Albert Breer On Tom Brady, Deflategate
The DeflateGate rumor mill hasn’t brought much additional information over the last couple of days, but we should know more when Tom Brady will have his day in court, and his appeal hearing has been set for June 23rd.
We shouldn’t expect to hear from Brady until June 23rd, and his silence will be on the advice of his NFLPA lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
Kessler has been steadfast in his approach of keeping clients quiet in terms of media comments before hearings, and Breer writes that Brady will be treated the same way despite his high-profile stature in the league (via Twitter).
While Brady won’t be making any statements regarding air pressure or doctoring footballs, he will not be prohibited from talking football between now and June 23rd (via Twitter). He will no doubt be asked about Deflategate if he should appear in front of the media, but expect him to deflect those questions in favor of questions that pertain to on-the-field concerns.
Falcons, Jalen Collins Agree To Deal
MAY 11: Collins’ deal with the Falcons is worth $5.43MM. It includes $3.33MM in guarantees and a $2.21MM signing bonus, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
MAY 9: The Falcons continue to lock up their 2015 draft class, reaching an agreement with second-round pick Jalen Collins, according to Vaugh McClure of ESPN (via Twitter). The terms of the deal were not made available.
With that signing, five out of the team’s seven draft picks are currently under contract, writes McClure. The Falcons are still working to get first-round pick Vic Beasley and third-round pick Tevin Coleman to agree to their deals.
Collins has not practiced with the team yet, not because of his contract issues but due to a recent surgery on his foot. Collins is expected to be healthy in time for training camp.
Giants To Sign One Pick, Two Tryout Players
7:27pm: In addition to their earlier signings today, the Giants have agreed to a contract with Southern Connecticut defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, tweets Vacchiano. Taylor tried out for the Giants during their rookie minicamp this week.
6:35pm: The Giants have gotten a little closer to signing their draft class, having agreed to terms of a contract with sixth-round pick Geremy Davis, reports Paul Schwart of the New York Post (via Twitter). The wide receiver out of Connecticut will join a crowded receiving depth chart that includes Odell Beckham Jr., Rueben Randle, and Victor Cruz.
Davis is the fourth Giants draft pick to sign his rookie contract. The team has already signed third-round pick Owa Odighizuwa, fifth-round selection Mykkele Thompson, and seventh-rounder Bobby Hart. The Giants’ top two selections, Ereck Flowers and Landon Collins, are their only unsigned picks.
The Giants are also planning to sign Stonybrook tight end Will Tye, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Tye tried out with the Giants during the mini-camp this weekend.
New York had already brought in six undrafted free agents, and now has a very crowded roster. Vacchiano writes that the Giants have only one roster spot available, and if they wanted to sign more than one more player out of the group that tried out, they would have to cut a current player to make room for them on the roster (via Twitter). Vacchiano opines that the Giants will be signing more than one of the tryout players, so expect more cuts from the team that already let go of Kevin Ogletree and Terrell Manning.
Panthers To Sign Five Tryout Players
The Carolina Panthers had a number of players come in to tryout during rookie camp, and they are now expecting to sign five of those players.
The team is looking to sign defensive end Rakim Cox, who was a standout at the veteran combine, according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter). The former Villanova defensive end spent time with both the Dolphins and Vikings last season, but failed to catch on with either team.
Another player expected to sign is tight end Jamie Childers from Coastal Carolina University. Childers played briefly with the Giants and Bills, and even started a game at quarterback in college, writes Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
The team will also sign fullback Lee Ward, and offensive linemen Ronald Patrick and Jordan McCray, according to Person (via Twitter).
Rams Notes: Collins, Barksdale, Rodriguez
Although he signed with the Cowboys, the Rams expressed interest in La’el Collins after not being selected in the 2015 NFL Draft. Head coach Jeff Fisher said the team was “involved” in talks, and that Collins told him they were among the four finalists for his services, according to Howard Balzer of LockerDome.com (via Twitter).
Balzer adds that Fisher said the Rams might have pursued Collins harder had the team not been so successful during the draft (via Twitter).
Here are some other notes surround the Rams during the post-draft portion of the offseason:
- Fisher also addressed the ongoing talks with offensive tackle Joe Barksdale, who has not yet been re-signed by the team and is currently a free agent, although there was not much to update on, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN (via Twitter). “We’ve been talking to Joe,” said Fisher. “We’ve had some conversations.”
- One of the players the Rams have brought in for a tryout is 5’8″ receiver Daniel Rodriguez, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 27-year-old Rodriguez, who walked on the football team at Clemson, served with the U.S. Army between 2006 and 2010, in both Afghanistan and Iraq, earning a Purple Heart during his service. He now is trying to make the Rams, as an unlikely undrafted free agent.
- Rookie orientation for the Rams has come to an end, but the team will keep the rookies at Rams Park until late June, writes Thomas (via Twitter). The team will mix them in with the veterans starting on Thursday.
Latest On Frank Clark, Seahawks
The Seahawks took a chance drafting Michigan defensive end Frank Clark when they came to the podium with the 63rd-overall selection. Short a first-round pick thanks to the Jimmy Graham trade, the team had a long wait before making their first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. They thought they hit on that pick, getting a great value with Clark, who saw his stock drop due to allegations of a domestic violence incident involving his then-girlfriend Diamond Hurt.
The team had been interested in Clark, but told the player they could not draft him with the investigation open, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio writes that Clark had the charges resolved “for roughly the price of a speeding ticket,” and that the team made no further inquiries into the case.
Now, new information has come to light about the incident and its aftermath. Geoff Baker and Lewis Kamp of the Seattle Times write that according to the official police report, after the incident manager Stephanie Burkhardt entered the couple’s room, when Clark told the female hotel manager, “I will hit you like I hit her,” before contacting her with his shoulder and exiting the room. Burkhardt confirmed the story to Baker and Kamp at the Seattle Times. She also tells that she was never contacted by the prosecutor before the charges were dropped.
The Seahawks conducted their own investigation, and felt comfortable enough to draft Clark under the belief that he did not hit Hurt based on their findings.
“I know they were on site the day after the incident to find out what the status was,” said Ken Bailey, a criminal defense lawyer in Sandusky, Ohio. “I don’t know the names of who they all talked to. I know they were interviewing people at the school — team members, team staff — but I don’t know who.”
The Seattle Times’ report also included the release of documents that included a hospital visit from Hurt, a breath test that put her blood-alcohol level at .000 (contrary to Clark’s statement that she had been drinking), and a witness testimony confirming that Hurt’s siblings ran out of the room saying “their sister’s boyfriend was punching her in the face.’’
According to Florio, the Seahawks have been adamant that they would not draft a player who has struck a woman. However, if information comes to light that Clark did indeed commit the crime he was accused of, there will be tremendous pressure for the team to move on from the recently drafted defensive lineman. Florio also points out a precedent in the Patriots moving on from defensive tackle Christian Peter three days after the 1996 NFL Draft, as reported by Philly.com. The Patriots claimed that they were not aware of Peter’s history at the time of drafting him, and renounced his rights. Peter was a fifth-round pick.
The Seahawks have signed four out of their six draft picks from the 2015 class so far, but second-round pick Clark is not among them. The team has also failed to sign Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett.
Tryout Notes: Ravens, Falcons, Cowboys, Steelers
The Ravens invited a handful of undrafted players in to their rookie minicamps to tryout for the team, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Among those players are USC safety Gerald Bowman (link), Rhode Island linebacker Andrew Bose (link), Maryland center Sal Conaboy (link), Eastern Kentucky fullback Channing Fugate (link), Maine defensive back Khari Al-Mateen and Maryland defensive end Andre Monroe (link). All links come via Twitter.
Here are some other tryouts from around the NFL:
- The Falcons have brought in Georgia State offensive lineman Tim Wynn for a tryout, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter).
- The Cowboys have added a receiver to their list of tryouts in Rice’s Dontay Moore, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).
- The Steelers have brought Akron cornerback Martel Durant in for a tryout to replace Mario Rowson, writes Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter).
Extra Points: Glennon, Pats, Panthers, S. Moss
As soon as the 2015 NFL concludes, there will be a flurry of news related to undrafted free agent signings. Each team will add 10-12 extra players in the coming days, and while we’ll cover each transaction, we won’t rush to get all the information out as quickly as possible. As we did last year at this time, we’ll wait until a club confirms its UDFA moves before we post them — it’s a policy that will make the information a bit more palatable for readers (and surely, for us as well).
With that said, let’s take a look at some notes as the draft wraps up:
- Despite their selection of Jameis Winston with the first overall pick, the Buccaneers did not receive any calls about backup quarterback Mike Glennon, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter). As Cummings notes, Tampa has made it clear that Glennon isn’t on the trade block, so it’s not a total surprise that no other clubs expressed interest.
- The Patriots selected Navy long snapper Joe Cardona with their fifth-round pick, but might not have the four-year starter when they open up the regular season in September, Cardona has a pending military service commitment, and is required to serve five years as a Naval Officer following his graduation and commission in May, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Cardona will apply for an exemption that will allow him to postpone his service in order to pursue an NFL career.
- The Panthers selected linebacker/safety hybrid Shaq Thompson with their first-round pick, but drew some criticism about not trading down and selecting him where he was likely to be available early in round two. General manager David Gettleman defended the pick, noting the value of having the fifth-year option on a first-round pick, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
- Washington drafted a pair of receivers in Jamison Crowder and Evan Spencer, but that doesn’t mean the end of the line for Santana Moss, writes John Keim of ESPN (via Twitter). Crowder specifically poses a threat to Moss, at 5’8″ and with speed and value returning punts and kicks. Moss caught only 10 passes for 116 yards in 2014, all in the last five games of the season.
- The Saints were prepared to trade up to select linebacker Davis Tull, said head coach Sean Payton, according to Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com (Twitter link). The Chattanooga product ultimately fell to New Orleans in the fifth round.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Jets Acquire Zac Stacy For No. 224 Pick
The Rams have traded running back Zac Stacy to the Jets in exchange for their seventh-round pick (No. 224), reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
Stacy requested a trade after the Rams selected Todd Gurley with the 10th-overall pick in the first round of the draft, as he became part of a crowded backfield that already featured Tre Mason and Benny Cunningham.
The Jets were already rumored to be interested in dealing for Stacy, and that came true with this move. The Rams used the pick to select Baylor linebacker Bryce Hager.
Stacy might not be happy with his new situation either, as he moves from one crowded backfield for another. The Jets already have Chris Ivory, Stevan Ridley, and Bilal Powell, and Stacy will have his work cut out for him fighting for carries in that offense.
Eagles Notes: Mathis, Lions, Collins
Before the draft, many fans and pundits expected the Eagles to be aggressive in moving up to try to get Marcus Mariota and other players in order to strengthen the roster, putting current players and future draft picks on the trading block in order to create packages to go after prospects they valued highly.
They did trade up once in the early rounds to select Eric Rowe, but actually leave the weekend without trading any players and actually managed to come away with an extra 2016 third-round pick after trading their fourth-round pick to the Lions.
Here are a few notes surrounding the Chip Kelly and the Eagles on trades and the NFL Draft:
- Evan Mathis is one player who has been rumored to be available, but he remains an Eagle even if he has a strenuous relationship with his head coach. Kelly said that Mathis has been available for two years now, and no team has made an offer for him yet, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter).
- No offer may have been on the table, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Lions had some interest in Mathis before acquiring two guards in the first round (Laken Tomlinson at No. 28, and Manny Ramirez via trade from the Broncos).
- Kelly also confirmed that controversial prospect La’el Collins was removed from the team’s draft board following his recent legal issues, despite his first-round talent, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).