AFC North Notes: McCown, Carter, Thomas
Much has been made of the Browns‘ quarterback situation heading into 2015, with a great deal of the discussion revolving around second-year signal-caller Johnny Manziel. But there has been significantly less attention devoted to the man who will more than likely be under center when Week 1 rolls around, Josh McCown.
McCown, signed to a three-year, $14MM contract this offseason, is not the solution at quarterback that Cleveland fans desperately seek. He is 35, and he has largely served as a backup in his 12 seasons in the league, compiling a 17-32 record as a starter. However, head coach Mike Pettine thinks that even if McCown is not the long-term answer, he does represent the next best thing. Pettine had this to say at yesterday’s Fan Fest (from Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal):
“Until you feel you’ve found what you would call a long-term solution, I don’t think we could have done any better than bringing in a guy like Josh McCown…It’s like having another coach on the field, and it’s all genuine. That’s the thing you like the most. Despite his age, people that have been at practice agree, he can still spin it. We didn’t just look to bring in a guy who was just going to be a mentor. We wanted a guy who we think can still play a little bit if you put him in the right circumstances. He’s been more than advertised.”
As Ulrich writes, Pettine’s comments, which were echoed by GM Ray Farmer, suggest that McCown is not only the favorite to win the starting job out of training camp this season, he is a lock.
Let’s check out a couple of more links from the AFC North:
- As we learned several weeks ago, Browns safety Tashaun Gipson is the only restricted free agent who appears demonstratively unhappy with his contract situation, as he was offered a second-round tender rather than a first-round tender. As Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com writes, the Browns should have gone the extra mile and extended the first-round offer, which would have cost the team an extra $1MM but would have set a positive tone for extension talks. Grossi believes, however, that the situation could still be resolved amicably.
- By releasing Jacoby Jones this offseason, the Ravens left themselves a hole at kick returner. One of the early favorites for that role, Michael Campanaro, has struggled with injury in his young career, and though cornerback Lardarius Webb was an effective returner a few years ago, injuries have taken their toll on him as well, and Baltimore does not want to risk losing their No. 2 corner to a special teams injury. As Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com writes, that leaves the door wide open for undrafted free agent DeAndre Carter, the diminutive receiver who showed explosive speed at Sacramento State and whose chances to stick on the 53-man roster seem to increase with each passing day.
- Shamarko Thomas has battled injury in his first two seasons in the league, but in the wake of Troy Polamalu‘s retirement, he now has the chance to establish himself as the Steelers‘ long-term answer at strong safety. Ralph N. Paulk of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review describes the work that Thomas has put in this offseason to ensure that he capitalizes on his opportunity, work that has not gone unnoticed by Thomas’ running mate st safety, Mike Mitchell.
Sunday Roundup: NFL In LA, Austin, Martin
Let’s have a look at a few links from around the league, which include a few Twitter mailbags:
- As San Diego tries to keep the Chargers from moving to Los Angeles, it is becoming increasingly clear that the team has all the leverage, writes David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune. As Garrick writes, the city has to make a new stadium deal sweet enough to make the Chargers want to stay, but not too sweet, because then it would be rejected at the polls. It is a tightrope that will be exceedingly difficult to walk.
- Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com takes a look at how the explosive Tavon Austin will fit in the Rams‘ run-heavy offense, and he also notes that Brian Quick should be ready to suit up for Week 1.
- Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com believes the Bears‘ overhaul of their defense is a two-year project, and the team will need another offseason to complement its core of players like Pernell McPhee and Kyle Fuller.
- John Keim of ESPN.com is surprised that Washington did not do more to address its thin tight end position in the offseason, but at this point, the team will simply have to hope Jordan Reed stays healthy or that someone like Chase Dixon or Je’Ron Hamm develops.
- Doug Martin recently moved from California to Tampa Bay even though the Buccaneers opted not to pick up the option on the fifth year of his rookie contract. But now that Tampa Bay is truly home for Martin, Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune writes that the injury-plagued back will have every incentive to earn a new deal with the club.
- Mike Wells of ESPN.com believes it is unlikely that the Colts will add another player to compete for the right tackle spot. Jack Mewhort and Joe Reitz are getting the majority of the snaps there at the moment, but newly-acquired Todd Herremans can play right tackle if necessary and Indianapolis remains optimistic that Gosder Cherilus can make a healthy return.
AFC East Notes: Pats, Rice, Wilkerson
After checking in on the status of two embattled running backs earlier today, let’s have a look at a few links from the AFC East:
- With the mass exodus that the Patriots have experienced at cornerback this offseason, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald writes that Devin McCourty could shift from his safety position to corner, where he played reasonably well during his first several seasons in the league. But given how good of a safety he has become, such a move would not be optimal for New England.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes that Brandon LaFell, who is under contract with the Patriots for two more years and $5.3MM, changed agents recently to Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, the same agents who represent Darrelle Revis. Volin wonders if LaFell, after an excellent 2014 season, is preparing to ask for a new contract.
- In the same piece, Volin writes that the Patriots will likely enter into contract negotiations with Rob Gronkowski in the near future. Gronkowski has a $10MM option bonus due next March that would trigger another four years and $37MM total.
- We learned earlier today that the Bills might be a good landing spot for Ray Rice, but Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets that Buffalo is not interested in the former Ravens star.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that the Jets are “spitting out cash like an ATM” when it comes to imported players, citing Brandon Marshall‘s restructure as the most recent example. Cimini believes it’s now time for the team’s best homegrown talent, Muhammad Wilkerson, to get a new deal.
- In the same piece, Cimini writes that the Jets have an unusually large amount of money tied up in players 30 years old or older, and he passes along details of Leonard Williams‘ rookie contract.
Will Ray Rice Get A Second Chance?
Don Banks of Sports Illustrated recently managed to contact 12 league sources–including high-level executives, coaches, agents, etc.–and asked them the following: did they anticipate any team signing Ray Rice either before training camp or during the preseason, and if so, which team or teams seemed to be the most likely candidates to pursue Rice at some point?
The former second-round pick out of Rutgers was one of the more dynamic playmakers in the league in the early stages of his career, piling up over 2,000 yards from scrimmage in 2009 and 2011 and scoring 43 total touchdowns in a Ravens uniform. Outside of his rookie campaign, in which he was the third option in a three-man backfield, he never caught fewer than 58 passes in a season, and he holds a career 4.3 yards per carry average.
But then 2013 happened. The Ravens, fresh off a Super Bowl championship, sputtered miserably on offense, and Rice struggled to the worst statistical season of his career, amassing just 660 yards on 214 carries (3.1 YPC) and reaching the endzone only four times. Less than two months after the season ended, Rice was arrested for the now infamous assault of his then-fiancee (now wife), Janay Palmer.
If Rice’s 2013 season had gone as well as his 2009-2012 efforts, he might already have a job by now. In response to Banks’ queries, one front office executive said Rice will probably not get another chance in the league, as he was “declining” and plays a “replaceable position.” But if Rice played at a Pro Bowl level in 2013, it would be difficult to say he was declining, and a number of other sources apparently believe that there are teams that would be willing to treat 2013 as one bad year, and not as a sign of things to come.
Another high-level executive said, “I’m a little bit surprised that it has taken this long for someone to sign him. I think he deserves to play. From all accounts, he’s a great person who made a pretty egregious mistake. The reaction to what he did was exacerbated by the fact it was on video. But let’s face it, we’re a league in which [former Rams defensive lineman] Leonard Little killed somebody [while driving drunk in 1998], and [then-Browns receiver] Donte’ Stallworth killed somebody [while driving drunk in 2009]. And they kept playing.”
That executive pointed to the Bills as one team that might be interested in taking a flyer on Rice, who always enjoyed a strong relationship with new Buffalo head coach Rex Ryan, and a veteran agent sees the Chiefs as a viable landing spot, given Andy Reid‘s willingness to give Michael Vick a second chance in Philadelphia. The agent said, “Rice deserves a second chance. He’s still a young kid. And when NFL owners get in trouble, they don’t get kicked out of the league.”
The problem, of course, is that the league is now in a “new era” in terms of domestic violence issues, and Rice is not an elite talent like Adrian Peterson or Greg Hardy at this point in his career. He handled an immensely heavy workload at Rutgers and was arguably the most effective offensive weapon for the Ravens for five years, so there is a lot of wear on his 28-year-old legs. As a result, he is probably best suited as a change-of-pace back, someone who can provide a spark but not shoulder the burden of 200 or more carries. And, given the decreasing emphasis on the running game that the league is experiencing, it just might not be worth it for a team to take the type of public relations hit that a Rice signing would engender.
The consensus among those who answered Banks’ questions appears to be that Rice would not be a toxic influence and is probably deserving of another chance, given the isolated nature of his transgression and his status as an exemplary citizen prior to the assault. But his age and the position he plays works against him, and though a number of Banks’ sources are optimistic about Rice’s chances, it will take a perfect storm of need, fit, and even desperation for him to get his mulligan.
Zimmer, Peterson Relationship Still Strong
Earlier this week, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer issued what was widely perceived as an ultimatum to his embattled star running back, Adrian Peterson. Zimmer said simply, “He can play for us, or he can not play.” That brief but strong statement succinctly summarized the stance that Minnesota has taken throughout the entire Peterson saga, and it made it appear that the relationship between coach and player had soured.
But according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, that could not be farther from the truth. As Goessling writes, “it’s believed Peterson and Zimmer talked this week and smoothed things over following the comment, which stemmed more from Zimmer’s fatigue over the topic than any effort to issue Peterson an ultimatum.” Goessling goes on to say that although Peterson still has some reservations about returning to the Vikings, including COO Kevin Warren‘s role in putting Peterson on the commissioner’s exempt list last year, his relationship with Zimmer remains an asset to the club.
In fact, Zimmer’s statement was hardly news to Peterson, who apparently realizes that he is not going to talk his way into a trade, even if there were teams that would be willing to make a deal for him. As such, and as PFR’s Zach Links pointed out several days ago, Peterson’s decision to skip OTAs is based solely on his desire to get the Vikings to put their money where their mouth is and to give him a salary guarantee that reflects their words of support.
In the end, Goessling believes Peterson will suit up for the Vikings in the fall, and even though there has not been much progress towards a new salary guarantee at this point, some sort of compromise appears well within the realm of possibility. After all, as we heard just yesterday, most of the Vikings’ moves these days are being made with an eye towards 2016, when they move into a new stadium. If the team didn’t have plans for Peterson to be on the roster during that season, they wouldn’t even be bothering with him.
Sunday Roundup: Garoppolo, Tebow, G. Smith
Let’s have a look at some links from around the league on this Sunday afternoon:
- One of the silver linings of Tom Brady‘s suspension, according to Karen Guregian of The Boston Herald, is that the Patriots will get the chance to see if second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is truly Brady’s heir apparent.
- Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer believes that not only will Tim Tebow make the Eagles‘ 53-man roster, he will suit up and he will play.
- Only Cincinnati has drafted more wide receivers than the Packers since 2005, which marked Ted Thompson‘s first year as Green Bay’s GM. Thompson has selected 16 wideouts during that time.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey did not undermine head coach Todd Bowles by proclaiming that Geno Smith would be the team’s starting quarterback, as Gailey was just reiterating what Bowles had said (in a less definitive manner) on prior occasions.
- Cimini does note that the Jets are bucking a historic trend by having Smith open the season as their starting signal-caller. Football Outsiders complied a list of 10 quarterbacks over the past 25 years who performed as poorly as Smith has in their first two seasons, and although most of them were named the starter going into their third year in the league, most were also first-round draft choices. Smith, of course, was a second-rounder. Out of the 10 players that Football Outsiders listed, only two, Jake Plummer and Trent Dilfer, experienced any sort of success in the league.
- Connor Hamlett, a tight end whom the Jaguars signed as an undrafted free agent earlier this month, indicated back in January that he was not going to pursue a professional football career. But Hamlett, per Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union, says, “I just took some time off because I was banged up. I love the game of football, and I wanted to play. The whole [story] kind of got blown out of proportion.” Jacksonville had a “draft-worthy” grade on Hamlett, who has a good chance to make the club. O’Halloran says the Jags could keep as many as five tight ends on the roster.
- Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com says the Jaguars could release Toby Gerhart, but the ESPN scribe goes on to explain why he believes Gerhart will ultimately stay on the roster.
- Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune says the Buccaneers, who traded a fifth-round pick to Detroit last month in exchange for George Johnson–after signing Johnson to a three-year, $9MM offer sheet–fell in love with the defensive end while watching film of Lions games in preparation for last year’s matchup with Detroit. Had the Bucs not played the Lions in 2014, Johnson might not have found himself in Tampa Bay in 2015.
Goodell’s Comments Cloud Brady Appeal
A great deal of ink and cyberspace have been devoted to DeflateGate, which is far and away the biggest storyline of the offseason. Some pieces have applauded the Wells Report and the punishments levied against the Patriots and Tom Brady, while others have condemned the report’s alleged flaws and have accused the league of jumping to conclusions and “overreacting.” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, while he does not take a general stance on the scandal in his latest piece, does point out that commissioner Roger Goodell has injected unneeded confusion into Brady’s appeal with his recent comments.
Generally speaking, when a losing party notes an appeal to a higher court, the issue to be decided on appeal determines the standard of review that the higher court will apply. Sometimes, the court will apply a “de novo” standard, which essentially means that it ignores the lower court’s ruling entirely and considers all the evidence and arguments anew. But since Brady’s suspension stems from Article 46 of the labor deal, his appeal will be decided under an “arbitrary and capricious” standard, which means that the suspension will be upheld unless it was made on improper grounds or without any consideration of the relevant circumstances. Such a standard obviously provides a great deal of deference to the ruling of the lower tribunal, and since Goodell, for all intents and purposes, was the lower tribunal, one would think that the suspension would be affirmed.
However, the commissioner did cloud the matter when he said the following:
“We have a process here. It’s long established. I look forward to hearing directly from Tom. If there is new information or there’s information in helping us get this right, I want to hear directly from Tom on that.”
As Florio writes, an appellate tribunal reviewing an issue under an arbitrary and capricious standard cannot consider any “new information.” The only information that matters is the evidence and arguments already on the record. Although Goodell was probably hoping to demonstrate that he will be as fair as possible in considering Brady’s appeal, his comments only serve to undermine a process that has already been widely criticized. If Goodell is, in fact open to hearing “new” information, Florio writes that Brady should “ask to re-open the investigation, allowing Wells to do whatever it is that he charged the NFL millions of dollars to do, and then giving [Troy] Vincent a chance to reconsider the punishment, with Goodell waiting to review the matter on appeal.” But since that will not be happening, Goodell has unwittingly handed his critics another arrow to stick in their quiver.
West Notes: Relocation, Seahawks, Walker
Last week, Rams fans in St. Louis received a bit of good news when league commissioner Roger Goodell noted that the efforts to keep the Rams in the Gateway City by building a new stadium on the riverfront had made “tremendous progress.” Although financing plans still need to be worked out, a number of football scribes, like Ben Volin of The Boston Globe and Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, wonder how Rams owner Stan Kroenke and the league itself could justify moving the Rams to Los Angeles if St. Louis comes through with funding for a new stadium before the team’s current lease with the Edward Jones Dome expires.
That question becomes particularly relevant if the Carson plan, in which the Raiders and Chargers would share a stadium in LA, continues to gain momentum. As Miklasz points out, the Carson proposal would allow the league to solve its “California problem” inside California without having to move a franchise from another region. Furthermore, the Chargers and Raiders have been waiting for a new stadium for years, while the Edward Jones Dome is comparatively new.
But Miklasz is keeping his optimism in check, because the NFL has refused to confirm that a new stadium will assure St. Louis of a place in the league. The city has gone to great lengths to keep the Rams in St Louis, as they have committed to constructing a new, $985MM stadium while still paying off the cost of building the Edward Jones Dome, and the league has repeatedly stated that it strongly prefers to keep each team in its current market. And yet, without the NFL’s public commitment that the riverfront project, if successful, would keep the Rams in place, Miklasz writes that the whole ordeal becomes a question of honor. And honor is one department in which the league sometimes falls short.
Now let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s West divisions:
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that there will not be three teams in Southern California until the Chargers‘ stadium situation is resolved in some way. As Breer notes (via Twitter), it is possible that, if the Chargers reach a deal to stay in San Diego, the Raiders and Rams could share the Inglewood stadium, which is designed to house two teams.
- On a less serious note, Chargers superfan Dan Juaregui, otherwise known as the costumed “Boltman,” has contacted an attorney about the possibility of filing an antitrust suit against the NFL on behalf of Chargers fans if the Chargers should relocate to Los Angeles. While the attorney himself noted that such a suit would be feasible, Kristina Davis of The San Diego Union-Tribune, citing Chargers counsel Mark Fabiani, says the city gave up its right to sue the league over relocation in its stadium lease.
- Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times summarizes former agent Joel Corry’s analysis of Russell Wilson‘s contract negotiations with the Seahawks. Our Luke Adams wrote a piece on Corry’s original article several days ago.
- Jayson Jenks of The Seattle Times describes the difficulty opposing defenses will have to face when confronted with the Seahawks‘ triple threat of Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and one of the biggest prizes of the offseason, Jimmy Graham.
- Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post looks at the value and versatility that newly-acquired defensive tackle Vance Walker, who was used sparingly with division rival Kansas City, brings to the Broncos.
Sunday Roundup: Ray, Eagles, Chargers
Let’s take a look a a few notes from around the league:
- Shane Ray‘s draft stock took a hit because of a citation for marijuana possession and a toe injury, but the Missouri product was still selected in the first round, as the Broncos traded up to nab the high-ceiling pass rusher. As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes, Denver hopes that Ray, who missed rookie minicamp as a result of the toe injury, will be able to participate in some capacity when the team resumes work tomorrow. As Alper points out, though, Ray’s work is likely to be limited, especially since the Broncos just lost third-round tight end Jeff Heuerman to a torn ACL at minicamp.
- Of all the eyebrow-raising moves that Eagles head coach Chip Kelly has made during his brief tenure with the club, his decisions relating to Philadelphia’s wide receiving corps may be the most curious. But as David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News writes, with the addition of Nelson Agholor–a physical clone of Jeremy Maclin–the expected improvement from Zach Ertz and Jordan Matthews, and the team’s ability to shift Darren Sproles to more of a pass-catching role now that DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews are in the fold, the Eagles may actually have a more dynamic set of receivers than they had in 2014.
- Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano says rookie Denzel Perryman will compete for time at inside linebacker with projected starters Manti Te’o and Donald Butler, but that ultimately everybody will see time on the field, ESPN’s Eric D. Williams writes. Pagano complimented his talent not only at the linebacker position, but also on special teams.
- The Chargers don’t have a true fullback on their roster, but San Diego State product Chad Young hopes to change that, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes. Young has experience on his side, having been in training camp last year with the Jets. But like other fullbacks, he has seen his position fade across the NFL over the past several years.
- Former Maryland standout Andre Monroe tried out for the Chargers during the team’s rookie minicamp, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Monroe set Maryland’s school record with 25 career sacks, 20 of which came in his last 26 games. But at 5’10” and 294 pounds, Monroe is a bit undersized for an NFL defensive lineman, and he was not immediately offered a contract by San Diego.
- Longtime Ravens scout Joe Douglas has accepted a job with the Bears, according to a press release from the Ravens. Douglas will be Chicago’s new director of college scouting.
- The Steelers have hired veteran NFL personnel man Rick Reiprish to join their player personnel department, writes Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Reiprish, who has over 30 years of experience in player personnel, was the Saints’ director of college scouting for 11 years until he was released in a front-office shakeup earlier this year.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Brady’s Punishment Likely To Be Upheld?
Our recent poll asking if Tom Brady would be successful in getting his four-game suspension reduced showed that PFR’s readers are largely optimistic about Brady’s chances; nearly two-thirds of all voters said Brady would, in fact, get his reduction.
Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, however, is less optimistic. As Volin points out, if Brady is unsuccessful in appealing his suspension to the league, he will have the option to file a lawsuit in any state in the country alleging a violation of industrial due process. But after speaking with Shannon Liss-Riordan, a Boston employment and labor attorney, and Lester Munson, a longtime attorney and legal analyst for ESPN, Volin concludes that Brady is unlikely to prevail at either stage.
In order to get his suspension reduced, Volin writes that Brady must “beg for mercy,” but Brady, who has given every indication that he plans to fight his punishment to the bitter end, is unlikely to do much begging. Instead, he will use the appeal process to lay the groundwork for his eventual lawsuit. Meanwhile, commissioner Roger Goodell is unlikely to recuse himself as the appeals officer, as the league’s collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) allows him to hear all appeals. According to Liss-Riordan, it is “really unusual is for one party to be able to appoint the arbitrator in the grievance appeals process,” but “somehow the players’ union let that provision get in there.”
So if and when Goodell upholds the suspension, Brady will file suit. The NFL Players’ Association has been successful in arguing cases in Minnesota before federal judge David Doty, but Doty is now on senior status and is no longer hearing cases. As such, Brady will file in Massachusetts in an effort to gain home-field advantage. He plans to argue that the league violated industrial due process in that Troy Vincent, who actually imposed the punishment that Goodell approved, is not allowed to dole out sanctions. Further, Brady will argue that Vincent is inherently biased, given his involvement on game day, that the Well Report is severely flawed, and that the punishment is unfairly harsh given the precedent the league has established.
Liss-Riordan, though, says Brady will be fighting a steep uphill battle. Unless Brady can show bias, he is unlikely to prevail in court, and as Liss-Riordan says, “it’s going to be pretty hard to vacate an arbitration award based on the arbitrator being biased if the CBA allows for the arbitrator to be an interested party.” Plus, even though the Wells Report has been criticized both within the Patriots organization and without, Munson believes the report was “very careful and very conservative” in its conclusions, and the NFL would have a strong counterargument to any “unfair punishment” claims that Brady could make. For instance, as Munson says, the NFL can reasonably argue that Brady “lied to the investigators, he obstructed the investigation, and he was guilty on the footballs. So they would say, those three things qualify him for the four-game suspension. I don’t see excessive punishment as a strong argument for Brady.”
Volin’s entire piece is worth reading, as it provides a straightforward but reasonably-detailed look at the next stages in the DeflateGate saga, a saga that at least a couple of experts believe will have an unhappy end for Brady.
There are several more DeflateGate links to pass along today, so let’s have a look:
- Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News believes Goodell should, in fact, recuse himself from Brady’s appeal, a move that Vacchiano believes would help Goodell to rebuild trust.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk passes along a 2006 New York Times article by Judy Battista, which revealed that then-Texans quarterback David Carr instructed ball boys to let a little air out of the Texans’ footballs before the team’s preseason game in Denver. Some may point to this article as evidence of the league’s alleged bias against Brady, as there was no public fallout from Carr’s admission. But Carr’s purported misdeeds came before a preseason game, not a playoff game, and as Florio writes, “the article isn’t entirely favorable to the ongoing cause of Patriots fans to prove that other teams did that which the Patriots insist they didn’t do.”
- Prior to his induction into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame yesterday, Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said Brady’s punishment was an “overreaction,” just like the sanctions handed down to Del Rio’s alma mater in the wake of the Reggie Bush investigations.