Broncos’ Aqib Tailb Shot At Dallas Nightclub
MONDAY, 4:13pm: Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said Talib has been released from the hospital and the hope is for him to be in Denver tomorrow or Wednesday, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets.
9:12am: The bullet entered and exited Talib’s leg without hitting any arteries or tearing any ligaments, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Facebook). Talib got stitches but he did not require surgery.
SUNDAY, 10:51pm: The Broncos announced that Talib is expected to be released from the hospital on Monday. However, he will not be able to join the team for their visit to Washington D.C. and photo op with President Obama.
6:42pm: The Broncos have released a statement (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports), disclosing that Talib was shot in the lower right leg and is still recovering at a Dallas hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery.
4:35pm: Broncos PR man Patrick Smyth confirms (via Twitter) that the club has spoken with Talib and says he is “OK,” though he is still in the hospital. For what it’s worth, a source tells Klis (Twitter link) that the gunshot was “accidental.”
3:43pm: Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib was one of multiple people shot this morning following a fight at Dallas nightclub, according to Liz Farmer of the Dallas Morning News. Farmer reports that Talib is one of two shooting victims, while Rebecca Lopez of WFAA (Twitter links) puts the total number shot at three. Per Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter link), Talib suffered a minor leg injury from a gunshot wound, and the Broncos have been in contact with him. Talib was previously at Medical City Hospital in Dallas, but Jeff Darlington of NFL.com tweets that the Denver defensive back has been released.
Per Farmer, one person entered the club and shot another patron who was already inside — a fight continued outside the club, where another attendee was then shot. Again, reports on the situation are quite murky, but it sounds like Talib was one of those two victims. Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link) confirms that Talib was shot in the leg, and was told that his Broncos teammates believe that Talib is not seriously hurt.
Without knowing more details about the situation at the present time, it’s difficult to offer more than a hope that all those involved in the altercation and its aftermath ultimately prevail. According to Farmer’s report, those who were shot were taken to medical centers with “non-life-threatening” injuries, so while the situation is obviously serious, perhaps no one will involved will face the most dire consequences.
This incident isn’t the first time that Talib has been in the middle of off-the-field trouble, and as Farmer notes in her story, Talib was involved in a similar incident in Dallas last year, when he and his brother were allegedly part of a fracas at a separate nightclub. In 2011, Talib was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly firing a gun at his sister’s boyfriend — those charges were ultimately dropped.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: LeBron, GMs, Broncos, Manziel
June is generally the time when LeBron James dominates sports headlines, but thanks to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, the Cavaliers superstar did so in an unusual way. One NFL GM told Freeman that had James opted for football over basketball when coming out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, he would have been one of the all-time gridiron greats.
“LeBron James would have been the best tight end of all time,” the GM told Freeman. “He would have been Rob Gronkowski before Rob Gronkowski. No one would be able to cover him. He would have set records every season.”
Playing in his sixth straight NBA Finals, the league’s premier matchup problem hovered on NFL scouts’ radar as far back as his sophomore football season in 2000. As a junior, James had 61 receptions for 1,245 yards and 16 touchdowns, and prior to leaving the game to focus on hoops before his senior season, he had narrowed his recruiting finalists for football down to Ohio State, Michigan, Miami and USC.
Now at 6-foot-8, 250 pounds — Gronkowski is 6-6, 265 — the 31-year-old James would have been a perennial Pro Bowl tight end and a likely Hall of Fame talent in the minds of the NFL personnel with whom Freeman spoke. Likely destined to finish his NBA career as at worst a top-5 all-time player, one scout told Freeman the four-time NBA MVP would have been one of the 10 greatest football players ever.
In non-alternate-reality news from the NFL …
- An SI.com list of eight GMs on the hot seat placed Jerry Reese at No. 1. Don Banks of Sports Illustrated writes that Reese, despite guiding the Giants to two Super Bowl titles, needs to assemble a contender — likely a playoff team for the first time since Big Blue’s 2011 championship — after the $200MM+ he spent on free agents in an uncharacteristic spending spree this spring to keep his job.
- The Broncos shifted Brandon Marshall to Danny Trevathan‘s previous position at weakside inside linebacker, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. It’s a similar role to the 3-4 strongside spot he manned for the Super Bowl champions in 2015. Wade Phillips described the “Mo” position that Marshall’s relocating to as one with more freedom. Trevathan led the Broncos with 109 tackles last season despite playing in one fewer game than Marshall. The primary dime ‘backer for the Broncos last season, the 26-year-old Marshall will continue to function in that role. He plans to sign his RFA tender before the June 15 deadline, but John Elway said this week he wants to sign Marshall, Emmanuel Sanders and Von Miller to long-term deals this summer. Although Elway signed Derek Wolfe to an extension in January and Chris Harris to a longt-term deal in December of 2014, that’s lofty thinking considering the potential value Sanders and Marshall may have as UFAs in 2017. I took a look recently at what it might take to keep Marshall in Denver.
- Sanders has incentive to wait until the 2017 offseason before signing his third contract since he could potentially make No. 1 wideout money despite serving as a No. 2 in Denver the past two seasons, Mark Kizsla of the Denver Post writes. Allen Hurns‘ four-year, $40MM extension may be a reasonable target for Sanders since he’ll be entering his age-30 season in ’17, but Sanders has produced like a No. 1 target in accumulating more than 2,500 air yards since coming to Denver. He, Keenan Allen and Doug Baldwin look like the top 2017 UFA wideouts if none is signed to an extension in the meantime.
- Johnny Manziel‘s former agent, Erik Burkhardt, said the prospect of having to lie on behalf of the embattled quarterback led him to dissolve the relationship, the agent told Peter Schraeger of Fox Sports on a radio appearance (via Cameron DaSilva of FoxSports.com). The agent for Andy Dalton, Jordy Nelson, Danny Amendola and others, Burkhardt said he could damage relationships with GMs and front office executives if he continued to represent Manziel. “My relationships with these general managers, I’ve got to work with these guys for 20, 30 years,” Burkhardt said. “When they point-blank ask me if he’ll be X, Y and Z and do X, Y and Z, and if Johnny can’t give me his word that that’s what is going to take place, then I have to be honest with those guys. So, when I couldn’t do my job most effectively, that was a tough day for me, but that’s when I had to step away from our relationship on a professional level.” Both Burkhardt and Drew Rosenhaus jettisoned Manziel since his second and final season with the Browns concluded.
Broncos Negotiations With Emmanuel Sanders Won't Be Easy
- It could be a “make or break” preseason for Broncos running back Kapri Bibbs, writes Mike Klis of 9News.com. With C.J. Anderson, Ronnie Hillman, and Devontae Booker having a secure hold on the top three spots on the depth chart, Bibbs will be competing with Juwan Thompson for one of the final spots on the roster.
- The Broncos are trying to extend wideout Emmanuel Sanders, but Klis says it won’t be easy. If the 29-year-old wants to be paid like a top receiver (similar to Jeremy Maclin‘s $11MM annual salary), the Broncos may be priced out of the negotiations.
[SOURCE LINK]
8 Teams That Could Sign Arian Foster
The concern with Arian Foster has always been health. Foster, who will turn 30 in August, racked up 6,472 rushing yards during his seven years as a Texan, and earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2010 to 2012, averaging about 1,900 all purpose yards and 16 touchdowns in those seasons. But he’s now coming off a major injury, having ruptured his Achilles in late October of last year.
As he’s presumably still recovering from that malady, Foster apparently won’t work out for teams until late July, so it could be awhile before he finds a new club. Still, as we noted when ranking him as the third-best offensive free agent remaining on the open market, Foster possesses the highest upside of any player still on the board, meaning that he should be able to generate interest around the league.
Let’s take a look at the clubs that could make sense as fits for Foster in the coming months…
- Denver Broncos — Foster spent the first five years of his career under Gary Kubiak in Houston, so it would make sense that the current Broncos head coach would have interest in his former bellcow back. There hasn’t yet been any reported link between Denver and Foster, and perhaps the club feels that their backfield is too crowded given that they re-signed both C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman — handing the former a four-year, $18MM deal — and used a fourth-round pick on Devontae Booker. But if they’d have him, Foster might welcome the opportunity to not only play in a zone-based scheme that he knows well, but to join the defending Super Bowl champions.
- Detroit Lions — After finishing dead last in the NFL in rushing yards last season, the Lions haven’t done much to address their backfield, having only signed Stevan Ridley in free agency while using a seventh-round pick on Dwayne Washington. Detroit did invest in its offensive line, spending a first-round pick on Taylor Decker (who looks to be the club’s preferred option at left tackle) while picking up Graham Glasgow and Joe Dahl, who figure to be key reserves during their rookie seasons, in rounds three and five, respectively. But adding another back to their rotation, and limiting their dependence on Ameer Abdullah (who underwent shoulder surgery over the offseason), Theo Riddick, and Zach Zenner, might be the best route for the Lions.
- Indianapolis Colts — Like the Lions, the Colts chose to address their rushing game concerns not by adding to the crop of backs, but by concentrating on their offensive line, using four draft picks (including their first-rounder) on front five help. Indy’s running back depth chart is still perilously thin behind 33-year-old Frank Gore, with Robert Turbin and Jordan Todman representing the best fill-in options if Gore goes down. New offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski will reportedly add more zone-blocking concepts to the Colts’ game-plan, so Foster, who’s spent his career in that scheme, might feel at home.
- Miami Dolphins — Miami was the first known club to show interest in Foster, having him in for a visit at the end of March. While that meeting didn’t result in a deal getting finalized, the Dolphins are reportedly still monitoring Foster’s free agency, likely waiting for him to show signs of full health. Head coach Adam Gase has said that second-year running back Jay Ajayi has the inside track at leading Miami’s backfield in touches, and the team spent a third-round pick on fellow back Kenyan Drake, but after striking out on C.J. Anderson, Chris Johnson, and Ezekiel Elliott over the past several months, the Dolphins are clearly in the market for another runner as they seek to replace Lamar Miller.
- New England Patriots — The Patriots have spent the past few months adding solid veteran role players like Chris Long, Terrance Knighton, Shea McClellin, Nate Washington, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bill Belichick & Co. wrap the offseason by signing Foster. New England reportedly had “preliminary interest” in Foster last month, and he’d make for a nice fit in a backfield that includes LeGarrette Blount, Dion Lewis, James White, Donald Brown, and Brandon Bolden. That stable of backs would mean that Foster wouldn’t be required to carry the full load, and limited touches could be a boon to his health.
- Oakland Raiders — Latavius Murray was one of only seven running backs to rush for more than 1,000 yards in 2015, and he did so behind an offensive line that ranked just 19th in adjusted line yards. But the Raiders seemed set on adding another back this offseason, expressing interest in both Doug Martin and DeMarco Murray before drafting DeAndre Washington in the fifth round. Oakland is clearly an ascending team, with a young offensive core that already includes Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Clive Walford, and Murray. A playmaker of Foster’s talent could be the final piece that allows them to knock off the Broncos in the AFC West.
- Philadelphia Eagles — Having already shipped out DeMarco Murray, the Eagles have dealt with trade rumors regarding fellow running back Darren Sproles — while both team and player have downplayed any such speculation, Sproles could be in danger of not making Philadelphia’s final roster even if he isn’t dealt away, as Over the Cap’s performance-neutral Expected Contract Value metric gives Sproles a 92% chance of being released. With Ryan Mathews and fifth-round rookie Wendell Smallwood the only guarantees to earn roster spots, a veteran like Foster could add a spark and depth to a backfield that could use both.
- San Diego Chargers — San Diego had high hopes for its rushing attack after trading up to select Melvin Gordon in the first round of last year’s draft, but offensive line injuries and Gordon’s own poor play led to the Chargers finishing 31st in rushing DVOA. Gordon then had microfracture surgery in January, and while his long-term prognosis is positive, serious knee injuries are always unwelcome news for young running backs. The Chargers have the useful Danny Woodhead, the small-statured Branden Oliver, and the wonderfully-named Dreamius Smith behind Gordon, but there’s certainly room for another back.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos Hope To Sign Marshall, Sanders, Miller By Mid-July
On Wednesday night, Broncos GM John Elway spoke with Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter) about contract talks for linebacker Brandon Marshall, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, and defensive ace Von Miller. Elway says that he has gone back and forth with the agents for Marshall and Sanders but has no real update with regards to Miller. The GM says that he has a goal date in mind for all three deals.
Broncos Notes: Siemian, Marshall, Latimer
Although Mark Sanchez and Paxton Lynch are generating the vast majority of attention at quarterback for the Broncos, the door is also open for second-year man Trevor Siemian to start. “I think Trevor has a maturity to him. He’s kind of the sleeper, I would say. Trevor knows the offense. He’s very comfortable and can throw the ball too,” head coach Gary Kubiak said (via Troy Renck of the Denver Post). Kubiak added that he “wouldn’t sleep on Trevor to win the job.” A seventh-round pick from Northwestern in 2015, the strong-armed Siemian appeared in one game as a rookie, but he didn’t attempt a pass.
Here’s more on the defending Super Bowl champions:
- Linebacker Brandon Marshall told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday that negotiations on a long-term contract “are going well,” though he’s prepared to sign his one-year, $2.533MM restricted free agent tender if a deal isn’t struck. “I have no problem playing the deal out, I have no problem with doing that. But I do want to be here long-term, so that’s what I’m working towards, but I have no problem playing it out,” he stated. Earlier this month, PFR’s Sam Robinson examined what a new contract might look like for Marshall.
- Third-year receiver Cody Latimer was arrested Monday in Colorado for failing to pay a year-old traffic ticket, according to KUSA. Latimer called the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office to report a domestic dispute, accusing his girlfriend, Jaimee Rando, of putting “her hands on” him. A background check revealed that Latimer didn’t show up for an April 2015 court date regarding a ticket, which led police to arrest him. He settled the matter by paying $311.50. Rando, meanwhile, was arrested for assault and disturbing the peace, and Latimer bailed her out of jail Tuesday.
- In case you missed it, Sanchez spoke Monday about how he’s fitting in with the Broncos thus far.
Legwold: Reasons For Contract Delay Between Broncos, Paxton Lynch
- The Broncos have signed every member of their 2016 draft class except for first-round quarterback Paxton Lynch, and that deal might be taking a little longer because Lynch has a chance to become the team’s starter this year, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com details. It’s not entirely clear what contractual hurdles Legwold might be referring to, as rookie deals, especially those for first-round picks, are essentially slotted values. Denver and Lynch could be haggling over offset language, however, with Lynch’s camp pressing for the ability to “double dip” were he to be released in the next few years.
Mark Sanchez On Broncos Trade, Taking Over Super Bowl Team
Mark Sanchez has had quite the offseason — he’s gone from being the presumptive backup with the Eagles to having a real chance at starting for the defending Super Bowl champion Broncos following a March trade. Sanchez sat down with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report to discuss the deal that brought him to Denver, adjusting to life with the Broncos, and more. Let’s take a look at the highlights…
On whether he spoke to the Broncos in advance of the trade:
No, not at all. This happened all while I was working out. My agent hadn’t heard yet. [Eagles general manager] Howie Roseman and [Broncos general manager] John Elway were really the only ones who knew until they told me. Nobody really knew. I was maybe the third, fourth or fifth person to know. Once that happened, I called my agents to find out what was happening and they said, “We don’t know that.”
On the difficulty of taking over a Super Bowl-winning team:
How do you motivate guys who are already there when you haven’t [been]? How do you say “Hey, guys. Let’s put in all this work because we want to win a Super Bowl” when I’m the only guy who hasn’t? So it’s like a fine line of how to push guys and be a leader and establish yourself while also respecting what they have done and distance yourself from what they have done.
[RELATED: Broncos GM John Elway discusses quarterback search]
On acting as something of a “game manager”:
It’s a weird narrative. I understand my role: Just drive the car straight. Stay in the right lane. Stay in your lane and do what you’re called to do. There’s no behind-the-back, rolling-right kind of things. Just stick with the play. Get us out of bad plays, avoid negative plays, stick with the plays and give ourselves a chance to win.
What do we have to do on offense? Protect the ball, score a few points, and we’re good. It’s similar to those first few years in New York. Make all the routine plays, and when it’s time to make a big play, it will present itself. You practice for it and be ready to do it.
On whether Denver’s offense will involve more quarterback movement:
You could say that, but you could also say that about my time in New York because they got me out on the move to do that. [Head coach Gary Kubiak] moved [Matt] Schaub around. They moved Joe Flacco around a little bit. Could I move more? I don’t know. Maybe a little bit. It’s going to depend on what we do well in these next 10 OTAs.
On how the Broncos’ weapons compare to the Jets’ when Sanchez was in New York:
I don’t want to compare. We had good guys on both teams. I can speak to this team and say that some of the guys are obviously among the best in the league, starting with the top two [wide receivers]. But not just them.
Seeing how these guys work, they compete. It doesn’t matter who it is, whether it’s Bennie Fowler or whoever. These guys talk to each other…not like I’m coming for your job, but when I was around them, I could tell they were into it. They feed off each other. Kind of like, “Hey, you ran that route that way? Watch what I do. Watch how I catch this. Watch how I run this.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Derek Wolfe Content With Decision To Stay
Derek Wolfe‘s extension with the Broncos drew a number of reactions from around the league. From personnel men believing the fifth-year defensive end had to regret his choice in signing a four-year, $36.7MM deal before hitting free agency to agents seeing this contract representing the Super Bowl champions’ arrogance in believing they can convince players to accept below-market contracts.
Wolfe enjoyed by far his best season in 2015 despite missing four games due to a PED suspension. He registered eight sacks counting his 2.5 in the playoffs and graded out as a better performer than Jackson on Pro Football Focus for the first time since the duo began to see time together in 2013. Jackson, though, bypassed Broncos offers that topped out at around $11MM AAV and wound up becoming one of the league’s highest-paid defensive linemen with a six-year, $85.5MM accord.
Wolfe and Chris Harris represent the five-time reigning AFC West champions’ latest in-season extensions. Should Von Miller reach an agreement on a landmark extension with the Broncos by July 15, Brandon Marshall and Emmanuel Sanders loom as the next high-profile free agents-to-be for a team that’s had many such players reach this status the past few years.
- Nearly dealt to the Broncos at last season’s trade deadline, Joe Thomas could again be on the block if the rebuilding Browns flounder as they’re expected to, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. Thomas said on multiple occasions this offseason he’s glad the Browns didn’t trade him, but it’s somewhat difficult to imagine the 31-year-old likely future Hall of Famer being content on a Browns team mostly bereft of talent as this year’s deadline approaches. A six-time All-Pro, including the past three years, with three years left on his contract, Thomas could still possibly fetch a Cleveland team obsessed with stockpiling picks a first-round selection from a tackle-needy franchise. The Seahawks still come to mind after ending up without a veteran blind-side blocker this offseason despite interest in multiple talents who signed elsewhere.
Brandon Marshall Not Worried About Extension
While the Broncos have been focusing most of their energy on a long-term deal for Von Miller, several of the linebacker’s teammates are also awaiting potential extensions. This includes linebacker Brandon Marshall, who hasn’t signed the one-year, $2.533MM tender he was slapped with.
- Speaking of quarterbacks, Peyton Manning told Tennessean sports editor Dave Ammenheuser that he “was pretty close” to signing with the Titans instead of the Broncos in 2012. Having played for the University of Tennessee, Manning has an obvious connection to the state, and there were previous rumors that he could take a front office role with the organization.
- The Broncos may have another “quarterback controversy” on their hands this season, writes Woody Paige of the Denver Post. After juggling Manning and Brock Osweiler last year, the coaching staff is eyeing two potential starters on their current roster: Mark Sanchez and rookie Paxton Lynch.
- Manning’s retirement leaves a leadership void on the Broncos offense, and Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post believes wideout Emmanuel Sanders is a perfect candidate to fill that role.