Latest On Domestic Violence
Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL sent a memo to all 32 franchises earlier today, regarding the recent advances the league has made in its reactions to domestic violence among NFL players. Earlier, we passed along the highlights via the Twitter posts of Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman. For those interested in reading the full memo, they can access it here, courtesy of Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
Here are some other updates about ongoing domestic violence issues:
- 49ers‘ defensive tackle Ray McDonald will not be charged with domestic violence this Monday, as the hearing has been cancelled by the prosecution, reports Tracey Kaplan of the Mercury News (via Twitter). She writes that no new court date will be set “unless or until charges are filed.”
- The district attorney reportedly had no case to evaluate on Monday, according to Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today Sports. She writes that the police has declined to release any reports on McDonald other than the brief synopsis that originally surfaced.
- Every NFL game this weekend will feature a public service announcement on domestic violence from the NO MORE anti-domestic violence and sexual assault campaign, reports Jones. The total value of the ads in terms of commercial time is approximately $3MM.
AFC Notes: Colts, Graham, Owusu, Guy
The Colts have worked out a number of safeties this week looking to improve their secondary. Among those they have considered are Chris Clemons, DeJon Gomes, M.D. Jennings, Jerron McMillian, Bacarri Rambo, Jamarca Sanford, reports Howard Balzer of LockerDome.com (via Twitter).
- The Jets have brought in a few receivers as they attempt to add depth to the group. The lackluster group stands out even more when free agent addition Eric Decker is out with injury. The team has worked out former Bill T.J. Graham, reports Balzer (via Twitter).
- The Jets also had former Charger and 49er Chris Owusu in for a visit, reports Balzer (via Twitter). However, Balzer notes that Owusu never had a tryout with the team.
- The Ravens have recently added defensive linemen Lawrence Guy to the team, but they first sought a seal of approval from their former linebacker Jarret Johnson, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The Chargers recently waived Guy, and Johnson recommended him to the Ravens, who are dealing with injuries along the defensive line.
Workout Notes: Beauharnais, Brown, Lewis
With injuries piling up and rosters changing, a number of players have had workouts with various teams in anticipation of week four action.
Here are some of the players who have had workouts with teams recently:
- Free agent linebacker Steve Beauharnais worked out for the Chargers today, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The linebacker has worked out for six clubs since being waived by the Patriots, including an audition for the Bucs yesterday.
- The Ravens worked out cornerback Jalil Brown, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Brown has formerly played for the Dolphins and the Chiefs. They also worked out two former Bears’ tight ends, Kellen Davis and Matthew Mulligan, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
- The Seahawks worked out M.D. Jennings, Tommie Campbell, R.J. Stanford and Jerome Murphy, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- The Panthers worked out Marcus Davis, LaDon Hudson, and Willie Snead, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Vikings worked out running back Dion Lewis, tight ends Jake Stoneburner and Ryan Otten, and quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
NFL PR Notes: Goodell, Redskins, Incognito
It seems that as of late the NFL has not been able to escape controversy. One thing after another has come up to humiliate and embarrass the league.
Here are a few notes surrounding some of the controversies the NFL has had to deal with:
- Saints‘ All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees has been very critical of the way NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has reacted to recent transgressions made by players and team personnel. Much like the punishments the Saints were forced to endure after the bounty scandal, Brees sees the NFL’s abuse of power to be unfair, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “Too many times, I’d say especially over the last few years, a punishment’s been handed down and nobody has really seen the evidence except for those in the league office – supposedly,” Brees said. “So decisions were made in kind of a, ‘Hey, trust us.’ But did the public see any of the facts? Did the accused see any of the facts? In most cases, no.”
- Former Ravens‘ running back Ray Rice has hired Peter Ginsberg as representation for his upcoming appeal, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Ginsberg had previously represented NFL players such as Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Jonathan Vilma in their suspension appeals with the league. Florio’s source feels that Ginsberg will push for Rice’s case to be heard by the September 30 deadline or the suspension be overturned.
- The assistant district attorney in 49ers‘ defensive tackle Ray McDonald case is still without the official report, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). Without that report, chances are increased that the court date will have to be pushed back.
- In the CBS Thursday Night Football commercials for the upcoming Giants versus the Redskins matchup, the word “Redskins” is conspicuously missing, reports Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. While big blue is referred to as “the Giants”, the Redskins are referred to as “Washington.”
- Classic Comedy Central animated comedy South Park focused its season premiere on the Redskins’ name controversy. Timothy Burke of Deadspin.com has compiled highlights from the episode, that featured parodies of a number of NFL characters.
- The Patriots‘ are having offensive line problems after trading All-Pro guard Logan Mankins, but they aren’t desperate enough to reach out to disgraced former Dolphin Richie Incognito, according to Andy Gresh on CSNNE.com. “He’s the ultimate last resort,” said Gresh. “There are other teams with o-line issues. He’s gotten a few calls, but no one has signed the guy yet. So I do think the temperature in the league might be a part of it. But he’s out there and no one has said, ‘I’ll deal with it because he’s a good enough player.'”
Rex Ryan Non-Committal On Quarterbacks
Jets’ head coach Rex Ryan is sticking with Geno Smith for the time being, but has left the door open for Michael Vick to take over as the team’s starter, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
“I feel like (Smith) will start the rest of the games,” Ryan said. “But again, things happen. And we’ll see.”
Still, if the time comes, backup Vick will be ready to step in and try to help the team win.
“They’ve seen what I can do,” Vick said. “They know what I can do and I know what I can do. And if I get an opportunity, I’m going to do it and make sure I’m good at it.”
Vick is supportive of Smith, and has been since the moment he arrived in East Rutherford. However, he acknowledges that whether it is himself or Smith, the team needs better play from the quarterback position.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that I can help this football team win games,” Vick said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that (Smith) can help this football team win games. So, whether it’s him or whether it’s me at some point, we’re going to get it done. We got to get it done. There’s no other option.”
While Smith was supposed to take a huge step forward this year, he has struggled the past two games against the Packers and the Bears. The Jets are almost halfway through the toughest six game stretch of their season, and a win over the Lions could alleviate many of the questions surrounding the team’s quarterback situation. A bad loss could bring Ryan one step closer to inserting Vick into the starting lineup.
Latest On Morris Claiborne
Former first-round pick Morris Claiborne has had a rough couple of days, starting with the beating he was handed by the Rams in the Cowboys’ narrow 34-31 victory this weekend. Despite coming up with the interception that all but ended the game, Claiborne struggled early and often against the Rams’ receivers.
He was the sixth overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, and the Cowboys moved up to select to former LSU star. After his performance Sunday, the team decided to bench Claiborne in favor of Orlando Scandrick. In response to news of his demotion, Claiborne skipped Tuesday’s walkthrough practice and left the team facility, reports Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com.
Claiborne allowed five catches for 108 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown pass to Brian Quick, who has been disappointing himself since being drafted at the top of the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
He received criticism from owner Jerry Jones on his weekly radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “Is he what we had hoped for at this point when we drafted him with the sixth overall pick, giving up the [second-round] pick to go up to the sixth pick to get him? No,” Jones said. “But he’s going to be a good player.”
However, Claiborne reportedly returned to the team facilities Wednesday morning, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The plan is for him to play against the Saints this Sunday night, writes Ed Werder of ESPN (via Twitter).
Head coach Jason Garret said that even though Claiborne will play, he will be disciplined for leaving the team, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
Extra Points: Davis, Brown, Williams
Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has been adamant that Shaun Hill will be the starting quarterback when healthy, but with Austin Davis delivering strong performances the last two weeks, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com believes the long time coach needs to reconsider. With the team approaching their bye week, Wagoner thinks some reflection will make it clear the Davis is the superior choice going forward.
Here are some other notes from around the NFL as the third Sunday of football wraps up:
- Where some questioned the Chargers‘ decision to sign Donald Brown to a three-year contract, they put the former Colt to work as he came up big in their victory over the Bills today, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. The team already had Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead, so adding Brown only crowded the backfield. Now that Mathews is gone for at least another month, and Woodhead possibly done for the season, Brown could be a key piece in the team’s offense going forward.
- Eagles‘ cornerback Cary Williams was critical of the coaching staff after the game today, despite pulling in the victory over the Redskins. He spoke about being overworked in practice and mentioned that many players were tired on game day, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). “A lot of guys had no legs,” said Williams. “We got to start taking care of our guys throughout the week in order for us to be more productive and have more energy on Sundays.”
- The Chiefs are struggling to find reliable pass catchers on their offense, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com suggests that if they can find a decent player they should make a move to try to acquire him (via Twitter). Mid-season trades are unusual and often do not bring in great production, but Fitzgerald must see this situation as exceptionally barren.
- Bills‘ fans are excited about their new ownership group, and the next move is to get a new stadium. Jerry Zremski of BuffaloNews.com outlines how the Bills could pay for a new home field.
Bridgewater, Bortles In Line To Start
Two quarterbacks chosen at opposite ends of the first round this offseason got their first opportunities at some live game action this Sunday. The Vikings traded back into the tail end of the first round to select Teddy Bridgewater, but did not give him the starting job many fans and pundits believed he earned coming out of the preseason.
Today, Matt Cassel was forced out of the matchup against the Saints with a broken foot. Bridgewater came into the game and failed to ignite the offense. Completing 12 of his 20 passes for 150 yards, he was able to survive, but not thrive, in his NFL debut. Considering the success that Matt Ryan and Brian Hoyer had against what looked to be an overrated Saints’ defense, Bridgewater came up short. Without Cassel for the immediate future, the team will have to play Bridgewater whether they want to or not, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
The Vikings struggled on offense the last two weeks without Adrian Peterson, but rolled to a huge blowout victory over the Rams with their starting running back in week one. With Peterson tied up in his child abuse case, he will not be back with the team for a significant amount of time if at all. Bridgewater will get his first start this Sunday at home against the Falcons.
Blake Bortles was selected third overall, and like his counterpart in Minnesota, the Jaguars took a patient approach with him. The plan was to use his rookie season to leave him on the bench and groom him to take over the team in 2015. That plan was accelerated during the blowout loss to the Colts.
Chad Henne completed only four of seven passes for 33 yards in the first half, before being replaced by Bortles. The fans in Jacksonville have been waiting to see their future play, and now that he has, the sense is that they will not go back to Henne, writes Michael DiRocco of ESPN.
Bortles completed 14 of 24 passes for 223 yards, and added two touchdowns to go with two interceptions in garbage time of the 44-17 defeat. He should have a difficult assignment should he get his first start next week on the road against the Chargers, a difficult place for a team with a rookie quarterback to look to lead his team to the first win of the season.
Injury Updates: Sunday
The NFL is almost through another week of football, and the injuries are piling up yet again. An unfortunate reality of the league is that no team will leave healthy from week to week.
Zach Links and Luke Adams have already discussed some of the bigger names to go down. Matt Cassel‘s foot injury paved the way for Vikings‘ first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater‘s NFL debut. Dennis Pitta left the Ravens‘ win with a dislocated hip, and Chargers‘ tailback Danny Woodhead could miss the rest of the season with a high ankle sprain and fractured fibula.
Here are some other injury notes from around the NFL:
- In addition to Cassel, the Vikings‘ lost a number of starters to injury late in their loss to the Saints: linebacker Chad Greenway left the game with a rib injury, tight end Kyle Rudolph with a groin injury, guard Brandon Fusco with a pectoral injury, and Josh Robinson with a hamstring issue, writes Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com.
- Saints‘ center Jonathan Goodwin left the game with a left leg injury, writes Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com.
- Redskins‘ cornerback DeAngelo Hall is feared to have a torn achilles tendon, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post. He will have an MRI tomorrow.
- Lions‘ linebacker Stephen Tulloch injured his left knee during the victory over the Packers, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tulloch, who has never missed a game in his nine-year career, suffered the injury during a celebration of a sack on Aaron Rodgers.
- Rod Streater and Tyvon Branch both suffered injuries for the Raiders in their 16-9 loss to the Patriots, reports Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Head coach Dennis Allen confirmed that Streater suffered a foot fracture, and Branch had a similar injury.
- The Cowboys beat the Rams today, but may have lost defensive tackle Henry Melton to a groin injury, writes Brandon George of DallasNews.com. Melton missed all of the preseason while recovering from a groin injury.
Adrian Peterson Hopes To Return In 2014
It was reported that Vikings’ All Pro running back Adrian Peterson would miss the season after being placed on the Commissioner’s exempt list while waiting for the results of his trial.
It was originally thought that the case would not go to trial until 2015, but Peterson’s camp is seeking an accelerated process that would move the trial date up significantly, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
If the trial date is moved closer, and Peterson is cleared of the charges, there is hope that he will be able to return to the field in a Vikings’ uniform this season.
As of now, Peterson has been placed on the Commissioner’s exempt list, which keeps him off the field but serves as a paid suspension from the team. With an accelerated trial, the Vikings’ star risks exposing himself to additional penalties under the player conduct policy, including fines and possibly a lengthy unpaid suspension from the NFL.
It also remains to be seen whether or not the team would want him back, or if at this point they have decided to move on from the face of their franchise. Florio notes that he expects more information to surface this week about the possibility of an accelerated trial date.