Brooks Charged, McDonald Indicted
7:18pm: 49ers GM Trent Baalke issued a statement regarding Brooks (via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports on Twitter):
“The organization is aware that a misdemeanor charge has been filed against Ahmad Brooks stemming from a December 2014 matter. We take any charge against a member of this organization seriously and are in communication with the NFL. Ahmad is returning home to California and will not participate in Saturday’s game.”
6:55pm: A district attorney has charged 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks with sexual battery, according to court reporter Tracey Kaplan (on Twitter). Meanwhile, a grand jury has indicted Ray McDonald on rape. McDonald was indicted on one count of rape of an intoxicated person, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets.
Brooks was accused of assault and battery, false imprisonment and infliction of emotional distress by the same alleged victim in the McDonald case. The accusation against Brooks came about following a defamation lawsuit McDonald filed against his accuser in March. At the time, McDonald was a free agent and claimed the woman defamed him and interfered with his livelihood as he struggled to find his next team. In a cross complaint filed in May, she alleges that Brooks “groped her person in a sexual manner” when she was passed out from hitting her head.
Last season, Brooks came to camp out of shape and during the season he was benched twice for off-the-field actions. This year, there was some talk that his legal situation coupled with the presence of young linebackers could put him on the roster bubble. Now that charges have been filed, Brooks’ stay with San Francisco could be coming to an end.
McDonald signed a one-year contract with the Bears earlier this offseason, with team ownership expressing confidence in the defensive lineman’s character after some initial apprehension. The NFL cleared McDonald of any violation of the league’s personal conduct policy relating to an August, but had yet to make a decision on a December sexual assault accusation. When the 30-year-old was arrested yet again in May, the Bears acted swiftly and released him. Not long after that, McDonald was arrested again for violating a restraining order.
Chicago’s agreement with McDonald was a modest $1.05MM deal that didn’t include any guaranteed money, so they were able to drop him without financial penalty. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), McDonald was the league’s 12th-best 3-4 defensive end in 2014, grading well both against the run and as a pass rusher. Over the last four regular seasons as the 49ers’ starting left defensive end, McDonald racked up 14.5 sacks, 153 tackles, five forced fumbles, and a safety. As of today, McDonald’s football future is very much in doubt.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/15
Here are Monday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Patriots waived Brian Tyms, who will revert to their IR (foot injury) if he goes unclaimed, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.
Earlier Updates:
- The Lions waived/injured linebacker Kevin Snyder, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Bears made a change on their offensive line today, signing former Raiders guard Lucas Nix to a one-year contract and waiving offensive lineman Jason Weaver with an injury designation (Twitter link). Nix, who started 10 games for Oakland in 2013, worked out for Chicago earlier in the month.
- The Dolphins have waived wide receiver Michael Preston, the team announced today (via Twitter). Preston himself broke word of the move yesterday, with a tweet thanking the club for the opportunity.
- The Eagles have added one safety to their roster and removed another, signing Brandan Bishop and reaching an injury settlement with Earl Wolff (Twitter links via agent David Canter and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, will become a free agent as he recovers from his knee surgery. The Eagles also waived/injured defensive tackle Wade Keliikipi, who suffered a Lisfranc foot injury this weekend, replacing him with defensive tackle Jeremy Towns (Twitter links).
- The Falcons have parted ways with 2014 fifth-rounder Marquis Spruill, placing him on waivers today, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Spruill, whose rookie season was wiped out by a torn ACL, never played a regular-season down for Atlanta.
- The Giants formally announced several moves today, including the signing of veteran linebacker Ashlee Palmer, who started 15 games over the last two seasons in Detroit. The club also signed rookie defensive back C.J. Conway, and waived/injured safety Justin Currie (ankle) and linebacker Tony Johnson (knee).
- The Jaguars announced a series of moves today (via Twitter and press release), adding wide receiver Erik Lora, linebacker Mister Alexander, and offensive lineman Will Corbin to their roster. The outgoing players are receiver Damian Copeland (waived/injured), offensive lineman Brennan Williams (waived/injured), and wideout Arrelious Benn (placed on IR).
- The Panthers have waived/injured defensive end Frank Alexander, signing tight end Dallas Walker to replace him on the roster, the team announced today (Twitter link). Alexander, who sustained a torn Achilles, is in the final year of his contract, so Carolina isn’t worried about another team claiming him.
- The Saints‘ tight end carousel continues, as the club is cutting Michael Egnew just a week after signing him, per Kristian Garic of WWL 870AM (Twitter link).
- The Seahawks have cut defensive back Jeremy Crayton, using the newly-created roster spot to re-sign wide receiver DeShon Foxx, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- The Jets signed tight end Matt LaCosse and waived/injured defensive lineman Davon Walls, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
Jeremiah Ratliff Suspended Three Games
Bears defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff has been suspended for the first three games of the NFL season for violating the league’s policy and program for substances of abuse, tweets Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes (via Twitter), the team was likely expecting a suspension at some point, stemming from Ratliff pleading guilty in 2013 to a DWI charge in Texas.
Ratliff will turn 34 this Saturday and hasn’t played a full season since 2011, but his absence will be a significant blow for the Bears’ defense. A year ago, Ratliff racked up 37 tackles and 6.5 sacks in just 11 games, grading as the league’s sixth-best defensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), despite playing fewer snaps than any other DT in the top 10.
With Ratliff out of action for the season’s first three weeks, it may open the door for rookie Eddie Goldman to step into the starting lineup. Goldman, out of Florida State, was the Bears’ second-round pick in this year’s draft, going 39th overall. Assuming he gets the starting nose tackle job, he’ll face a significant challenge in September, as the Bears open their season with three games against NFC playoff teams — the Packers, Cardinals, and Seahawks.
Washington Acquires Derek Carrier From 49ers
5:33pm: According to Barrows (via Twitter), the pick the 49ers acquired from Washington in the Carrier swap is for 2017, not 2016. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Bears and Saints were also in the mix for Carrier before the Niners shipped him to D.C.
5:05pm: The 49ers have traded a tight end for the second time this week, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who reports (via Twitter) that Washington has acquired Derek Carrier from San Francisco. The Niners will get a fifth-round pick in exchange for Carrier, per Barrows.
On Tuesday, armed with a ton of tight end depth, the 49ers sent Asante Cleveland to the Patriots in exchange for offensive lineman Jordan Devey. At the time, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reported that both Cleveland and Carrier had been receiving trade interest, and since neither player was viewed as a lock to make San Francisco’s roster, it makes sense that they’d be traded.
Carrier, 25, saw his first real regular-season action on offense last year for the Niners, appearing in 11 games and grabbing nine balls for 105 yards. In Washington, he’ll have a clearer path to playing time, as the team will be without Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen this season — both players have sustained season-ending injuries during the preseason.
For their part, the 49ers will be hoping Carrier gets plenty of playing time in Washington. According to Barrows (via Twitter), the fifth-round pick San Francisco gets in the deal is a conditional selection. So if Carrier doesn’t reach certain thresholds for playing time and production, the Niners figure to get a lesser pick.
North Notes: Bears, Forte, Brown, Steelers
Earlier today, the Browns announced that backup center Ryan Seymour has been suspended for four games without pay for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances. In a statement, Seymour said that he did not “knowingly” take a banned substance and added that he will be “much more careful in the future,” Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC North..
- Bears running back Matt Forte has come to the realization that this season might be his last in a Bears uniform, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com writes. “All I can do is talk to them about it and they can say yes or no. They said we’re not talking about that type of stuff right now, so all I can do is play football. I’ve come to the realization that every run or catch that I may have might be my last in a Bears uniform, so if they don’t want to re-sign me, I’ll have to play somewhere else,” Forte said.
- Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown‘s desire for an extension is “fueled by” the deals given to Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, and T.Y. Hilton, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears. The Steelers are listening to Brown’s requests, but if they rework his deal, they want to wind up with a contract that will put him under club control for the remainder of his career.
- Browns GM Ray Farmer told Grossi (Twitter link) that quarterback Connor Shaw underwent surgery on Monday morning. He adds that Shaw suffered ligament damage and not a broken thumb as some believed earlier.
- Harland Gunn and Dionte Savage were among the offensive lineman that worked out for the Lions last week, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/15/15
Here are Saturday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL.
- The Saints have signed linebacker Justin Anderson, reports Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com (via Twitter). Anderson, 24, has spent time on the rosters of the Vikings, Giants, and most recently, the Cowboys, with whom he reached an injury settlement last week.
Earlier updates:
- The Cowboys signed two running backs, inking Michael Hill and Ben Malena to deals after the duo worked out for the team today, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). As a result, the team waived injured safety Ray Vinopal. A third-year veteran who’s now on his sixth team, the 26-year-old Hill was released by Washington last month after playing special teams for the Colts in the playoffs due to Trent Richardson‘s deactivations. The second-place finisher in the 2012 Harlon Hill Trophy voting (Division II’s Heisman equivalent), Hill has nine career totes for 23 yards — all coming as a rookie with the Bucs. Malena, 23, initially signed with Dallas last offseason after going undrafted out of Texas A&M.
- The Dolphins exchanged wideouts, re-signing Tyler McDonald and waiving the injured Tommy Streeter, the team announced on its Twitter account. Miami waived the 24-year-old McDonald on Tuesday. Streeter played for the Jaguars last season and spent time on the Dolphins’ practice squad.
- The Bears signed wideout Jeremy Kelley and waived linebacker DeDe Lattimore, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Kelly spent time on the Broncos’ practice squad last season before being waived by John Fox‘s old team in May on the same day as Paul Cornick, who also went on to sign with Fox’s new team. Although Cornick was waived by Chicago in May as well. The 6-foot-5 Kelley, a recent CFL and Arena League cog, fills a camp need, with the Bears’ receiving corps thin at the moment due to injuries. Lattimore played in 10 games for the Bears last season.
Kevin White’s Season In Jeopardy
Kevin White has a stress fracture in his leg, Bears GM Ryan Pace announced, and the first-round pick could miss his entire rookie season.
White will begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. This means White will not play in Chicago’s first six games.
“Is there a chance he misses the season? That’s a possibility,” Pace said during a press conference. “Our whole focus right now is his long-term health. I know he’s going to be a great player.”
The No. 7 overall pick out of West Virginia will undergo shin surgery, during which a rod will be inserted, soon, per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Finley notes the team will not rush White back, likely meaning his stay on the PUP list represents only part of the expected absence.
“If it was up to me, I would be out there. I want to be practicing tomorrow,” White told media during the press conference. “But it’s not my call. I’ve got to follow the rules.”
In bringing White along slowly, the Bears hoped his injury would heal on its own, but opted for this course of action when the elusive wideout felt pain earlier this week, per Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer (Twitter link).
Florio reports it’s unclear how the injury occurred, but for the Bears, it’s a significant setback, especially after trading Brandon Marshall this offseason. More will now fall on No. 1 target Alshon Jeffery‘s docket, with new slot target Eddie Royal set to play what could be his most prominent role since his rookie season, when he served as the Broncos’ No. 2 receiver behind Marshall and caught 91 passes.
White would be the second top-10 pick to miss his full rookie season, with Dante Fowler Jr. preparing to do so after having already suffered a torn ACL.
NFC Notes: McKay, Bears, JPP, Rodgers
Falcons president Rich McKay, who received a suspension from the NFL as part of the team’s penalty for pumping fake crowd noise into the Georgia Dome, is set to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell and league officials about reinstatement to the competition committee, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Owner Arthur Blank says he’s “optimistic” McKay will be reinstated.
“We’ve had some discussions with the league,” Blank said. “Rich is scheduled to go up there in a few weeks and meet with the commissioner and others. Rich certainly has my support. He was a very valued member of the committee for 22 years and was mentioned [Saturday] night by Bill Polian, who was an inductee into the Hall of Fame, as somebody who was important that he worked with for a number of years.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The Bears, having traded guard Ryan Groy to the Patriots, have been keeping an eye out for potential offensive line additions during camp. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the club worked out veteran free agent Lucas Nix last week. Nix, 25, started 10 games for the Raiders in 2013.
- Despite Jason Pierre-Paul‘s absence from the Giants‘ training camp, co-owner John Mara says the team still has “a good relationship” with the defensive end, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. However, Mara added that JPP won’t rejoin the Giants “until he’s ready to come do some [physical] therapy.”
- Speaking to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers thinks he’s got another eight years in him. Of course, since Rodgers is still just 31 years old, it’s impossible to predict what his health or his NFL future will look like seven or eight years down the road. For what it’s worth, the two-time MVP also said two years ago that he hoped to play eight more seasons.
- The Rams‘ new two-year extension with quarterback Nick Foles is a smart deal for both sides, opines Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- The Seahawks recently worked out several defensive linemen, including former Colorado State Pueblo pass rusher Darius Allen, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Patriots Acquire Ryan Groy From Bears
12:23pm: The Patriots traded linebacker Matthew Wells to Chicago to acquire Groy, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Wells was a 2015 sixth-round selection by New England.
11:32am: The Patriots have acquired guard Ryan Groy from the Bears, a source tells Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). The exact return is not known at this time, but the Patriots likely didn’t give up much to acquire the offensive lineman.
Groy was a member of the Bears’ practice squad to start the 2014 season but was promoted to the 53-man roster when right tackle Jordan Mills went down with a rib injury. Groy, 25 in September, saw time in four games for Chicago last season, including three starts. He entered the league as a UDFA last offseason after going undrafted out of Wisconsin.
The acquisition of the Wisconsin product marks the Patriots’ second transaction so far on Monday. Earlier today, the Pats cut quarterback Matt Flynn in order to sign Ryan Lindley.
Extra Points: Bears, Cowboys, Scherff, Browns
Former San Francisco defensive coordinator Vic Fangio doesn’t regret vouching for Ray McDonald to the Bears staff but admits bringing him to Chicago was his fault, report Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. “I don’t regret trying to vouch for him. At the time, I believed it was the right thing to do,” Fangio said. “The only thing I regret is because it didn’t work out and the club put their faith in my recommendation, (team chairman) George (McCaskey), (GM) Ryan (Pace) and John (Fox) took some hits from it from you guys (the media). You really should have been hitting me, not them.” McCaskey initially vetoed a McDonald-Fangio reunion but changed his mind when he met with the embattled defensive end face to face.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Injuries to Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar have made it increasingly likely that the Cowboys will bring in another running back, writes Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News. McFadden might be able to hit the field tomorrow, but the club is probably on the lookout for several RBs who could audition for a spot in the near future.
- Washington drafted Iowa lineman Brandon Scherff as a tackle, but the No. 5 overall pick might slide in at guard instead, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. The club’s coaching staff likes what they see from former third-rounder Morgan Moses at right tackle, and while fifth overall might seem high for an eventual guard, OL coach Bill Callahan thinks Scherff could have a similar impact to Zack Martin, who earned an All-Pro nod as a rookie with the Cowboys.
- Free agent addition Shaun Draughn is impressing at Browns camp, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, and the 27-year-old looks like a good bet to earn a roster spot behind fellow running backs Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson, and Terrence West. Draughn, a five-year veteran, saw time with both the Bears and Chargers last year before finishing the season with Cleveland.
- In his latest mailbag at Titans.com, Jim Wyatt tackles several subjects such as the roster fate of Charlie Whitehurst, a possible reunion with Chris Johnson, and more.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.