NFL Notes: Los Angeles, Goodell, Rice
There are a number of notes pertaining to the league as a whole this afternoon. Let’s have a look:
- Adding to the increasing buzz surrounding the potential return of the NFL to Los Angeles, Albert Breer of the NFL Network writes that owners at the annual Fall meetings last week were presented with six potential sites for a stadium in LA. Per Breer, those sites are: “the AEG site in downtown Los Angeles, the Dodger Stadium site, a site at Hollywood Park with multiple parcels, a site that the NFL has been looking at for years in nearby Carson, a second Carson site on land that is currently home to a golf course and Ed Roski’s site in Industry.”
- Breer adds (via Twitter) that it is unlikely that the Raiders would be the first team on the list of clubs that could end up making the move to LA. He writes that many of the scenarios regarding a possible relocation involve the Raiders but also include the Rams and Chargers.
- Citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that the NFL wants to shield commissioner Roger Goodell from testifying at the Ray Rice appeal hearing. Judge Barbara S. Jones, who will hear and decide Rice’s appeal, could compel Goodell to testify, but that is the last thing the NFL wants.
- Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole tweets that Jermichael Finley‘s disability insurance case has been an “eye-opener” for other players, as it is much more difficult to collect on such a policy than one would think.
- Mike Garafalo of FOX Sports writes that one of the issues discussed at last week’s Fall meetings was the possibility of a team being stripped of draft picks for player conduct policy violations.
- Robert Salonga and Mark Emmons of the San Jose Mercury News discuss how the circumstances surrounding 49ers‘ defensive lineman Ray McDonald demonstrate the conflicts of interest created when NFL teams hire sworn police officers as security.
- CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported earlier today that many NFL owners want someone other than Roger Goodell to handle disciplinary matters, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen expounds on the issue. As Mortensen writes, one proposed modification would make it so that “the commissioner would not decide on the initial player punishment but rather yield to a neutral arbitration panel chosen by the union and league.” However, “Goodell would be the appellate officer or appoint a designated hearing officer if a player appeals his disciplinary action administered by the panel.” Nonetheless, union sources are skeptical of that proposal and indicate that any modification to the personal conduct policy would require collective bargaining.
Peterson Could Be Suspended Even If Cleared
Although it will not come as much of a surprise given earlier reports that Adrian Peterson is not likely to return to action until the 2015 season, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports that, even if Peterson is cleared of the felony child abuse charge that he is currently facing, the league could still impose a suspension without pay.
As Mortensen writes, “One area of consensus that was reaffirmed in last week’s league meetings is that violation of workplace rules and personal conduct should not require a conviction,” and “Any facts established in a legal proceeding can be found as a personal conduct violation regardless of the legal outcome.”
This is not to mention, of course, the pending motion for revocation of bond that was filed by Montgomery County prosecutors in response to Peterson’s admission that he smoked marijuana in violation of his bond conditions. Peterson is currently on the league’s exempt/commissioner’s permission list and is being paid his full $11.75MM salary.
More On Hoyer’s Bright Future
We learned earlier today from CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora that Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, after his excellent start to 2014, is quickly making a case for a big-money, long-term deal. Former agent Joel Corry added that, even if the two sides cannot hammer out a multi-year contract, Hoyer could soon be in for a big payday, as Cleveland has enough cap room to put the roughly $18MM franchise tag on Hoyer for the 2015 season.
La Canfora and Corry, however, are not the only ones contemplating Hoyer’s prospects today. Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that Hoyer could take yet another step to securing his place in the league, and his bright financial future, with a strong showing against the hated Steelers this afternoon. Although the Browns have gotten off to an 0-2 start in the AFC North, their earlier losses against the Steelers and Ravens were close and highly competitive affairs, a silver lining for a team that has been on the wrong end of too many blowouts in recent history.
Hoyer is 5-2 in his career as the Browns starter under center, and through four games this season he has completed 62.1% of his passes for 1,007 yards, six TDs, and one interception, which all adds up to a 97.6 quarterback rating. With each passing week, he looks more and more like the quarterback solution that the Browns have sought for so long.
Even rival beat writers are jumping on the Hoyer bandwagon. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Post-Gazette writes that, after spending two years holding a clipboard for Tom Brady in New England and spending this offseason as a footnote to the Johnny Manziel hype, Hoyer has done what a good quarterback is supposed to do: elevate his supporting cast. In Hoyer’s case, that supporting cast is a rather uninspiring one. Although Cleveland’s running game has provided a solid foundation, the fact that Hoyer has performed so well this season with a banged-up Jordan Cameron and without Josh Gordon is especially impressive.
The fear that Hoyer, who was an unheralded and undrafted free agent when he entered the league, could turn into a pumpkin at any moment will be present for a long time, particularly among Cleveland fans. But as he continues to stack up excellent games, the wins are likely to follow, and that fear might slowly start to fade into something a little more akin to hope.
Jimmy Graham To Miss 2-3 Games
Saints tight end Jimmy Graham is likely out for the rest of October, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk (citing Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Graham, who suffered a shoulder injury in last week’s win over Tampa Bay, is reportedly out for the next 2-3 weeks. Although the Saints are on their bye this week, that 2-3 week timetable means that he will certainly miss the next two games against the Lions and Packers. After the Packers game, the Saints will take on Carolina on a short week, so he may not be available for that divisional matchup.
Graham is putting together a typically excellent season, with 34 receptions, 376 yards, and 3 TDs. He will be sorely missed as the Saints attempt to rebound from their 2-3 start.
La Canfora’s Latest: Newton, Houston, Hoyer
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports has a number of interesting notes this morning, including several pieces on possible contract extensions for big name stars. Let’s jump right in:
- Although the Panthers have not talked with quarterback Cam Newton about a possible extension since this summer, and no such talks are imminent, La Canfora writes that Newton is not interested in a “pay as you go” contract like those signed by Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton. Joel Corry tweets that Newton’s agent, Bus Cook, will certainly not accept that type of deal for Newton given that he was able to procure $38MM in (virtually) guaranteed money for Jay Cutler.
- La Canfora writes that the Chiefs would like to extend outside linebacker Justin Houston during the season, but unnamed sources indicate that is unlikely. After locking up quarterback Alex Smith long term, Kansas City wants to revisit negotiations with Houston, which went nowhere in the preseason. However, the two sides do not currently appear likely to bridge that preseason gap, and Houston could be slapped with the franchise tag next year, which would be worth about $13MM. Even with Kansas City’s ample cap room, Joel Corry tweets that the mega-deals signed by J.J. Watt and Robert Quinn did not make it any easier for the Chiefs to extend Houston.
- La Canfora writes that the Browns have not yet begun contract talks with Brian Hoyer, but after his performance against the Titans last week, the time for locking him up at a reasonable rate may be running out. Joel Corry adds (via Twitter) that Cleveland may even consider an $18MM franchise tag for Hoyer for 2015, since the club has plenty of cap room to work with.
- Although new Bills owner Terry Pegula is not planning any immediate changes to his front office, La Canfora writes that Pegula ultimately wants to “bring in an experienced football man” to oversee the team’s transition. Ernie Accorsi, Mike Holmgren, and Ron Wolf have all been named as possibilities. Pegula would also like to see an organizational restructure to separate the football side and business side of the club.
- Many NFL owners, despite lauding commissioner Roger Goodell for his overall efforts, would like for him to allow others to handle disciplinary matters.
- La Canfora has the the value of 2015 franchise tags for each position.
AFC East Notes: Smith, Ryan, Pats, Pegula
The Jets have opened the 2014 season with a 1-4 record, a disaster at the quarterback position, and a dearth of optimism for an imminent reversal of fortunes. The two starring figures in the team’s disappointment, of course, are head coach Rex Ryan and second-year quarterback Geno Smith. However, as Conor Orr of NFL.com writes, the ultimate fate of those two men could be quite different if and when their respective tenures with the Jets are over.
Citing NFL Media’s Michael Robinson, Orr writes that “a defensively starved team would absolutely pay Ryan handsomely to return to his former role as a coordinator,” but teams would be much more hesitant to give Smith another shot. Orr adds that, unless Smith shows more comfort against top-tier defenses, it is difficult to imagine any sort of market developing for him, even among coaches with strong backgrounds in quarterback development.
Now for some more notes from around the AFC East:
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that, despite the Jets‘ woes, a midseason firing of Rex Ryan or GM John Idzik is highly unlikely and that owner Woody Johnson will reevaluate his personnel after the season. Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that there is no “litmus test” for Ryan to keep his job, as the team could finish the 2014 season strong and opt to bring Ryan back. After all, the Jets worried after the 2013 season that he would be immediately rehired as a head coach elsewhere and make them pay, and that fear still exists among the team’s front office.
- With the Broncos coming to town this week, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com takes a look back at the Jets-Broncos trade that brought Tim Tebow to the Meadowlands. Although the fourth-round pick that New York shipped to Denver turned out to be center Phillip Blake, who is now out of the league, the Broncos used the sixth-rounder on Danny Trevathan, their starting weakside linebacker: Advantage: Denver.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes that, although the proliferation of doomsday articles concerning the Patriots‘ dynasty–which quickly disappeared after the team’s performance against the Bengals last week–contemplated a premature end to Tom Brady‘s days in New England, Brady’s contract suggests that he will remain under center for at least the 2015 season.
- Despite the Patriots‘ throwback blowout of the Bengals last Sunday, Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News is unimpressed by the team’s long-term prospects and believes the dynasty is indeed fading.
- Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News discusses the “eerie” coincidences surrounding new Bills‘ owner Terry Pegula‘s purchase of the team, and Sullivan wonders if the symbolism will continue with a Buffalo upset of New England later today.
Sunday Roundup: Suh, Jets, Steve Smith
It has been fairly obvious for some time that Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh would be leaving Detroit at the end of the year, and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter confirms that the Lions are preparing to move on without him. However, Schefter adds another wrinkle, writing that Suh would love to play in New York, either for the Jets or Giants.
However, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that the Jets have too much money tied up in their defensive line to be a serious suitor, and Mike Florio of Pro Football talk adds that there is no indication that the Giants would want Suh. Citing Schefter, Florio does add that the Bears and Cowboys will definitely be interested.
Now for some more links from around the league:
- In a full-length piece, Cimini writes that the Jets‘ most pressing contract concern might center around linebacker David Harris, the “glue” to head coach Rex Ryan‘s defensive unit. Although Muhammad Wilkerson‘s contract situation has received more attention, Harris will be a free agent at year’s end, whereas Wilkerson will still be under club control.
- Steve Serby of the New York Post writes that the Jets‘ worst-case scenario–that Geno Smith would continue to struggle with his turnover problem, triggering calls for Michael Vick to take over–has come true. Given that Ryan is coaching for his job, another poor showing from Smith this week could lead to Vick’s promotion. Like Serby, Cimini believes that Smith’s job could be on the line today.
- Not only are the Jets inconsistent on the field, they are also facing internal struggles. In a separate piece, Schefter writes that some members of the Jets front office are disenchanted with the way GM John Idzik has built his roster. Not only do they believe Idzik was not aggressive enough in pursuing upgrades at cornerback, an issue that has received a lot of publicity, but they also feel that Idzik should have used his ample salary cap space to further address the wide receiver, pass rusher, and return specialist positions.
- Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the Ryan Tannehill/Joe Philbin dilemma is not the only player/coach rift on the Dolphins.
- Rich Tandler of ESPNWashington.com says to look for the Redskins to promote safety Philip Thomas from the practice squad to the active roster–assuming they do not go outside the organization for help–and that one of the tight ends currently on the practice squad, Ted Bolser and Je’Ron Hamm, could also be on the way up, depending on the status of Jordan Reed and Niles Paul.
- Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune tweets that the Buccaneers have only two players remaining from their 2010 club: Gerald McCoy and Demar Dotson.
- In a series of tweets, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes that the Panthers did not cut Steve Smith because they thought he could no longer perform at a high level. Instead, they worried that Smith would be “divisive” in the team’s young locker room. Smith refused to take a pay cut and ultimately asked for his release.
La Canfora’s Latest: London, Finley, Raiders
Thanks to a report from CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, we learned earlier today that the internal struggles of the Dolphins organization goes beyond head coach Joe Philbin‘s reluctance to affirm Ryan Tannehill as the team’s starter earlier this week. That report has since been supported by a similar article from Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, and La Canfora has a few other notes worth passing along:
- La Canfora writes that the movement to put an NFL franchise in London continues to gain momentum, and he describes how the league would handle some of the logistical challenges inherent in such a a decision.
- In a series of tweets, La Canfora notes that league commissioner Roger Goodell and Players’ Association head DeMaurice Smith met this week to discuss a new personal conduct policy, which they hope to have in place by the Super Bowl. La Canfora expands on those tweets in a full-length article.
- In a separate piece, he writes that, although teams continues to explore the possibilities of acquiring free agent TE Jermichael Finley–the Ravens, having lost Dennis Pitta for the season, were the most recent team to monitor his progress–it is “99 percent certain” that Finley will not play in 2014.
- In an article concerning the uncertainty of the Oakland front office, La Canfora writes that Raiders owner Mark Davis, who “has considered firing his coach and general manager several times in recent years,” continues to speak with his confidants about a potential shake-up. If Davis does end up firing current head coach Dennis Allen, offensive coordinator Greg Olson is a strong candidate to take over as interim head coach.
Pats Notes: Brady, Gronk, O-Line
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes that, although the league’s quarterbacks have seen a general uptick in overall statistical performance through the first three weeks of the 2014 season–standard small sample size disclaimers apply–those numbers are not being driven by the traditionally elite signal-callers. Among the under-performing big names is the Patriots’ Tom Brady, who as Volin notes, has produced “head-scratchingly bad” statistics.
Those stats include a 58.8 completion percentage, 5.5 yards per attempt, and 210.7 passing yards per game. There are, of course, reasons for those numbers: Brady is clearly uncomfortable throwing the ball downfield and has little faith in his receivers and his offensive line. Nonetheless, Brady will, as Volin points out, have to pick up the slack if the team is to make its yearly run to the playoffs, even though the AFC East is shaping up to be just as weak as it always is.
Here are a few more Patriots tidbits to pass along this morning:
- Speaking of Brady’s struggles, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald writes that analysts like Trent Dilfer and Matt Hasselbeck point out the flaws in the Patriots’ roster to explain some of Brady’s problems, along with Brady’s increasing penchant to take the safe throw rather than force the issue. Nonetheless, both believe that Brady will be able to overcome his early-season woes and put up solid numbers yet again.
- One thing that would certainly help a Brady resurgence is the continued good health of Rob Gronkowski. Phil Perry of CSNNewEngland.com observes that Gronkowski should be able to become the middle-of-the-field threat that the team needs him to be sooner rather than later, which would open up the passing game for the rest of the team’s receiving corps.
- As noted above, the offensive line has been a big problem for New England. Adam Kurkjian of the Boston Herald writes that the Pats will go into Monday’s game against Kansas City with Nate Solder at left tackle, Bryan Stork at center, Dan Connolly at right guard and Sebastian Vollmer at right tackle. Kurkjian notes that left guard remains unsettled, with Marcus Cannon and Ryan Wendell as possibilities. Perry has the same suggestion in a video post.
Dolphins’ Internal Strife Continues
Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin was at the source of some mild team controversy earlier this week, when he was asked about the job security of starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill but gave an ambivalent response. Philbin later expressed regret that his noncommittal approach to the question created a distraction for the club, which has fallen to 1-2 after a promising opening week win against the Patriots.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, however, a deeper and more troubling internal struggle may be brewing in Miami. La Canfora writes that Dolphins players have expressed concerns with Philbin and his coordinators, and the relationship between Philbin and team executive Dawn Aponte has become frayed. Aponte hired former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum as a team consultant, but since Tannenbaum’s primary job is as an agent representing coaches–like Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who will likely be on the list of top head coaching candidates after the season–it is fair to wonder how much longer Philbin will be roaming the Dolphins’ sidelines.
La Canfora adds that owner Stephen Ross has not, as he promised after the Richie Incognito/Jonathan Martin debacle, taken a more active role in the guidance of his team, but he is said to be covertly trying to lay the foundation to trade for current 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. Between those rumors and Philbin’s apparent wish to play backup signal-caller Matt Moore–which has displeased the front office, who have committed to Tannehill–the Dolphins may soon be in for a second front office overhaul in as many years.