Aldon Smith Arrested
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. Aldon Smith, who had a bench warrant issued for him at the end of March for failing to appear at a hearing — and who was arrested just a week before for violating a protective order stemming from a domestic violence incident — was arrested again on Friday. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via TMZ), Smith’s most recent arrest was due to his violating the terms of his electronic monitoring (he currently wears a GPS and a device that measures alcohol in his sweat, though it is unclear which of those devices triggered the arrest).
Bail has been set at $500K, and another hearing is set for April 11. He currently remains incarcerated, according to San Francisco County Jail records, and in addition to the underlying domestic violence charges, he is now facing three separate contempt of court charges. The TMZ report also indicated that Smith’s fiance, Shawna McKnight, has decided to end her relationship with Smith.
It was already almost a foregone conclusion that Smith, the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft, would never suit up in the NFL again after the Raiders released him a month ago. But in just 59 career regular season games, he posted 47.5 sacks (to go along with 5.5 sacks in eight postseason contests), so he was certainly on pace to be an all-time great pass-rusher. Now one just has to hope he can get his post-football life on track.
He has not seen the field since November 15, 2015, which will likely go down as his last NFL game.
Latest On Russell Wilson’s Future In Seattle
We recently heard that the Seahawks could explore a new deal with quarterback Russell Wilson next offseason, and that such a contract could carry an AAV of $30MM. However, even if the two sides do ultimately come to terms, the negotiations are not expected to be pretty.
Several weeks ago, Seattle GM John Schneider attended the pro day for Wyoming signal-caller Josh Allen — one of the top QB prospects in this year’s draft — and as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (citing a segment from the NFL Network’s Jim Trotter) writes, Wilson’s camp wanted to know why. Indeed, agent Mark Rodgers or someone on his team called the Seahawks and asked “if there is anything we need to know.”
While Wilson, who is under club control through 2019, will remain under center for Seattle in 2018, Condotta writes that both sides have sent an “opening salvo” in what he believes will be contentious contract discussions. The club is letting it be known that it is exploring quarterback options — even though there is virtually no chance it could land Allen even if it wanted to — and Wilson’s camp is letting it be known that it is taking note.
The last negotiations between player and team were hardly smooth, and the way they unfolded suggested that anything was possible down the road. And, for the first time in Wilson’s career, the Seahawks have made significant changes to their offensive coaching staff, and one of the reasons for those changes was to get more out of Wilson. As such, Wilson’s future in Seattle will largely hinge on what happens this season. If all goes well, then it will be easier for the two sides to commit to each other for the foreseeable future. If not, then both parties will be exploring alternatives.
The Chargers, who have not needed to look for a QB for a long time, are meeting with the top signal-callers in the 2018 rookie class, and Trotter mentioned the Bolts as a potential trade partner for the Seahawks if they try to deal Wilson. Wilson, who typically spends much of his offseason in SoCal, would likely be amenable to that scenario, per Condotta.
Larry Stone of the Seattle Times says the most likely outcome is another long-term deal between Wilson and the Seahawks, but he, like Condotta, expects the road to that deal to be a bumpy one.
Josh Allen To Visit Jets?
Will Josh Allen visit the Jets at their Florham Park facility, or won’t he? There are conflicting reports on that front, as we heard from Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com earlier this week that Allen would indeed be making the trek to New Jersey, but last night Rich Cimini of ESPN.com suggested that would not be the case.
However, Mehta tweeted this morning that Allen will, in fact, meet with the Jets at Florham Park, so we still do not really know if the two sides will summit again. The Jets did recently go to Wyoming to have a private workout with Allen, so it could be that they have enough intel on the signal-caller to make an informed decision. After all, as of last season, the Jets were believed to have done more work on Allen than any other club.
At the very least, New York may not be considering Sam Darnold as strongly as Allen, Baker Mayfield, and Josh Rosen. The Jets are not planning to meet privately with the USC product, either at their facility or elsewhere. They did attend Darnold’s Pro Day, and GM Mike Maccagnan was in attendance when Darnold’s Trojans battled Rosen’s Bruins in November, but they may not view him as highly as the other three top prospects (though they could just believe Darnold will be off the board by the time they are on the clock with the No. 3 overall selection and do not want to waste their time).
And although the Jets do plan to meet with Rosen, there has been more buzz connecting Gang Green to Mayfield and Allen than the UCLA QB. Mayfield is slated to meet with the Giants today and tomorrow before heading off for his visit with the Jets immediately thereafter.
Steelers Put Le’Veon Bell Talks On Hold
The Steelers are putting negotiations with star running back Le’Veon Bell on hold while the team continues to navigate free agency and prepare for the draft, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. GM Kevin Colbert indicated that his club will resume talks with Bell’s reps “eventually,” and he hopes Bell will report to training camp.
Colbert added, “We’re not intentionally ignoring [Bell’s contract]. More urgent business needs to get taken care of. We will reassess where that is. He’ll reassess where his interests are as well. I anticipate us continuing that process once we get through the free agency period and maybe even through the draft. The draft can change things on both sides.”
We heard several weeks ago that Pittsburgh was getting closer to meeting Bell’s asking price, but obviously the team has not gotten there yet. Bell, of course, was hit with the franchise tag for the second consecutive season earlier this month, and while he will receive a healthy $14.544MM if he plays out the 2018 campaign under the tag, he is still looking for long-term security at a rate that the Steelers do not seem to be willing to pay.
Nonetheless, both Fowler and Mark Kaboly of TheAthletic.com (Twitter link) believe it is unlikely that the Steelers rescind Bell’s franchise tag. If they did, it could leave Bell in a tough position, as many teams have already spent their free agent budget, and even those that have not done so would probably be just as unwilling as the Steelers to satisfy Bell’s contract demands. Therefore, Bell may have to simply sign the franchise tender at some point prior to the start of the season. He has indicated previously that he will not attend training camp if he does not get a multi-year deal to his liking, even though his early-season performance in 2017 was not up to his usual standards, perhaps because he also skipped last year’s training camp.
Colbert’s comments that the team cannot divert its attention from free agency right now may raise some eyebrows given the Steelers’ small amount of cap room, but Kaboly tweets that Pittsburgh may not be done in free agency if a player it likes unexpectedly becomes available.
The Steelers also have several other in-house matters to resolve. Colbert said that the team could still extend Ben Roethlisberger‘s contract this offseason, which was mentioned as a possibility last month (Twitter link via Fowler). Big Ben’s current deal keeps him under club control through 2019.
Also, Kaboly tweets that no decision has been made with respect to Bud Dupree‘s fifth-year option, which must be exercised by May 3, but Fowler tweets that Colbert seems open to exercising it.
AFC Notes: Clowney, Darnold, Patriots
The Texans are hoping to work out a long-term extension with star LB/DE Jadeveon Clowney this offseason, and the former No. 1 overall selection has expressed his desire to remain in Houston, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Clowney, a two-time Pro Bowler, said, “I want to be [in Houston] forever. It would be great, something I always dreamed of. I don’t want to leave this team. I’ve been here since the beginning. I want to stay here. I want to finish my career here, so I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully, they lock me in.”
As Wilson notes, a new contract for Clowney could make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league, a mantle currently held by Denver’s Von Miller and his six-year, $114MM ($70MM guaranteed) deal. The Texans would like to get something done prior to the season, or even prior to training camp.
Now for more notes and rumors from around the AFC:
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union offers his thoughts on a number of Jaguars-related items. For instance, he believes that, the longer Jacksonville is without a No. 2 QB, the likelier it is that the team uses a fairly high draft pick on a signal-caller. He also says the Jags need another versatile TE to continue running their grind-it-out offense, and he wonders if the fact that the team put a second-round tender on Corey Grant — which Grant signed several days ago — means that Grant will have a bigger role in the offense in 2018.
- We already heard that top QB prospect Sam Darnold looked very good at USC’s recent pro day, and per Albert Breer of SI.com, Darnold himself said he is “trying to go to Cleveland” (meaning, of course, that he wants to be the No. 1 overall selection). Indeed, one AFC executive who attended the pro day told Breer, “Everyone out there today saw the Browns’ franchise quarterback.” Breer adds that post-combine buzz has pointed towards a Darnold-Cleveland marriage.
- The Bengals may appear to be out of the running for the top safeties still on the free agent market — players like Kenny Vaccaro and Eric Reid — but Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer believes that the club is still monitoring those and other players to see if their price drops enough to make a move.
- Patriots safety Duron Harmon, who was denied entry into Costa Rica after attempting to bring marijuana into the country — and who was briefly detained before being sent back to the United States — issued an apology for his actions via Instagram. Harmon is not expected to be released, though he could be entered into the league’s drug program and face a suspension from the league or the team. It is unclear at this point if he will face any criminal charges.
- Now that the Patriots have lost Nate Solder and Cameron Fleming, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com looks at the battle for the Patriots’ starting left tackle position. The newly-resigned LaAdrian Waddle could be a factor, as could 2017 third-rounder Antonio Garcia. Garcia missed his rookie season due to blood clots in his lung, and while he has been cleared to play, he has lost a lot of weight and has a lot of ground to make up. Reiss says 2017 UDFA Cole Croston is an ascending player and could be a realistic candidate for the LT job.
Michael Bennett To Turn Himself In; More Details On Indictment
New Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett, who has been indicted on the felony charge of injury to the elderly — which is punishable by up to ten years in prison and/or a $10K fine — is expected to turn himself in tomorrow, per Tom Schad and A.J. Perez of USA Today. Bennett is represented by Rusty Hardin, the well-known Houston defense attorney who has represented Roger Clemens and other high-profile clients. Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Hardin indicated that Bennett is currently out of the continental United States and that, as he has not yet met his client, he will refrain from speaking on his behalf at this time.
Once Bennett turns himself in, more specifics will begin to emerge. As of right now, we have the press release from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office noting that Bennett has been indicted, a few details from various sources, and a whole host of unanswered questions.
Zack Rosenblatt of NJ Advance Media took a look at some of those questions yesterday, most of which pertained to the on-field ramifications of the incident (i.e. will the Eagles release Bennett, will they make any precautionary moves to shore up the defensive line, etc.). Today, one of Rosenblatt’s colleagues at NJ Advance Media, Eliot Shorr-Parks, examines the curiosities surrounding the case and sets forth his opinion as to why the Harris County DA will have a difficult time proving its case.
For instance, despite witnessing the alleged assault, a police officer at the scene did not attempt to arrest Bennett and instead allowed him on the field. According to Houston Chief Police officer Art Acevedo, speaking at a press conference on Friday, that was because Bennett was much larger than the officer at the scene, who was operating as a “one-man unit,” and because the officer needed to continue to monitor his area and did not perceive Bennett to be an additional threat to anyone else. Nonetheless, Shorr-Parks wonders why Bennett was not arrested after the post-game commotion if the incident was serious enough to warrant an indictment.
Shorr-Parks also observes that there is no video of the incident, which could certainly complicate matters for the prosecution. He also wonders why the case sat for three months before it was assigned to a detective, and why it took roughly five months from the time the last interview was conducted during the police department’s investigation — with the NRG stadium security manager in October 2017 — to the issuance of the arrest warrant. Finally, he sees Acevedo’s personal attacks against Bennett — Acevedo called Bennett “morally bankrupt” during his press conference — as another red flag.
The police department and DA, of course, have answers for all of those questions, and since it has procured the indictment, it is unlikely the DA will simply dismiss the case without a fight. And regardless of the ultimate outcome, McLane writes that Bennett, always a polarizing figure, has already become a major distraction for the defending Super Bowl champs. Eagles brass will doubtlessly have to answer questions concerning Bennett during league meetings in Orlando this week, but McLane believes the team may have to ride out the storm with him instead of cutting him loose (though Philadelphia could release him and save $5.65MM in cap space without incurring any dead money).
Cowboys Expected To Sign Marcus Martin
It looks as though the Cowboys will be further reinforcing their offensive line, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the club is expected to sign free agent offensive lineman Marcus Martin. It was reported earlier this month that Martin would be visiting the Lions and Cowboys, and he ultimately chose Dallas.
The 49ers selected Martin, a USC product, in the third round of the 2014 draft, and he spent the first three seasons of his career with San Francisco. He started 14 games in 2015, but he managed only four appearances (two starts) in 2016 before landing on injured reserve. The 49ers placed him on waivers last offseason, and although he was claimed by the Browns, he never suited up for Cleveland.
Still, he is just 24 years old and is capable of playing both guard and center. He will work as a quality reserve for a Cowboys line that just got even stronger yesterday with the addition of offensive tackle Cameron Fleming.
North Notes: Bengals, Vikings, Ansah
We learned earlier today that the Steelers signed Jon Bostic to a two-year deal as a potential fill-in for Ryan Shazier, and now we’ll take a swing around a few other north division clubs:
- Paul Dehner Jr. and Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer think the Bengals did very well for themselves during the first week of the new league year, and they believe the club is done with its major free agent additions/trades in 2018. One of the reasons the team was so successful is that it did not force itself into an expensive Russell Bodine contract. The market has not developed for Bodine, a four-year starter in Cincinnati, in the way that he thought it would, and he may have to settle for a modest deal. We heard earlier today that he will be making a visit to the Bills, and while the Bengals will have center options in the draft, they could bring back Bodine if his price falls far enough.
- Yesterday, we heard that the Vikings were open to bringing back the recently-released Jarius Wright at a lesser rate, and Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press says that Wright himself would be open to rejoining Minnesota at a reduced salary. Wright said, “It’s not out of the question. But it’s the NFL. We’ll have to see what happens. But I love Minnesota. I would love to come back, so you just never know what will happen.”
- The Broncos signed OL Billy Turner yesterday, but Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets that the Vikings also had interest in Turner as a depth option. Tomasson tweets that the team might not have the funds to make a major O-line addition, though it will continue to monitor the market for potential bargains (like Turner). Any potential starter, though, would likely come through the draft.
- The Lions recently retained Zach Zenner on a one-year deal and signed LeGarrette Blount to a one-year pact, which leads Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com to believe that the club will target an RB early in the draft.
- In the same piece, Rothstein says he believes Ziggy Ansah will play out the 2018 season on the franchise tender and that he and Lions are not likely to reach a long-term agreement before the July deadline. Rothstein also said the team cut Eric Ebron and saved his significant salary cap charge for a reason, though it’s not clear what that is just yet. Rothstein says Ebron would not have been cut unless the team knew it had a better option coming in (although the Lions could have simply felt that Ebron’s role as a potential mismatch receiving tight end might not be as important to the offense in 2018).
South Notes: Luck, Hankins, Bucs
We learned earlier today that Ndamukong Suh has completed his initial visit with the Saints and that his visit with the Titans is still ongoing. Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s south divisions:
- Yesterday, the Colts agreed to trade their No. 3 overall selection in this year’s draft to the Jets in exchange for New York’s No. 6 overall pick and three second-round selections (including one in 2019). Most pundits believe that’s a pretty nice haul for Indianapolis, and Mike Wells of ESPN.com says it’s also good news for Andrew Luck. With this year’s class of rookie QBs considered to be quite strong — indeed, the Jets are widely expected to use the No. 3 overall pick on a signal-caller — the Colts could have guaranteed themselves of a Luck insurance policy if they felt they needed one. Instead, the move signals to Wells that the team is convinced Luck will look like his usual self in 2018 and beyond.
- The Colts made the surprising decision to cut Johnathan Hankins yesterday, and Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star writes that the move was scheme-based. Indianapolis is converting from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme this year, and while Hankins had only worked in a 4-3 before joining the Colts, the team believes that Hankins’ skill-set will not fit its new emphasis on speed and quickness. Hankins played quite well in 2017, though, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com believes he will land a contract that pays him $7MM per year on the open market (Twitter link).
- The Colts-Jets swap, combined with the Buccaneers‘ signing of Ryan Jensen, could result in a top-five prospect falling to Tampa Bay, which holds the No. 7 overall pick, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com writes. Laine examines a few scenarios that could lead to a player like NC State’s Bradley Chubb or Penn State’s Saquon Barkley dropping into the Bucs’ laps.
- Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff has used free agency to drastically improve his team in the past, but as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, Dimitroff is largely eschewing free agency this year. Atlanta has a strong roster with a number of quality young players on the defensive side of the ball, so the club is content to build through the draft. The team did sign Brandon Fusco to a three-year deal to be its starting right guard, but otherwise, the Falcons’ top priority this offseason is to get an extension done for Matt Ryan.
Cowboys To Host Cameron Fleming
The Cowboys are scheduled to meet with free agent OT Cameron Fleming, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirmed the report (via Twitter) and added that the visit will take place tomorrow and Tuesday.
Rapoport also reiterated that New England wants to keep Fleming, which we heard previously. The Patriots lost their long-time left tackle, Nate Solder, earlier this week, when Solder signed a four-year, $62MM deal with the Giants. Fleming, though, has demonstrated the ability to play left tackle in the past, and in 2017, he graded as the league’s No. 24 offensive tackle, per Pro Football Focus. He is the best pure offensive tackle remaining on the open market, and if he were to sign elsewhere, the Pats may be forced to re-sign LaAdrian Waddle and insert him as Tom Brady‘s regular blindside protector (unless they can acquire a starting-caliber player in the draft, of course).
The Cowboys’ O-line has been a source of strength for the team over the past several seasons, and Fleming would further reinforce that unit. Archer notes that Fleming could start at right tackle for Dallas, which could then move La’el Collins back to left guard and strengthen the team’s up-the-middle protection.
Alternatively, the Cowboys could sign Fleming with an eye towards using him as a swing tackle, but it’s unlikely he would turn down a starting job with the Patriots or some other club to become a backup in Dallas. After all, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets, the market for Fleming is heating up, so it’s not as though he won’t have options.
As of right now, Dallas is the only team that has not yet signed a free agent.