Patriots Rumors: Brady, Edelman, O-Line
With Roger Goodell‘s grade of Tom Brady‘s appeal expected soon, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin examines who the future Hall of Fame quarterback can trust, considering the many agendas those around him have.
Brady’s intentions to exonerate himself play in the favor of an NFLPA motivated on diminishing Goodell’s power and establishing a new avenue through the appeals process. While it also is the recommended course of action of the association’s lawyers, who wouldn’t lose much if the quarterback’s suspension stands after a lengthy effort, per Volin. Should Deflategate progress at it looks like it will, the NFLPA’s attorneys will continue to clean up in legal fees to continue what’s been a banner stretch for such endeavors.
Volin also notes Bill Belichick would probably prefer Brady give up his fight should Goodell slash his suspension in half in an effort to avoid having key Jimmy Garoppolo cameos down the stretch. Robert Kraft‘s itinerary in this case, in Volin’s view, is one that Brady should greet with skepticism, with the owner preferring to do whatever he can to avoid the Patriots, more so than Brady, being tarnished in Deflategate’s aftermath.
The Globe’s top Patriots scribe notes that Kraft and Goodell were probably haggling on this suspension during an informal summit in Sun Valley, Idaho, recently, and that Kraft could still have the league’s best interests at heart should he advise Brady to accept a reduced suspension rather than make this battle more contentious.
Here are some other Patriots items as the days dwindle until training camps open.
- As Brady opts for a reclusive summer, his most frequent target helped explain the 16-year veteran’s mindset for those not privy to his dialogue post-Deflategate. “He’s fired up — we’ll say that. You don’t want a mad Tom Brady, and he’s a little ticked off,” Julian Edelman told Joe McDonald of ESPN.com. The 29-year-old wideout’s been Brady’s teammate for six seasons and has 197 catches the past two years.
- After Dan Connolly‘s retirement, Volin looks at who the Patriots will plug in at left guard this season, with a projection of rookie Tre Jackson out of Florida State becoming New England’s newest line cog. Volin views the college teammate of center Bryan Stork as a more refined prospect than rookie comrade Shaq Mason. A fourth-rounder, Jackson may even be an upgrade over Connolly, whose work Pro Football Focus detested, critically speaking, last season in rating the veteran as the Patriots’ worst offensive lineman (subscription required) for his efforts at left guard and center, respectively.
AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Colts, Jags, Bengals
It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from the AFC…
- Adam Teicher points to wideouts Reggie Wayne and James Jones as potential targets for the Chiefs. He also adds that offensive lineman Evan Mathis is still available, but notes that coach Andy Reid previously said the team has no interest in the 33-year-old.
- Mike Wells says Colts fans shouldn’t be upset or concerned where Reggie Wayne lands, even if it’s with the rival Patriots. The writer refers to New England’s interest in the wideout back in 2012.
- The Jaguars could have waited a year and tried to draft Jameis Winston, but Mike DiRocco believes that would have been too much of a risk. The team believed Blake Bortles could be the future of the franchise, so the writer doesn’t blame the front office’s strategy.
- Coley Harvey opines that it’d be “hard to justify” the Bengals signing A.J. Green to a Dez Bryant/Demaryius Thomas-type contract. Green has certainly established himself as one of the top wideouts in the league, but Harvey believes the receiver’s injury history may have hurt his value. Ultimately, Harvey thinks both sides will wait to negotiate until after this season, and he’d be shocked if Green received more than $43 million in guaranteed money.
- Harvey also believes there is zero chance Jermaine Gresham will be returning to the Bengals next season.
AFC East Notes: Gostkowski, Marshall, Jets
When he announced his decision to retire this week, veteran offensive lineman Dan Connolly was a free agent, no longer under contract with the Patriots. However, that didn’t stop New England head coach Bill Belichick from issuing a statement on Connolly’s retirement through the Patriots’ website today.
“Dan Connolly exemplified everything our program requires of players,” Belichick said in that statement. “He was tough and dependable, smart and team oriented and his work ethic ensured he improved on an annual basis to reach his potential. From where his career began as a developmental player to where it finished as a team leader and champion, Dan Connolly was a player I was proud to coach.”
Let’s round up a few more Friday notes on the Patriots and one of their AFC East division rivals….
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links) provides the exact details on Stephen Gostkowski‘s four-year, $17.2MM contract with the Patriots. The extension includes a $6MM signing bonus and fully guaranteed salaries of $1.8MM in 2015 and $2.3MM in 2016, for a total of $10.1MM in guarantees. There are also annual $100K workout bonuses and per-game roster bonuses worth up to $200K per season.
- Brandon Marshall‘s new team will be his last team, according to a tweet from the veteran receiver himself. In a Q&A session on Twitter on Thursday night, Marshall was asked what team he would eventually retire with, and the ex-Bear answered, “If I’m cut tomorrow. I’ll retire. This will be my last team.” Of course, considering the Jets traded for Marshall and gave him a slight pay bump earlier this offseason, the club doesn’t intend to release him anytime soon. When the time comes for the two sides to part ways, we’ll see if Marshall does indeed call it a career.
- The Jets are already weighing a possible extension for Muhammad Wilkerson, with Sheldon Richardson nearing extension eligibility as well. As Brian Costello of the New York Post, nose tackle Damon Harrison is also entering a contract year, and the Jets will have some tough financial decisions to make if he gets any better.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Chargers, Tucker
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.
Dan Connolly Announces Retirement
Veteran offensive lineman Dan Connolly has decided to retire from the NFL, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Connolly, who says the Patriots’ Super Bowl win last season helped him become more “at ease with the decision,” also cited health reasons when explaining why he’s ending his playing career. The SE Missouri St. alum has suffered four concussions throughout his NFL career, and made his decision to retire after speaking to his wife and doctors.
“It’s important to me to leave the game healthy,” Connolly said. “I’m able to be here for my kids and walk away on my own terms. I feel like I got everything I could out of football in playing 10 years, winning a Super Bowl, and playing alongside some truly great players.”
Connolly, 32, began his career with the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2005, then later caught on with the Patriots. Connolly became a regular contributor in New England in 2009, and a full-time starter on the interior offensive line in 2010. Over the last five years, Connolly has played at left guard, right guard, and center for the Pats, appearing in 70 regular-season contests (67 starts).
A free agent this offseason, Connolly drew interest from a handful of teams, paying a visit to the Buccaneers back in March. However, we heard last month that, despite a strong pitch from Tampa Bay, Connolly wasn’t interested in moving so far away from his family, meaning he wasn’t likely to continue playing unless he got a strong offer from New England.
As the Patriots prepare to move on to younger, more inexperienced options at guard, Connolly expressed gratitude to the team for having given him a shot: “With my football career coming to a close I am grateful for the opportunity given to me by the Kraft family and Coach [Bill] Belichick. It is an honor to have been part of such a great organization for the past eight seasons.”
Patriots To Extend Stephen Gostkowski
While he didn’t receive nearly as much attention as the other four franchised players this offseason, Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski also had until today to work out a multiyear contract with his team. And according to Christopher Gasper of the Boston Globe (Twitter link), Gostkowski has done just that, agreeing to an extension with the Pats. It’s a four-year deal worth $17.2MM, per Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
Gostkowski, 31, has led the NFL in field goals in each of the last two seasons, making 73 of his 78 total attempts during that stretch for a 93.6% mark. Gostkowski has also made all 95 of his extra point tries over the last two years. That success prompted the Pats to designate him as their franchise player, rather than using the tag on safety Devin McCourty, who eventually signed a long-term deal with the club as well.
Because he signed his tender shortly after he was tagged, Gostkowski wasn’t in the same situation as the other four franchised players, who were not under contract heading into today. Although today was the last day Gostkowski could sign a multiyear contract, there was no question that he’d report to the club later this month and participate in training camp, with or without a long-term contract.
Gostkowski’s one-year salary on the franchise tag had been $4.59MM, so his new deal reduces his annual salary slightly – to $4.3MM – in exchange for some longer-term security. Gostkowski’s extension also figures to include at least a modest signing bonus, which should allow the Pats to reduce his cap hit for 2015.
Latest On Tom Brady, Greg Hardy Suspensions
As Roger Goodell continues to weigh whether or not to uphold Tom Brady‘s four-game suspension, NFLPA sources tell Ryan Smith of ABC News (Twitter link) that the union intends to challenge Goodell’s decision in federal court, even if Brady’s ban is reduced to one or two games.
That’s not a huge surprise, as Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets, pointing out that it has been the NFLPA’s plan all along to challenge the appeal decision in court. However, the final decision will be up to Brady himself. Breer also observes (via Twitter) that it wouldn’t make sense for the union not to plan on filing a lawsuit — it may not affect Goodell’s ruling, but the threat of legal action will make him consider every aspect of the decision more carefully.
Meanwhile, though we’re still waiting on an appeal ruling in Brady’s case, we got word last week that Greg Hardy‘s ban has been reduced from 10 games to just four games. That doesn’t necessarily mean the saga is over though — agent Drew Rosenhaus indicated at the time that he’d consult with Hardy, the NFLPA, and his lawyers before deciding whether or not to pursue legal action.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, that decision is coming “any time now.” Time will be of the essence if Hardy’s camp pursues litigation, since the regular season is less than two months away, so the goal is to make a call one way or the other by the end of the week.
AFC Rumors: Brady, Herron, Marks, Chargers
Let’s look at some of the news coming out of AFC cities as we remain in the NFL’s mid-summer lull.
- The optics of Tom Brady‘s Deflategate suspension remaining at four games won’t look good for the league if a player convicted by a judge in a non-jury trial in a domestic violence matter receives the same suspension as one connected to potentially doctoring footballs, writes Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe. Young notes Roger Goodell could reduce the Patriots quarterback’s suspension to just one game should the public relations-conscious commissioner see how “ridiculous” it looks to have these two offenses treated equally.
- Sen’Derrick Marks could wind up on the physically unable to perform list after tearing his ACL in Week 17 of last year, notes Kevin Patra of NFL.com. The Jaguars‘ top interior defensive lineman stopped short of predicting an Adrian Peterson-like return to the field for Week 1 but believes he’ll be “pretty ready” for the Jags’ opener.
- Eric Weddle should have plenty of motivation in what becomes an audition for what could be his last NFL contract, notes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Williams notes the Chargers should still receive excellent safety play from Weddle despite his dissatisfaction with the organization, while the Pro Bowl talent will also be backed by “one of the better cornerback tandems in the league” in Brandon Flowers and Jason Verrett.
- Dan Herron will enter the season as Frank Gore‘s definitive backup, writes Kevin Bowen of Colts.com, but opines that with Gore in the fold the Colts‘ alternating-possessions approach to backfield time might not apply anymore. They used this plenty last season, with the still-ineffective Trent Richardson being spelled by a spry Ahmad Bradshaw. But with Gore entering his age-32 season and Herron averaging 4.5 yards per tote (albeit in just 78 carries), the second-year runner should see his share of work to keep the five-time Pro Bowler fresh. Gore’s kept his average above four yards per carry in each of his 10 seasons, but that’s partially because the 49ers did a solid job spelling him. Gore hasn’t carried the ball more than 285 times in a season since 2006.
Offseason In Review: New England Patriots
The Patriots made headlines all winter and spring long thanks to the DeflateGate scandal. Their actual football moves, however, didn’t garner as much ink. It remains to be seen how the Pats will actually fare in 2015, but right now this offseason appears to be more about what they lost than what they gained.
Notable signings:
- Devin McCourty, S: Five years, $47.5MM. $22MM guaranteed.
- Jabaal Sheard, LB/DE: Two years, $11MM. $5MM guaranteed.
- Stephen Gostkowski, K: One year, $4.59MM. Fully guaranteed. Accepted franchise tag.
- Patrick Chung, S: Three years, $7.2MM. $3.4MM guaranteed.
- Scott Chandler, TE: Two years, $5.3MM. $2MM guaranteed.
- Bradley Fletcher, CB: One year, $2.5MM. $550K guaranteed.
- Brandon Bolden, RB: Two years, $2.32MM. $300K guaranteed.
- Robert McClain, CB: One year, $1.24MM. $300K guaranteed.
- Jonathan Freeny, LB: One year, $1MM. $150K guaranteed.
- Travaris Cadet, RB: Two years, $1.715MM. $65K guaranteed.
- Chris White, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $50K guaranteed.
- Brandon Gibson, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit. $40K guaranteed.
- Dane Fletcher, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $20K guaranteed.
- Matt Flynn, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $20K guaranteed.
- Derek Cox, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Dekoda Watson, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
The Patriots were always said to be in the driver’s seat when it came to safety Devin McCourty and they struck agreement with the Pro Bowler days before the opening of free agency. The new pact is worth $47.5MM over five years and McCourty reportedy turned down more lucrative offers to stay in New England. It also doesn’t hurt that the deal includes $28.5MM in guaranteed cash for the Rutgers product. The Jaguars, Eagles, and Giants all made hard pushes to sign the play making free safety, but it sounds like McCourty didn’t have much interest in signing elsewhere.
Jabaal Sheard saw his sack count decrease in each of his NFL seasons, from 8.5 in 2011 to just 2.0 in 2014. The Browns also took him out of the starting lineup this past season, reducing his snap count to 690. However, Sheard played very well in the new role — out of all the league’s 3-4 outside linebackers, only Terrell Suggs had a better grade against the run, per PFF. If the Patriots can keep him off the field in passing situations, Sheard can do some serious damage for them either as a linebacker or a defensive end.
Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski signed his one-year franchise contract tender in early March, giving him a salary of $4.6MM for the upcoming season. The 31-year-old has led the NFL in field goals in each of the last two seasons, making 73 of his 78 total attempts during that stretch, for a 93.6% mark. Gostkowski has also made all 95 of his extra point tries over the last two years. That success prompted the Pats to designate him as their franchise player, rather than using the tag on McCourty.
In January, the Pats signed safety Patrick Chung to a three-year extension worth up to $8.2MM, with $3.4MM guaranteed. The advanced statistics suggest that Chung was one of the best safeties in the league in 2014, as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the 12th-best at his position. Chung will now be sticking with the organization that selected him in the second round of the 2009 draft. Chung signed a one-year deal with the Eagles two years ago, but a mediocre 2013 season prompted his release.
Shortly after extending Chung, the Pats reached agreement on a new pact with cornerback Brandon Bolden. Bolden was set to hit restricted free agency this offseason, but the 24-year-old is now signed to be a part of the Pats’ backfield through 2016. Bolden joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2012, and the former Mississippi standout quickly made a name for himself. In only his third career game, the running back rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown against the Bills. Since then, he hasn’t produced much on the ground, and he only compiled 28 carries for 98 yards and a score in 2014.
Tight end Scott Chandler was released by the Bills in March but quickly found a new home in the AFC East. The 6’7″ athlete hauled in 47 catches for 497 yards and three touchdowns in 2014. Chandler was something of a late bloomer in the league, as he did not see any time on an NFL field between his debut in 2007 with the Chargers and his return in 2010 with the Bills. In Buffalo, he asserted himself as a real NFL talent and not just a taxi squad filler.
Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Bradley Fletcher as the 92nd best cornerback last season out of 108 qualified players at the position. He was much better in 2013, however, having been ranked 44th out of 110 players at the position. The Pats are hoping that they can get Fletcher to revert to his old form and they weren’t the only team with that idea in mind. The veteran also drew interest from the Vikings before the official start of free agency.
After losing Shane Vereen, the Patriots signed former Saints back Travaris Cadet to fill a similar role. Cadet, 26, saw his first significant action for the Saints in 2014, hauling in 38 passes on 51 targets, totaling 296 yards and a touchdown on those receptions. Although he was listed as a running back and generally lined up in the backfield, the Appalachian State product only had 10 carries for 32 yards.
Notable losses:
- Danny Aiken, LS
- Kyle Arrington, CB: Released
- Akeem Ayers, LB
- Brandon Browner, CB
- Michael Buchanan, DE: Waived
- Jonathan Casillas, LB
- Dan Connolly, G
- Alfonzo Dennard, CB: Waived
- Darrelle Revis, CB: Declined option
- Stevan Ridley, RB
- Shane Vereen, RB
- Vince Wilfork, DT: Declined option
- Tim Wright, TE: Waived
The Patriots decided not to pick up the 2015 option on star cornerback Darrelle Revis, not because they didn’t want him, but because the $25MM cap hit would have been too much to bear. Now, the Pats will have to deal with seeing him multiple times each season now that he’s back with the Jets, but they’re probably not envious of the price Gang Green paid to get him. The 29-year-old appeared in all 19 of the Patriots’ games in 2014 (playoffs included) and ranked as the fourth-best cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus’ grading system (subscription required). He also earned his sixth Pro Bowl nod and fourth First-Team All-Pro selection.
Revis’ secondary partner Brandon Browner was also shown the door. The veteran corner, who turns 31 in August, appeared in nine regular season games for New England in his suspension-shortened season. He recorded 32 total tackles, seven pass deflections, and one interception during that time. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) wasn’t wowed by Browner’s performance in 2014, ranking him No. 79 out of 108 qualified cornerbacks.
In May, the Pats decided that they might as well get rid of all of their top CBs when they released Kyle Arrington. Arrington had two years left on his deal at non-guaranteed salaries of $3MM in 2015 and $3.5MM in 2016 and while a reunion at a reduced rate was thought to be possible, he wound up signing with the Ravens.
Two notable running backs – Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley – made their exit from New England this offseason. Vereen joined up with the Giants on a deal with an AAV of ~$4MM. The 26-year-old ran for 391 yards off of 96 carries in 2014, good for an average of 4.1 yards per attempt. He was also heavily involved in the Pats’ passing game for the second year in a row, recording 52 catches for 447 yards. Pro Football Focus (sub. req’d) placed him as the 28th best tailback out of 57 qualified players last season with a slightly below average grade of -1.0. Ridley, meanwhile, has joined the rival Jets. Ridley was once one of the brightest young running backs in the league, but he couldn’t hang on to the ball in 2013 and his season was cut short by injury in 2014.
The Pats elected not to exercise their option on Vince Wilfork in early March, making him a free agent. The veteran spent all 11 years of his career with the Patriots, playing 158 regular season games for the club, and starting 148 of those. An anchor in the middle of the defensive line in New England for the last decade, Wilfork looked like he may be leaving the team a year ago, before the two sides worked out a new deal to keep him around for the club’s Super Bowl 2014 season. This time, he’s gone for real.
Tim Wright, who came to the Patriots last year as a part of the Logan Mankins deal with the Buccaneers, was released in June. The move was somewhat surprising, but the Pats likely felt that Wright’s role on the team can be filled by offseason pickup Scott Chandler.
Extensions and restructures:
- Jerod Mayo, LB: Restructured contract. Three years, $22MM. $4.5MM guaranteed.
- Danny Amendola, WR: Restructured contract. Three years, $12.75MM. $500K guaranteed.
Jerod Mayo’s previous contract with the Pats called for a $6.25MM base salary in 2015, and cap numbers averaging about $10MM for the next three years, through 2017. Now, the new pact is a one-year contract that includes $4.5MM in guaranteed money. That amount is equivalent to the injury guarantee New England would have owed the 29-year-old if the club had cut him before he was deemed healthy.
Danny Amendola‘s new deal is a bit more reasonable for the Pats given his production and overall health. Last year, Amendola caught 27 passes for 200 yards with one touchdown. The advanced stats at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave Amendola an overall grade of -7.0, ranking him 93rd out of 110 qualified wide receivers.
Trades:
- Acquired a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 111; G Tre Jackson), a fifth-round pick (No. 147), and a sixth-round pick (No. 202; TE A.J. Derby) from the Browns in exchange for a 2015 third-round pick (No. 96; DT Xavier Cooper) and a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 219; ILB Hayes Pullard).
- Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 166; LS Joe Cardona) and a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 247; CB Darryl Roberts) from the Packers in exchange for a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 147; QB Brett Hundley).
Draft picks:
- 1-32: Malcom Brown, DT (Texas): Signed
- 2-64: Jordan Richards, DB (Stanford): Signed
- 3-97: Geneo Grissom, DE (Oklahoma): Signed
- 4-101: Trey Flowers, DE (Arkansas): Signed
- 4-111: Tre’ Jackson, G (Florida State): Signed
- 4-131: Shaq Mason, OL (Georgia Tech): Signed
- 5-166: Joe Cardona, LS (Navy): Signed
- 6-178: Matthew Wells, OLB (Mississippi State): Signed
- 6-202: A.J. Derby, TE (Arkansas): Signed
- 7-247: Darryl Roberts, CB (Marshall): Signed
- 7-253: Xzavier Dickson, DE (Alabama): Signed
With their first-round pick, the Pats plucked Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown, ostensibly as a replacement for Vince Wilfork. Brown broke out in 2014 with 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss and he became the first defensive tackle to lead Texas in both categories in 30 years. If Brown can attract double teams the way that Wilfork did, the Pats might not miss the veteran all that much in 2015.
Other:
- Penalized for role in DeflateGate controversy. QB Tom Brady suspended four games; he is appealing the decision. Franchise stripped of its 2016 first-round pick, its 2017 fourth-round pick, and fined $1MM.
- Exercised 2016 fifth-year option for DE Chandler Jones ($7.799MM).
- Exercised 2016 fifth-year option for LB Dont’a Hightower ($7.751MM).
- Learned RB LeGarrette Blount would be suspended for the first game of the 2015 season.
- Signed LB Brandon Spikes to a one-year, $1.3MM contract ($25K guaranteed); Spikes was then released after a legal incident.
- Signed CB Chimdi Chekwa to a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract ($50K guaranteed); Chekwa was cut one week later.
- Signed nine players to reserve/futures contracts.
- Signed seven undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.
Brady is still awaiting word on his appeal but as we learned Thursday, we could be getting closer to a ruling.
Top 10 cap hits for 2015:
- Tom Brady, QB: $14,000,000
- Rob Gronkowski, TE: $8,650,000
- Nate Solder, LT: $7,438,000
- Sebastian Vollmer, RT: $7,020,833
- Jerod Mayo, LB: $6,100,000
- Devin McCourty, S: $6,000,000
- Darrelle Revis, CB: $5,000,000 (dead money)
- Rob Ninkovich, DE: $4,750,000
- Julian Edelman, WR: $4,656,250
- Stephen Gostkowski, K: $4,590,000
The Patriots had enough question marks this offseason with so many familiar faces out of the picture. Now, the prospect of being without Brady for the first month of the season looms over them. You can never count the Patriots out, but the AFC East now seems more wide open than ever.
Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.
Community Tailgate: 7/9/15
We’re still more than two months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
Today, we’ll be gauging your gut feeling on the Tom Brady appeal. The appeal hearing for Brady’s four-game suspension took place more than two weeks ago and, finally, it sounds like we’re on the verge of a ruling. Commissioner Roger Goodell, who also acted as the arbitrator in Tom Brady‘s appeal hearing last month, said today that he expects to announce a decision on the case soon, perhaps as early as next week.
Even weeks later, the NFL’s decision to suspend the Patriots QB for four games comes as something of a shock, not necessarily because he didn’t deserve it, but because he has become the NFL’s foremost star. Now that the league office has had some additional time to cool off, it’s conceivable that Goodell will be a little bit more lax this time around. There is also precedent for the lowering of suspensions following major scandals. Saints defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove was one example – he was suspended eight games for his obstruction in Bountygate, but he later had that penalty reduced to two games. Then again – despite the league’s claims that Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent was the one who handed down the penalty – Goodell unquestionably had a major role in the suspension. Would he be willing to essentially admit to a wrong judgement in the DeflateGate scandal?
In a May poll, more than 62% of you said that Brady would get his suspension slashed from four games to something less harsh. Now that we’re (potentially) days away from a verdict, where do you stand? Will Brady have his suspension reduced, or will he serve the full four games? Let us know in the comment section below!