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Extra Points: Goodell, Los Angeles, Draft

By | at November 20, 2015 12:05 pm

The NFL and NFL Players Associations are engaged in negotiations regarding commissioner Roger Goodell‘s role in player discipline, and according to NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith, the two sides are having “the right conversations,” writes Mark Maske of the Washington Post. While there’s been some speculation that resolving Goodell’s involvement in the player-discipline process might have to wait until the next CBA extension, both sides have noted that modifications could be made before that.

“There’s no need for other issues,” Smith said. “We’ve resolved drug policy as a stand-alone issue. We cut side letters to the collective bargaining agreement every year that are issues. At the end of the day, I think that this is an important issue for both sides. And I don’t think either the players or the owners really want to be talking about commissioner discipline during the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl. I don’t think that’s good for our business. I’m sure they don’t think it’s good for our business.”

Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the NFL…

  • Having long been on top of the Los Angeles relocation rumors swirling around a trio of NFL teams, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times takes a step back to evaluate where the situation stands now, using a Q&A format to address the most frequently-asked questions about the possibility of the Rams, Chargers, or Raiders moving to L.A.
  • Field Yates of ESPN.com examines a few teams that might like to have do-overs on big offseason transactions, noting that neither the Eagles nor the Rams have made out particularly well in their Sam Bradford/Nick Foles swap. Yates also identifies the Seahawks‘ acquisition of Jimmy Graham and the Cowboys‘ plan to replace DeMarco Murray as moves that haven’t worked out as planned.
  • There are at least 10 NFL teams – and probably more – that will consider drafting a quarterback in the spring of 2016, according to Mike Sando and Mel Kiper of ESPN.com, who take a look at the clubs in need of QBs, along with a few of the top college options available to them.
  • Alabama already had two defensive linemen – A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed – projected as potential first-round picks, and there are some in NFL circles that believe Jonathan Allen could make it three first-round defensive linemen for the Crimston Tide, writes Matt Zenitz of AL.com.
0 comments 2016 NFL Draft City Of Los Angeles Dallas Cowboys Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams NFL Players Association Philadelphia Eagles Seattle Seahawks

AFC West Notes: Broncos, Miller, Chargers

By | at November 19, 2015 9:16 pm

Here’s a look at the AFC West:

  • Gil Brandt of NFL.com ran down six pending free agents who should be retained by their current teams and six who should be allowed to walk away. Both Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller and Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler landed in the keeper pile. Miller, 26, is a cornerstone of the Broncos’ elite defense and he has compiled 54 sacks since going No. 2 overall in the 2011 draft. Osweiler, meanwhile, hasn’t really gotten to show his stuff, but Brandt writes that he is a solid athlete with a ton of potential.
  • Wide receiver Tyrell Williams is likely to be promoted from the Chargers‘ practice squad to the active roster by Saturday afternoon, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes. Williams is likely to get the opportunity with veteran Malcom Floyd still nursing a torn labrum. For his part, Williams is thankful for everything he has learned from Floyd. “It’s been awesome, especially on the field,” Williams said of learning behind Floyd. “I can see how to get in and out of my breaks from another guy who has long strides. I just try to copy everything that he’s been doing, whether it’s on the field or off the field. It’s been awesome.”
  • Both the Alleghany County sheriff and prosecutor believe that Raiders linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong was not acting with malice when he taunted a police dog earlier this month, as The Associated Press writes. That bodes well for Armstrong, who theoretically could have been facing third-degree felony chargers. Police alleged that Armstrong lifted his shirt, pounded his chest, and barked at a police dog before telling its handler to let it off the leash. The local D.A. will consult with authorities in California, but it doesn’t sound like much will come of those talks at this point.
3 comments Denver Broncos Las Vegas Raiders

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/19/15

By | at November 19, 2015 5:51 pm

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the league:

  • The Raiders announced that they have signed defensive end Shelby Harris to the active roster off of the practice squad. Harris, a seventh-round choice in the 2014 draft, spent most of 2014 on the Raiders’ taxi squad and he was previously active for one 2015 regular season game. Harris played in 33 games at Illinois State over three years, posting 173 tackles, 14 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and four passes defensed.
  • The Ravens removed Asa Jackson from injured reserve with an injury settlement, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
0 comments Baltimore Ravens Las Vegas Raiders Transactions

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/19/15

By | at November 19, 2015 4:54 pm

Earlier today, Washington made an attention-grabbing move when they signed ex-Cowboys running back Christine Michael to the taxi squad.

Michael, who turned 25 last Monday, was acquired by the Cowboys from the Seahawks in a trade earlier this year, and had been expected to get an increased workload after Joseph Randle was demoted and then released. However, it was the veteran, Darren McFadden, who ended up taking many of those carries, prompting Dallas to waive Michael and take a flier on Robert Turbin this week. In five games with the Cowboys, Michael ran for just 51 yards on 15 attempts, adding a single reception for two yards.

Here are the rest of Thursday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Baltimore Ravens

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Washington

  • Cut: RB Mack Brown (Twitter link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com)
3 comments Baltimore Ravens Las Vegas Raiders New England Patriots New York Giants New York Jets Transactions Washington Commanders

Latest On Aldon Smith

By | at November 18, 2015 8:02 pm

Here’s the latest on suspended Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith:

  • Smith’s suspension mandates that he cannot be around the Raiders’ facility during his suspension, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com tweets. Of course, he also can’t sign anywhere until after it ends on November 17, 2016, at the earliest.
  • Smith’s one-year suspension was the result of negotiations between the league and Smith’s representation, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. Smith agreed to accept a one-year ban in exchange for a promise that he won’t receive further discipline on his violation of the substance-abuse policy. As a previous offender, Smith could have been punished separately under the Personal Conduct Policy, which could have lengthened his suspension. Florio writes that Smith’s decision to accept a one-year suspension shows that the league had plenty of evidence showing that Smith had consumed alcohol in violation of his agreed upon treatment plan.
  • The Smith suspension shows real progress in the league’s handling of off-field issues, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report opines. Meanwhile, the Raiders felt that the suspension was inevitable. “The NFL really had no choice,” said a Raiders source, who, like other team officials, was appraised by the NFL of the suspension.
  • Without Smith, the 49ers defense hasn’t produced a threatening pass rush, Can Inman of the Mercury News notes. In four different games this season, SF has failed to produce a sack. Aaron Lynch leads the way with six sacks for the 49ers, but other than that, the Niners’ front seven hasn’t looked all that fearsome. The 49ers rank 29th in pass defense and their 16 sacks are tied for the eighth fewest in the league.
1 comment Las Vegas Raiders San Francisco 49ers

West Notes: A. Smith, Floyd, Foles

By | at November 17, 2015 8:43 pm

Earlier tonight, we learned that the NFL has suspended Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith for one calendar year, meaning that he cannot return to the gridiron until November 2016. Smith’s deal with Oakland only lasts through the end of the 2015 season, but based on the joint statements issued by the player and the team Tuesday night, it sounds like a reunion is very likely.

“Aldon has been a positive addition to the Raiders. He remains prominently in our long term plans and we will continue to support this member of our family as he gets the help that he needs,” the Raiders said in the press release.

Smith, meanwhile, said that he looks “forward to rejoining the team next year.” Here’s more out of the AFC and NFC West:

  • Malcom Floyd, 34, has said all year that the 2015 season would be his farewell tour. However, after suffering a serious shoulder injury, Chargers teammate Antonio Gates doesn’t see that as a certainty. “Now, I think there’s a little doubt in his mind because of how he went out,” Gates said, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. “I put more doubt in his mind because I want him to come back. I’m like ‘Dude, you can’t go out like this.'” Meanwhile, sources familiar with Floyd’s thinking tell Gehlken that the odds of him returning in 2016 are no longer zero.
  • The Rams‘ extension with Nick Foles calls for him to earn a guaranteed $6MM roster bonus due on the third day of the league year, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. The Rams can avoid his modest $1.75MM salary (guaranteed for injury only) by cutting him, but they cannot get out of paying that $6MM bonus. In theory, the Rams could trade Foles and rid themselves of that expense, but it seems unlikely that they’ll find a taker after Foles was benched in favor of Case Keenum.
  • Foles isn’t happy about being benched, but the Rams quarterback respects Jeff Fisher’s decision, as Florio writes. “You don’t expect [to be benched],” Foles told reporters. “It’s just one of those things that — I respect Coach Fisher to start off. Of course, I want to be out there, but it’s his decision to make, and I respect it. I love Case [Keenum] to death. He’s one of my favorite people in the world, so I’m going to be right there to support him every step of the way and help him in any way possible.”
1 comment Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams

Workout Notes: Seahawks, Colts, Bears

By | at November 17, 2015 7:20 pm

The Kendall Hunter tour continues. On Tuesday, the Seahawks tried out the running back, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Hunter, who has seen his NFL career derailed by injuries in recent years, was removed from Sam Francisco’s injured reserve list in September with a settlement, making him a free agent. Last week, he tried out for the Jaguars, but that audition did not immediately lead to a deal.

Here’s a roundup of Tuesday’s notable workouts from around the NFL:

0 comments Atlanta Falcons Chicago Bears Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders McLeod Bethel-Thompson New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Jets Philadelphia Eagles San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/17/15

By | at November 17, 2015 5:49 pm

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: DE B.J. McBryde (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
  • Cut: DT Eric Crume

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Oakland Raiders

San Diego Chargers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: DT Justin Hamilton, DB Trovon Reed (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times)

St. Louis Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

0 comments Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New York Giants Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Transactions Washington Commanders

Raiders’ Aldon Smith Suspended One Year

By | at November 17, 2015 4:13 pm

The NFL will suspend Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith one year for his role in an August incident, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Smith violated the league’s substance-abuse policy following his DUI arrest this summer and the consequences were expected to be serious. The suspension will last one calendar year, meaning that he’ll be eligible to return to football in November 2016.

So far this year, Smith has been a solid contributor and the Raiders made no secret of their desire to sign the linebacker to a contract extension. While his off-the-field issues have not reared themselves in recent weeks, Smith’s offseason troubles have brought his season to an early end. In nine games for the Raiders, Smith racked up 28 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three pass deflections.

When healthy and on the field, Smith can be one of the league’s most effective pass rushers, as he exhibited during his first two years in the NFL. As a part-time player in his rookie season, the linebacker recorded 14 sacks, and he piled up another 19.5 as a starter in 2012, en route to a spot on the All-Pro first team.

However, Smith’s off-field issues have limited his production in 2013 and 2014 — he missed nearly half the Niners’ games over the last two seasons after entering a rehabilitation facility in 2013 and serving a nine-game suspension in 2014. Most recently, Smith was arrested by Santa Clara police on hit and run, DUI, and vandalism charges, though when he was released from jail, the outside linebacker disputed the fact that he had been driving under the influence.

The Jaguars, Buccaneers, and Rams also made contract offers to Smith, and reportedly offered more money, but Smith chose to sign with Oakland partially because of its proximity to his Bay Area home. Smith’s missing the final seven games of the season costs him $514K in base salary and $1.75MM in missed roster bonuses. He also could have earned additional money by reaching contract incentives.

3 comments Las Vegas Raiders Newsstand

Los Angeles Relocation Fee To Be $500MM+

By | at November 16, 2015 9:07 am

NFL owners have informally decided on a relocation fee worth between $500MM and $600MM per franchise for a potential Los Angeles relocation, reports Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter). According to Kaplan (via Twitter), the amount isn’t yet set in stone, but people within the league expect it to be in that $500-600MM range.

The NFL’s relocation policy dictates that a relocating franchise “will ordinarily be expected to pay a transfer fee to the league” in order to compensate the rest of the league’s teams for loss of opportunity to move to that new market themselves, as well as to account for a potential increase in the value of the relocating franchise. Kaplan had indicated (via Twitter) in August that the league may look to share a portion of a relocating team’s profits this time around, rather than charging a straight relocation fee, but it looks like that won’t happen.

Kaplan’s latest report falls somewhat in line with what Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune heard way back in April. At the time, Canepa wrote that the Los Angeles relocation fee could be worth upwards of a half billion dollars, suggesting that he thought it should be even higher than that.

The relocation fee shouldn’t be an issue for any team interested in moving to Los Angeles, though the fact that Kaplan specifies the fee applies “per team” is worth noting. There had been some speculation in the past that the Raiders and Chargers would split the relocation fee if the Carson project were to move forward, but it sounds like that’s not the case. It will be interesting to see if owners are more inclined to support the relocation of two teams rather than one, since that would mean essentially doubling that relocation fee.

3 comments City Of Los Angeles Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Newsstand
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