Jim Kelly Decides Not To Team With Bon Jovi
Although Jim Kelly recently discussed the possibility of a partnership with Jon Bon Jovi‘s Toronto-based group in an attempt to purchase the Bills, the Hall of Fame quarterback has decided not to team with the group due to lingering concerns over whether they’d try to move the franchise, reports Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. It was Graham who first reported over the weekend that the two groups had discussed the idea of partnering up.
“I can confirm that Jim Kelly met with Jon Bon Jovi, but Kelly and Jeffrey Gundlach will not be pursuing a relationship with the Toronto group,” a source told Graham in an email. “Kelly and Gundlach do not feel confident that their aspirations for keeping the Bills in Buffalo long-term are aligned with the interests of the Toronto group.”
Gundlach has been working with Kelly during the Bills’ sale process, and while it seems as if the two parties won’t make a bid for the team on their own, they’ve been working to find a larger bidder for a potential partnership. According to Graham, Jim’s brother Dan Kelly met with Donald Trump, but none of the Kellys have met with Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula, who are viewed as the frontrunners for the franchise.
Multiple sources told Graham prior to his previous report that the Kellys have asked for the following terms in any partnership: A 2% equity in the team, lifetime jobs for Jim and Dan, an up-front cash payment for their services, and final say on all football decisions. Graham’s initial report suggested that Trump wasn’t on board with those terms, so it appears that if the Kellys hope to enter a partnership with any of the bidders, they may have to compromise on one or more of those points.
King’s Latest: CBs, Bortles, Fairley, 49ers
Those defensive penalties that have plagued preseason games for the last two weeks won’t be going away once the regular season gets underway, according to vice president of officiating Dean Blandino. Blandino tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com that defensive holding and illegal contact penalties will continue to be a point of emphasis throughout the year, and that he expects coaches and teams to adjust their style of play over the next few weeks. In the second weekend of the 2014 preseason, there have been nearly nine more penalties per game than an average 2013 regular season contest, which is a number that will hurt the game if it extends into the regular season, writes King.
Here’s more from this week’s MMQB:
- King predicts that we’ll hear of several teams desperate for cornerbacks in the next week or so. “We’re going to get one,” a personnel man for one team said. “But we may have to pay a higher price than we want, or a higher price than the player deserves.” King identifies the Jets, Ravens, Lions, Colts, Vikings, and Buccaneers as teams that may be on the lookout for another corner.
- While Chad Henne may open the regular season under center for the Jaguars, the team has always planned to transition Blake Bortles into the starting role when he’s ready, regardless of how well or how poorly Henne is playing, says King. Based on how Bortles has looked so far in the preseason, that transition could end up happening sooner rather than later.
- According to King, Nick Fairley is now behind C.J. Mosley on the Lions‘ depth chart. So far, it doesn’t seem as Detroit’s decision to decline Fairley’s 2015 option as a motivational tactic has paid off for the defensive tackle or the team.
- One scout suggests the 49ers should be worried about the backup quarterback situation, and King writes that Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke may be thinking about elevating Josh Johnson to No. 2 on the depth chart after another poor performance by Blaine Gabbert.
- King praises the Bears‘ signing of wide receiver Santonio Holmes, writing that he has “no idea” why so many people view Holmes as a toxic locker-room presence — in King’s view, the veteran wideout has been “mildly disruptive,” but he’s hardly a cancer.
NFC Notes: Pead, Holmes, Giants, Sam
As the NFL preseason rolls on with a handful of Saturday night games in progress, let’s check out a few weekend items from around the NFC….
- Rams coach Jeff Fisher told reporters, including Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), that the team believes running back Isaiah Pead tore his ACL today and will be lost for the 2014 season.
- Concerns about his foot and his attitude kept Santonio Holmes on the free agent market until mid-August. However, the veteran wideout officially signed with the Bears today, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes Holmes could flourish in Marc Trestman‘s offense in Chicago, assuming he’s healthy. The club will be seeking a third receiver behind Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, after seeing Marquess Wilson suffer a clavicle injury.
- For years, the Giants have been trying different cornerbacks and safeties in the nickel back role, but after they went out and signed Walter Thurmond this offseason, they may have finally found an answer at the position, writes Newsday’s Tom Rock.
- Rams rookie Michael Sam recorded his first sack in today’s preseason game against the Packers, but undrafted defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks, who may be vying with Sam for a single roster spot, had a big game as well, as Gary Mihoces of USA Today details.
Jim Kelly, Bon Jovi Mulling Joint Bid For Bills?
With Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula looking like the clear-cut favorite to become the next owner of the Bills, a pair of groups interested in owning the team have discussed the possibility of teaming up. According to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News, Jon Bon Jovi‘s Toronto-based group has reached out within the last few days to Jim Kelly about joining forces to make a run at the Bills, and the Kelly group didn’t immediately rule out the possibility.
Bon Jovi’s group has appeared to be losing momentum recently, having reportedly submitted an unacceptably low initial bid and only being allowed to move onto the final stage of the sale process after providing assurances that they didn’t intend to move the franchise. Graham reported this week that the group is “unfocused and disorganized,” with major tension among the various involved parties.
As for Jim Kelly, his brother Dan Kelly, and the rest of their family, Graham writes that they’ve met with several potential ownership groups in the months since longtime owner Ralph Wilson passed away, but haven’t been able to strike up a partnership with any bidders yet. Multiple sources tell Graham that the Kellys have asked for the following terms in any partnership: A 2% equity in the team, lifetime jobs for Jim and Dan, an up-front cash payment for their services, and final say on all football decisions. One source tells Graham that the Kellys may be open to giving up football decision-making if they join the Bon Jovi group.
Still, while discussions may have occurred, it doesn’t appear any partnership between the two groups is imminent. For what it’s worth, Jim’s wife Jill and daughter Erin both tweeted out comments tonight suggesting that Graham’s report is inaccurate. “To think that anyone would think for a minute that Jim would ever link up with ownership that would move our beloved Bills is ludicrous,” Jill Kelly said in a separate tweet.
In response, Graham published several tweets of his own, indicating that he’s confident in his report and has “about seven sources” on the story. John Wawrow of The Associated Press added (via Twitter) that he’s heard rumblings about a potential Bon Jovi/Kelly partnership as well, though it’s unclear how far those discussions have progressed.
The Effect Of Dwayne Bowe’s Suspension
While we wait for the NFL to announce its decisions on players like Josh Gordon and Aldon Smith, who will likely face lengthy suspensions for the 2014 season, the league confirmed today that another player will be banned from his team’s Week 1 contest next month — Chiefs wideout Dwayne Bowe was suspended for a game as a result of his arrest for marijuana possession last fall.
On the surface, a one-game penalty for Bowe may not seem like a significant blow for him or his team, but as former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com points out (via Twitter), the remaining base salary guarantees on Bowe’s contract are voided as a result of his suspension. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap breaks down the specifics, writing that the 29-year-old previously had his full $8.75MM salary for 2014 guaranteed, along with $1.5MM of his $10.75MM salary for 2015. Now that he’s been suspended, those guarantees are no longer in place.
According to Fitzgerald, the elimination of the guarantee on Bowe’s 2014 salary is merely semantic — in Fitzgerald’s view, we’re so close to the start of the regular season that it won’t make a huge difference for the Chiefs, who will rely on the receiver to be one of Alex Smith‘s favorite targets this season. On the other hand, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk outlines a scenario in which the voided guarantee could create a window for Kansas City to part ways with Bowe, likely by releasing him rather than trading him.
Prior to the suspension, Bowe’s contract, which has a cap number of $12MM for the 2014 season and $14MM for 2015, would have counted as $11.75MM in dead money this year and $10.5MM in dead money for next year if the Chiefs had cut him — in other words, the cap savings would have been minimal. Now, Kansas City could release him and take a 2014 cap penalty of just $3MM ($9MM in savings), with the remaining $9MM hitting next year’s cap. As Florio points out, such a move would not only create a sizable chunk of cap space immediately for the Chiefs – perhaps making it easier to sign Smith to a long-term extension – but it could open the door for Bowe to land with a receiver-needy team like the Browns.
For now though, that line of thought appears to just be speculative. While the lack of guaranteed money on Bowe’s 2015 salary will be something to consider for the Chiefs when they decide whether to keep him the veteran wideout around beyond this season, the odds of the club releasing him in the coming weeks are slim. As Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets, as much as the Chiefs talk about liking their young wideouts, Bowe is still their No. 1 option, and cutting him would come off as a signal the club is punting on the 2014 season.
Bowe’s one-game suspension and voided guarantees will give the Chiefs something to think about as they consider their short- and long-term options at receiver. And perhaps one of the team’s other wideouts will shine in the game Bowe misses, setting the stage for a breakout season that makes the former Pro Bowler more expendable at year’s end. At the moment, however, it’s presumptuous to assume that his one-game ban will affect Bowe’s 2014 status in Kansas City.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
South Notes: Titans, Martin, Sims, Pasztor
Let’s check in on a few items from around the NFL’s two South divisions….
- The Titans inquired last week about the possibility of bringing free agent defensive lineman Vaughn Martin in for a workout, but nothing has materialized on that front yet, says Terry McCormick of 247 Sports. Martin, a former fourth-round pick who has played for the Chargers and Dolphins, inked a minimum salary deal with the Lions near the start of the free agent period, but was cut by the team in June.
- Buccaneers running back Charles Sims will undergo ankle surgery and is expected to be sidelined for 12-14 weeks, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link). That timetable means the rookie rusher could return at some point this season, so we’ll have to wait and see what the Bucs decide to do with him. The club could either keep him on the active roster, place him on injured reserve (ending his season), or make him the one IR player with the designation to return.
- Third-year offensive lineman Austin Pasztor, who was projected to start at right tackle for the Jaguars this season, has suffered a broken hand and will have surgery to repair the fracture. According to ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco, the exact timetable for Pasztor’s return isn’t yet known, but he’ll be back at some point this season — Jags coach Gus Bradley confirmed that the 23-year-old will be re-evaluated in a month. Until then, Jacksonville will have to fill his shoes at right tackle, either with an internal option or an outside addition.
Jones: No Need To Accelerate Dez Bryant Talks
Coming off a pair of seasons in which he averaged 92 receptions and 1,308 receiving yards, compiling 25 total touchdowns, Dez Bryant is entering a contract year and appears to be in line for a big extension. According to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones though, there’s no rush to accelerate contract talks with the team’s star wide receiver at this point, as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News details.
“We have Dez for several more years, as it would be under contract as well as with the league-type structure that’s available to us with the franchise [tag] and the transition [tag] and all that,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “It’s an important thing. We think Dez has made a lot of progress, but it’s something that is going to be very impactful on our team, so it’s just not necessary to move at any faster rate than we’re moving.”
Although Jones confirmed that the two sides have begun negotiating, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it’s unlikely a deal gets done before the season. A new contract for Bryant would be pricey at this point, but waiting until after the season could increase the cost even more for the Cowboys. Another huge season would increase the 25-year-old’s stock, and as Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap points out (via Twitter), other wideouts like Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones could sign extension of their own soon — if they’re awarded huge money, it would be hard for Dallas to pay Bryant any less.
As Jones notes, the franchise or transition tag is also an option for Bryant. Those franchise and transition numbers will increase a little for 2015, but in 2014, the cost of franchising a receiver was $12.312MM, a figure oft-repeated during Jimmy Graham‘s fight to be classified as a wideout. The transition figure was $10.176MM.
Pro Football Rumors On Facebook/Twitter
The NFL’s 2014 regular season debut is just three weeks away, and a significant amount of roster shuffling is expected over the next few weeks, as teams cut their 90-man rosters down to 75 players, and then to 53. There will be plenty of notable stories to track on Pro Football Rumors, and you don’t necessarily have to keep refreshing our site to keep tabs on them. There are a handful of different ways you can follow us to get the latest updates on NFL news and rumors all year.
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Minor Moves: Thursday
We’ll use this post to round up Thursday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, adding the latest moves to the top of the page throughout the day as they’re reported or announced….
- The Steelers have signed long snapper Luke Ingram, the team announced (Twitter link via Scott Brown of ESPN.com). Ingram was a 2013 undrafted free agent out of Hawaii, and spent time in Pittsburgh’s camp last summer.
Earlier updates:
- The Cowboys have officially added tight end Asa Watson, and in order to clear a roster spot, waived tight end Dallas Walker, whom Dallas added just under a month ago, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.
- The following players were released from their respective teams’ injured reserve lists with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter links): running back Ben Malena (Cowboys), defensive end Shelton Johnson (Raiders), and linebacker Marshall McFadden (Raiders).
- Raiders cornerback Jansen Watson is back on Oakland’s 90-man roster, as his exempt-left squad designation period expired, tweets Wilson.
- The Browns have filled an open roster spot, announcing today that they’ve signed linebacker Caleb McSurdy (Twitter link). A former seventh-round pick, McSurdy has yet to appear in a regular season game since being selected by the Cowboys 222nd overall in 2012.
- The Patriots‘ tight end carousel continues, with the team announcing in a press release that Ben Hartsock has been released. Hartsock was one of three tight ends signed by New England on Sunday, and of the three, only Steve Maneri remains on the roster.
- Free agent tight end Matt Veldman has signed with the Redskins, according to the team (Twitter link). Defensive end Doug Worthington is the roster casualty, having been waived to clear a spot for the newcomer.
- The Cowboys have signed defensive tackle Zach Minter and cut cornerback Korey Lindsey, per Wilson (via Twitter). Wilson adds that the team is still expected to sign tight end Asa Watson, as we heard yesterday, though a corresponding roster move will be required.
Bills Notes: Roster, Ownership, Sale
Wide receiver T.J. Graham, tight end Tony Moeaki, and linebacker Jimmy Gaines are among the players whose roster spots are in jeopardy for the Bills as August’s cutdown dates approach, writes Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News. Still, even as Buffalo prepares for the regular season, its play on the field is taking a back seat in the news these days to the sale of the franchise, so let’s check out the latest reports on that process….
- The Buffalo Fan Alliance, a Bills fan group, has discovered documents referring to Rogers Communications consultant, Roger Rai, as part of the ownership group “attempting to acquire and move the Buffalo Bills to Toronto,” writes John Wawrow of The Associated Press. The Rogers family is part of the Toronto-based group led by Jon Bon Jovi pursuing the Bills, but Rai that he’s not involved with that group, and that any references connecting him to an attempted purchase of the franchise is “a mistake on my behalf.”
- Whether or not Rai is involved, and whether or not that Toronto group wants to move the Bills to Canada, things aren’t looking particularly good for Bon Jovi and company. Tim Graham of the Buffalo News tweets that there’s “major tension” within the group lately, with the partners not getting along.
- Meanwhile, multiple sources who spoke to John Kryk of the Toronto Sun about the Toronto group’s meeting with the Bills sellers described the sitdown as “purely perfunctory.” According to Kryk, defeat for Bon Jovi’s group seems “more inevitable than ever.”
- At least two Los Angeles-based parties signed the Bills’ non-disclosure agreement, but abandoned any pursuit of the franchise once they found out how difficult it would be to relocate the team to L.A., says Graham in a story for the Buffalo News. According to Graham, philanthropist Eli Broad, who is worth an estimated $6.9 billion, was one potential suitor who signed the non-disclosure agreement but was discouraged about his chances of moving the club west.