details on Pierre-Paul’s injury yet, it’s hard to definitively say one way or the other how the Giants should handle the situation. Still, let’s say what we’ve heard so far is accurate, and the injury isn’t career-threatening, but could force the pass rusher to miss some time this season.
How should the Giants handle Pierre-Paul’s contract situation? Do you think this is an opportunity for the team to buy low and pursue a multiyear extension at a reduced rate? Should they simply play it safe and let JPP sign his one-year tender? Or would you remove his $14.813MM franchise tag altogether, trying to re-sign him at a lesser rate while risking the possibility of losing him to another team?
Weigh in below with your thoughts and opinions in the comment section. We’re looking forward to hearing what you have to say!
Extra Points: Rice, Mariota, McQuillan
The July 4th holiday weekend is behind us, which means we’re inching slightly closer to the start of NFL training camps. As we continue to count down the days until the 2015 preseason gets underway, let’s round up a few odds and ends from around the league….
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk checks in on Ray Rice, noting that the running back still hasn’t drawn interest from NFL teams, eight months after his indefinite suspension was overturned.
- As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk observes, it’s odd that offsets are the holdup between the Titans and unsigned first-rounder Marcus Mariota, since the chances of offsets becoming relevant before the end of Mariota’s rookie contract are extremely slim.
- Most players who enter the supplemental draft don’t get picked, but former UConn tight end Sean McQuillan – one of seven prospects eligible for this Thursday’s draft – isn’t lacking for confidence, writes Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant. “First of all, I’m going to make it, and second of all, there isn’t a backup plan,” McQuillan said. “I’m confident I’m going to be able to do this thing. I’m prepared for this. I’m going to show them I’m athletic, I’m versatile, I can do a bunch of different things. I’m confident and I’m ready for this next step, so I haven’t thought about anything else.”
- In his list of the three most team-friendly veteran wide receiver contracts in the NFL, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap lists all AFC players: Julian Edelman of the Patriots, Emmanuel Sanders of the Broncos, and Antonio Brown of the Steelers.
- Former Auburn running back Onterio McCalebb started his career with the Bengals as a cornerback, but the team is trying him at wide receiver this summer, as Mark Inabinett of AL.com details.
Giants Withdraw $60MM Offer For JPP
1:46pm: Despite withdrawing their long-term contract offer, the Giants aren’t currently considering rescinding the franchise tag from JPP, a source tells Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Vacchiano acknowledges that stance could change within the next few days as more details of Pierre-Paul’s injury become known, but I’d be surprised if the team withdrew that tag, since it would allow the defensive end to sign anywhere.
Vacchiano also hears from a Giants source that there’s “no chance” the two sides will get a long-term deal done by the July 15 deadline.
1:00pm: According to Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (via Twitter), about $30MM of the Giants’ offer would’ve been guaranteed. It’s not clear if that entire amount would’ve been fully guaranteed, or if a chunk of it would’ve been guaranteed for injury only.
12:28pm: In the wake of the hand injury suffered by Jason Pierre-Paul over the weekend, the Giants have withdrawn their long-term contract offer to the star defensive end, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, citing three sources informed of the situation. According to Rapoport, the proposal was worth $60MM.
Rapoport doesn’t specify how many years the Giants’ offer was for, but five years and $60MM sounds about right to me — I doubt the team would’ve gone as high as $60MM over four years with the deadline still weeks away. Six years is a possibility, but considering the franchise tag would’ve paid JPP nearly $15MM for one year, $10MM annually seems a little low. Of course, regardless of how many years the proposal was for, it’s possible it didn’t feature much guaranteed money or a player-friendly structure.
In any case, that $60MM offer is no longer on the table, according to Rapoport, who says that the Giants don’t believe a long-term offer is “in the best interest of those involved at this point,” given the timing of the incident and the apparent judgment displayed. Per Rapoport, the 26-year-old hadn’t been planning to accept the team’s offer prior to next Wednesday’s deadline anyway, so it appears likely that he’ll end up signing the club’s one-year, $14.813MM offer, unless it’s withdrawn as well.
Earlier today, I examined a few possibilities for how the situation between Pierre-Paul and the Giants could play out, noting that any scenario involving JPP becoming an unrestricted free agent seems unlikely. If the veteran pass rusher signs his one-year franchise tender, the club could ultimately elect to place him on the non-football injury list until he’s recovered. In that event, New York wouldn’t necessarily have to pay JPP his full salary.
The Giants are still looking into Pierre-Paul’s hand injury to determine the specifics and the possible short- and long-term effects. If the injury is determined to not be as serious as initially feared, it could change New York’s stance on a contract offer by July 15. One team spokesman tells Rapoport that the club’s first concern is for JPP’s well-being.
Pierre-Paul is one of four franchised players whose contract situations we’ll be watching over the next nine days. Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas, and Chiefs pass rusher Justin Houston also remain unsigned.
Scenarios For Jason Pierre-Paul, Giants
The Giants have yet to release an official statement on the injuries sustained by Jason Pierre-Paul over the weekend due to a fireworks mishap. Reports so far have indicated that Pierre-Paul’s career shouldn’t be in jeopardy, and he may still play this season. However, as Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes, the hand injury is serious enough that JPP still remains in the hospital about 36 hours or so after the accident occurred.
Raanan notes in his piece that Pierre-Paul’s long-term health trumps the football aspect of the injury at this point, and the Giants are concentrating on their player’s health and mental well-being for now. Still, considering Pierre-Paul isn’t technically under contract at this point, the injury has the potential to have a significant impact on his upcoming deal, so the situation is worth a closer look. If the injury is determined not to be as serious as initially feared, it shouldn’t hugely reduce JPP’s potential earnings, but he certainly has less leverage today than he did last week.
Here’s where the contract situation currently stands: Pierre-Paul received the franchise tag from the Giants earlier this offseason, meaning the team automatically offered him a one-year, $14.813MM contract for 2015. Because the standout defensive end didn’t immediately sign that tender, he remains a free agent, and could sign an offer sheet with another team at any time. However, any interested club would have to part with two first-round picks to land him, so that possibility is minuscule. The most likely scenarios for Pierre-Paul, prior to the injury, were either playing out the 2015 season on his one-year franchise tag or reaching a multiyear contract agreement with the Giants by the July 15 deadline.
Before word of Pierre-Paul’s injury broke, I expected the two sides to ramp up negotiations in the next week or so before ultimately agreeing to terms on a long-term extension by next Wednesday. That could still happen, but the hand injury clouds the situation a little. Here are the various scenarios that we could see play out in the coming weeks:
- Pierre-Paul, Giants reach long-term contract agreement: As noted above, this remains a possible outcome. Perhaps JPP would have to accept a minor discount, but if his recovery timetable ends up being measured in weeks or months rather than years, his overall value shouldn’t be too diminished.
- Pierre-Paul signs franchise tender: As long as the franchise tender remains on the table, Pierre-Paul can sign it and assure himself a $14MM+ salary for 2015, perhaps electing to revisit discussions on a longer-team deal after the season. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes that, because of the injury, a clause in the CBA would allow the Giants to terminate JPP’s contract and avoid paying him any of that $14MM+ salary, but that would mean making him an unrestricted free agent, which the Giants likely won’t be eager to do.
- Giants withdraw franchise tender: If the Giants were to withdraw JPP’s franchise tender before he signed it, they could attempt to negotiate a new deal with him at a lesser rate. But withdrawing that franchise tag would also allow the 26-year-old the freedom to sign anywhere, so the Giants would be taking a huge risk. There are still plenty of teams with a healthy amount of cap room who would be very interested in pursuing this sort of player if he were an unrestricted free agent.
- Giants place Pierre-Paul on non-football injury list: Another scenario detailed by Florio, this looks to me like the most probable outcome, whether or not the veteran pass rusher and the team reach a multiyear agreement. Because JPP sustained the injury while he was away from the Giants, the club would have the option to place him on the non-football injury list and not pay him until he recovers. Pierre-Paul and the NFLPA could try to fight the move, but their case would require medical evidence to show that the former first-rounder is healthy, and based on what we’ve heard over the last couple days, it doesn’t sound like that hand will fully heal anytime soon.
We’ll have to wait for official word on Pierre-Paul’s injury to know exactly how important a factor it will be in contract negotiations between the Giants and their franchise-tagged player. But for now, it’s hard to imagine the team committing a huge chunk of guaranteed money to JPP.
East Notes: Bradford, Dez, Hunter, Moffitt
Nearly four months after the Eagles acquired Sam Bradford from the Rams, some executives are still shaking their heads about the move, according to Mark Eckel of NJ.com. Eckel spoke to one top personnel exec who acknowledged that perhaps the former first overall pick would have more success under Chip Kelly, but isn’t totally sold.
“I understand they gave up on [Nick] Foles,” the executive said. “But I don’t know why they’re building up Bradford so much. I’m still confused about that whole deal. You can only talk about him being the first pick of the draft for so long. What has he done since then?”
As we wait to see how Bradford looks on a new team under a new head coach, let’s check in on a few more Monday morning items from around the league’s two East divisions….
- In a Q&A with Mike Ramczyk of MyRacineCounty.com, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was asked about Dez Bryant‘s contract situation and replied, “I think it will work out with Dez.” The star wideout and the Cowboys have until next Wednesday to strike a long-term deal — if that doesn’t happen, Bryant can only play the 2015 season on his one-year franchise-tag tender.
- Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links) passes along the details on a pair of contracts signed recently by offensive linemen, reporting that Wayne Hunter‘s deal with the Bills and John Moffitt‘s pact with the Eagles are both for one year at the minimum salary, with no guaranteed money.
- Earlier this morning, our Rob DiRe provided a recap and analysis of the Dolphins‘ 2015 offseason, which included the league’s biggest free agent signing.
Datone Jones Suspended For One Game
SATURDAY, 9:12am: The suspension will cost Jones $122,765, according to ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio.
He’ll forfeit $65,088 in base salary (1/17th of $1.106 million) and he could lose another $57,677 in signing bonus money (1/17th of his $3.922 million signing bonus).
FRIDAY, 6:35pm: Jones’ suspension likely stems from a citation for marijuana possession, reports Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. The Green Bay defensive lineman was cited for possession the day after the Packers’ overtime loss in the NFC championship game. Jones paid $880 for his January citation in Green Bay, Wis.
This incident falls into the civil ordinance category, rather than a misdemeanor or criminal conviction, Wilde reports.
THURSDAY, 2:59pm: The NFL’s pre-holiday suspension announcements continue, as defensive end Datone Jones of the Packers is the latest to be penalized by the league. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), Jones has been suspended for the first game of the 2015 season for a substance abuse violation.
Jones’ suspension is the third one announced today by the league, and it’s also the shortest of the three. Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson and Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain each received four-game bans earlier this afternoon for violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
Jones, a 2013 first rounder, suffered an ankle injury and didn’t get close to full health until the end of the year. In 2014, Jones played in 13 games and made 3 starts, racking up 27 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two pass deflections. Jones is signed through signed through 2016 and today’s news could complicate the Packers’ decision about whether or not to exercise his fifth-year option.