East Notes: Brady, Kromer, Randle
After speaking to multiple sources, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) says the NFL believes Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will ultimately accept a reduced suspension in order to avoid having the DeflateGate saga continue to be a distraction into training camp and the preseason. We’ll see if that’s ultimately the case, but we probably won’t find out today — a report this morning indicated there was “no chance” of an announcement on Brady from Roger Goodell before the weekend.
Here’s more from Cole on Brady, along with a couple other items out of the NFL’s East divisions:
- According to Cole, the wording of Brady’s penalty could be crucial — the Patriots signal-caller would be more inclined to accept a penalty for not cooperating with the league’s investigation, but would likely continue to fight any penalty that’s based on his perceived involvement in deflating footballs.
- The Bills are likely to part ways with offensive line coach Aaron Kromer following his arrest earlier this month, sources tell Joe Buscaglia of WKBW. For now, the team is weighing its options while Kromer remains on indefinite paid leave as his legal case plays out.
- After stealing $123 worth of cologne and underwear from a Texas mall last October, Cowboys running back Joseph Randle has been put on six months of probation, according to an Associated Press report. At the time of the incident, the Cowboys opted to fine – but not suspend – Randle, who could still face additional discipline from the league now that the case has been resolved.
East Notes: Brady, Cooley, Washington
As of Thursday, a month will have passed since Tom Brady‘s appeal hearing, and with no timeline in place for a ruling from Roger Goodell, it’s not clear if that announcement will come this week, next week, or sometime after that. According to NFLPA president Eric Winston, it’s “not even worth trying to guess” when Goodell will make his decision. However, Winston hopes Brady is exonerated, adding that if he’s not, the union is prepared to take the next step (Twitter links via Rob Guerrera of NBC Sports Radio).
Ultimately, the decision on whether or not to continue fighting the NFL if Brady’s suspension isn’t wiped away will be up to the Patriots quarterback himself, but Winston’s comments confirm that the NFLPA is ready to take the league to court on Brady’s behalf, if necessary.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Chris Cooley spent his first nine NFL seasons in Washington, but the team hasn’t had any discussions about bringing back the tight end, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. The Cardinals are said to be kicking the tires on Cooley, who is contemplating a comeback.
- Tarik El-Bashir and Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com debate whether Brandon Scherff was the right pick for Washington at No. 5 overall in this year’s draft. El-Bashir writes that Scherff fits all of Scot McCloughan’s prerequisites and even though the lineman could have been plucked later in the draft, he doesn’t really find fault with Washington jumping at the chance to get him at No. 5. On the other hand, Tandler isn’t wild about Scherff’s value that high in the draft.
- After Mike Sando of ESPN.com grouped the NFL’s starting quarterbacks into tiers based on talent, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap examines how each QB’s salary matches up to his placement on Sando’s list. Unsurprisingly, Brady is the major outlier, with Sando placing the Patriots quarterback near the top of his list, despite the fact that he has a fourth-tier salary.
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link), agent Tom Condon discussed one client who just signed an extension (Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant) and another client who looks like a good bet to sign a new deal in the near future (Giants quarterback Eli Manning).
NFLPA Could Proceed With Collusion Case Against Cowboys, Broncos
Despite previous reports to the contrary, the NFLPA could still pursue their collusion case against the Broncos and Cowboys, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The union is still assessing whether to proceed and has not lifted the notice requiring the teams to preserve any emails, text messages, or other documents that could be relevant to the case.
Evidence of possible collusion between the Cowboys and Broncos reportedly stemmed from a conversation that took place between Dez Bryant and Cowboys COO Stephen Jones. Jones explained to Bryant that the Calvin Johnson contract, which is the most lucrative deal for a wide receiver in the NFL, had no relevance to other receivers because of the unique circumstances surrounding those negotiations. Then, according to Bryant’s account (per the source), Jones told the receiver that he talked to Broncos GM John Elway about the situation. Because the Broncos also had franchise-tagged receiver in Demaryius Thomas, the admission that Jones and Elway communicated about the situation constitutes evidence of collusion.
Florio notes that it will be difficult for Thomas or Bryant to prove that they suffered any real financial loss, given that they both signed five-year, $70MM deals. However, there’s value to all players in exposing collusion, since it could prevent other teams from doing it in the future. As far as we know, the only real evidence the NFLPA has to prove collusion would be the testimony of Bryant. However, a discovery process could unearth a smoking gun or two to benefit their side.
NFC East Notes: Bryant, JPP, Schofield
Let’s check in on a few Monday items from around the NFC East….
- After all the talk about Dez Bryant potentially signing a contract that would make him a “Cowboy for life,” the wideout’s new deal will only run through 2019, and Bryant will be 31 when it expires. As Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com writes, the Cowboys are certainly hoping this contract isn’t Bryant’s last one — his next deal is more likely to be the one that makes him a “Cowboy for life.”
- Appearing at a charity golf event on Monday, Justin Tuck confirmed that he has been in touch with his former Giants teammate, Jason Pierre-Paul. Despite his injury, JPP is in good spirits, according to Tuck. “He’ll be the first one to tell you he made a mistake,” Tuck said, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. “He’s fine. He’s going to have a great year.”
- In 2014, O’Brien Schofield and the Giants agreed to a two-year, $8MM contract. However, that deal never became official, as New York pulled its contract offer due to concerns with Schofield’s left knee. As he tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, Schofield – who signed earlier this offseason with the Falcons – continues to use that rescinded offer as motivation as the 2015 season approaches.
Greg Hardy Still Undecided On Lawsuit
It has been 10 days since Greg Hardy‘s suspension was officially reduced from 10 games to four games, and it has been five days since we heard that a decision from Hardy’s camp on whether or not to file a lawsuit was coming “any time now.” So far though, there’s been no word on Hardy’s decision. A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the Cowboys defensive end is still waiting on the final recommendation from the NFL Players Association.
Before the ruling on Hardy’s appeal, at least one report indicated that Hardy, agent Drew Rosenhaus, and the NFLPA intended to pursue legal action if the suspension was for more than two games, since that was the standard penalty established by the NFL’s old personal conduct policy for such an incident. In upholding a four-game ban, arbitrator Harold Henderson split the different between the old policy and the new one, which calls for at least a six-game suspension.
Still, as Florio points out, it wouldn’t be a great look for the NFLPA to take the league to court over a suspension that’s already viewed as a fairly lenient penalty for a domestic incident like Hardy’s. Additionally, there’s no guarantee at this point that the case would be resolved before the conclusion of the second week of the regular season, so Hardy may have to seek a preliminary injunction to get on the field in the meantime, risking the possibility of serving the suspension during more crucial games later in the year.
I expect we’ll get a decision from Hardy and his camp within the next few days, before players report to training camp later this month.
East Notes: Brady, Coughlin, Brooks
We still do not know what will come of the Tom Brady saga, but as we await Roger Goodell‘s final decision on Brady’s suspension, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe provides something of a different perspective on the story. Although it has been widely assumed that Brady would file a lawsuit against the NFL and seek an injunction to stay his suspension unless it is completely wiped out, that decision could be harder than it appears.
After all, although a lawsuit carries little legal risk for Brady–he would not have to share any evidence like text messages or emails, and any sworn statements he makes would likely replicate what he has already said–the on-field ramifications could be a different matter. On the one hand, a lawsuit could delay the process so long that Brady ends up playing the entire 2015 season, but he could also lose in court and be forced to serve the suspension later in the 2015 campaign when the Patriots are fighting for playoff positioning. A loss, of course, would also lend a great deal of validation to Brady’s critics and would cast a pall over his career. Plus, even if he were able to get the suspension lifted, the NFL could appeal and potentially have the suspension restored later in the season.
Brady will have a lot to mull over when Goodell finally hands down his decision, and out of everyone who Brady may consult as he decides how to proceed, it is difficult to find a truly impartial adviser. As Volin writes, “Realistically, only one person can truly decide what’s best for Tom Brady — the man himself. Hopefully, he understands that.”
Now let’s take a look at some more links from the team’s east divisions:
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that Giants head coach Tom Coughlin needs to get his team into the playoffs this year if he wants to keep his job. Owner John Mara said after the 2014 season that 2015 is a win-or-else year for a lot of people in the organization, and that includes Coughlin.
- Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com examines whether Jason Pierre-Paul would have reached a long-term deal with the Giants if not for the well-publicized fireworks accident that cost JPP his right index finger.
- Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News details Ron Brooks‘ attempts to establish himself as a starting-caliber corner for the Bills as the former fourth-round pick enters the fourth and final year of his rookie deal.
- Benjamin Hochman and Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post debate whether the Cowboys or Broncos got more bang for their buck in the recent extensions of Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas.
Extra Points: Houston, Tucker, Dez, Los Angeles
It took a while for the Chiefs and linebacker Justin Houston to agree to a lucrative extension, but the three-time Pro Bowler was always confident a deal would get done.
“When the season ended, coach Reid pulled me into the office saying, ‘It’s going to get done, just be patient,’” Houston told BJ Kissel of KCChiefs.com. “So that’s what I did.”
Houston was clearly thrilled that the team inked him to the richest deal in franchise history.
“It just made me feel like they really believed in me,” Houston said. “For them to do this, just like your family back home, your mom, your parents, they believe in you. It gives you an extra edge on the field when you know you’ve got people really believing in you and what you can do.”
Let’s check out some more notes from around the league…
- Following Stephen Gostkowski‘s extension with the Patriots, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun believes the Ravens and kicker Justin Tucker now have a framework that they can work with. Tucker will be a free agent following the season, and Wilson says it will “cost a lot of money” to retain the accurate kicker.
- The Cowboys didn’t add any “special protections” to Dez Bryant‘s contract, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Instead of loading up the contract with opportunities to void guaranteed money (like Dallas did with Byron Jones), Bryant’s contract instead includes the “standard language for voiding guaranteed payments.”
- Angels Stadium in Anaheim likely won’t be submitted as an option to become a temporary home for a relocating NFL team, reports Scott M. Reid of The Orange County Register. The stadium was previously the home of the Rams.
NFC Mailbags: Giants, Panthers, Cowboys
We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the NFC…
- General manager Jerry Reese deserves more criticism for the current state of the Giants roster than head coach Tom Coughlin, says Dan Graziano. Regardless, the writer points to the organizations lack of turnover at the position (three different GMs in 37 years), which leads him to believe that Reese will be sticking around.
- The Panthers have some room to work with under the cap, but David Newton writes that there’s no need to rush negotiations with their extension candidates. The team has Luke Kuechly wrapped up through the 2016 season, and the same goes for Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short. Cornerback Josh Norman is set to become a free agent following the season, but Newton isn’t convinced that the team will pay him what he may be seeking.
- Todd Archer believes fans shouldn’t be counting on the Cowboys to sign another running back. As the writer describes, the coaching staff seems set on their current grouping of Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar.
- Archer is also a fan of the Dez Bryant contract, and he believes the wideout received a fair amount of money. Meanwhile, Archer disagrees with the theory that the Cowboys haven’t invested in their defense. He points to the contracts handed out to Brandon Carr, Sean Lee and Orlando Scandrick, as well as the drafting of Morris Claiborne, Byron Jones and Randy Gregory.
AFC West Notes: Thomas, Broncos, Houston
While the NFL Player’s Association appeared ready to drop its collusion investigation into the Cowboys and Broncos after Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas signed new contracts on Wednesday, the union is still considering filing a complaint, a source tells Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today Sports. Both the Cowboys and Broncos have been informed that the NFLPA has not yet lifted its request that front office officials preserve writen and digital correspondence that could be used as evidence of collusion, writes Jones.
Even if the Cowboys and Broncos did discuss Bryant’s and Thomas’ contract situations, it seems unlikely that there’s a smoking gun, and now that both wideouts have long-term deals – perhaps with the help of legal collusion by their agents – it seems unnecessary for the NFLPA to pursue another drawn-out legal battle with the league. As such, I’d guess that the union will eventually drop its investigation, but it sounds like we’ll have to wait until at least next week to know for sure.
As we await word from the NFLPA, let’s check out some more updates from out of the AFC West, with a focus on Thomas’ and Justin Houston‘s extensions….
- A report earlier this week suggested that Thomas was prepared to skip training camp and the preseason if he didn’t get a new contract this week, but earlier today the wideout admitted, “I wasn’t going to sit out games” (Twitter link via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com). Thomas also suggested that he “kind of knew the whole morning” on Wednesday that he and the Broncos would get something done (Twitter link via Legwold).
- During the negotiations with Thomas, GM John Elway was mindful of how other extension-eligible players – particularly Von Miller – will fit into the team’s budget down the road, writes Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.
- At OverTheCap.com, Zack Moore dives deep into Houston’s new six-year contract with the Chiefs to determine its value, while Jason Fitzgerald lays out the year-by-year figures for the deal in chart form.
- In explaining why he felt like it was “very important” to remain in Kansas City long-term, Houston credited Andy Reid, explaining that the Chiefs head coach pushed him to become a better player. Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star has the details and quotes from the star pass rusher.
Cowboys Notes: Valuation, Dez, Offseason
Earlier this week, Forbes released its breakdown of the top 50 most valuable franchises in sports, and 20 NFL teams earned a mention, making it the best-represented league on the list by a comfortable margin. First among those 20 NFL franchises was the Cowboys, valuated at $3.2 billion by Forbes. Dallas didn’t quite earn the top overall spot on the list, but the team was a close second to soccer’s Real Madrid.
Of course, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, NFL franchises are worth whatever someone is willing to pay for them, and the fact that Forbes’ figure for the Bills falls well short of the $1.4 billion paid by Terry and Kim Pegula last year suggests that it’s not an exact science.
Here’s more on the NFL’s most valuable franchise:
- In providing the specific details on Dez Bryant‘s new contract, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun notes (via Twitter) that the deal includes $500K de-escalators in the event that the wideout misses workouts.
- Referring to reports about a supposedly damning videotape as a “smear campaign,” Jarrett Bell of USA Today suggests that Bryant is owed an apology by those who “sloppily reported” the existence of such a video earlier this offseason. For his part, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told USA Today that he’s skeptical of the existence of such a tape.
- Using his “expected contract value” metric, Bryce Johnston of Over the Cap explains why Bryant’s new extension is more player-friendly than Demaryius Thomas‘ deal, despite the fact that the two contracts looked similar on the surface.
- Babe Laufenberg of The Dallas Morning News rates the Cowboys‘ offseason as excellent, citing the addition of La’el Collins as the move that put it over the top. Still, the team lost the NFL’s leading rusher, has signed two pass rushers with checkered histories, and has only one top-flight corner, so there are some causes for concern in Dallas.
Zach Links contributed to this post.