Poll: What Should Tom Brady’s Suspension Be?
When Tom Brady was handed his four-game suspension, all signs pointed to the four-time Super Bowl Champion being guilty, even if there was some surprise to the severity of the penalties associated with DeflateGate.
However, since the suspension was announced, a lot has happened that may have changed the public opinion on the subject. Brady predictably appealed the suspension, and although the NFLPA asked Roger Goodell to recuse himself from the hearing, the commissioner refused.
When Brady and Roger sit down together on Tuesday, it will be with a load of new information since the Wells Report was released. In the past week, both the American Enterprise Institute and Science Now have published lengthy reports that have raised doubt in the accuracy and focus of Ted Wells’ findings, providing Brady’s case with reasonable doubt from a scientific and procedure standpoint.
Of course, that doesn’t nullify the evidence Wells collected via text message, video, and interviews during his investigation.
Of course, not many fans and pundits expect the appeal hearing with Goodell to completely exonerate the reigning Super Bowl MVP, but Brady could still see his suspension reduced to two games. If that happens, and especially if it stays at four, Brady and the NFLPA will have the option to further a pursue an appeal in court.
Either way, it should be interesting to see how this turns out for both Brady and the league.
In light of all the information we have now, how long should Brady’s suspension be?
NFC Mailbags: Newman, Norman, Bucs, Reed, Cowboys
Our own Sam Robinson took you through some of the AFC Mailbags earlier today. Now to give the NFC some love, here are a few of the mailbags from that other conference:
- The Vikings have been going with youth across the roster, and the secondary has been no exception with Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes slated to start on the outside. However, the team also signed 37-year-old corner Terence Newman to bring a veteran presence in the secondary, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Newman should take a little pressure of Waynes to be effective from day one.
- The Panthers will definitely put a lot of focus into extending Luke Kuechly, but David Newton of ESPN.com expects that to come next offseason. Josh Norman is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and after performing well for the team he should be a priority for an extension.
- Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com is guessing starters in his latest Buccaneers mailbag. He picks George Johnson and Jacquies Smith, Danny Lansanah as their third linebacker, and D.J. Swearinger over Chris Conte at safety.
- Kyle Van Noy and Theo Riddick are a pair of players that have uncertain roles for the Lions in 2015. Van Noy could earn a starting job at linebacker, but won’t see starter’s snaps due to the likely reliance on nickel and dime packages, according to Mike Rothstein of ESPN.com. Riddick will also likely be an afterthough at running back, but should have ample opportunities to catch passes out of the backfield and in the slot.
- With Jordan Reed‘s injuries, Washington could have used help at tight end either in free agency or the draft, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. While it is surprising, it means the team has confidence in Niles Paul, and believes contributions from the receivers and running backs catching passes could help them survive without Reed for some time.
- In our lone entry from a non-ESPN writer, Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News writes that with the versatility of Byron Jones and Corey White in the secondary, the Cowboys defense could give some very creative looks in 2015. Both players are nominally corners, but each has the ability to play safety as well, and that could let the team mix and match in the defensive backfield.
Minicamp Notes: Texans, Bengals, Browns, Lions
As minicamps break, beat writers love to write (and we all love to read) quick notes about players and position groups who are either surprising or disappointing us.
Here are a few links to some of the best stories and observations coming out of minicamps from around the league:
- The Texans minicamp has completed, and John McClain of the Houton Chronicle notes that Brian Cushing, Jadaveon Clowney, and Louis Nix all should contribute in 2015. McClain also picks Brian Hoyer as the best chance to start, although he writes that Ryan Mallett has terrific upside.
- The Bengals didn’t get immediate returns from A.J. McCarron after drifting him on Day 3 in 2014, but he is impressing the coaching staff this offseason. The team says he is developing into a starting-quality quarterback, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. However, while he isn’t an immediate threat to take the starting job, the perennially underwhelming Andy Dalton could be on a shorter leash if the coaching staff has faith in McCarron.
- Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com gives her five takeaways from Browns’ minicamp, including the how good the offensive line and secondary should be, Josh McCown emerging as the clear starter at quarterback, Johnny Manziel still being a work in progress, and the lack of a go-to receiver on the roster.
- Two players on the Lions who might contribute more than expected are rookie runing back Ameer Abdullah and second-year defensive tackle Caraun Reid, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The team comes out of minicamp high on both players, as well as their secondary, but may add a veteran tackle at some point, according to Birkett.
Rams Notes: Gurley, Cignetti, Ross, Fairley
As the St. Louis Rams look to compete in the NFC West and make the playoffs for the first time since 2003, here are a few notes from around the team heading into the summer months:
- While the Rams hope first-round pick Todd Gurley will be ready to play this season, his contract has language that protects both the player and team in case he is unable to recover from the torn ACL he suffered at Georgia, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Even if Gurley is unable to be a part of the active roster in his first two seasons, he will still receive his full salary for both years, but the Rams will be able to get out of the deal if he is unable to recover from his college injury.
- The Rams will be making changes to the offense this year without Brian Schottenheimer, but they won’t be reinventing the wheel in St. Louis with quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti as the new offensive coordinator, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “It’s like this: Coach Schottenheimer put a tremendous foundation in place here,” said Cignetti. “It’s like buying a house. The foundation’s there. What do you do? ‘Let’s remodel a couple rooms.’ So really that’s what we’ve done.”
- The Rams have brought in cornerback Aaron Ross for a workout, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Ross spent 2014 on injured reserve with the Ravens, but won two Super Bowl rings with the Giants and also spent time with the Jaguars during his NFL career.
- New addition Nick Fairley is excited for his first season in St. Louis, writes Mark Inabinett of AL.com. “I feel good being part of their defense,” said Fairley. “Just the style that they play – attack. It fits my skills, especially the D-line that they have is going to be amazing this year.” He also mentioned that he was planning on bulking up to 290 pounds in order to retain his quickness but still anchor the defensive line against the run.
Science On Brady’s Side In DeflateGate Appeal
A week after the American Enterprise Institute offered their rebuttal of the Ted Wells Report, Tom Brady is getting ammunition for his appeal from another source.
CSNNE.com writes that Rachel Ehrenberg of the Science News has published an article pokes holes in the science of the Wells Report, titled “Deflategate favored foul play over science.” She writes that the Wells Report fails to acknowledge scientific data on the allegedly doctored footballs.
According to Ehrenberg, the findings were “collected so haphazardly that they wouldn’t be allowed in a high school science fair.” The two different gauges differed in their readings by approximately 0.4 PSI, and it isn’t clear which was used before the game because that data was not recorded.
Also, while 11 of 12 Patriot footballs measured below 12.5 PSI at halftime, so did three out the four Colt footballs, according to one of the gauges.
Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com brings up an even more detailed summary of Ehrenberg’s report. Ehrenberg consulted a number of experts to recreate the conditions of the footballs from the night in question. Scientist Michael Naughton, an expert in condensed matters physics, recreated the situation in his lab at Boston College, finding numerous factors that could have led to the significant deflation.
Pittsburgh-based engineering firm HeadSmart labs also investigated the matter. The Wells Report had its experts as well, and Ehrenberg writes that video and text message evidence isn’t refuted by the science, but that Wells did not give the scientific possibility of DeflateGate it’s due.
All of this, plus the AEI report may still not be sufficient to get Brady off the hook for his four-game suspension. Earlier today, we heard from Ben Volin that there is no way Brady’s suspension is revoked, only possibly reduced.
However, all of these rebuttals to the Wells Report all enhance the case of Brady and the Patriots that they did nothing wrong. Should Roger Goodell, who refused to excuse himself from the appeal, uphold a suspension or even a reduced suspension, Brady and the NFLPA will have the opportunity to appeal. Especially if Goodell is not swift with his decision, Brady’s appeal in court could push the decision further back, and he keeps appealing all the way up, he may not have to serve his suspension until late in the season, or even until 2016, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Video Of Junior Galette Striking A Woman Emerges
Saints’ pass rusher Junior Galette was arrested in January in relation to allegations of battery. Galette was set to meet with league officials at the NFL office, but will have more to talk about than originally thought, as a video has emerged that shows Galette using force against a woman from 2013, writes Larry Holder of NOLA.com.
The video portrays an unrelated incident, in which a fight breaks out and Galette strikes a woman with his belt. It can be found on YouTube, under the name “Spring Break 2013 South Beach Brawl.”
The team and league are both aware of the video and Galette’s participation in it, according to Holder.
The charges from this past January were dismissed, and although a civil suit was filed, it hasn’t moved forward since March. Galette and his camp tried to push the incident as a one-time thing.
“Really, at this level, you can conduct yourself as good, as choir boy as you want, sometimes the trouble comes to you,” Galette said on Wednesday, in regard to the recent arrest. “In that situation, there was nothing I could do. Everything, if I could do it all over again, there’s not much different that I can do as far as what this person wants for me out of my life.”
The video from 2013 does not shine a good light on Galette, and with other recent domestic violence incidents and suspensions around the league, the NFL will likely use this video as strong visual evidence to hand down a suspension and eventually uphold that suspension in case of an appeal.
Cassel, Henderson On Bills’ Roster Bubble
With the Bills three-headed monster of Matt Cassel, EJ Manuel, and Tyrod Taylor all competing for the starting job, fans in Buffalo don’t have a ton to look forward to on offense. However, one of those three may actually already be falling behind the curve.
Cassel, an 11-year veteran, may be in danger of not making the roster, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN. Rodak called him the clear loser of the group of passers based on the three OTA practices and three minicamp sessions that were open to the media. He added that Cassel was inaccurate, forcing throws, and turning the ball over at alarmingly high rates (via Twitter).
Rodak listed Manuel as the slight winner, but was adamant that Cassel had been the worst of the three, noting that he was “consistently subpar this spring,” (via Twitter).
Many fans and pundits saw the Bills trading for Cassel as an indication that they planned on starting the season with him under center. It would have been difficult to imagine him not making the roster, even as a veteran backup for Manuel at the very least. However, if he continues to underperform, the team could still take the $4.15MM he is set to earn this year off the books by releasing him before the season opener.
Last year’s starting right tackle Seantrel Henderson may also be on the bubble of making the roster, and there are a few red flags that lead Rodak to believe he could be the odd man out along the offensive line (via Twitter). Henderson arrived to camp late and lost the starting job in practice to last year’s second-round pick Cyrus Kouandjio. Additionally, head coach Rex Ryan expects the team to sign veteran swing tackle Wayne Hunter, who could play both right tackle and left tackle, as well as tight end in heavy packages. With Hunter, Kouandjio, and Cordy Glenn in the fold, Henderson would have limited value to the team.
Eagles Sign Jared Wheeler
MONDAY, 3:13pm: As Tessler initially suggested they would, the Eagles signed Wheeler today to a one-year contract, following his workout with the team (Twitter link).
SATURDAY, 6:26pm: As Mosher previously reported, Wheeler hasn’t signed with the Eagles and will work out for the team Monday, tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
4:22pm: While Tessler believes the Eagles are planning to sign Wheeler, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com isn’t so sure (via Twitter). He writes that Wheeler is coming in for a workout on Monday, and there isn’t a deal in place for him when he gets there.
3:52pm: The Eagles are looking to add to their offensive line depth in the wake of Evan Mathis‘ release, and they are planning to sign former University of Miami offensive lineman Jared Wheeler on Monday, according to NFL agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter).
Wheeler had tried out with the 49ers earlier this offseason, and was most recently seen on the Seahawks roster. He also spent time with the Bills and Panthers, previously.
Wheeler has experience at both center and guard, and could provide versatility and depth to the team’s depth chart. It is probably not likely that Wheeler comes in as the starter after being a journeyman so far in his career, especially with the various options the team has on the roster and in free agency, but stranger things have happened.
AFC Notes: Ravens, Flacco, Thomas, Houston
The Ravens are dealing with the loss of an all-time great defensive tackle in Haloti Ngata, and have a number of options to try to replace him. They have penciled in Timmy Jernigan in his spot, and re-signed both Chris Canty and Lawrence Guy to keep depth along the defensive line.
Additionally, the team hopes to be able to count on getting contributions from two linemen with injury histories, with both Brent Urban and Kapron Lewis-Moore making their return to the field, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
“He has practiced really well, Brent has, and so has Kapron,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “They both look like they’re 100 percent as far as the way they’re moving around, and they look like they’re going to be able to contribute for us.”
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- Entering his age-30 season, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco doesn’t see his career as being in decline, writes Wilson. “I don’t feel any worse because of my age yet,” Flacco said. “I think you learn more. I’m not going to be 50 and playing. I hope I’m 40, but 50, no.“
- Demaryius Thomas has not signed his franchise tender with the Broncos, and has been absent from team facilities this offseason. They key to his deal will be who goes first between him, Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, and Julio Jones, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The first one to sign a contract will in turn set the bar for the rest of the group. He is hoping to get a long-term deal with Calvin Johnson level money, but that is unlikely.
- The Chiefs have the pieces in place to have a very good pass rush in 2015, even without star Justin Houston who has not yet signed his franchise tender, writes Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. With Tamba Hali and 2014 first-round pick Dee Ford on the outside, and Dontari Poe and Allen Bailey inside, the team has other options in a worst-case scenario without Houston.
NFC Notes: Mathis, Flowers, Rams
Offensive lineman don’t always make the most headlines, but when a high-profile blocker like Evan Mathis gets released everyone starts to pay attention.
Aside from fans, analysts, and general managers, the NFLPA has also taken interest in the All-Pro guard’s release, according to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com (via Twitter). The Association is currently in the “information-gathering” phase of the process.
The NFLPA could be investigating whether the team’s decision to cut Mathis was a direct result of his absence at voluntary offseason workouts, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
The more likely explanation for the investigation, writes Florio, that the Eagles cut him after reports that the team removed an offer to rework his contract because Howie Roseman was no longer the team’s general manager.
Here are a few more nots regarding offensive linemen in the NFC:
- With Mathis and Todd Herremans no longer on the team, the Eagles will have a tall task to replace both starting guards from 2014. Zach Berman of Philly.com lists all of the teams options, including a number of names already on the roster and a few free agent options, like Davin Joseph and Dan Connolly.
- Giants’ first-round pick Ereck Flowers is one of the last unsigned draft picks left, which is notable because he is also one of the few rookies who has elected not to hire an agent. However, he still is confident that he will get a deal done, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, saying that negotiations are “going good.”
- With Scott Wells out of the picture, the Rams will have three players competing to start at center, writes Joe Lyons of STLToday.com. Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones, and Demetrius Rhaney are battling for the job, and all three are still in the running to start. “We’re not going to make a decision real early,” said head coach Jeff Fisher. “We’ll let them all play. We’re rotating them. They’re all getting opportunities to work with (new quarterback Nick Foles), so he’s familiar, not only with the exchanges, but also the communication. We’ll make that decision when somebody shows us he’s earned the job.”