FA Rumors: Packers, Wayne, Mathis, Deering
The Packers are still waiting on the official results of Jordy Nelson‘s MRI, but if the star wideout has a torn ACL, as is feared, the team is expected to inquire on Reggie Wayne, reports Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Green Bay still has a good deal of wide receiver depth without Nelson, and the club typically doesn’t sign outside free agents very often, so it seems unlikely that Wayne would land with the Packers. It’s fair to wonder if Wayne’s camp is using Green Bay as a leverage play, as the veteran free agent attempts to negotiate a deal with the Patriots or perhaps another team.
As we wait to see where Wayne lands, let’s round up a few more notes on free agents….
- Agent Drew Rosenhaus expects free agent guard Evan Mathis to have a new team by the end of the week, he said during an appearance on South Florida’s WSVN-7 (link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald). According to Rosenhaus, his client has received interest from the Seahawks and “other teams,” and Salguero suggests the Dolphins should be in the mix if Mathis’ asking price is coming down at all.
- It’s a busy week for former Rutgers safety Jeremy Deering, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that Deering tried out for the Eagles, is working out for the Colts today, and has an audition with the Jets later in the week.
- Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin examines the Packers‘ wide receiver situation, speculating that ex-Packer James Jones could be an option for the team. For now though, Jones is a Giant, so he’d probably have to be cut for Green Bay to consider him. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports made a similar point yesterday.
AFC East Notes: Wayne, Jets, Bills
There was a mixed reaction among league executives to reports that veteran wideout Reggie Wayne visited the Patriots, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
“He’ll be in great shape – always takes car of himself,” said one AFC executive. “Tremendous pro and teammate. Health has been issue past two years. Great hands and routes. Did not have a lot left in his legs last year and struggled. Will struggle vs press – very savvy vs zone. New England has history of getting some production out of players like him.”
“Possession guy with hands and savviness but loss of speed and explosiveness evident,” said another AFC exec. “Maybe as a role player, but don’t see him as a starter solution.”
Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC East…
- Colts coach Chuck Pagano was thrilled that Wayne may get an opportunity to play this season. “I think that’s great for Reg,” Pagano said (via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells on Twitter). “Happy they’re looking at him and there’s an opportunity.”
- While John Idzik‘s tenure with the Jets has certainly been scrutinized, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes that he may have found a pair of diamonds in the rough. Cornerback Marcus Williams and wideout Quincy Enunwa were both under-the-radar pickups by the former general manager, and the players are set to contribute in 2015.
- Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus has continued to complain about his contract situation, and Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News has some of the player’s comments following last night’s game. “They’re making it hard,” said Dareus, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. “And it’s just really making me unhappy. I feel like they don’t really want me here…We’re still waiting. I feel like they don’t want me here as bad as I want to be here, as bad as the fans and my team wants me here. I feel like they’re saying, ‘Whatever. You come a dime a dozen.’”
Reggie Wayne Takes Physical With Patriots
Reggie Wayne arrived in New England last night and is taking a physical with the Patriots today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Wayne, of course, has maintained that he wants to play in 2015, and he said last month that he had received interest from several clubs. Until today, however, we had yet to hear anything more concrete.
The 36-year-old veteran of 14 NFL seasons is no longer the sort of impact player he was during his prime. However, he was still a reliable target for Andrew Luck last season, compiling 779 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 64 catches. Over the course of his Hall-of-Fame career, Wayne has compiled over 14,000 receiving yards, the most among active receivers and eighth all time. He also has 82 touchdowns and six Pro Bowl nods to his credit. He plans to play for one more season, with a championship contender, and then call it a career.
Of course, just because he is taking a physical with New England does not mean that he will ultimately sign with the team. But as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes, Wayne does have a fan in Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who had this to say in advance of the Colts-Patriots matchup last November:
“[H]e’s still really good at everything. [He’s] obviously a real smart and experienced guy; knows how to set up routes, make all of his routes look the same, does a great job of releasing and then at the top of his routes being able to create separation at just the right time when the quarterback is ready to throw. He’s been a key guy for them in critical situations and third down-type situations.”
Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com tweets that there is some debate in the scouting community as to how much Wayne has left in the tank, but the veteran savvy that Belichick describes would serve Wayne in good stead in the relatively complex New England offense, particularly when combined with talented younger players like Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell. As Reiss observes (via Twitter), it makes sense that New England would be doing its due diligence on Wayne, as Edelman, LaFell, Brian Tyms, and Aaron Dobson have all been dealing with injuries, and Brandon Gibson limped off the field with a knee injury in last night’s preseason contest against the Saints.
Ben Volin of The Boston Globe adds an interesting footnote to this development (via Twitter). Volin points out that, as a vested veteran, the Patriots would have to guarantee Wayne’s full salary if he were to make the Week 1 roster. But if the team were to sign him after Week 1, that would no longer be the case.
At this point, though, we will simply have to wait and see if yet another storyline will be added to the longstanding Colts-Patriots rivalry.
AFC East Notes: J. Taylor, McCourty, Dareus
We learned earlier today that the Giants suffered yet another blow to their secondary last night, and as Adam H. Beasley of The Miami Herald writes, the Dolphins‘ secondary is also growing thin due to injury. After losing Louis Delmas to a torn ACL last week, Miami saw Jamar Taylor leave last night’s preseason game to a quadriceps injury. Taylor, fighting for a starting cornerback spot opposite Brent Grimes, dealt with a sports hernia in his rookie campaign in 2013, and last year he was placed on IR with a shoulder injury. The severity of Taylor’s latest ailment is unknown at this time.
As the Giants and Dolphins fret over their secondaries, let’s take a look at a few more links from the AFC East:
- Devin McCourty played cornerback for the Patriots in their preseason contest against New Orleans last night, and he did not like it one bit. McCourty said, via Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com, “I hope it’s not permanent. It didn’t feel great, and I don’t think it looked great so we’ll see.” McCourty, of course, transitioned to safety from corner in 2012, and has thrived as a safety in the past couple of seasons. But with the exodus of starting-caliber corners from New England this offseason, the team may be forced to utilize McCourty’s versatility more than he would like.
- In a separate piece, Curran discusses the status of the Patriots‘ running back battle in light of the impressive performances from James White and Dion Lewis last night.
- PFR’s Sam Robinson wrote yesterday that Marcell Dareus has softened his public stance towards his contract negotiations with the Bills, and as Jerry Sullivan of The Buffalo News opines, it’s the right move. Sullivan writes that Dareus may be an excellent player, but he is surrounded by other terrific players on the defensive line, and he is not nearly the run defender that Ndamukong Suh is. Those facts, combined with Dareus’ past indiscretions, suggest that Dareus should not be paid like Suh, regardless of what Dareus himself thinks. In the end, the Bills will likely bend a bit, Dareus will bend a bit, and Dareus will remain in Buffalo for the foreseeable future.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says Jets‘ tight end Jace Amaro, a holdover from the John Idzik regime, is on the “moderate” hot seat. Amaro was listed as the third tight end on the team’s first official depth chart, and the team has mixed feelings about him. Cimini adds that wide receiver Jeremy Kerley is in a similar situation, especially given the strong training camp of Quincy Enunwa.
AFC Rumors: Brady, Bills, Browns, Jaguars
In giving a figurative 50-0 lead for Tom Brady and the NFLPA in their court battle against the NFL in the latest Deflategate stage, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe posits Judge Berman appears to be siding with the quarterback.
But Volin also pumps the brakes on a victory, believing that the NFL’s reluctance to settle means the league knows a possible trump card exists in Article 46 of the CBA, the now-infamous inclusion that continues to give disciplinary power to the commissioner. The league, in also banking on judges often upholding arbitrators’ decisions, remains steadfast in its belief these factors will be enough to eke out a victory, Volin notes.
“Judges’ questions are not always predictive of how they’ll rule,” SI legal expert Michael McCann told Volin. “It is not unusual for attorneys to complain that they thought they would win a case based on the judge’s apparent sentiments during oral arguments, only to unexpectedly lose when the written order was published.”
According to Volin, only two arbitration cases have been overturned in the past 25 years by the Southern District of New York and the Second Circuit, meaning the odds still may not be with the NFLPA despite Berman appearing to agree with their arguments.
NFLPA representative Jay Feely tweeted that during the CBA negotiations in 2011 Article 46 was deemed off the table by the owners.
- Percy Harvin (hip) will be back in time for the Bills‘ regular-season opener, according to Rex Ryan (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Leodis McKelvin, however, may not be ready by then, Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News reports. The longtime return man who re-emerged in Buffalo’s starting lineup the past two seasons watched practice on a cart, still recovering from the fractured ankle he suffered last November. The Bills are prepared to start rookie Ronald Darby in his place, Dunne writes.
- Contrary to a London Times report that indicated a deal to keep the Jaguars‘ annual England cameo going until 2030, no such deal has been reached, per Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union. The current four-year agreement expires after next season. Jim Woodcock, a spokesman for Jags owner Shad Khan, however, said negotiations are ongoing and the team wants to continue to play a game in London each year. Woodcock also denounced a separate report, from the London Evening Standard, had Khan planning to move the team to London and play its games in Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium.
- Browns first-round pick Cameron Erving‘s long-term future looks to be at guard, according to Mike Pettine (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). The versatile lineman who has experience at center, and offensive and defensive tackle didn’t play guard at Florida State but is currently listed as the Browns’ backup right guard behind John Greco.
NFC East Notes: Brady, Giants, Hardy
Here’s a look at the NFC East..
- Giants co-owner John Mara has respectfully declined to participate in settlement discussions between Tom Brady and the NFL, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. There are currently conflicting reports on whether Brady would be open to accepting a suspension of any kind. League lawyers, who sources say were reluctant about the idea, communicated Wednesday to the judge that Mara cited an obvious competitive conflict of interest.
- Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy still hasn’t made a final decision about suing the NFL to reduce his suspension, but every passing day reduces the chances of that happening, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets.
- Giants quarterback Ryan Nassib told Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post that he’ll have to assess his options if the Giants decide to give Eli Manning a new multi-year deal. “Yeah, that’s something we would look into once the season’s over,” Nassib said. “We’ll see when the decision’s made or whatnot. [Unless it happens], that’s something I can’t really speculate on.” The 2013 fourth-round pick is signed through 2016 at a cap-friendly total of $1.26MM over the next two seasons.
Extra Points: Weddle, Chancellor, Brady
Adam Jones will probably go down as one of those “what-if” history stories in sports and the Bengals cornerback is well aware of that. “If I would have never gotten suspended, I would have $100 million right now,” Jones said, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Still, Jones says that he tries not to live with regrets and that he hopes to make the most of the remainder of his career. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Eric Weddle‘s agent David Canter confirmed (via Twitter links) that he would like to see the Chargers safety land with the Dolphins. However, he made it clear that he and Weddle “have never and will never ask for a trade from San Diego.” Teams typically don’t trade their best players, Canter notes, and he says that Bolts fans can rest assured that he won’t be going anywhere, at least in 2015.
- Agent Alvin Keels told ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter) that everything is status quo with his client, Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor. “Nothing has changed. He will not report without his contract being addressed this season. The team and I have been in contact, but we haven’t been able to agree on any compromise,” Keels said.
- Right now, there are no more settlement talks planned between the NFL and NFLPA until the August 31st court appearance, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
- Brandon Meriweather‘s deal with the Giants is a one-year pact worth $870K and no guaranteed cash, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- During practice Sunday, Raiders‘ WR Andre Holmes fractured his hand and now is expected to be out 3-4 weeks, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
- New Jets quarterback Matt Flynn says that there’s no timetable on when he’ll recover from his hamstring issue and added that he is not guaranteed a roster spot with Gang Green, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
- Guard-center Josh Samuda, former Dolphin and Viking, worked out today for the Chiefs, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
Latest On Tom Brady’s Suspension Appeal
1:38pm: While Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) heard from a source this morning that Schefter’s report on Brady (detailed below) was “dead on,” some contradictory reports have surfaced since then. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald writes that Brady isn’t getting ready to accept a suspension, while Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says (via Twitter) that Brady’s stance hasn’t changed and that he isn’t willing to accept any suspension at this point.
Unless Schefter and Freeman were entirely off base, it’s possible that today’s hearing in New York played a part in Brady’s continued reluctance to agree to any form of suspension. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter links), Judge Berman was “very critical” of the NFL today, grilling the league’s lawyers and making observations on his own that boosted the credibility of the NFLPA’s arguments. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (TwitLonger link) and Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk detail a few specific points made by Berman as he poked holes in the NFL’s arguments.
Per Schefter (via Twitter), Judge Berman continued to push today for a settlement, asking the two sides to return to court on August 31 if there’s still no agreement in place. It’s still not clear which way Berman would rule if the two sides can’t reach a compromise, but given the way he has grilled the NFL so far, it looks like there’s more pressure on the league to reach a settlement — especially since, as Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole reports, team owners want resolution in the matter, and would accept a reduced suspension for Brady.
8:04am: Throughout the appeal process for Tom Brady‘s case, a settlement has been viewed as extremely unlikely, since the NFL is pushing for some form of suspension for Brady, while the Patriots quarterback has appeared unwilling to agree to more than a fine. A settlement still doesn’t appear imminent, with the two sides returning to court today, but there may be a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Facebook link), Brady is open to the idea of accepting a suspension, but only for failing to cooperate with the NFL’s investigation — not for admitting to anything in Ted Wells’ report’s findings. Of course, the suspension would have to be reduced from its current four games, in that scenario. Per Schefter, the NFL has been adamant that Brady admit to the report’s findings, which the Super Bowl MVP doesn’t seem willing to ever do.
A penalty that results in perhaps a one-game suspension and a fine for Brady has always seemed like the most logical compromise, if the two sides are going to reach an agreement. That would allow the NFL to uphold its suspension, while allowing Brady to significantly reduce the number of games he’d miss. We’ll see if Judge Richard M. Berman can cajole the two sides any closer to such an agreement today.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com has a primer on what to expect from today’s hearing.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/15
Earlier today, we rounded minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the league. Here’s the latest batch..
- The Giants announced that they have claimed defensive tackle Jimmy Staten off waivers from the Seahawks and waived rookie defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News tweets.
- The Jets announced that they have acquired tight end Arthur Lynch off waivers from the Dolphins. Lynch was the fifth-round pick (No. 155 overall) of Miami in the 2014 draft out of Georgia. He had 56 career receptions for 907 yards and eight touchdowns for the Bulldogs and was an All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection as a redshirt senior.
- The Raiders announced that they have signed free agent receiver Devon Wylie. Wylie, originally drafted by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, appeared in six games during his rookie campaign, recording six receptions for 53 yards.
- Offensive tackle Chris Martin, who was waived by the Dolphins recently, was awarded to Patriots, Wilson tweets. Martin, who is 6’5″ and 305 pounds, has had two prior stints with the Patriots.
- The Patriots cut tight end Logan Stokes, Wilson tweets.
- The Saints will sign defensive tackle David Hunter, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press (on Twitter). Hunter joins New Orleans after DT Austin Brown went down with an injury.
- The Lions released David Ausberry with an injury settlement, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
- The Lions waived/injured center Darren Keyton, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com tweets.
Tom Brady Settlement Talks At Standstill
Earlier today, we heard that Tom Brady was headed to New York in order to be present for Wednesday’s federal court hearing with Judge Richard M. Berman. However, now it seems that Brady’s time in New York will be brief, and won’t include attending tomorrow’s meeting.
According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), Brady was in New York today to participate in settlement discussions regarding his case, but no progress was made. Pelissero suggested (via Twitter) that Brady had made the decision to rejoin the Patriots rather than sticking around New York, but Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that the Super Bowl MVP was told by Judge Berman that there’s no need for him to be there tomorrow, with settlement talks at a standstill.
Throughout the process, Judge Berman has encouraged the NFL and NFLPA to try to find common ground and reach a settlement, but that outcome always looked like a long shot. The league wants Brady to serve a suspension of some sort, even if it’s not his full four-game penalty, while the Patriots signal-caller is reportedly unwilling to accept more than a fine.
With a settlement looking increasingly unlikely, Judge Berman figures to eventually make a ruling on the case. Tomorrow’s hearing, which will take place without Brady, should help to provide a timeline for when Berman’s decision could come.