James Harrison Fires Back At PED Allegations
As the NFL digs into the PED allegations raised by an Al Jazeera documentary in December, James Harrison is going on the offensive. This afternoon, the Steelers linebacker submitted a sworn affidavit to the NFL denying the claims made about him in “The Dark Side: Secrets of the Sports Dopers.” 
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In the document, obtained by Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Harrison says that he has never met or otherwise communicated with Charles Sly, the Indiana-based pharmacist who claimed that he supplied the Steelers veteran and others with performance enhancing drugs. The 38-year-old also specifically denied ever ingesting a compound known as “Delta-2.” In the documentary, Sly is on tape saying that Harrison is a regular user of Delta-2 or, as he refers to it, “D-2.”
The linebacker was among several players Sly accused of receiving PEDs and-or painkillers from Guyer Institute in a 2015 Al Jazeera documentary. Sly has since recanted his claims, but the NFL is still intent on interviewing all of the players linked to the use of banned substances in the documentary. Recently, Harrison took to social media to express the limited terms under which he’d agree to an interview.
In addition to Harrison, the league is also intent on speaking with Clay Matthews, Mike Neal, and Julius Peppers. As a retired player, Peyton Manning cannot be forced to speak with the league, but he is reportedly ready to cooperate because of his desire to serve as a front office executive down the line.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Six Teams Meet With Rashaun Simonise
Six NFL teams have met with Supplemental Draft prospect Rashaun Simonise, according to NFL Draft Diamonds (on Twitter). The Rams, Cardinals, Packers, Colts, Jets, and Redskins were all in attendance for a recent workout by the Canadian wide receiver. 
In 2015, Simonise made some noise when he racked up 1,079 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in eight games in his junior season at the University of Calgary. However, he was recently declared academically ineligible for the upcoming season, which led him to enter his name into the 2016 Supplemental Draft. Since the end of the ’15 season, the 6’5″ receiver has been staying in football shape and even had a brief stint with the Chicago Eagles of the Champions Indoor Football League.
Last month, Purdue defensive tackle Ra’Zahn Howard became the first player to declare for the Supplemental Draft. Soon after, Virginia Tech long snapper Eddie D’Antuono, Sam Houston State running back Jalen Overstreet, Concordia College defensive end Cameron Walton, Ole Miss cornerback Tee Shepard, and Simonise also entered their names for consideration.
The supplemental draft allows clubs to select players who, for one reason or another, were unable to enter the standard draft; academic trouble or disciplinary issues are often – but not always – key factors. If a team selects a player in the supplementary draft, it will lose its corresponding pick in the following year’s standard draft. For example, if a club were to select a player in the fourth round of the supplemental, it will lose its 2017 fourth-rounder as a result. Most players who enter the Supplemental Draft are not selected, enabling them to sign with any NFL team.
Impact Rookies: New England Patriots
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
Today, we continue PFR’s Impact Rookie series with his insight on the New England Patriots’ draft class:
In a tradition started by Jimmy Johnson during his days with Dallas, lots of NFL teams use what is called a draft “value board” in their war rooms. Based on the selections made by the coaching genius of Bill Belichick, analysts might be scratching their heads over the Patriots’ decisions during this past draft.
Deflategate left the team with no choice in the opening round, but in what has been Belichick’s pattern over the years, he put on his “Trader Jack” hat before and during the draft proceedings in attempts to improve his roster. In mid-March, the team made a surprising move, trading away one of the defense’s cornerstones in Chandler Jones for oft-injured offensive guard Jonathan Cooper and a second-round draft pick.
The Patriots flipped that No. 61 overall pick to the Saints, netting the Saints’ third (No. 78) and fourth-round (No. 112) selections. Even with Cooper in the fold and starters Shaquille Mason (left side) and Tre’ Jackson (right) stationed as the starters, New England added to their guard cache in the third round by taking North Carolina State’s Joe Thuney. Thuney is likely to caddy for Shaquille Mason on the left side and while he could prove to be a reliable backup, he’s not likely to make waves in 2016. However, we do see these two Pats rookies leaving a mark in their first NFL season:
Continue reading about the Patriots’ rookie class..
Von Miller Rumors: Tuesday
Broncos defensive lineman Derek Wolfe was diplomatic in his interview with SiriusXM on Tuesday, but one might infer that he’s not thrilled with Von Miller and his standoff with the team.
“Business is business, and that’s his business. And he has to do what he’s gotta do,” Wolfe said regarding Miller’s contract situation (transcription via PFT). “Obviously, I took a different route and decided that this is where I want to be so I’m going to take a significant haircut to stay here, and that’s fine with me. But some people don’t feel that way.”
Back in January, Wolfe and the Broncos agreed to a four-year, $36.75MM extension with $12MM fully guaranteed. Had Wolfe tested the open market, he likely could have bested those numbers. While Wolfe was comfortable signing a team-friendly pact to stay in Denver, Miller is determined to get what he perceives as fair value. From my perspective, it’s hard to fault the Super Bowl 50 MVP for standing his ground.
Here’s the latest on the Broncos and Miller:
- Even though it may be an attractive Plan B, the Broncos are not thinking about the possibility of trading Von Miller this week, Mike Klis of KUSA writes. In theory, the Broncos could trade Miller before the Friday deadline, allowing the team acquiring Miller to sign him to a multi-year deal. After the Friday deadline, Miller’s trade value takes a significant nosedive as he would be ticketed for the open market. Even though a Miller trade sounds like a reasonable fallback option, it doesn’t sound likely at this time.
- At this point, the Broncos are confident that they’ll get a deal done by Friday, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Echoing Klis’ report, Cole says that the idea of a trade has only come up “in passing” between the Broncos and Miller’s camp.
- Multiple teammates have expressed confidence this week that Miller will sign a long-term deal, Troy Renck of The Denver Post writes. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who is also working on a new contract with Denver, said he understood why his contract talks were on pause because “all of the focus should be on Von right now.”
Cole’s Latest: Bucs, Grimes, Dolphins, Rams
This week, the wife of Buccaneers cornerback Brent Grimes made waves when she slammed the Dolphins in a controversial rant and characterized executive Mike Tannenbaum and owner Stephen Ross as “jew buddies.” Will Miko Grimes’ words affect the two-time Pro Bowler? Officially, the Bucs have no comment on the matter, but, privately, the Glazer family views her comments as anti-semitic, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). With that in mind, it’s fair to wonder if those comments could impact the veteran’s status with the team.
Here’s more from Cole:
- It’s looking “less and less likely” that Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, and Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson will get long term deals done by Friday (video link). This offseason, Johnson watched former secondary partner Janoris Jenkins land a mega-deal from the Giants in free agency, securing a $12.5MM annual salary and $28.8MM in guarantees. It doesn’t sound like Los Angeles is willing to match or exceed those numbers, so a deal is probably unlikely to be struck this week.
- The Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee has extended its deadline to make a recommendation on a Raiders stadium in Las Vegas for the Raiders until August (video link). Ultimately, Cole hears from sources that the Raiders plan will get the OK by the time that new deadline rolls around. After that, the final decision will be made by the governor of Nevada.
Browns Have No Plans To Cut Isaiah Crowell
Last week, Browns running back Isaiah Crowell made headlines when he made an Instagram post depicting a police officer being stabbed in the neck by a person in a black hood. Since then, Crowell has apologized for publishing the picture on social media. While the Browns are troubled by Crowell’s actions, they have no plans to release him, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. 
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“We have spoken to Isaiah regarding his extremely disturbing and unacceptable social media decision,” the Browns said in the statement. “It was completely inappropriate and we have made him aware of our high level of disappointment. Isaiah has apologized but also knows that just an apology is insufficient and that he must take steps to make a positive difference after a very negative and impactful post.”
The Browns do not intend on releasing the 23-year-old, but there could still be discipline on the way from the team. However, the team first wants to give Crowell a chance to redeem himself before potentially taking action, Cabot writes. Meanwhile, the NFL seems satisfied with Crowell’s apology.
“The image was inappropriate and insensitive,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said via email. “He realized this, took down the post and has since apologized.”
The Alabama St. product appeared in every Browns regular season game in both 2014 and 2015 with 13 total starts. As a rookie, Crowell made his mark by notching 8 touchdowns and running for 607 yards off of 148 carries, good for a 4.1 yards per carry average. In 2015, Crowell averaged 3.8 yards per carry with four rushing touchdowns.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints Rule Out Reggie Bush Signing
Reggie Bush is hoping to play in the NFL this season, but his opportunity will not come with the team that drafted him. In an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show today, Saints coach Sean Payton said that New Orleans is an unlikely landing spot for the veteran. 
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“I don’t know if our roster is going to allow for that right now,” Payton said (via Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com), citing the team’s present depth at the position.
As shown on the Saints’ Roster Resource page, the team already has Mark Ingram, C.J. Spiller, Tim Hightower, and Travaris Cadet at running back along with rookie Daniel Lasco and 2015 seventh-rounder Marcus Murphy. Recently, Bush said that he received interest from two teams this offseason, but we now know that the Saints were not among those teams to reach out. However, Payton did confirm that the Saints had interest in Bush prior to the 2015 season.
Bush, 31, spent the first five seasons of his 10-year career with the Saints. The former No. 2 overall pick in the draft went on to also play two seasons for the Dolphins, two with the Lions, and one with the 49ers. Of course, that 49ers season ended early when Bush tore his left ACL on the concrete at the Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis. Now, Bush finds himself seeking employment after an unremarkable five-game showing and at an advanced age for a running back.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC West Notes: Miller, Broncos, Osemele
Here’s a look at the AFC West:
- As the Broncos and Von Miller battle it out in contract talks, CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry offered up a potential compromise between the two sides. The former agent believes that a six-year, $114.5MM deal with $45MM guaranteed at signing and $61.5MM guaranteed throughout should satisfy both parties. That proposed deal would give Miller an AAV just over $19MM and, more importantly, significant cash flow in the first two years. Over the weekend, the Broncos presented Miller with a brand new proposal.
- Could 2015 seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian actually beat out Mark Sanchez and first-round rookie Paxton Lynch for the Broncos‘ starting quarterback job? Andrew Mason of Broncos.com believes so, citing the strong support he has gotten from coaches so far this offseason. Siemian entered the league out of Northwestern with minimal buzz, but he does offer arm strength and an extra year of familiarity with Gary Kubiak‘s offense.
- Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com writes that Raiders guard Kelechi Osemele might stand as the best “fit” signing of the offseason. Osemele offers a powerful presence in the run game and should help hold up the pocket for quarterback Derek Carr. In addition to his dominant resume, Osemele also offers versatility as he can play at either tackle or guard and offers experience on both sides of the line. Although he has been slowed a little by injuries in recent years, missing multiple games in each of the last three seasons, Osemele has been a reliable performer on Baltimore’s line. Pro Football Focus ranked him 18th out of 77 qualified tackles in 2015, giving him the second-highest run-blocking grade at the position.
- Will the Chiefs and safety Eric Berry get a deal done by the Friday deadline? Click here for the latest on those contract talks.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Norman, Vernon
The Eagles could have gone in a number of directions at quarterback this offseason, but few expected things to play out the way they did. Are the Eagles now better off under center than they were last year? CSNPhilly.com’s Andrew Kulp says yes, even though he sees the change from backups Mark Sanchez and Thad Lewis to Chase Daniel and Carson Wentz as something of a wash.
The difference, in his mind, is the status of starter Sam Bradford, who should be in a better spot than he was in 2015. This time last year, the veteran was coming off of a torn ACL and hadn’t played a meaningful NFL game in nearly two years. Now, Bradford has a year of experience in Philly under his belt and he should be a little more comfortable now that the new regime is allowing him to call audibles.
While we wait to see how the QB situation plays out in Philadelphia, here’s a look at the NFC East:
- Olivier Vernon signed the biggest deal of the offseason with the Giants, but Todd Archer of ESPN.com still sees Redskins cornerback Josh Norman as the best addition to the NFC East. The division offers up formidable receivers like Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham Jr., and Jordan Matthews, which underscores the importance of a cornerback who can hold his own in one-on-one matchups. Norman also has a fearless approach to the game which could be infectious for the Redskins’ D. On the flipside, Archer voices some concern over whether Norman is a true No. 1 corner and also wonders if Washington’s front seven can offer the same kind of support as Carolina’s did in 2015.
- Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com looked at the Eagles‘ kicker battle between Cody Parkey and Caleb Sturgis. Recently, head coach Doug Pederson explained that it’s an active battle between both players with no clear leader at this time. “Again, that’s a great battle going on right there,” Pederson said. “We know Cody is coming off the injury from last year and he’s still working himself back into shape, so to speak. But it’s going to be a great competition going into camp. You know, not making any decisions today on that spot, but I like what I’ve seen out of both of them.”
- You won’t see many roster battles when it comes to the Giants‘ special teams unit, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes. The Giants extended kicker Josh Brown earlier this offseason and, just this morning, they extended punter Brad Wing through the 2019 season. Beyond those two, long snapper Zak DeOssie and return specialist Dwayne Harris are locks to keep their jobs, barring injury. For a full rundown of the Giants’ depth chart, check out their page on Roster Resource.
- On Monday morning, it was reported that the Cowboys are talking with linebacker Justin Durant.
Impact Rookies: Indianapolis Colts
The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?
To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.
Now, we continue PFR’s Impact Rookie series with his insight on the Indianapolis Colts’ draft class:
One can argue that head coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson are like oil and vinegar, as they just don’t seem to mix. Now, with both having their jobs on the line, they hope they can find the right ingredients for the team’s salad before both are tossed by ownership. Grigson does not have a great track record to survive another draft disaster, but outside of his first two choices in the 2016 draft, the other six selections will have a fight on their hands to secure roster spots.
Since taking over as general manager in January 2012, Grigson has overseen the draft with less than stellar results. Not counting his cache in 2016, he’s drafted 26 players from the 2012-15 phases. Based on his current roster, seven of those choices have earned starting jobs for the Colts. Four others precariously hang on to reserve roles, while eighteen others are no longer with the team, including a slew of them no longer in the league. Now, Grigson hopes he can stem the tide from those draft day disasters that also include 2013 first round selection Bjoern Werner.
Grigson’s first-ever draft selection was a no-brainer, taking franchise quarterback Andrew Luck with the top pick in 2012. However, Luck has been constantly harassed in the pocket while playing behind what is unanimously considered the worst offensive line in pro football last year. To protect their quarterback, the team pulled out a page from Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown’s mantra for building a team – start with a franchise-type center and build your line around him.
First Round – Ryan Kelly, C (Alabama, No. 18)
Luck looked like the Titanic – a total wreck – just seven games into the 2015 season. That was all the games the franchise QB would appear in, as five others tried their hand at quarterback after Luck was lost for the rest of the season. The former Stanford product produced his worst pro season ever, as he completed just 55.3% of his passes and had almost as many interceptions (12) as touchdown tosses (15). 
The offensive line allowed 35 sacks last year. Luck was hit an incredible 121 times after getting rid of the ball and the running corps remained dormant, averaging 3.6 yards per attempt while reaching the end zone just six times. On top of it, those ball carriers coughed up the sphere nineteen times, resulting in eleven recoveries by the opposition.
Something needed to change in the trenches – enter Ryan Kelly, perhaps the “toughest hombre” to play in the pivot since the heydays of the Bears’ Olin Kreutz. With multiple national title rings on his fingers, Kelly brings that instant nastiness to the line that has been missing since Jeff Saturday was snapping the ball to Peyton Manning.
In the Colts’ zone blocking scheme, the center needs to be athletic enough to work down the line, along with having the agility to block in the second level. Against 3-4 defensive alignments, they are also required to have that strong anchor, in order to stall the two-gap charge from the nose guards. In most cases, size does not matter –intelligence, strength and balance are more important. Field smarts are needed to immediately identify the defense’s pressure packages.
Strength is needed, in order to stall the bull rush and help in widening the rush lanes. Quick feet and fluid retreat skills are required, as it is often the center that has to drop back and protect the pocket in passing situations. A long reach, firm anchor and great balance are important for the center, as he is usually asked to work in combination with his guards getting out in front on traps and pulls. These are all the traits that Kelly brings to the table, giving the team an immediate upgrade from former starter, Khaled Holmes.
Kelly might also have some “new friends” on the offensive line, as third round pick, Le’Raven Clark, will serve as an understudy behind Anthony Castonzo at left tackle. Five round choice, Joseph Haeg, shifts to right tackle, where he could mount a challenge for Denzelle Good’s precarious hold on the starting job. Toss in seventh round center/guard Austin Blythe for good measure, as there are no other back-ups to Kelly at center on the roster.