East Notes: Welker, Eagles, Boykin, JPP
As Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets, free agent wideout Wes Welker told Toucher and Rich of 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston that he wants to continue his playing career, and wouldn’t be opposed to rejoining the Patriots.
Examining potential fits for Welker, Field Yates of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) agrees that perhaps New England could be a match, though he gets the sense that it’s unlikely to happen. Yates also identifies the Ravens and Texans as potential landing spots for the veteran receiver.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two East divisions….
- Two Eagles players who were the subject of trade rumors in Philadelphia this offseason addressed those rumors recently. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the quotes from defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, while Mark Eckel of NJ.com passes along linebacker Mychal Kendricks‘ thoughts on the matter. Kendricks said he expects to still be on Philadelphia’s roster by the time the season gets underway, but admitted there haven’t been any extension talks with the team.
- Eagles cornerback Brandon Boykin is expecting to continue to play in the slot this season rather than getting a chance to start on the outside, and says that story is “getting real old,” writes McLane in a separate Inquirer piece. As Zach Berman of the Inquirer tweets, Boykin says if he plays well in his contract year, he expects he’ll get the chance to play a bigger role when free agency hits.
- Cameron Jordan and Jason Pierre-Paul aren’t entirely comparable, but Jordan’s new five-year, $55MM contract (worth up to $60MM) could have an impact on JPP’s negotiations with the Giants, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
Goodell Won’t Recuse Himself From Brady Appeal
JUNE 2, 1:33pm: Goodell has now made it official, informing the NFLPA that he’ll hear Brady’s appeal, and won’t recuse himself, per Garafolo (Twitter links). The commissioner insists that his “mind is open” on the case, and he hasn’t pre-judged Brady.
MAY 22, 4:01pm: Despite several other writers confirming La Canfora’s report, NFLPA spokesman Greg Aiello says no final decision has been made on the union’s request for Goodell to recuse himself, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. La Canfora tweets that while technically Goodell himself didn’t reject the NFLPA’s request, NFL lawyers filed papers saying their position is that the commissioner will hear Brady’s appeal.
3:15pm: The NFL has denied the NFL Players Association’s request for commissioner Roger Goodell to recuse himself from the union’s appeal of Tom Brady‘s four-game suspension, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
Following the NFLPA’s announcements that it had officially filed an appeal on behalf of Brady, Goodell appointed himself as the arbitrator in the case. The union felt this was a conflict of interest, particularly since the NFLPA’s counsel intended to call the commissioner as a witness during the appeal process. However, it never appeared likely that Goodell would assent to the union’s request to remove himself from the process, since the league’s CBA allows him to serve as the arbitrator.
As La Canfora observes (via Twitter), Goodell staying on as arbitrator in Brady’s appeal makes it more likely that the case will eventually go to court, unless of course the commissioner overturns the suspension. Goodell strongly hinted at the conclusion of this week’s owner’s meetings in San Francisco that the only thing that would make him reconsider the four-game ban handed down by Troy Vincent would be if Brady brings forth new information on the case — in other words, if he surrenders his emails and text messages.
No date has been set yet for Brady’s appeal hearing.
East Notes: Carr, RGIII, Cannon
In a series of several tweets, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram checks in on the Brandon Carr situation in Dallas, writing that the Cowboys haven’t approached the cornerback’s agent recently about a possible pay cut. The team did so earlier in the offseason, but was rebuffed, and now it seems as if Carr may head into the 2015 season with his contract unchanged. According to Hill, nothing is set in stone yet, but Carr has talked to the media about the issue more than he’s talked to the team about it.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Speaking at the team’s charity golf tournament on Monday, Washington president Bruce Allen touched on a handful of topics, calling the decision to pick up Robert Griffin III‘s fifth-year option a “no-brainer,” according to Liz Clarke of the Washington Post. Allen also said that DeSean Jackson‘s absence from the club’s OTAs isn’t a concern (link via Scott Allen of the Washington Post), and suggested that Washington is still keeping an eye on players to acquire (link via ESPN.com’s John Keim).
- According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Marcus Cannon‘s contract with the Patriots includes a $35K weight bonus — to earn that bonus, the offensive lineman must be under 345 pounds today.
- A first-round pick in 2012, wide receiver A.J. Jenkins has been traded by the 49ers and cut by the Chiefs, and now hopes his third team is the charm. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com writes that Jenkins is grateful for the opportunity he’s getting from the Cowboys, who signed him last week.
Albert Breer On Tom Brady, Deflategate
The DeflateGate rumor mill hasn’t brought much additional information over the last couple of days, but we should know more when Tom Brady will have his day in court, and his appeal hearing has been set for June 23rd.
We shouldn’t expect to hear from Brady until June 23rd, and his silence will be on the advice of his NFLPA lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
Kessler has been steadfast in his approach of keeping clients quiet in terms of media comments before hearings, and Breer writes that Brady will be treated the same way despite his high-profile stature in the league (via Twitter).
While Brady won’t be making any statements regarding air pressure or doctoring footballs, he will not be prohibited from talking football between now and June 23rd (via Twitter). He will no doubt be asked about Deflategate if he should appear in front of the media, but expect him to deflect those questions in favor of questions that pertain to on-the-field concerns.
AFC East Notes: Pats, Rice, Wilkerson
After checking in on the status of two embattled running backs earlier today, let’s have a look at a few links from the AFC East:
- With the mass exodus that the Patriots have experienced at cornerback this offseason, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald writes that Devin McCourty could shift from his safety position to corner, where he played reasonably well during his first several seasons in the league. But given how good of a safety he has become, such a move would not be optimal for New England.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes that Brandon LaFell, who is under contract with the Patriots for two more years and $5.3MM, changed agents recently to Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, the same agents who represent Darrelle Revis. Volin wonders if LaFell, after an excellent 2014 season, is preparing to ask for a new contract.
- In the same piece, Volin writes that the Patriots will likely enter into contract negotiations with Rob Gronkowski in the near future. Gronkowski has a $10MM option bonus due next March that would trigger another four years and $37MM total.
- We learned earlier today that the Bills might be a good landing spot for Ray Rice, but Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets that Buffalo is not interested in the former Ravens star.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that the Jets are “spitting out cash like an ATM” when it comes to imported players, citing Brandon Marshall‘s restructure as the most recent example. Cimini believes it’s now time for the team’s best homegrown talent, Muhammad Wilkerson, to get a new deal.
- In the same piece, Cimini writes that the Jets have an unusually large amount of money tied up in players 30 years old or older, and he passes along details of Leonard Williams‘ rookie contract.
AFC Notes: Dolphins, Dalton, Mack, Spikes
If the Eagles trade two-time Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis prior to the season, it likely won’t be to the Dolphins – who have been a rumored candidate to land the 34-year-old – according to Drew Rosenhaus, Mathis’ agent. “We thought we had a trade with another team leading up to the draft. It was not the Dolphins,” Rosenhaus told the Joe Rose Show, according to Marc Sessler of NFL.com. “We’ve never really gotten close on a trade with the Dolphins.”
Here’s more on some other AFC clubs:
- Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has become a much-maligned figure during his four years in Cincinnati, but Coley Harvey of ESPN.com doesn’t expect him to be in another uniform in the near future. Harvey notes that releasing Dalton doesn’t become particularly favorable for the Bengals until after 2018, when the six-year, $115MM extension he signed last year won’t have any dead money left on it. Even if Dalton struggles before then, the likelihood of the team cutting the cord is low because finding a replacement would be difficult and entering a rebuild isn’t on the horizon for Cincy.
- Browns center Alex Mack‘s contract has him in a unique situation, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. The 29-year-old has both an opt-out clause in his contract, which he can take advantage of next offseason, and one that prevents the Browns from placing either the franchise or transition tag on him. Mack is mum about his future for the time being, saying that he’ll “talk about that at the end of the season,” but it might be difficult for the Browns to retain him if they don’t turn it around on the field. Since drafting Mack in 2009, the team hasn’t sniffed the playoffs. “I think I definitely want to win games,” Mack said. “It’s very important to me.”
- Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes left the team in acrimonious fashion last offseason and then signed a one-year contract with AFC East rival Buffalo. Back in New England after inking another one-year deal earlier this month, Spikes says he and head coach Bill Belichick are ready to put past drama behind them. “I think we’re both happy that I’m here and we were able to put things aside and let bygones be bygones,” Spikes said, according to Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “We’re all moving forward. The 2015 season is right around the corner and we’re just trying, each and every day, to get better. I’m happy to be home.”
- The Ravens parted with longtime defensive staple Haloti Ngata earlier this offseason, trading him to Detroit, and it’s going to take a team effort (led by Timmy Jernigan and Brandon Williams) to replace the five-time Pro Bowl nose tackle, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. For his part, Williams is confident the Ravens won’t be adversely affected by the loss of Ngata. “It tells me I just have to step up,” said Williams. “We have to do more. I accept the challenge, willingly, to get out there and do everything I have to do to be my best player, be my best self. And that goes for everybody else on the defensive line. We don’t need anybody to be Haloti. We just need everybody to be their best selves, and we’ll be fine.”
Tom Brady’s Appeal Set For June 23
Those hoping for closure on the DeflateGate saga will have to wait at least a few more weeks. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Tom Brady‘s appeal hearing won’t be held until Tuesday, June 23, and may continue on Thursday, June 25, if more than one day is required.
The appeal, which is still expected to be arbitrated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, will give Brady and the NFL Players Association a chance to argue that the quarterback’s four-game suspension should be eliminated, or at least reduced.
Goodell has indicated that he’d be open to hearing “new information” on the case from Brady, hinting that he still wants the Patriots quarterback to hand over the emails and text messages that he didn’t surrender to Ted Wells during the DeflateGate investigation.
If Goodell decides not to reduce Brady’s suspension – and perhaps even if he does – the NFLPA is likely to file a lawsuit to take the case to court. With previous recent suspensions, such as Ray Rice‘s and Adrian Peterson‘s, a judge has overruled the NFL’s ruling.
Pats owner Robert Kraft has stated that he won’t fight the Patriots’ DeflateGate penalties, including a $1MM fine and two lost draft picks, including a first-rounder. There has been plenty of chatter suggesting that Kraft’s decision might help result in a better outcome for Brady, but reports so far have indicated that no handshake deal is in place regarding the quarterback’s appeal.
East Notes: Hardy, Scandrick, Fletcher, Jets
While we won’t find out immediately whether or not arbitrator Harold Henderson will decide to uphold Greg Hardy‘s 10-game suspension, Hardy’s camp and the NFLPA were scheduled to make their case on behalf of the Cowboys defensive end this morning. Here’s the latest on that appeal, along with a few other items from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Examining Hardy’s appeal, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lays out the specific arguments he expects Jeffrey Kessler and the union to make in Hardy’s defense. Meanwhile, former NFL executive Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com writes that he expects the suspension for the Cowboys defensive end to ultimately be reduced to six games.
- Orlando Scandrick‘s new deal with the Cowboys ensures that he’ll earn $4MM this year rather than $1.5MM, but it only increases his 2015 cap number by $100K, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com.
- Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link) has the details on Dane Fletcher‘s new one-year deal with the Patriots, reporting that the linebacker gets a $20K signing bonus and a $60K roster bonus on his minimum salary benefit contract.
- Veteran guard Willie Colon told Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com on Wednesday that he feels a greater sense of urgency in the Jets‘ locker room under Todd Bowles than he did last year under Rex Ryan. “You kind of feel like if you don’t fit the mold of what Bowles wants, it’ll be hard for you to survive,” Colon said.
East Notes: Hardy, Brady, Mathis
The appeal hearing for Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy will be conducted on Thursday morning with Harold Henderson in Washington D.C., according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Hardy was hit with a 10-game suspension earlier this offseason for his role in a domestic violence incident that took place roughly one year ago. Hardy made the Pro Bowl in 2013 after he compiled a career-high 15 sacks, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the second-best overall defensive end in the league. Here’s a look at the AFC and NFC East..
- The only thing delaying the date for Tom Brady‘s appeal is finding a date that works for both the Patriots quarterback and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Werder tweets.
- Evan Mathis was a no-show for start of Eagles OTAs, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The workouts, much like the previous programs that Mathis missed, are all voluntary. Mandatory minicamp starts on June 16th.
- The Jets promoted Matt Bazirgan to become the new pro personnel director, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Bazirgan, who has been with Jets since 2004, was an area scout for eight years before being promoted to assistant pro personnel director in 2013. Bazirgan replaces Brendan Prophett, who spent nine seasons as the head of the Jets’ pro personnel department.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the top of the list throughout the evening:
- The Colts announced a series of roster moves today, adding free agent cornerback Chance Casey and undrafted guard Will Corbin. In a corresponding transaction, the club waived-injured cornerback Joshua Mitchell, who will revert to IR if he clears waivers. Casey saw some regular season action over the last two years with the Raiders, and also spent time with the Niners.
- Undrafted rookie free agent Zach D’Orazio signed with the Patriots today, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The former Akron wideout informed Cleveland broadcaster John Telich (Twitter link) yesterday that he’d be signing with New England.
- The Browns have waived a pair of players who spent time on the team’s practice squad in 2014, according to a team release. Linebacker Keith Pough and defensive lineman Calvin Barnett were both cut, with Pough receiving an injury designation (hamstring).
- Defensive lineman Daryl Waud, who signed with Washington last week following a tryout, has been waived with a left squad designation, the club announced today (Twitter link). Waud is expected to join the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts after clearing waivers.