Latest On LeSean McCoy
4:02pm: Philadelphia’s District Attorney’s office is moving deliberately, not wanting to rush into anything, so a decision on possible arrest warrants for McCoy and his companions isn’t expected to happen until next week, sources tell John Gonzalez of NBC10 and CSNPhilly.com.
THURSDAY, 9:13am: A high-ranking Philadelphia police official tells ESPN’s Mark Schwarz that there may not be a decision or an announcement made on a possible arrest warrant for McCoy today. According to the official, the D.A.’s office wants to be thorough before determining potential charges.
Additionally, Jack McMahon tells ESPN that he has withdrawn as McCoy’s attorney, and that the running back will instead be represented by attorney Larry Krasner.
WEDNESDAY, 2:10pm: Bills running back LeSean McCoy, accused of assaulting off-duty Philadelphia police officers earlier this week, is expected to be charged within the next day or two for his involvement in the incident, according to 6 ABC Action News in Philadelphia. Sources tell Action News that arrest warrants related to the case will likely be issued either Wednesday or Thursday.
According to the Action News report, police investigators have sent the results of their investigation to the District Attorney’s office, and have recommended criminal charges, including aggravated assault. It’s not clear whether McCoy and all three of his companions will face the same charges, but the off-duty officers involved in the altercation are not expected to be charged, per Action News.
Depending on how the case plays out, McCoy could be facing discipline from the NFL, in addition to possible prosecution from the legal system. For the time being though, with the offseason underway, there’s no need for the league or the Bills to place the running back on paid leave, since all players are essentially on unpaid leave at this time of year.
If they want to, the Bills could cut McCoy, but based on how they’ve handled run-ins with the law before – such as the arrest of offensive line coach Aaron Kromer last summer – the team likely won’t rush into any decisions. McCoy’s $4.8MM base salary for 2016 is not yet fully guaranteed, but there’s still enough prorated bonus money left on his contract that his cap charge would increase significantly if the Bills were to release him this year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
South Notes: Bucs, Cotchery, Hasselbeck
After watching Cam Newton and the Panthers win 15 games in his division in 2015, then seeing Newton run for his life against a fearsome Broncos pass rush in the Super Bowl, Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander would like to see his team make an effort this offseason to add some more defensive players capable of wreaking havoc in opposing backfields.
“We need to get some more guys to, you know, to get some push on the quarterback,” Alexander said during an appearance on WDAE-AM 620 (link via JoeBucsFan.com). “I think that’s what we’re going to be drafting this year, defensive ends. We had great defensive ends this year, but we need a little more help. So whoever we can get, you know, we’re going to need that pressure to get Cam and, you know, try to get to the Super Bowl this season.”
As general manager Jason Licht takes Alexander’s recommendations under consideration, let’s check in on some other updates from around the NFL’s South divisions….
- Thursday is the day that the contracts for Panthers wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and safety Roman Harper void, so both players will officially become free agents when the new league year begins, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. For his part, Cotchery said this week that he’s not sure what his future holds, but he has only positive things to say about the two years he has spent in Carolina (link via Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review).
- By the end of his 2015 campaign with the Colts, Matt Hasselbeck was pretty banged up, but the veteran quarterback said today during an appearance on 710 ESPN Seattle that he’s “strongly leaning toward” playing another season (Twitter link via Brady Henderson of 710 ESPN Seattle). Hasselbeck is an unrestricted free agent, so if he does continue his NFL career, there’s no guarantee that will happen in Indianapolis.
- The agent for veteran guard Jahri Evans, who was released by the Saints this week, said on SportsRadio 94 WIP today that New Orleans asked Evans to take a pay cut to remain with the team, but his client wasn’t willing to do that for the second consecutive year (Twitter link via Matt Moscona of ESPN New Orleans). Evans signed a new contract last April that reduced his salary for 2016.
Vontaze Burfict’s Three-Game Ban Upheld
Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict‘s three-game suspension has been upheld, reports Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Graziano, Burfict’s appeal was heard by appeals officer – and former Pro Bowl linebacker – Derrick Brooks. The hearing took place prior to the Super Bowl, tweets Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
[RELATED: Vontaze Burfict suspended three games]
We heard earlier today that Burfict was expected to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell sometime within the next week to discuss the discipline from the league. In fact, that meeting took place on Thursday, after the decision on the linebacker’s appeal had already been made, according to Graziano (Twitter links), who reports that Burfict’s agent, head coach Marvin Lewis, and NFL executive Troy Vincent were also present.
Since Brooks had already made his ruling on Burfict’s appeal, today’s meeting was more about discussing Burfict’s behavior, addressing how to avoid further problems and violations going forward, says Graziano.
Prior to receiving his suspension last month, Burfict was reportedly fined for safety-related violations four times in 2015, including a $50K fine for unnecessarily contacting an opponent who was out of the play in Cincinnati’s Week 17 game against the Ravens. That play, which can be viewed here, saw Maxx Williams run a route in the end zone and get drilled, even though the ball was nowhere near him.
The tipping point for Burfict came in Cincinnati’s Wild Card loss against the Steelers, when he committed a personal foul penalty on wide receiver Antonio Brown, hitting him in the head at the end of play late in the fourth quarter. The 15-yard penalty played a key part in the Bengals ultimately losing that game and being eliminated from the playoffs.
The Bengals’ schedule for the 2016 season isn’t yet known, but Burfict won’t be eligible to come off the reserve/suspended list until Week 4.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC North Notes: Burfict, Browns, Suisham
Shortly after word broke a month ago that Vontaze Burfict would face a three-game suspension for repeated on-field safety violations, reports indicated that the Bengals linebacker would meet with commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss the penalty. That meeting, which Burfict hopes will help get his suspension reduced, hasn’t happened yet, but it’s set to take place within the next week, according to Coley Harvey and James Walker of ESPN.com.
Here’s more from out of the AFC North:
- Browns director of football research Ken Kovash has received a promotion from the team, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). The team is still determining his new title, but Kovash is expected to help new VP of player personnel Andrew Berry run the Browns’ scouting department.
- Chris Boswell converted 29 of 32 field goal tries for the Steelers in 2015, but veteran kicker Shaun Suisham, who spent the season on IR, fully intends to reclaim his job this year, as he tells Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “The first thing I need to do is get healthy,” said Suisham, who continues to recover from a torn ACL. “If I’m healthy, I think I will be in good position to get my old job back.”
- Few NFL teams restructure contracts as frequently as the Steelers do, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, who takes an in-depth look at why Pittsburgh is constantly moving around money, how it benefits the club, and how it can backfire as well.
- Hue Jackson‘s first major challenge will be carrying out a culture change in the Browns‘ locker room, Bud Shaw of Cleveland.com writes. Shaw wonders if the Browns will now put more emphasis on character in the draft now that Jackson is part of the organization.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Justin Tuck Announces Retirement
FEBRUARY 11: During an appearance on Big Blue Kickoff Live, Tuck said he plans to sign a one-day contract to retire as a Giant, tweets Lance Medow of the Giants’ Radio Network.
FEBRUARY 1: After playing 11 NFL seasons, veteran defensive end Justin Tuck has decided to call it a career, according to Mike Garafaolo of FOX Sports, who reports that Tuck will be retiring. The 32-year-old confirmed his decision on Facebook, and in comments to Garafolo.
“It’s been like a tug of war, and finally the rope broke,” Tuck said of his decision on whether or not to end his playing career. “And where I fell was retirement.”
Tuck’s final NFL season in 2015 was cut short due a torn right pectoral muscle, which landed him on the injured reserve list last October. Unlike Ravens wideout Steve Smith, who reconsidered his plan to retire once he suffered a season-ending surgery, Tuck isn’t determined to play one more healthy season before moving on to the next stage of his career — even though he thinks he’s capable of doing it.
“Physically, I feel like I can play with the best of them,” Tuck said. “It’s hilarious I got hurt on the most fluky play ever, but it’s part of it and maybe that was God trying to tell me something. I’m looking forward to being able to do something else.”
A third-round pick back in 2005, Tuck didn’t play much for the Giants during his first two seasons, but racked up 10 sacks as a part-time player in 2007, and then earned All-Pro honors in 2008, when he recorded 12 sacks and three forced fumbles. The Notre Dame product, who won two Super Bowls with the Giants, contributing to a pass rush that helped limit Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense during those games, spent nine years in New York before spending the last two with the Raiders.
For his career, Tuck appeared in 147 total regular-season games, including 127 for the Giants. He totaled 66.5 career sacks, getting into double-digits in four separate seasons, including his final year with the Giants in 2013. The two-time Pro Bowler also picked up 5.5 sacks in the postseason, with four of those sacks coming in Super Bowls against the Pats.
Despite enjoying his time in Oakland, Tuck, who would have been a free agent this offseason, admitted that a return to the Giants might have been the only scenario in which he continued his career in 2016. However, the Giants made his decision easier when they made a coaching change at season’s end.
“If Coach (Tom) Coughlin would’ve come back another year, I probably would’ve (considered) coming back,” Tuck told Garafolo. “I didn’t even venture down that road. I think I would’ve given a lot of consideration to it.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Giants Hire Ex-Lions GM Martin Mayhew
The Giants have added a former general manager to their front office today, announcing in a press release that they’ve hired Martin Mayhew as their director of football operations/special projects. It’s Mayhew’s first job since the Lions let him go from his GM position in November.
According to the Giants’ announcement, Mayhew will work closely with assistant general manager Kevin Abrams on cap issues and contract negotiations. Mayhew will also handle special projects assigned by GM Jerry Reese.
The Lions and Giants essentially completed a swap of front office executives, since Mayhew is replacing former Giants director of football operations Matt Harriss. The Lions signed Harris, who is expected to play a significant role in managing the team’s salary cap, as their VP of football administration last month.
Mayhew, who was named the Lions’ permanent GM in 2008, spent 15 years in total with the franchise, and had his ups and downs during his time in Detroit. The team earned postseason berths in 2011 and 2014, but never made it out of the first round during Mayhew’s tenure as GM, and finished below .500 in all of his non-playoff seasons.
Before he was hired by the Giants, Mayhew also interviewed for the Titans’ general manager job in January, and was reportedly considered for a football operations job in the Browns’ front office.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Rumors: L.A., Irvin, Bailey, Morgan
In a terrific piece for ESPN The Magazine and Outside The Lines, Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. provide an in-depth timeline for how the Rams‘ move to Los Angeles played out, describing the process as having turned into an “open war” among NFL owners, many of whom would have preferred to see the Chargers‘ and Raiders‘ Carson plan approved.
The story is chock-full of fascinating details, and is worth reading in its entirety. However, one of the most intriguing items relates to the Raiders — according to the ESPN duo, most team owners wanted to avoid having the Raiders return to Los Angeles, in part because there were concerns about Al Davis‘ burned bridges, and local gangs co-opting team apparel. Those reservations ran so deep, the report suggests, that some owners wouldn’t even consider the Carson proposal.
If that’s true, one has to wonder if the league will allow the Raiders to make the move to Los Angeles a year from now, if the Chargers are ultimately able to work out a deal to remain in San Diego, passing their L.A. option onto Mark Davis and the Raiders. It’s believed that the same deal agreed to by the Chargers would be on the table for the Raiders, but we’ll have to wait to see if that’s indeed the case.
Here’s more out of the NFL’s West divisions:
- It is believed to be “highly unlikely” that the Seahawks will re-sign or franchise Bruce Irvin before he becomes a free agent next month, says Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Assuming he does, in fact, reach the open market, Irvin is on track for a big payday, according to Florio, who suggests that the linebacker should easily surpass $10MM as teams prioritize pass rushers.
- Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said in December that wide receiver Stedman Bailey, who was shot in the head twice last fall, likely wouldn’t play football again. However, Bailey isn’t willing to call it a career quite yet. Although he acknowledges the health risks and says that he doesn’t want to risk further serious injury to his head, Bailey will try to “continue to live out my dream,” he says in a YouTube video (link via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).
- Former NFL wide receiver Josh Morgan accidentally shot himself with a loaded gun and was charged with misdemeanor reckless use of a firearm, according to TMZ Sports. Morgan, who was selected by the 49ers in the sixth round of the 2008 draft, spent seven seasons in the NFL with San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Brees, Haden, Others Get Salary Guarantees
Several NFL players are on contracts containing language stating that they’ll get a full or partial salary guarantee for the 2016 season if they remained on their respective teams beyond the third day after this year’s Super Bowl. That third day came and went on Wednesday, and while not every player with a guarantee deadline locked in that money – Nate Allen was cut by the Raiders, while Dannell Ellerbe reworked his deal with New Orleans – most of those guys had their contracts remain untouched.
Per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com, here are the players who were assured of full or partial salary guarantees for 2016 after remaining under contract on Wednesday:
- Drew Brees, QB (Saints): $10.85MM of $19.75MM base salary for 2016 now fully guaranteed. This gives Brees a little extra leverage in contract negotiations with the Saints, but doesn’t drastically change his outlook — he’ll be back in New Orleans next season, likely with an extension in hand.
- Joe Haden, CB (Browns): $10.1MM base salary for 2016 now fully guaranteed. Concussion issues wiped out most of the 2015 season for Haden, but he was in no real danger of being cut before this amount – previously guaranteed for injury only – became fully guaranteed.
- Jairus Byrd, S (Saints): $7.4MM base salary for 2016 now fully guaranteed. So far, Byrd hasn’t exactly lived up to the massive deal he signed with New Orleans two years ago, but there’s still so much dead money left on it that it makes sense for the team to keep him around.
- Curtis Lofton, LB (Raiders): $3.5MM of $5.35MM base salary for 2016 now fully guaranteed. Lofton’s first year in Oakland certainly wasn’t his best, and the Raiders could’ve cleared his entire salary from their books if they’d cut him along with Allen, but the team has so much excess cap room that it can afford to bring back the veteran linebacker and hope for a better season.
While there are a few more contract guarantees to keep an eye on in February, including several for Seahawks players, most guarantee dates arrive in March, at – or shortly after – the start of the new league year. So we shouldn’t expect to see many teams cutting players to narrowly beat those guarantee deadlines for at least a few more weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints Restructure Dannell Ellerbe’s Contract
8:36am: According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Saints have made the following adjustments to Ellerbe’s contract for 2016:
- Reduced base salary from $4.1MM to $1.7MM (fully guaranteed, per Aaron Wilson)
- Reduced roster bonus from $1MM to $750K (guaranteed for skill and injury, per Wilson)
- Reduced workout bonus from $100K to $50K
- Added $700K in playing-time incentives
Taking into account Ellerbe’s $700K in prorated bonus money, it looks like New Orleans trimmed the linebacker’s cap hit for 2016 from $5.9MM to $3.2MM, as Wilson tweets. That number would increase if Ellerbe earns some of his incentives, but for now, it looks like those won’t count against the cap.
Ellerbe’s 2017 year will now feature the same contract terms as 2016, but that year could be voided if he plays 80% of the Saints’ defensive snaps this year, says Yates.
11:32am: The Saints won’t release linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, but have restructured his contract to reduce his 2016 cap hit, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. The details of Ellerbe’s reworked deal aren’t yet known, but the veteran linebacker almost certainly agreed to a pay cut as part of the move.
[RELATED: Saints cut Jahri Evans, David Hawthorne, Ramon Humber]
Ellerbe, who was acquired by New Orleans last March in the trade that sent Kenny Stills to the Dolphins, was limited to six games in his first season as a Saint due to nagging toe and hip injuries. The team apparently saw enough in those games to want him back for 2016, however, so Ellerbe didn’t meet the same fate as fellow linebackers David Hawthorne and Ramon Humber, who became cap casualties earlier this week.
Ellerbe had been set to count for $5.9MM against the cap in 2016, including a $4.1MM base salary. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com details, that salary was initially guaranteed for injury only, but would have become fully guaranteed today if the Saints had kept the 30-year-old on their roster without adjusting his contract.
Here are a few more Saints-related notes for Wednesday:
- Referring to the last time the Saints and Drew Brees negotiated a contract as a point of reference, Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune says the quarterback will be a tough adversary this offseason, if and when the club enters contract talks with him.
- In a separate Times-Picayune piece, Woodbery explores what a new (and potentially final) contract for Brees might look like, writing that it’s “hard to imagine Brees’ camp seeking anything lower than $20MM a year.” The fact that the veteran QB currently counts for $30MM against the 2016 cap gives him leverage, since a 2017 franchise tag would be unpalatable for the Saints.
- In a piece focusing on the three NFL teams with the worst salary cap situations, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com discusses the Saints, referring to Brees’ $30MM cap charge as “the elephant in the room.” Corry suggests New Orleans ought to restructure Cameron Jordan‘s contract, and adds that it may be time for the club to part ways with longtime Saints Marques Colston and Zach Strief.
Broncos Notes: V. Miller, M. Jackson, Manning
Broncos general manager John Elway commended first-year Denver coach – and Elway’s former backup – Gary Kubiak for the way he handled the team’s awkward quarterback situation down the stretch, as Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post writes.
“Handing those type of situations are probably the hardest things that a head coach has to deal with, and that’s where Gary did such a tremendous job,” Elway said. “The way that he handled that process, the way that he communicated to his team — it’s a touchy situation, and it’s tough for the quarterbacks, too.
“You look at the things that Peyton [Manning] was going through, but also what Brock [Osweiler] went through. We wouldn’t have done what we did without both of those guys. They’re both to be commended, and ultimately it was Gary making that call as far as what his gut told him to do. To me, those are the things that make good coaches great, is to have that ability to make that call.”
Here’s more out of Denver:
- A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the exclusive franchise tag for linebackers is currently on track to be worth $14.04MM. That number’s not set in stone, and neither is the non-exclusive figure, but early estimates have the two amounts looking pretty similar, meaning there would be no downside for the Broncos using the exclusive tag on Von Miller. That exclusive designation would allow Denver to prevent Miller from negotiating with other teams, while not necessarily costing the Broncos any extra money.
- Asked during an appearance on PFT Live about the possibility of re-signing with the Broncos, Malik Jackson said, “For me, I would love to say here and just continue with my boys, continue this run with them and try to get another one with this defense. It is a business, so we’ll see what happens.“
- Although most observers and fans expect Manning to retire this offseason, Broncos teammate DeMarcus Ware doesn’t think the future Hall-of-Famer necessarily has to call it a career, as NFL.com’s Kevin Patra writes. “I don’t know,” Ware said on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “But I just know that him winning this game put him out on top. If he is going to do it this year, it’s certainly a great time to do it. But if he wants to play a little bit more I feel like he still has a little bit in the tank.”
- If Manning does retire this offseason, he’s capable of immediately stepping into a general manager role with an NFL team, former Colts president Bill Polian said during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (link via Dana Hunsinger Benbow of the Indianapolis Star). “He knew the strengths and weaknesses of every player on every defense in the AFC and many on offense, because he met them and got to know them at the Pro Bowl and soaked up information,” Polian said of Manning, whom he observed first-hand for more than a decade in Indianapolis. “He is a football nerd, as am I. He’s more than prepared to do that job.”
Zach Links contributed to this post.