NFL Likely To Suspend Josh Brown
The NFL is still investigating former Giants Josh Brown for domestic assault and are expected to hand him a “lengthy suspension,” according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
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Despite being released by the Giants last week, Brown will still earn the remainder of his 2016 salary, per La Canfora, who reports that Brown is eligible for termination pay. Vested veterans are able to collect termination pay once during their careers, and the mechanism allows the player to collect his full base salary if he was on the Week 1 roster. Brown hasn’t filed for termination pay in the past, so he’s now exercising the right. If New York attempts to withhold his paycheck, the NFLPA will file a grievance on behalf of Brown, says La Canfora.
Brown, 37, is unlikely to play in the NFL ever again, according to La Canfora, who adds that several general managers say “they could not foresee a scenario in which [Brown] kicked again.”
Seahawks, Cards, Broncos Eyeing OL Upgrades
The Seahawks, Cardinals, and Broncos are among the teams internally considering an offensive line acquisition, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, and those clubs are having conversations regarding what they would sacrifice in a trade. The Giants are also interested in making an offensive line deal, per La Canfora, confirming a report earlier today that indicated New York is evaluating the Browns’ Joe Thomas.
[RELATED: Trade Deadline To Be Active?]
Thomas is of interest to Seattle, Arizona, and Denver, as well, but so is 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley, who is thought to be on the trade block. However, both Cleveland and San Francisco have placed high price tags on their respective tackles, and it’s unlikely that any of the interested clubs will be able to meet the cost, reports La Canfora. Both the Browns and 49ers have downplayed the idea that they’re looking to sell at the deadline, but that could be part of a strategy to drive up the price of their assets.
The Seahawks, of course, have fielded one of the more porous offensive lines for several years, and haven’t seemed interested in making a serious investment along their front five. The offensive line issues have become even more obvious with quarterback Russell Wilson playing through injuries, meaning he can’t move about the pocket with his usual prowess. Seattle also ranks 28th in adjusted line yards, Football Outsiders‘ run-blocking metric, and is now starting George Fant — a rookie undrafted free agent who hasn’t made a start since Pee Wee football — at left tackle.
The Cardinals’ offensive line troubles, meanwhile, have been on the interior, where the club has lost guard Evan Mathis for the season and center A.Q. Shipley hasn’t played well. But an acquisition of Thomas or Staley would clearly offer an upgrade, and would allow Arizona to move former first-round pick D.J. Humphries back to the bench. In such a scenario, either current left tackle Jared Veldheer or the Cards’ presumed addition would shift to the right side.
Like Arizona, most of Denver’s line problems have come on the inside, meaning the Broncos would need to shuffle their line in the event of a tackle trade. If Denver picked up Thomas or Staley, incumbent left tackle Russell Okung would probably move to the right side, allowing Donald Stephenson to switch from right tackle to guard.
Giants Express Interest In Joe Thomas
The Giants have expressed interest in acquiring Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. However, Cleveland does not seem intent on trading Thomas, and New York would need to offer a substantial package in order to pique the Browns’ interest.
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Thomas would certainly be an upgrade to a Giants’ offensive line that has been a mixed bag so far this season. Though New York ranks third in Football Outsiders‘ adjusted sack rate, it places just 27th in adjusted line yards, FO’s run-blocking metric. 2015 first-round pick Ereck Flowers has been adequate at left tackle, but a Thomas acquisition would allow Big Blue to move Flowers to the right side, where Bobby Hart has been overmathed through five starts.
The 31-year-old Thomas is in the midst of another excellent season, as he’s started all eight games and graded as the league’s No. 8 offensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. Thomas, a nine-time Pro Bowler, has never missed a contest during his 10-year NFL career, and is actually quite affordable from a cap perspective. Given that the Browns would absorb his remaining signing bonus money, Thomas would only count for $9MM in each of the next two years.
Thomas, a lifelong member of the Browns, has never been to the postseason. Still, he does not want to be traded. First-year coach Hue Jackson addressed reporters earlier this week and said that Thomas would not be dealt between now and the deadline. Despite that, rival GMs believe that top exec Sashi Brown could pull the trigger on a deal, especially since the team is going nowhere in 2016.
Nick Saban Expressed Interest In Giants Head Coaching Gig?
Take this one for what it’s worth. Actor Tom Arnold (yup, that’s not a typo) recently told ESPN’s Paul Finebaum that Alabama coach Nick Saban expressed interest in the Giants head coach opening this past offseason. According to Arnold, the team had already finalized a deal with eventual head coach Ben McAdoo when Saban threw his name into the ring.
“They got his deal done with [Ben McAdoo] and they are ready to sign him, and they get a call from Bob Ehrman [an intermediary] who says Nick Saban wants the job,” Arnold said (via Hannah Withiam of the New York Post). “So they had to stop. This is a Saturday night. They said, ‘You have until Sunday morning at 8 a.m. to say a definite yes. Tell us what he needs for money.’ ‘Well, he needs $10 million to start with and this is the deal. He has to get it approved by his wife right.’ Well, he has to get it approved by his wife right this second because we have a coach on the string here. But if he wants to do it, it has to be right this second. So he had until Sunday morning at 8 a.m. and it didn’t work out. But it was close.”
We wouldn’t consider Arnold a legitimate source for NFL rumors, although the comedian is good friends with Giants owner Steve Tisch. When asked if there was any legitimacy to the reports, a team spokesman responded “no.” Of course, at this point, you wouldn’t necessarily expect the organization to acknowledge that they nearly backed out of their deal with McAdoo in order to sign the Alabama coach. James Kratch of NJ Advance Media questions Arnold’s timeline (via Twitter), although he acknowledges that “the details seem rather legit.”
Saban, 64, didn’t have much success during his first stint in the NFL, leading the Dolphins to a 15-17 record in two seasons with the team. Since that time, Saban has led Alabama to four National Championships, and he also earned the AP National Coach of the Year award in 2008. As Withiam writes, Saban’s “extraordinary success at the college level has earned him respect from professional organizations.” Therefore, it’s not farfetched that the team would have at least considered hiring the coach.
McAdoo has done an admirable job during his first season as head coach of the Giants, leading the team to a 4-3 record. The former Giants offensive coordinator replaced long-time Giants coach Tom Coughlin this past offseason.
Giants Release Josh Brown
The Giants announced that they have released kicker Josh Brown. The Giants have issued the following statement from team president John Mara: 
We believed we did the right thing at every juncture in our relationship with Josh. Our beliefs, our judgments and our decisions were misguided. We accept that responsibility. We hope that Josh will continue to dedicate himself to rehabilitation, and to becoming a better person and father. We will continue to support him in his efforts to continue counseling, and we hope that Josh and his family can find peace and a positive resolution. We have great respect and feel strongly about our support for the good people who work tirelessly and unconditionally to aid the victims of domestic violence and who bring awareness to the issue. We have been partners with My Sisters’ Place (a domestic violence shelter and advocate based in Westchester, New York) for nearly 20 years. The leadership of that organization has provided invaluable insight as we have considered our decisions in this matter. We value and respect their opinion, and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.
The Giants’ decision to release Brown comes shortly after the team met with the kicker. Earlier today, Brown issued a statement in which he took some responsibility for his “abuse” of his ex-wife while denying that he ever struck her. In time, Brown will likely be cleared by the league office to play again, but at this point, it is hard to see another team ever signing him. Barring any new revelations in his favor, Brown’s career in the NFL is probably over.
Latest On Josh Brown
Josh Brown has been parked indefinitely after being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list and it’s hard to see him playing for the Giants (or any other NFL team) again. The kicker has opted against appealing his status with the league and has remained silent, until releasing a statement to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter today: 
“I am sorry that my past has called into question the character or integrity of The New York Giants, Mr. Mara or any of those who have supported me along the way,” Brown wrote (via Schefter on Facebook). “I have taken measures to get help so that I may be the voice of change, not a statistic. It is important to share that I never struck my wife, and never would. Abuse takes many forms, and is not a gray area. Through the past several years I have worked to identify and rectify my own behaviors. The road to rehabilitation is a journey and a constant modification of a way of life. My journey will continue forever as a person determined to leave a positive legacy and I embrace the opportunities to show and speak about what has helped me to be that man. In the interim, I am cooperating with the Giants and the NFL. Thank you to everyone that has supported me, I will not let you down.”
Brown’s assertion that he never struck his wife will be a key point of contention when he eventually meets with team and league officials. As a part of his counseling program, Brown wrote: “I have physically, verbally, and emotionally abused my wife.” Brown is expected to meet with the Giants today, according to ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini (on Twitter).
Josh Brown Unlikely To Appeal
Last week, Giants kicker Josh Brown was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, which effectively sidelines him with pay while the investigation into his conduct continues. Brown could theoretically appeal that decision, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that he is unlikely to do so. 
While on the list, Brown will still collect his ~$1.15MM base salary. At some point, Brown will probably be cleared to play football again, but it’s hard to imagine him landing another NFL job given the public relations firestorm surrounding him. The Giants, meanwhile, have moved on after signing veteran kicker Robbie Gould.
The NFL has been criticized for only giving Brown a one-game suspension at the start of the season but a recent report indicated that the union was pressured the league office into rendering a decision in September rather than allowing the matter to drag on. Had the league waited, they could have given Brown a more appropriate punishment and avoided a PR nightmare.
49ers Make Joe Staley Available For Trade
The 49ers have made left tackle Joe Staley available via trade, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. San Francisco wants a first-round pick in order to part with the five-time Pro Bowler.
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While there are a number of teams that could have interest in a left tackle like Staley, it remains to be seen whether any of those clubs are willing to meet SF’s asking price. Florio writes that Staley has been “tied” to the Vikings, Giants, Cardinals, Seahawks, and Patriots. A Pats deal would only be feasible if the Niners are willing to lower the price tag, however.
Word of Staley being on the trade block comes after news that several teams are showing interest in Browns left tackle Joe Thomas. In terms of interested clubs, there’s predictably a big overlap on that Venn diagram. However, the Browns are reportedly seeking a second-round pick for Thomas and that could hurt the Staley market.
Staley, 32, is signed through the 2019 season. This season, he has a $5.4MM base salary but that climbs to $8.25MM in 2017. In the final two years of the deal, Staley’s base drops back down to $4.8MM in each season.
So far this season, Pro Football Focus has Staley rated as the 14th best tackle in the league with an overall grade of 81.8. Staley’s pass blocking grade is rather pedestrian, but his run blocking score of 84.6 is the third-best in the NFL, putting him ahead of notables like the Broncos’ Russell Okung and suspended Eagles tackle Lane Johnson.
NFL, NFLPA At Odds Over Josh Brown Case
The latest coming out of the Josh Brown saga features a dispute between the NFL and NFLPA regarding the handling of this case. The NFL is under fire for its one-game suspension of the Giants kicker, but a source informs Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk the league received pressure from the NFLPA on this matter.
- Brown’s placement on the exempt list is expected to clear a path for Robbie Gould to become the Giants’ full-time kicker, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Gould likely does not sign with the Giants if he wasn’t going to have the opportunity to win the job and have a chance to finish the season with the team, per Rapoport. The longtime Bears kicker worked out for the Browns earlier this season in what would have been for a shorter-term fix, but this unfortunate circumstance opened the door for another regular gig.
Joe Thomas Trade Again On Table
Joe Thomas has not made it known he wants out of Cleveland, but as the 0-7 Browns have predictably floundered in another rebuilding year, the left tackle doesn’t seem to have a place on the team. And trade winds are blowing again around the perennial first-team All-Pro.
Several teams are interested in the 10th-year edge protector, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, and all would give Thomas a chance to play in the playoffs for the first time in his career.
Florio reports the Patriots, Cardinals, Giants, Seahawks and Vikings have varying degrees of interest in a potential Thomas deal. But the Browns likely will keep him through Week 8, with the deadline a day after their clash with the Jets. The team owes its longest-tenured player $488K in Week 8; Thomas is under contract through 2018.
The Browns are eyeing a second-round pick for the six-time All-Pro lineman, a source tells Florio. That would be a worse haul than what they could have received last year, when the Broncos submitted a proposal including 2015 first-rounder Shane Ray and a second-round pick. Thomas will turn 32 in December, so his days of being a top-tier blocker are winding down. But he’d certainly be an upgrade on numerous teams’ left tackle situations.
Florio adds the chances the Browns move Thomas are lower than they were a year ago, and teams’ cap space in taking on Thomas’ contract will be an issue. The 6-foot-6 blocker does not have any guaranteed money left on his deal and will make $10MM in 2017 and ’18. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap points out (Twitter link), teams would only need to possess around $4.9MM in 2016 cap space to trade for Thomas. The Giants and Patriots are safely under that mark, while the Seahawks (at $5.931MM) are to a lesser degree. Both the Vikings (league-low $426K in cap space) and Cardinals ($2.171MM) aren’t.
If the Browns get to the point they’re willing to take what they can get for Thomas, Florio notes the Patriots would be interested in being his landing spot. The Pats and Browns already made a deal that sent the Browns’ 2013 first-round pick, Barkevious Mingo, to New England earlier this year. New England placed Sebastian Vollmer on the PUP list due to nagging hip problems that are expected to keep him out all season.
Minnesota’s line has not performed well and placed both starting tackles, Matt Kalil and Andre Smith, on IR. However, the Vikings traded their first-round pick next year for Sam Bradford and recently added Jake Long. Mike Zimmer, in criticizing his offensive line, said (via Florio) the team doesn’t plan to make any more additions up front.
It’s been reported on multiple occasions Thomas will not ask for a trade. But with the Browns having already parted with several veterans, not playing for anything in the short term and showing with their most recent draft moves how much they covet draft picks, a deal would make sense either this season or before the 2017 draft.