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Colts Suspend Richardson, Void Guarantee

January 27th, 2015 at 9:29am CST by Rob DiRe

TUESDAY, 9:29am: Richardson’s suspension for conduct detrimental to the team does indeed void the guarantee on his $3MM+ base salary for 2015, reports Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). With the reasoning for the suspension still not clear, I’d expect Richardson’s camp and the NFLPA to fight it.

FRIDAY, 5:44pm: Much was made of Trent Richardson not traveling with the team to Foxborough to play the Patriots last weekend. Now, general manager Ryan Grigson confirms that Richardson was suspended for two games heading into that weekend, reports Mike Chappell of RTV6 in Indianapolis (via Twitter). The reason for the suspension is unclear at the moment.

Richardson was a healthy scratch in the divisional round against the Broncos, and was reportedly going to miss the AFC Championship due to a family emergency, although he was not expected to be active anyway.

The suspension in itself is not the most interesting part of the story. Richardson’s time with the Colts has been a tremendous disappointment, and Grigson and the Colts would not commit to having him on the roster for 2015 as it was, saying he would be “lumped into that conversation with guys this offseason,” according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com.

Richardson is owed just north of $3.18MM for 2015 according to OverTheCap.com, and because his rookie contract was fully guaranteed, it has been assumed that the Colts would have to pay him that money whether he was on the team or not.

That may not be the case though, as this suspension could change Richardson’s status going into the offseason. Jason Fitzgerald surmised that if Richardson was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, that may void the guaranteed money left on the deal (via Twitter).

This suggestion comes with precedent, as Fitzgerald notes that when the Raiders suspended Rolando McClain in 2012, that allowed the team to get out from the guaranteed money in his contract (via Twitter). Like the Raiders, the Colts may have gotten creative in order to get out from under a contract that they don’t want on their books going forward (via Twitter).

Former Buccaneers general manager and current ESPN analyst Mark Dominik confirms that Richardson’s contract has strong voiding language, and that the team will be able to move on from following this suspension (via Twitter).

While this news may inspire celebrations from Colts fans about being free from a player who has been tough to watch over the last year and a half, it needs to be stated that no matter what the language in the contract is, Richardson will likely fight for that money and the NFLPA would fight on his behalf.

Of course, on the other end of the spectrum, Richardson fans can take solace in the way McClain turned his career around with the Cowboys — while this is a terrible situation for Richardson, it doesn’t necessarily signify the end of his career after only three seasons.

Rob Chudzinski To Remain With Colts

January 27th, 2015 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

Despite receiving interest from the Rams and 49ers, Rob Chudzinski will remain in Indianapolis rather than interviewing for an offensive coordinator job. According to a press release from the Colts, Chudzinski and the team have agreed to a new contract and a new title for the assistant, who will serve as the associate head coach for the 2015 season.

“We’re excited to keep Chud in our family,” head coach Chuck Pagano said in a statement. “He’s been a critical part of our operation and we’re looking forward to sharing even more success in the future.”

Chudzinski, who previously coached the Browns and served as a special assistant in Indianapolis in 2014, had received multiple interview requests from teams looking for an offensive coordinator this offseason. Both the Rams and 49ers, the only teams still actively looking for a new OC, had been willing to wait for his contract with the Colts to expire, which was scheduled to happen this week.

St. Louis and San Francisco will now have to look elsewhere for offensive coordinators, and that could be good news for Nathaniel Hackett, as the former Bills OC had a second interview lined up with the Rams this week. It’s not clear which target the 49ers will zero in on now, since another one of their reported candidates, Lane Kiffin, took himself out of the running over the weekend by committing to Alabama for 2015. Mike Shanahan was cited as an option earlier in the process, but there hasn’t been much buzz surrounding him in the last week or so.

Extra Points: Pats, Cutler, Adams, Olsen

January 26th, 2015 at 10:54pm CST by Zachary Links

With many in the media slamming the Patriots over the Deflategate scandal, owner Robert Kraft stood in front of the media on Monday night to defend his team. “If the Wells investigation is not able to definitively determine that our organization tampered with the air pressure in the footballs,” Kraft said, according to John Kryk of the Toronto Sun , “I would expect and hope that the league would apologize to our entire team, and in particular coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady for what they have had to endure this past week.” More from around the NFL..

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com spoke with CSNChicago.com about a number of Bears-centric topics, including quarterback Jay Cutler. At this point, he says, there’s a much better chance of Chicago keeping Cutler than dealing him.
Mike Wells of ESPN.com feels that the Colts should prioritize re-signing safety Mike Adams. Adams wants to return to Indianapolis, but he also learned last offseason that the business of the NFL doesn’t always allow for a reunion. Adams waited around for the Broncos to re-sign him before finally joining up with the Colts in June. Upon joining the Colts, Adams became a vocal leader in the secondary and their best defensive back not named Vontae Davis this season.
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen and middle linebacker Luke Kuechly are both set to hit the open market after the 2015 season and are in line for big pay bumps, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. The Panthers can keep Kuechly, the No. 9 pick in the 2012 draft, by exercising their fifth-year option on him. Meanwhile, Olsen said he and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, have yet to have any substantial contract talks with the Panthers, but he hopes something can get done before the start of the season. “We’ll see how the offseason goes. There haven’t been any really major developments on that front,” Olsen said. “Of course, I would love to finish my career there. I’d love to be able to get something done going into this season and know that I’ll be a part of the team for a while.”
In Monday night’s presser, Belichick expressed gratitude to Patriots owner Robert Kraft for hiring him as head coach many years ago, as Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. “Mr. Kraft gave up quite a bit in order to work out the trade for me to be part of this organization after I resigned from the Jets,” the coach said.

North Notes: Bears, Tucker, Gordon

January 26th, 2015 at 9:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril experienced the lowest of the lows with the Lions, which makes being at the top that much sweeter. “It’s been amazing, man. It’s been amazing,” Avril said, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “I’ve been blessed to see both ends of the spectrum, you know. From not winning any games to getting to the top the last two years. I appreciate it a lot, just for the simple fact of what I’ve gone through. I probably appreciate it a little more than some of the younger guys.” A look at the North divisions..

The University of Alabama hired former Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker to serve as its defensive backs coach, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Tucker was let go earlier this offseason in favor of Vic Fangio, who will serve as the new defensive coordinator under new head coach John Fox.
It’s rather unlikely that the Bears can find a suitable successor to Jay Cutler in the draft, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. No one has stepped forward and said that Cutler will be Chicago’s quarterback in 2015, but his contract and the scarity of outside options available likely means that he’ll be their QB for the immediate future. An informal survey of five scouts at the Senior Bowl indicated that Oregon State’s Sean Mannion was the best QB in attendance, but no one exactly raved about him.
The Browns should cut Josh Gordon, Jeff Schudel of The Morning Journal writes. If GM Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine really want to change the atmosphere in Cleveland, they have to sacrifice the star wide receiver in order to let the rest of the players know they are running a professional operation. If Gordon is found to be in violation of the league’s substance abuse program, his contract would carry over to 2016 as though 2015 did not exist. Still, Schudel feels that the Browns wouldn’t garner respect from anyone on the roster if they let Gordon remain with the team.

AFC East Notes: Pats, Revis, Bills

January 26th, 2015 at 8:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Could the Patriots be open to picking up Darrelle Revis‘ lucrative option for 2015? The organization feels that the star cornerback is what makes the New England defense work and they want to ensure that the Super Bowl won’t be his final game in red and blue. They’ll work hard to hammer out a long-term extension with him when the offseason starts, but if that doesn’t work out, they’re not opposed to just exercising his $20MM option, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (video link). Given the cost and the cap hit (~$25MM), however, it’s still hard to imagine New England going through with that. More from the AFC East..

The Bills formally announced the hiring of a number of assistant coaches today, including new senior offensive assistant Chris Palmer. Palmer comes to Buffalo with 22 years of NFL coaching experience, including a recent stint (2011-2012) as the Titans’ offensive coordinator.
The NFL has zeroed in on a Patriots locker room attendant in connection with the Deflategate scandal, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. There is surveillance video showing the attendant taking the footballs from the official’s locker room into another room at Gillette Stadium before bringing them out to the field, according to sources. Of course, both Pats head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady have proclaimed their innocence in the matter.
Lead investigator Ted Wells says that the Patriots investigation could take “at least” several more weeks, according to Gary Myers of the Daily News (on Twitter). Wells also implored people (link) not to read into the order of the interviews. Brady will be interviewed, but that chat won’t take place this week for obvious reasons.

Minor Moves: Monday

January 26th, 2015 at 6:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

The Packers announced that they have signed former Alabama punter Cody Mandell. Mandell, a 6-foot-2, 217-pound first-year player out of the University of Alabama, spent part of the 2014 offseason with the Cowboys.
The Chiefs and defensive end Vaughn Martin have agreed to terms on a one-year deal, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Martin, a former fourth-round pick who has played for the Chargers and Dolphins, inked a minimum salary deal with the Lions near the start of the free agent period, but was cut by the team in June.

West Notes: Joseph, Houston, Chiefs

January 26th, 2015 at 6:19pm CST by Zachary Links

A look at the AFC and NFC West..

The Broncos hope to have a resolution early this week as to whether they can interview Vance Joseph for their defensive coordinator position, writes Mike Klis of The Denver Post. Joseph just finished his first season as the defensive backs coach for the Bengals, who refuse to let him out of his contract one year early. If the Bengals won’t budge, the Broncos are expected to fill their defensive coordinator position this week with either former defensive coordinator and head coach Wade Phillips or former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith.
A league source told Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) that Justin Houston‘s agent Joel Segal and Chiefs GM John Dorsey were spotted meeting at the Senior Bowl. A recent report indicated that there have been “zero talks” between the Chiefs and the outside linebacker, but it appears that things are now in motion. If the two sides can’t hammer out a long-term deal, the NFL’s sack leader will likely be hit with the franchise tag by KC.
The Broncos agreed to terms with Reggie Herring to be their new linebackers coach and named Clancy Barone as their new offensive line coach, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is on the verge of becoming the next head coach of the Falcons but Seattle players say that hasn’t distracted him during Super Bowl week, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “I think he’s done a great job of focusing on the task at hand which is to win the Super Bowl,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said on Monday. “I know that he’s got bigger endeavors on down the line, but he’s approached it like we need to win this game.”

Rams Go Year-To-Year On Dome Lease

January 26th, 2015 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Rams have notified the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission that they will shift to a year-to-year lease agreement for their use of the Edward Jones Dome, according to R.B. Fallstrom of The Associated Press. With rumors swirling about a potential move to Los Angeles, it was viewed as a formality that the franchise would transition into this more flexible arrangement in advance of Wednesday’s deadline to do so.

A year-to-year agreement, which allows the team to extend its lease with its home field one year at a time, is currently the arrangement that the Chargers and Raiders have for their respective stadiums. Unlike the Rams though, those clubs don’t have a potential exit strategy in place. Rams owner Stan Kroenke announced three weeks ago that he intends to build an NFL stadium in Inglewood, California, and moving the club’s agreement at the Edward Jones Dome to a year-to-year arrangement gives the Rams the flexibility to relocate to Los Angeles as soon as 2016.

Of course, the city of St. Louis responded to Kroenke’s announcement by unveiling a stadium plan of its own, and there’s certainly no guarantee that the Rams are going anywhere anytime soon. But as Albert Breer of NFL.com writes today, Kroenke’s stadium proposal has created the most viable path to L.A. the NFL has seen for quite some time.

According to Breer, Kroenke’s announcement, which he ran by Roger Goodell and NFL officials in December, was “met with quiet applause at the league office.” The idea that the Rams could be playing in Los Angeles in 2016, and in Kroenke’s new Inglewood stadium by 2018, not only isn’t far-fetched — it’s trending toward becoming a likelihood, per Breer, who adds that the Rams owner is open to the idea of involving a second team – perhaps the Chargers or Raiders – as part of the project.

The next major step for Kroenke and the Rams is to turn in to the city of Inglewood the 8,500 signatures necessary to set up a public vote on re-zoning the land where the stadium will be built, writes Breer, noting the club already has those signatures ready to go.

Saints Sign Delvin Breaux

January 26th, 2015 at 3:51pm CST by Rob DiRe

MONDAY, 3:51pm: Breaux officially signed his contract with the Saints today, his agent tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

SATURDAY, 3:04pm: The Saints have reached an agreement with CFL star Delvin Breaux to help improve their secondary in 2015, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Schefter writes that the standout cornerback worked out for 13 NFL teams before agreeing with the Saints.

CFL players cannot sign with NFL teams until after February 10, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (via Twitter). However, Woodbery writes that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have agreed to release Breaux, which would allow him to sign with the team immediately (via Twitter).

Woodbery highlights one of his Twitter followers who notes that this is a similar situation to when the Steelers signed Shawn Lemon (via Twitter).

Breaux is a native of New Orleans, suffering a neck injury at McDonogh 35 High School that resulted in him not being medically cleared to play college football at LSU. He should challenge for a starting spot across from Keenan Lewis on Rob Ryan’s defense, writes Woodbery.

Cards To Name New DC After Super Bowl

January 26th, 2015 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

While most teams hiring new defensive coordinators this offseason are making a change due to disappointing 2014 campaigns, that’s not the case in Arizona. Former defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who was named Assistant of the Year by the PFWA, had such a strong season that it buoyed him into a head coaching job with the Jets. Now that they have to tab a replacement for Bowles, the Cardinals will try to maintain the status quo as much as possible, and will promote an internal candidate to DC next week, head coach Bruce Arians confirmed today in an appearance on ESPN’s NFL Insiders (link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com).

“The defensive coordinator will come off our staff,” Arians said. “It’ll be one of the young guys. And we’ll bring in some guys to help him. We’ll wait until the Super Bowl is over but we’ve got everything in place and we’re ready to go.”

The Cardinals’ in-house options include James Bettcher, Brentson Buckner, Kevin Ross, Nick Rapone, and Tom Pratt, and while Arians didn’t specify which of those coaches would be promoted to defensive coordinator, it sounds like he has someone in mind. As Urban writes, the fact that the head coach referred to “one of the young guys” indicates that Bettcher, a highly regarded assistant who currently coaches the team’s outside linebackers, could be the Cards’ man.

As for the guys who will be brought in to “help” the new coordinator, one candidate for such a role was Dick LeBeau, but as we heard over the weekend, he won’t be reconnecting with Arians in Arizona after all. In fact, Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets that it now appears that LeBeau will join the Titans, though that’s not official yet.