Extra Points: C.J. Wilson, Washington, Battle
Jason Pierre-Paul wasn’t the only NFL player to be involved in a fireworks mishap over the Fourth of July weekend. According to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link), Buccaneers cornerback C.J. Wilson also suffered a severe hand injury due to an fireworks accident, while a team source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the injury is “significant.”
In a statement, the Bucs indicated they’ve been in contact with Wilson and will continue to monitor the situation, with their primary concern at the moment being the defensive back’s long-term health (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports).
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- A federal judge in Northern Virginia on Wednesday ordered the cancellation of the Washington Redskins‘ trademark registrations, upholding an earlier ruling by the federal Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Ian Shapira of the Washington Post has the details on the decision, which isn’t necessarily a significant event on its own, since the team can continue to fight for the Redskins trademark registrations through the appeals process. However, it represents another win for the Native American activities fighting against the moniker.
- Following Isaiah Battle‘s pro day workout at Clemson this week, Gil Brandt of NFL.com writes that the offensive lineman could be selected in the fourth round of tomorrow’s supplemental draft. According to Brandt, a team expecting to contend in 2015 – and pick late in next year’s draft – might even be inclined to use a third-rounder on the Clemson tackle.
- With the supplemental draft around the corner, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk looks back at the history of the event, noting that there have been more misses than hits among the players selected since the supplemental draft began in 1977.
- According to the results of a study released on Tuesday, a new riverfront NFL stadium in St. Louis could expect to draw about $200MM in the sale of personal seat licenses, writes David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That figure exceeds initial estimates, which could bode well for the city, though the study – commissioned by the league – cited several potential concerns as well, including “low ticket prices, low ticket sales and the lack of a ‘robust regional area’ from which to draw new fan and corporate support.”
Extra Points: Gates, McClain, Supplemental Draft
A look at the latest from around the NFL, including notes relating to this afternoon’s rash of surprise suspensions..
- The four suspensions handed down this afternoons are likely the final ones today before the holiday weekend, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Of course, there could always be more suspensions lurking around the corner on Monday.
- The cases of Antonio Gates, Datone Jones, Sheldon Richardson, and Rolando McClain have all gone past the appeals phase, so those penalties are final, Breer tweets.
- Fifteen NFL teams were on hand for the Pro Day workout at West Georgia for Dalvon Stuckey and Darrius Caldwell, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. Among the teams in attendance are the Cardinals, 49ers, Packers, Raiders, Titans, Jets, Dolphins, Lions, Seattle, Chargers, Falcons, Rams, Bucs, and Washington (link). Stuckey, a defensive tackle, signed with FSU but never played a snap for them. He wound up at West Georgia where he had 4.5 sacks, nine tackles for a loss, and three forced fumbles in 2014. Caldwell, who is entering the supplemental draft due to academic issues, was initially an Illinois recruit. He had an eye-popping 12 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss last season.
Rams Not Interested In Evan Mathis
Despite buzz around the league to the contrary, a Rams source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that St. Louis has no interest in offensive lineman Evan Mathis. Instead, the Rams would prefer to allow their young players – including their young offensive line – to grow together.
Mathis, released by the Eagles earlier this offseason, is considered one of the league’s best interior linemen. In 2014, despite playing just 608 offensive snaps, the former third-round pick ranked as the league’s best left guard, performing particularly well as a run blocker, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required). PFF had previously graded Mathis as the NFL’s No. 1 guard in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
The Rams on the other hand have struggle blocking between the tackles, and haven’t been so great on the outside either. Last year’s No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson was settling in at guard before the injury to Jake Long forced him to accelerate his transition to left tackle. Rodger Saffold will likely start next to him on the left side, and is the best guard on the roster. Right guard is up for grabs, and the team moved on from center Scott Wells so will be looking at a first-time starter there as well.
It would be tough to argue that Mathis wouldn’t be able to improve the Rams’ roster short-term, and he could be especially useful as St. Louis believes it could have an opportunity to make a move in the NFC West with both the Cardinals and 49ers struggling to keep pace with the Seahawks for division supremacy.
However, Mathis will turn 34 years old during the season, and most teams are probably hesitant to give him a long-term contract. Even if he gets the Rams closer to a playoff berth this year, for a team with a young core Mathis doesn’t necessarily fit the mold. Of course, the Rams’ competitiveness in 2015 all depends on the performance of his former teammate Nick Foles.
St. Louis has a number of young bodies they can throw out there to try to solidify the offensive line. Although they may not have interest right now, injuries and poor performance from their rookies in training camp could change minds in that front office. With the right circumstances and price, Mathis could find himself fitting in with the team later this summer if he doesn’t find a landing spot before then.
Latest On Los Angeles Relocation
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
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.
NFC West Notes: Wilson, Foles, Bennett
During a return to the Wisconsin campus over the weekend, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was asked about his contract situation, but was fairly noncommittal on the subject, simply reiterating his desire to remain in Seatle for years to come, as Dennis Punzel of Madison.com details.
“It’s not where my focus is,” Wilson said of his contract. “The contract will work itself out. I’m excited about it and excited to hopefully be a Seattle Seahawk for a really, really long time. So, that’s the goal.”
Here’s more from around the NFC West:
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates of ESPN.com lays out the pros and cons for the Rams as they consider signing new quarterback Nick Foles to an extension. While Foles’ stock isn’t at its highest point, coming off an up-and-down, injury-shortened season, Yates suggests it still may be prudent for the team to wait on a new deal.
- Former agent Joel Corry weighs in on the Michael Bennett situation, tweeting that a holdout would likely be “an expensive waste of time” for the Seahawks defensive end. As Corry observes, Seattle is unlikely to budge just one year into Bennett’s four-year contract. Our Dallas Robinson wrote last night about Bennett’s confusing stance.
- Stepping in for Peter King at TheMMQB.com, Seahawks long snapper Nate Boyer tells the story of how he ended up in the NFL, trying to make the Seattle roster as a 34-year-old rookie.
- While some teams may shy away from drafting small-school players due to their lesser college competition, Cardinals GM Steve Keim tells Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com that he likes adding those players, since they’re often motivated by feeling like they have something to prove.
Latest On NFL’s Los Angeles Relocation
In yesterday’s San Diego Union-Tribune, the newspaper’s editorial board added a bit of intrigue to the NFL’s plans for relocating a team to Los Angeles. Referencing an owner’s meeting scheduled for August, the board writes speculation has arisen that the owners may vote the entire process back by one year, allowing the situations in San Diego, St. Louis, and Oakland to “percolate.”
For his part, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk isn’t entirely buying said speculation, going as far as to opine that the Union-Tribune, which has a vested interest in seeing San Diego retain an NFL team, could have simply “conjured” the news. Either way, such a delay in the process would have negative consequences for San Diego, writes Florio. A scenario could exist where the Raiders and Rams both move to L.A. and the Chargers stay in San Diego; such moves would obviously be a negative for the Chargers, as they’d have to compete financially with two teams in their area.
Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link) has heard rumors of a different scenario, one where the Rams move to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, while the second spot in Inglewood remains open (for how long is not known) so that the Chargers and Raiders maintain leverage. In a second tweet, Breer says that situation could get more complicated if the city of St. Louis is able to come up with a suitable financing plan for a new stadium.
We heard on Friday that the league is exploring temporary venues in L.A. in the event that a club moves to Southern California for the 2016 season.
NFC Notes: Gurley, Eli, Lions, Cowboys
Though most first-round picks sign deals containing full guarantees, we learned last week that Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley will only see the first two years of his contract fully guaranteed due to his knee injury, which is considered a non-football injury because it didn’t occur in the NFL. But an NFLPA source tells Ben Volin of the Boston Globe that despite the optics, this scenario is actually a win for Gurley, not the club.
“No player in the league, from [Peyton] Manning to Jadeveon Clowney] to Jameis Winston, has protection against getting cut [and not paid/and guarantees not honored] due to this type of situation,” the source told Volin. “The fact that Gurley’s agent got him two years protected for a non-football injury is better than every other player in the first round, and the league in general.”
More from the NFC:
- Opining at a truly elite quarterback has never actually hit the open market since the inception of free agency, agent Tom Condon tells Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News that he’s confident his client Eli Manning will eventually work out an extension with the Giants. Manning will earn $17MM in base salary in 2015, the final year of his deal, and while New York could opt to use the franchise tag on him (at a cost of more than $20MM), but Condon seems sure that an agreement can be reached.
- Responding to reader’s question in this week’s mailbag, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes that the Lions could be on the lookout for a blocking tight end as the regular season approaches. As the questioner points out, most starter Eric Ebron‘s backups are also pass-catching types, so the club want a replacement for Kellen Davis, who played the inline role in 2015. There will be free agent options as roster cutdowns occur (as Rothstein notes), but the Lions could take a look at ex-Bengal Jermaine Gresham, who I recently ranked as the third-best FA left on the market.
- News of the weird: the Cowboys, Giants, and Patriots will be contacted by the FAA in relation to their use of drones at practices, according to Bloomberg Business. The FAA does allow for the private use of such technology, but the user must agree to certain safety stipulations. None of the clubs had requested such clearance, per the report.
Stadium Notes: Titans, Raiders, Rams
Goodbye LP Field. Hello Nissan Stadium.
The Titans and Nissan announced this morning that they have agreed to a 20-year partnership, according to the Associated Press. The new name will be subject to approval by the NFL.
The stadium was initially called Adelphia Coliseum following it’s completion in 1999, and it’s been know as LP Field since 2006. Besides the Titans, the space is also home to the Tennessee State football team and the Music City Bowl.
As you’ve likely heard, there’s plenty of other stadium talk going around the NFL. Let’s take a look at those whispers…
- Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf met with commissioner Roger Goodell in New York earlier this month, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Schaaf’s intent is to keep the Raiders in Oakland, as opposed to moving the team to Los Angeles. Eric Grumman, the “league point man for Los Angeles relocation and franchise retention in home markets” (as Bair so eloquently describes), was also at the meeting, and he claims there were no negotiations. “The Mayor outlined visions and goals at a general level,” Grubman said. “No specific proposal was discussed. Roger encouraged dialogue, and he stressed that there was a need to have a specific and actionable plan put forward soon.”
- The main topic in a St. Louis courtroom this afternoon pertained to the construction of a new Rams stadium, as David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch describes. Attorneys basically argued that the stadium could be considered “adjacent” to the dome in downtown St. Louis, regardless of where it’s built.
NFC Rumors: Brees, Rams, Moeaki, Locke
The city of St. Louis and the development commission tasked with extracting funds to finance a new Rams stadium along the Mississippi River front continued their arguments in court Thursday.
At the crux of this is a St. Louis city ordinance that requires a public vote for city funds to be used to finance a stadium, and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority (curiously referred to as the RSA) insists that ordinance is restricting its ability to keep the Rams in St. Louis, according to John Henry of KSDK, a local TV station.
What the RSA refers to as “broad” language in the 2002 city ordinance prompted the commission to sue the city in order to ask a judge if the law is constitutional, and St. Louis mayor Francis Slay said the city would defend the ordinance “vigorously.”
This is just one of the many disconnects between cities and their football futures occurring right now as the Los Angeles market appears set to re-open.
Here are some other notes from the NFC this afternoon.
- In speaking with ESPN.com’s Ed Werder, Drew Brees is “very convinced” the Saints will win another Super Bowl before he retires (Twitter link). The presumptive Hall of Famer also iterated he was “heartbroken” after the team shipped Jimmy Graham to Seattle on Day 1 of free agency, noting that there were “big plans” for Graham in the ensuing years of the star tight end’s contract. Stripped of key weaponry and coming off a disappointing 7-9 season, the Saints are not an attractive pick to challenge for an NFC title this season. But the 36-year-old quarterback hasn’t missed the playoffs in back-to-back campaigns since the 2007-08 bracket absences, and it’s not like the NFC South is teeming with juggernauts.
- Housing one of the league’s worst tight end stables, the Falcons are the latest team to give the injury-riddled Tony Moeaki a chance. Despite making just $744K this season, Moeaki will compete with Jacob Tamme — the Broncos’ third-string tight end last season who signed a two-year, $4MM contract in March — to be the Falcons’ top pass-catching tight end, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Incumbent Levine Toilolo received the worst pass-receiving grade from Pro Football Focus among 67 qualified tight ends last season, opening the door for an odd Tamme-Moeaki battle.
- At special teams coach Mike Priefer‘s request, the Vikings declined to bring in competition for Jeff Locke at punter, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. A fifth-round pick in 2013, Locke ranked 25th in yards per punt (39.2) last season and dropped just 8% of his boots inside the 10-yard line, which was 30th.