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NFC Notes: 49ers, RGIII, Chancellor

September 12th, 2015 at 6:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree spent the first six years of his career with the 49ers after they drafted him 10th overall in 2009. His time in San Francisco was somewhat underwhelming, given his production at Texas Tech and draft status, as he eclipsed the 1,000-yard plateau just once and never racked up double-digit touchdowns in a season. Crabtree stayed in the Bay Area and signed with Oakland during the offseason, but he told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle that the 49ers wanted him back. The feeling wasn’t mutual.

“A lot of people don’t know that the Niners offered me a contract, I just didn’t take it,” the 27-year-old said. “I wanted a fresh start. It was more money too — the Niners offered me more money than anybody did — but business is business and I wanted to come to a team that really wanted and needed me.”

Crabtree then took a shot at 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, saying, “I needed a quarterback that can deliver the ball, and that was hungry like I was.”

More from the NFC:

  • Robert Griffin III‘s abrupt fall from grace continues. The former second overall pick and 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year will enter the season as Washington‘s third-string quarterback, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He’s behind Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy on the depth chart.
  • The NFL and the NFL Players Association could be in the early stages of a spat centering on Saints running back Khiry Robinson, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Saints fined Robinson for a training camp altercation with an intern and then reported it to the league, which is proper protocol. The league then violated protocol by interviewing Robinson about the incident without a union rep present. The NFLPA is now investigating.
  • Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor has taken quite a financial hit so far during his holdout, per Florio. Chancellor will lose his game check ($267,941.17) for not playing in Sunday’s opener, bringing his money lost total to $1.87MM. That amount will continue adding up as long as he stays away from the team.
  • With Devin Hester out for the Falcons’ Monday opener because of injury, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution expects Eric Weems to handle the team’s return duties (Twitter link).

Owners To Discuss Changing Goodell’s Role in Disciplinary Process

September 4th, 2015 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Following the NFL’s latest defeat in court, the NFL’s team owners intend to discuss the possibility of changing commissioner Roger Goodell’s role in the player disciplinary process, several sources tell Mark Maske of the Washington Post.

According to Maske, there’s no guarantee that Goodell’s role will be altered as a result of these discussions, but it’s the first sign that Judge Richard Berman’s ruling on the DeflateGate case could have an impact beyond just getting Tom Brady back on the field for the Patriots.

A person familiar with “the league’s inner workings” tells Maske that it’s too soon to know whether there are enough owners in favor of changing Goodell’s role. If there are, it could result in the league engaging the NFL Players Association about possible modifications to the disciplinary process. The players’ union would like to see a neutral arbitrator hear disciplinary appeals, replacing Goodell in the process.

A timetable for the owners’ discussions has not yet been set, but the next formal meetings are scheduled for October.

Reactions, Notes On Tom Brady Decision

September 3rd, 2015 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

After Judge Richard Berman announced today that he has vacated Tom Brady‘s four-game suspension, the NFLPA and NFL each issued statements on the matter, with the league confirming that it will extend the legal battle by appealing Berman’s ruling. Now, Patriots owner Robert Kraft has released his own statement on the decision, via the Patriots’ website.

“As I have said during this process and throughout his Patriots career, Tom Brady is a classy person of the highest integrity,” Kraft said in the statement. “He represents everything that is great about this game and this league. Yet, with absolutely no evidence of any actions of wrongdoing by Tom in the Wells report, the lawyers at the league still insisted on imposing and defending unwarranted and unprecedented discipline. Judge Richard Berman understood this and we are greatly appreciative of his thoughtful decision that was delivered today. Now, we can return our focus to the game on the field.”

While Kraft may be eager to shift the focus to the action on the field, there are plenty of reactions, opinions, and leftover tidbits on today’s news to pass along, so let’s dive in and round up the latest….

  • The NFL’s appeal of Judge Berman’s decision didn’t include a request to expedite the process, so it figures to drag on for a while, tweets Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com.
  • In a conversation with CSN’s Jill Sorensen, NFLPA director DeMaurice Smith says that the union doesn’t “make the mistake of trusting the league,” and suggests that the Patriots probably wish they had a “do-over” after accepting the NFL’s sanctions against the franchise earlier this year without an appeal.
  • While Smith may be right about the Pats, the team is highly unlikely to attempt to recoup those lost draft picks now, reports Tom Curran of CSNNE.com after speaking to someone “very high in the organization.”
  • Rachel Axon of USA Today Sports provides a brief and informative Q&A on what today’s ruling means for Brady, the Patriots, and the league, and what will happen next.
  • The NFL’s lawyers figure to take “saws and blow-torches” to the league’s personal conduct policy in the near future, says Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. Specifically, in Robinson’s view, the league must address the ramifications in future cases for obstructing justice or for having “general awareness” of a violation, since there was no precedent set before the league attempted to penalize Brady for those acts.
  • Following the league’s latest PR disaster, commissioner Roger Goodell still isn’t in danger of losing his job, but the NFL will likely make more nuanced changes and alterations to various roles and job descriptions, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora adds that several sources believe it’s only a matter of time until changes are made within the league’s front office, and the CBS scribe also wonders if the NFL’s relationship with Ted Wells has run its course.
  • The NFL’s loss in court is just the latest defeat in what has become a “pattern of losing” for the league, writes Mike Freman of Bleacher Report. According to Freeman, Berman’s decision dealt a blow to both Goodell’s legacy and the NFL’s image.
  • As Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports outlines, there may have been a silver lining for the league and for Goodell, since Judge Berman declined to rule on a number of claims made by Brady and the NFLPA. Brady’s camp claimed that Goodell was an “evidently partial” arbitrator and improperly delegated authority to executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent. Had Berman sided with Brady and the NFLPA on those issues, it would have sent a precedent for independent arbitration going forward, but the judge felt he had enough to overturn the league’s ruling based on several other factors, and didn’t commit one way or the other to those claims.

NFL Appeals Judge’s Ruling On Tom Brady

September 3rd, 2015 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

1:52pm: The NFL has officially filed its appeal, according to Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter). Brandt confirms that the league didn’t request an injunction, so there are no obstacles for Brady playing in Week 1.

11:26am: The NFL Players Association was quick to issue a statement following Judge Richard Berman’s decision to nullify Tom Brady‘s suspension, and now commissioner Roger Goodell has released a statement of his own. According to Goodell, the league – as expected – will appeal Berman’s ruling, continuing the litigation process. Here’s the full statement, via the NFL’s website:

“We are grateful to Judge Berman for hearing this matter, but respectfully disagree with today’s decision. We will appeal today’s ruling in order to uphold the collectively bargained responsibility to protect the integrity of the game. The commissioner’s responsibility to secure the competitive fairness of our game is a paramount principle, and the league and our 32 clubs will continue to pursue a path to that end. While the legal phase of this process continues, we look forward to focusing on football and the opening of the regular season.”

While the NFL will continue to fight the DeflateGate battle in court, it doesn’t appear the league will seek an injunction to prevent Brady from playing early in the season. That means that, barring Berman’s decision being overturned and the case being finalized before the end of the year, which seems unlikely, Brady will be able to play the entire season for the Patriots.

According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), there are at least some team owners who would have preferred to see the NFL stand down, rather than continuing the appeals process. Presumably, those owners don’t want the DeflateGate saga to draw attention away from the action on the field, with the regular season around the corner. According to Cole, some owners are also becoming more interested in retooling the NFL’s discipline process.

NFLPA Issues Statement On Brady Ruling

September 3rd, 2015 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Judge Richard Berman’s decision to vacate Tom Brady‘s four-game suspension, NFLPA assistant executive director of external affairs George Atallah tweeted “Players’ rights win again.” Now, the union has released a more complete statement on the matter. Via the NFLPA’s website, here’s the full statement:

“The rights of Tom Brady and of all NFL players under the collective bargaining agreement were affirmed today by a Federal Judge in a court of the NFL’s choosing. We thank Judge Berman for his time, careful consideration of the issue and fair and just result.

“This decision should prove, once and for all, that our Collective Bargaining Agreement does not grant this Commissioner the authority to be unfair, arbitrary and misleading. While the CBA grants the person who occupies the position of Commissioner the ability to judiciously and fairly exercise the designated power of that position, the union did not agree to attempts to unfairly, illegally exercise that power, contrary to what the NFL has repeatedly and wrongfully claimed.

“We are happy for the victory of the rule of law for our players and our fans. This court’s decision to overturn the NFL Commissioner again should signal to every NFL owner that collective bargaining is better than legal losses. Collective bargaining is a much better process that will lead to far better results.”

While the victory for the NFLPA is a huge one, and will allow Brady to start in Week 1 – and presumably play the entire 2015 season – it doesn’t necessarily bring the DeflateGate saga to an end. The NFL is expected to appeal Judge Berman’s decision, taking it to the Second Circuit. The league has yet to officially issue a statement of its own, however.

No Settlement For Brady; Ruling Expected Soon

August 31st, 2015 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

It may not fit the traditional definition of the term, but it’s clear that this year’s most significant “quarterback controversy” has been the one in New England. By the end of this week though, the Patriots should get some resolution and find out whether or not Tom Brady will be available to play in Week 1.

According to Manhattan Federal Court reporter Stephen Brown (via Twitter), today’s hearing in Judge Richard Berman’s courtroom concluded without a settlement between the NFL and the NFLPA. With no compromise reached, Berman expects to make a ruling on Tuesday or Wednesday, or at least by the end of the week.

Because Judge Berman can’t force the two sides to reach a settlement, and can’t determine a middle ground himself, he’ll have to either uphold or vacate Brady’s four-game suspension. Of course, regardless of which way Berman rules, the losing party will almost certainly appeal the decision, resulting in more litigation. But if Berman were to vacate the suspension, it would clear the path for Brady to start the Patriots’ regular season opener.

According to Bowen (all Twitter links), Giants owner John Mara and NFLPA rep Jay Feely both took part in negotiations today, but they went nowhere. Judge Berman acknowledged that both parties “tried quite hard” to settle, but it just didn’t happen.

Tom Brady Settlement Talks At Standstill

August 18th, 2015 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Latest On DeflateGate

August 16th, 2015 at 6:37pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While most hope the fight between the NFL and the NFL Players Association regarding Tom Brady’s DeflateGate case will conclude prior to the season, it doesn’t appear likely. Attorneys for both the league and Brady requested a verdict from US district judge Richard Berman on Brady’s lawsuit by Sept. 4, according to the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, but his decision probably won’t be the end of it.

Berman encouraged both sides to reach a settlement last week, saying, “The average life of a suit with appeal is two years, not two months. I think it’s fair to say that no one here wants to wait that long.”

Unfortunately, though, an appeal seems inevitable because neither side has shown a willingness to move from their respective stances. The league – which originally handed Brady a four-game suspension in May – wants the quarterback to sit at least one game, but Brady won’t accept anything more than a fine.

Should Berman’s decision end up in Brady’s favor, he’ll be permitted to play immediately. However, a subsequent appeal to the Second Court from the league might spell disaster for him in the future. If the Second Court rules in favor of the league, Brady could end up missing time later in the regular season or, worse, the playoffs. The chance of that happening is slim, though, as Volin notes that the appeals process moves slowly and likely wouldn’t be completed during the upcoming season.

If Berman sides with the league, on the other hand, Brady will ask Berman for a motion to stay the suspension pending appeal, per Volin. If that fails, Brady will opt for a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order from the Second Circuit. That would enable him to play until his appeal is heard.

Regardless of what ultimately happens, DeflateGate has owned headlines for months and could cast a pall over the upcoming season. Some owners across the league have grown weary of it, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote Sunday, and are hoping the two sides reach a settlement soon. Conversely, Florio reports that certain “hard-core, old-school owners” don’t want the league to budge because it would mean conceding power to the NFLPA. Bad blood between the owners and the union is a key reason DeflateGate will continue to be a dominant story.

NFLPA Issues Motion In Brady Case

August 14th, 2015 at 6:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As lawyers for both the NFL and NFLPA continued to meet in New York earlier today to discuss Tom Brady‘s appeal, the union has issued an opposition to the league’s Brady motion. The 19-page document is available here, and Sports Illustrated legal expert Michael McCann has been providing his analysis via Twitter.

The documents levies specific charges at investigator Ted Wells, noting that Wells said Brady would not punished for not disclosing his text messages. Furthermore, the filing highlights that Wells did indicate that the analysis of halftime PSI measurements was based on “uncertain” data, per McCann.

Per McCann, the new filing is “the most direct attack on [Roger] Goodell yet,” opining that because the memo is so scathing, the chances of a settlement between the two parties no appear slim. Furthermore, says McCann, the NFL appears to have lost the public relations battle, arguing that even if a judge rules in the league’s favor, one “could argue that Goodell has already lost DeflateGate.”

Indeed, in perhaps the harshest language used by either side during the entire squabble, the NFLPA’s filing calls the Wells report “a propaganda piece written for public consumption…to validate a multi-million-dollar ‘independent’ investigation.”

East Notes: Brady, Giants, G. Smith

August 13th, 2015 at 5:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Lawyers for the NFL and NFLPA are meeting today for more settlement talks regarding Tom Brady‘s situation, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Judge Richard M. Berman wants the two sides to compromise and reach a settlement, but Brady can’t concede to the NFL’s terms without committing perjury, argues Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.

As Robinson explains, the league wants the Patriots quarterback to admit guilt, but Brady testified under oath that he was innocent. So if a settlement is to be reached, the NFL will likely have to give more ground than Brady and the NFLPA to make it happen.

Here’s more on the Brady situation, along with several more notes from out of the East divisions:

  • Judge Berman has made next Wednesday’s settlement conference optional for Brady and commissioner Roger Goodell, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks the judge may be trying to discern whether Goodell and Brady view the case as sufficiently important to attend the meeting.
  • Free agent guard Evan Mathis may be on the verge of signing with an NFL team, according to a recent report, but Dan Graziano of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) says he doesn’t think it’ll be the Giants, since he doesn’t believe they’re interested.
  • Graziano (on Twitter) also doesn’t see Jason Pierre-Paul staying with the Giants beyond 2015.
  • Geno Smith and IK Enemkpali are both to blame for the unrest in the Jets‘ locker room, Kristian Dyer of Metro NY writes. Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) suggests there’s a belief that Smith lacks respect within the Jets organization and may have been on his way to losing the starting job even before his injury. The quarterback underwent surgery today and had plates and screws put in, though his jaw won’t be wired shut, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link).
  • Don’t blame Jets coach Todd Bowles for the Smith-Enemkpali smackdown and the recent Sheldon Richardson transgressions, but start judging him now, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. How Bowles handles the team’s latest road bumps will determine what type of coach he becomes for the Jets.
  • Undrafted center David Andrews out of Georgia is a top candidate among the Patriots‘ four UDFAs to land a roster spot, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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