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Latest On St. Louis Stadium Effort

July 17th, 2015 at 8:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, the task force spearheading the charge to keep the NFL in eastern Missouri, will request $50MM in state tax credits in an effort to fund its open-air stadium project, the Associated Press reports, as new details emerged on an updated plan.

The $50MM, which will go to fund a now-$998MM project that will attempt to persuade the Rams or another franchise to play football in St. Louis, will be spread over a three-year period. This authority will request these funds to the Missouri Department Finance Board on Tuesday, according to Tim Bryant of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. The $998MM represents a new figure, a $13MM hike from the previous estimate in January, reports Bryant.

This updated proposal calls for construction on a 62,500-seat venue to begin next year and be ready for an inhabitant by August 2019, Bryant reports.

Since the $50MM exceeds the Finance Board’s limit by $40MM, it will require special approval from Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s cabinet. For these funds to be approved, the latest application states “tax-related contributions” and “tax credit issuances” would be contingent on an NFL team playing in this facility, notes Bryant.

NFL executive vice president Eric Grubman met with Nixon and additional stadium task force officials Thursday, with stadium financing, land acquisition and the proposed 88-acre north riverfront structure’s design headlining the issues, Bernie Miklasz of the Post Dispatch reports.

Construction costs will occupy the lion’s share of this project, currently tabbed for $820MM, with another $60MM going toward securing the land.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who’s had a plan for an Inglewood, Calif.-housed stadium in the works for months, has not met with Nixon or this task force, showing no interest in this riverfront project, according to Miklasz. Just one of many moving parts to this high-stakes Los Angeles derby, this project has been encouraged by Grubman and Roger Goodell, as the league’s backing of a St. Louis plan depends on this stadium project.

Miklasz notes this expedited stadium push in St. Louis could prevent the Rams from moving or induce another franchise to base itself there. Conversely, the the longtime columnist offers that this plan’s failure could accelerate Kroenke’s request for a move and torpedo St. Louis football.

Goodell has said the league will select only one of the two L.A.-based stadium projects — with the Raiders/Chargers joint venture in Carson, Calif., representing the other option in this fluid process.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Chargers, Tucker

July 16th, 2015 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) heard from people in the know that it’s not out of the question for the Raiders to play two years in San Antonio, Texas while a stadium is built for them in Los Angeles. Here’s more from the AFC, including updates on the Los Angeles situation..

  • By a 6-3 vote, the San Diego City Council authorized $2.1MM to fund an expedited environmental review for a new stadium at the Mission Valley site, Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets. San Diego is working hard to find a way to keep the Chargers, though the allure of Los Angeles is strong.
  • Council members who voted in favor of the proposal endorsed that strategy, while council members in opposition called the accelerated environmental impact report an improper use of taxpayer money that wouldn’t help keep the Chargers, David Garrick of the Union Tribune writes. “People might say this is a fool’s errand,” councilman Scott Sherman said. “I still have faith with the right deal we can get the Chargers back here at the table. I think the NFL will tell the Chargers that ‘San Diego is committed, San Diego is ready to go and you guys need to come back to the table.’”
  • Stephen Gostkowski‘s new deal with the Patriots could provide a blueprint for the Ravens when it comes to their upcoming talks with kicker Justin Tucker, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. Gostkowski, 31, has a longer track record than Tucker, but the Ravens kicker doesn’t take a back seat to anybody when it comes to accuracy. Tucker has been mum about his contract demands, saying only that he’d love to stay with the Ravens for his entire career. To make that happen, Zrebiec says the Ravens will likely need to eclipse the deal that the Patriots just gave Gostkowski.
  • The Browns will have a new director of player engagement in the near future. Jamil Northcutt, who has held the title since April 2014, and the franchise are expected to part ways in the coming weeks, a league source confirmed to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. Northcutt previously worked with Browns GM Ray Farmer as a player development coordinator for the Chiefs.

Sunday Roundup: Bills, L.A., Dalton, McClain

July 12th, 2015 at 8:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

Among all the chaos surrounding Aaron Kromer in Buffalo, the Bills are more than likely going to be looking for a new offensive line coach for the upcoming season. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report is asked if the organization could convince former Bills offensive line coach Jim McNally out of retirement.

McNally spent 28 seasons as an NFL offensive line coach, retiring in 2007 after a four-year tenure in Buffalo. He semi-unretired in 2010 to serve as a consultant to the Jets under Rex Ryan for two years, before taking on a similar role with the Bengals, where he began and spent most of his NFL career.

Cole notes that at 71 years old, McNally isn’t a prime candidate for the job, but that he does have the background to make him an interesting option (via Twitter).

Here are some more notes from around the NFL:

  • With all the excitement surrounding the possibility of a team coming to Los Angeles, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times makes several predictions about what to expect in the coming months from the NFL regarding the potential move. Among them, he opines that San Diego and St. Louis will present their cases at the owners’ meeting in New York but Oakland will not, that the league will sign leases with one or two temporary stadiums by the end of the year, and that the NFL will begin counting potential season ticket holders this fall.
  • Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton took some swings during the Legends and Celebrity Softball Game as part of All-Star Weekend in Cincinnati, but he arrived to a mix of boos and cheers among the hometown fans, writes Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com. Dalton was not worried about the reaction, and went on to hit two mammoth home runs during the game, to which brought the cheers in the stadium, and plenty of snark from the Twitter faithful, many of which Dehner compiled in his piece.
  • With linebacker Sean Lee set to return for the Cowboys and Rolando McClain suspended for the season’s first four games, Bob Strum of the Dallas Morning News says he wouldn’t assume McClain will stick with Dallas all year, suggesting the club may decide at some point that the off-field issues aren’t worth it.
  • The Broncos have until Wednesday to reach a long-term deal with franchise player Demaryius Thomas, leading Benjamin Hochman and Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post to debate as to the receiver’s value. Noting that Denver has a limited Super Bowl window given Peyton Manning‘s age, the scribes agree that the club will want to work out an extension, ultimately landing on a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $65-70MM. PFR’s Luke Adams projected the exact same figures last June.
  • Staying in Denver, Broncos general manager John Elway is still positive that the disappointing 2014 draft class will have a bigger impact, even with a brand new coaching staff, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Only Bradley Roby saw significant snaps, with a number of the players selected not seeing any action at all. Second-round pick Cody Latimer saw only 37 snaps at receiver for the season, but the group should see significantly increased roles in 2015.

Luke Adams and Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Pierre-Paul, Wilson, Los Angeles

July 11th, 2015 at 12:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott knows a thing or two about losing a finger. That’s why it was notable when the 49ers legend said Giants defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul would be fine after having a figure amputated earlier this week:

“He’ll be able to play with it and he’ll learn how to deal with it,” Lott said during an appearance on the “The Rich Eisen Show” (via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News). “But the moment of not seeing it, the moment of looking at your hand and looking down and realizing you have that phantom (finger), where you use your finger but you don’t see it, there’s a lot of things emotionally that he’ll have to deal with. He’ll have to learn how to understand that it’s not there and that there are things that will play tricks on his mind.”

Let’s take a look at some more assorted notes from around the NFL…

  • If the Giants agree to pay Pierre-Paul, even if he lands on the non-football injury list, the defensive end will be with the team prior to Week One, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
  • Former Raiders draft pick Tyler Wilson is giving it one last shot at making an NFL roster. A fourth-round selection in the 2013 draft, the quarterback has yet to make an NFL appearance. “At this point, I’ll give this thing until August,” Wilson told Leland Barclay of the Times Record. “If I’ve with a team, I’ll continue to play and work into camp. I’m ready to go another direction. There’s life after football.”
  • The decision by the Rose Bowl to not put their name in the hat as a temporary Los Angeles home leaves the NFL with few options, writes Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com. These options include the Coliseum (although they only want to host one team, not two), the Dodgers and Angels baseball stadiums, and the 27,000-seat StubHub Center. Despite the low number of seats at that latter suggestion, Gantt believes the NFL would still consider the venue.

Rose Bowl Won’t Be Temporary NFL Home

July 9th, 2015 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

With the NFL exploring possibilities for a temporary venue in Los Angeles, it appears the Rose Bowl is no longer in the running. According to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, the Rose Bowl Operating Co. voted 11-0 on Wednesday not to respond to a request for a proposal from the NFL.

The league recently issued proposal requests to a handful of venues in the Los Angeles area, including the Coliseum, Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium, and StubHub Center. As the idea of relocating a franchise to L.A. for the 2016 season gathers momentum, the NFL wants to get an idea of what venues might work as a temporary home for one or two L.A. teams, since any new stadium wouldn’t be ready until at least 2018.

According to Farmer, the RBOC decided that it would be “more productive and lucrative” for the Rose Bowl to pursue a music and arts festival which would take place each year in June. The event wouldn’t overlap with the NFL season, but an environmental impact report for the proposed Arroyo Seco Music and Arts Festival specifically prohibits the stadium from playing host to an NFL team. Although the venue could make a larger per-year profit by playing host to an NFL franchise, that would only last for two or three seasons, whereas the venue could secure the arts festival on a 20-year contract.

“The distraction that the NFL question poses at this time could take away from our collective efforts as a city to realize a music and arts festival,” RBOC president Victor Gordo said. “What you saw from the board [on Wednesday] is we don’t want that distraction.”

The NFL is hoping to receive proposals from interested Los Angeles venues in time for its August meeting on the L.A. situation.

AFC West Notes: Richardson, Thomas, San Diego

July 5th, 2015 at 3:34pm CST by Rob DiRe

New Raiders offensive line coach Mike Tice is very optimistic about the running game in 2015, and had nice things to say about all three of his top running backs, including the much-maligned Trent Richardson on his third NFL stop, according to Raiders.com. Latavius Murray and Richardson are pencilled in for large roles in the offense.

“Each one has their own style. I like the Murray kid. He really came on in that veteran mini-camp. He got his legs under him and showed some quickness, some good finish,” said Tice on SiruisXM NFL Radio. “I thought the young man out of Alabama came on. He lost some weight, his quickness came around.”

In addition to Murray and Richardson, Tice also had a glowing review of Roy Helu Jr..

“And then the young man we picked up out of Washington, a local boy out of San Ramon, I think he had an outstanding offseason and he shows good quickness, good awareness,” said Tice. “I think the nice thing about the kid out of Washington…is that he has nice hands out of the backfield – he can catch the football.”

Here are some more stories from around the AFC West:

  • The Raiders are finally giving focus to developing their young defensive backs, writes Steve Corkan of RaidersBeat.com (via Facebook). The team is no longer trying to find short-term solutions in modestly-priced veterans, and is prepared to hand the backend of the defense to D.J. Hayden, T.J. Carrie, and Keith McGill.
  • The Broncos and Demaryius Thomas are still far apart on a long-term contract, and Troy Renck of the Denver Post is having trouble seeing how the two sides come together on an agreement. He writes that $40MM guaranteed is the low number on what Thomas needs based on his value, but he writes the Broncos can’t meet that number, and might be better off leasing him with the franchise tag this season and again next season before moving on to a run-first offense with a strong defense under head coach Gary Kubiak.
  • While fans and pundits are waiting for an announcement on which teams will be torn away from their current cities to move to Los Angeles, Dan McSwain of the U-T San Diego writes that the city of San Diego might be better if the Chargers leave. He writes that the public funding for a new stadium would hurt the local economy, and the people of San Diego would be fortunate if the team left for L.A. instead of putting that burden on them.

AFC Links: Raiders, Dolphins, Green

July 3rd, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The stadium proposal that didn’t exactly receive rave reviews leaves some unanswered questions regarding the feasibility of its completion and, naturally, the Raiders‘ future in Oakland, writes Matthew Artz of the Bay Area News Group.

Chief among them, writes Artz, is whether the stadium can be built for the $900MM budgeted, and if not, what’s the plan if additional funds are required? Artz points out how Levi’s Stadium was slated to cost $937MM but ended up running a $1.3 billion tab.

The project would have to be financed entirely by the NFL and the Raiders, and the proposed 55,000-seat stadium would be smaller and is projected to generate less revenue than what’s being discussed in Carson, Calif. But before seeing a cost breakdown, which the Raiders have not released, determining the project’s viability is difficult, executive director of the Sports Business Institute at USC’s School of Business David Carter told Artz.

Here are some more details from around the league on Independence Day eve.

  • The Raiders upgraded at backup quarterback in Christian Ponder, a veteran of new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave‘s offense from the duo’s time in Minnesota from 2011-13, writes Steve Corkran of RaiderBeat.com. Corkran doesn’t doubt starter Derek Carr‘s ability to make a “precipitous” leap this season and believes new weapons Amari Cooper and Clive Walford will help in this effort. Concluding his analysis of the Oakland quarterback spot, the veteran Raiders reporter predicts Matt McGloin will beat out rookie Cody Fajardo.
  • New Raiders offensive coordinator Mike Tice has taken to second-year guard Gabe Jackson, referring to the 2014 third-round pick as a “rising star,” offers CSNBayArea.com. Jackson was the 27th-best guard, per Pro Football Focus, last season and now has the benefit of working next to key free agent acquisition Rodney Hudson in Year 2.
  • In his series on who’s bound for the Dolphins‘ 53-man roster, James Walker of ESPN.com gives running back Mike Gillislee a 25% chance at making the team in what could be his final training camp in Miami. Currently fifth on the depth chart behind Lamar Miller, rookie Jay Ajayi, LaMichael James and Damien Williams, Gillislee has just six carries for 21 yards in his two-year career.
  • Even before Antonio Gates‘ suspension, the Chargers were planning to allot more time to Ladarius Green, writes Eddie Brown of the San Diego Union-Tribune. With the Chargers viewing Green as a superior run-blocker to the 35-year-old Gates, the veteran’s early absence could expedite Melvin Gordon‘s development.

West Notes: Wilson, 49ers, Raiders, Thomas

July 1st, 2015 at 8:13pm CST by Ben Levine

As the NFL world awaits the outcome of the Seahawks/Russell Wilson extension negotiations, the quarterback sat down with ESPN.com’s Marty Smith to discuss the offseason.

Among the topics of discussion, of course, was Wilson’s contract situation. As he previously stated, the former Super Bowl champion isn’t concerned about money:

“Ultimately, it comes down to the play. Let my play speak for itself and let the rest take care of itself. Continue to love the game for what it is and continue to fight no matter how much I’m getting paid, whether it’s $25 million or $1.5 million. I’ll be ready to go.”

Wilson also seemed to squash any doubt about his relationship with the Seahawks, saying the two sides don’t have “a bad relationship by any means.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFL’s western divisions…

  • ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner compares the 49ers signing of head coach Jim Tomsula to the Rams 2006 signing of Scott Linehan. The Rams had opted for a completely different personality following the firing of Mike Martz, and Wagoner believes the 49ers are doing the same thing following the firing of Jim Harbaugh. Linehan ended up coaching two-plus seasons in St.Louis, compiling an 11-25 record.
  • Hope for a Raiders stadium in Oakland is “dim,” according to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter). Meanwhile, the writer says the proposal for a stadium in Carson “continues to have steam.”
  • In an interview on Broncos.com, 9 News’ Mike Klis says Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas will play for the team in week one, but how he gets there remains a mystery. Klis believes that a contract will be finalized prior to the July 15th deadline, but he also notes that the franchise tag isn’t necessarily a bad deal for Thomas.

Latest On Los Angeles Relocation

June 30th, 2015 at 6:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In the latest development that could eventually lead to the NFL’s return to Los Angeles, Raiders owner Mark Davis and Chargers owner Dean Spanos spent Tuesday in LA meeting with Mayor Eric Garcetti and other officials regarding their joint plan to build a stadium in Carson, Calif., according to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times.

The respective outlooks in Oakland and San Diego, the cities for the Raiders and Chargers, currently appear bleak. Businessman Floyd Kephart’s stadium proposal to keep the Raiders in Oakland has not been looked on positively, per Farmer, who notes that the Chargers don’t believe they can legally get a stadium initiative on the ballot in San Diego until the tail end of 2016 at the earliest. Moreover, the Chargers don’t have confidence that a stadium initiative would be well received by the San Diego community.

Further complicating matters is that the Chargers and Raiders aren’t the only teams eying California-based relocation. Rams owner Stan Kroenke has his sights set on Inglewood and is competing with the the other two teams’ Carson plans. The league would like a pair of franchises in LA as early as 2016, which would make at least one of the Chargers, Raiders or Rams the odd club out.

In Missouri, Rep. Jay Barnes asked a judge Tuesday to block Gov. Jay Nixon from working on plans for a new stadium in St. Louis, the Associated Press reported. Barnes and other lawmakers claim that the plans for a new stadium are illegal because the hypothetical facility wouldn’t be located next to St. Louis’ convention center, which state law requires.

“The governor does not have the authority to spend taxpayer dollars for an illegal purpose,” said Barnes.

If the Rams do ultimately gain league approval to relocate, Farmer writes that the deep-pocketed Kroenke wouldn’t have any difficulty financing his $2 billion planned stadium.

It’s currently unknown when there will be a resolution for the three teams, according to Farmer, who lists the end of the regular season, Super Bowl week and March’s owners meetings as potential times for owners to vote on proposals by Davis, Spanos and Kroenke. For its part, the league is hoping only two of the Raiders, Chargers and Rams apply for relocation, although it appears likely that all three will.

Extra Points: Los Angeles, Raiders, Titans

June 29th, 2015 at 9:29pm CST by Zachary Links

It appears that the league is getting a little more stringent on Adderall prescriptions, as Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Today, the NFLPA sent a reminder to agents today on players needing to have a certified psychiatrist evaluate them to get therapeutic use exemptions for ADHD. Players wanting to use the popular ADHD medication have to have TUEs for it renewed by August 10th, otherwise they will not be able to take the medication. Over the years, we have seen several players suspended for using Adderall and similar ADHD meds, including Bruce Irvin, Aqib Talib, and Haloti Ngata. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • Despite some reports over the weekend to the contrary, the NFL is not considering delaying the Los Angeles relocation process by a year, a source tells Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal (on Twitter).
  • At some point, Oakland will probably have to choose between the Raiders and the Oakland Athletics, Phil Matier and Andy Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle write.
  • Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com wonders if Kenneth Adams IV is becoming the face of the Titans‘ ownership group. Rumors continue to fly of the team ultimately being sold, but Kuharsky gets the feeling that Adams wants to remain an NFL owner. Adams is the lone person in the five-member ownership group who works for the team and who is a Nashvillian.
  • The trial for Saints cornerback Brian Dixon has been pushed back again and is now scheduled for Aug. 3, according to online court records obtained by Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune. Dixon was arrested March 29 for resisting arrest without violence following a traffic stop in Miami Beach. The 25-year-old, who signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2014, played in all 16 games for New Orleans last season.
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