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Letroy Guion

Sunday Roundup: Mallett, Trades, Guion

October 25th, 2015 at 1:07pm CST by Rory Parks

Ryan Mallett missed the Texans‘ team charter to Miami Saturday and had to make the trip via commercial airline, per Karen Warren of The Houston Chronicle. Mallett is in uniform and will be the team’s No. 2 quarterback today, as expected–the Texans do not have another quarterback on the roster–but he will certainly be fined, and his future with the club has never been more in doubt. Mallett, who also missed a training camp practice this year–he said his cell phone battery died, so his cell phone alarm would not go off–is due $2.5MM in 2016, the second year of his two-year contract, but Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle believes the team will cut ties with Mallett after the 2015 season (Twitter link). If Tom Savage was not on injured reserve, Warren says it would not be a surprise if Mallett was cut today.

Now for some more links from around the league:

  • The Bears‘ Matt Forte, the 49ers‘ Vernon Davis, and the Falcons‘ Roddy White have been the biggest names included in this year’s trade rumors, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Kevin Patra of NFL.com) does not believe any of the three will be traded, and he sets forth his rationale for why each will stay with their current clubs for the remainder of 2015.
  • According to Rapoport (via Twitter), there are three notable college coaches who would be open to an NFL head coaching job after this season: UCLA’s Jim Mora, Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly, and Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin. In a separate tweet, Rapoport notes that NFL GMs believe Kelly would be an especially good fit with the Giants, if Big Blue has a head coaching vacancy after 2015.
  • Earlier this year, Johnny Manziel was saying and doing all the right things, and he had earned considerable praise for his on- and off-field behavior and for apparently turning his life around. But after an alcohol-related incident that culminated in an encounter with police several weeks ago–an incident for which he will not be facing any charges–questions about his future in the league have resurfaced. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Browns officials had been bracing for some sort of negative publicity, as Manziel’s demeanor and dedication had taken a turn for the worse after Josh McCown returned from injury to reclaim the starting quarterback job from Manziel, who led the club for one week. Some within the organization have been hoping to part ways with Manziel for some time, and this latest development will give that contingent a little more ammunition, as they have further proof that Manziel is not a team-first type of player.
  • Packers DT Letroy Guion‘s recent legal troubles have been well-documented, but according to Michael Cohen and John Diedrich of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Guion has faced domestic violence charges as well, which had previously gone unreported. In two of the three cases brought against Guion, the charges were dropped, and in the third, Guion paid restitution to avoid additional penalties. He has been accused of stalking and of hitting the mother of his child in the jaw. Those incidents occurred from 2011 to 2013 when Guion was with the Vikings, and if it turns out he never reported the charges to the club, he could face further discipline from the league.
  • The Bears are actively scouting college quarterbacks as they prepare for the post-Jay Cutler era, and Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune examines two potential targets, California’s Jared Goff and Michigan State’s Connor Cook, in detail.
  • Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post examines in detail how Broncos GM John Elway has methodically constructed Denver’s defense, which has been the league’s best in 2015.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/3/15

October 3rd, 2015 at 5:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor signings, cuts and other transactions from around the NFL as 28 teams are making their final preparations for Week 4.

  • A fixture in this space, defensive end Frank Kearse once again received notice of his being cut by Washington, Mike Jones of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter), to make room for cornerback Deshazor Everett‘s promotion from the practice squad. Initially, Washington waived Everett, an undrafted player out of Texas A&M who signed with the Bucs initially, last month. But now with Chris Culliver questionable for Sunday’s game with a knee injury, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter), cornerback depth is needed. Kearse has played in 31 games since 2011, including 15 with Washington in 2014, but has been yo-yoing on and off the Washington roster this season.
  • The Packers activated suspended defensive tackle Letroy Guion, who will take injured tight end Andrew Quarless‘ place on the 53-man roster, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com (on Twitter). Guion missed three games due to a substance abuse-induced suspension. Green Bay placed Quarless on short-term IR with an MCL sprain.
  • The Packers also made a move to fortify their ailing receiving corps, promoting Jared Abbrederis from their practice squad, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. To make room for the second-year receiver from Wisconsin, Green Bay cut defensive lineman Bruce Gaston. The Packers downgraded Davante Adams from questionable to doubtful, creating a void at the position. Abbrederis has reportedly excelled as a practice-squadder thus far this season, according to the Milwauke Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein (Twitter link).
  • After punting 10 times against the Seahawks last weekend, Pat O’Donnell will miss the Bears‘ game against the Raiders with a knee injury. As a result, the Bears signed Spencer Lanning, per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Browns’ punter in 2013-14 before their trade for Andy Lee, Lanning spent time with the Broncos this summer before being a preseason cut. The Bears waived defensive tackle Brandon Dunn to make room, but Finley adds he could be a practice squad candidate.
  • The Buccaneers promoted cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah to their 53-man roster and cut tackle Reid Fragel, Jenna Laine of SportsTalkFlorida.com reports (on Twitter). The longtime Bucs scribe indicates that the promotion of the undrafted rookie provides an indication as to whether regular right corner Johnthan Banks, who left the Bucs’ Week 3 game with a knee malady, will play Sunday.

Packers Cut 20, Settle On 53-Man Roster

September 5th, 2015 at 6:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

In addition to placing Letroy Guion and Datone Jones on the reserve/suspended list, the Packers cut 18 players and waived two injured performers.

Green Bay parted ways with running backs Rajion Neal and John Crockett, leaving undrafted rookie Alonzo Harris as the third running back behind Eddie Lacy and James Starks.

The reigning NFC North champions’ additional departures are as follows:

  • Jared Abbrederis, WR
  • Carl Bradford, LB
  • John Fanor, S
  • Garth Gerhart, C
  • Tay Glover-Wright, CB
  • Mitchell Henry, TE
  • Justin Perillo, TE
  • Andy Phillips, C/G
  • Larry Pickard, WR (Waived/injured)
  • Jermaria Rasco, LB (Waived/injured)
  • Christian Ringo, DT
  • Matt Rotheram, G
  • Joe Thomas, LB
  • Khyri Thornton, DT
  • James Vaughters, LB
  • Jeremy Vujnovich, T
  • Ryan White, CB
  • Ed Williams, WR

Letroy Guion Suspended Three Games

August 27th, 2015 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 27: Guion has lost his appeal, meaning his suspension will remain at three games, the NFL announced today (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports).

JULY 23: The NFL has suspended Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion for the first three games of the regular season as a result of his offseason arrest, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. According to Demovsky, Guion is planning to appeal the penalty, with his agent and lawyers preparing his case after they were notified of the suspension earlier this week.

Guion, who turned 28 last month, was arrested in February when police found 357 grams of marijuana and an unloaded gun in his truck. The case was settled in March when Guion accepted a plea deal, at which point the Packers re-signed the veteran defensive lineman to a one-year, $2.75MM contract.

Green Bay had been bracing for a possible suspension for Guion, though the club hoped it would just be for a game or two, notes Demovsky. Assuming the league’s decision stands, the Packers will be without multiple defenders to start the season, since Datone Jones was also suspended for the first game of the regular season due to a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

In his first season with the Packers in 2014, Guion started all 16 regular season contests as the team’s nose tackle, establishing new career highs in tackles (41) and sacks (3.5).

North Notes: Pouncey, Flacco, Guion, Lions

August 24th, 2015 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Injured Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey is undergoing surgery on his fractured ankle today, tweets Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), the exact timetable for Pouncey’s recovery still isn’t known, but the injury is unlikely to be season-ending. Based on what we’ve heard so far regarding the veteran center, he would appear to be a viable candidate for Pittsburgh’s IR-DTR slot this season.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • As Ashley Fox of ESPN details, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has been keeping an eye on the megadeals signed by his fellow signal-callers, recognizing that Baltimore will almost certainly have to rework his contract in 2016, when his cap hit is set to jump to $28.55MM. Both Flacco and the team would like to see the former Super Bowl MVP become a “Raven for life.”
  • The appeal hearing for Letroy Guion‘s three-game suspension concluded on Monday, but there has been no ruling yet on whether that penalty will be reduced for the Packers defensive lineman, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
  • Demovsky also provided an update on former Packers receiver Kevin Dorsey, tweeting that the ex-Maryland wideout has retired. Green Bay used a seventh-round pick in the 2013 draft to nab Dorsey, but he only played in three games with the club.
  • After losing Ndamukong Suh in free agency this offseason, the Lions were happy to acquire Haloti Ngata to fill the newly-created void on their defensive line. However, the club still isn’t sure when Ngata will return from the hamstring injury that has plagued him throughout training camp, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

NFC Notes: Peterson, Sendlein, Guion, Saints, Sproles

August 7th, 2015 at 9:31pm CST by Rob DiRe

The relationship between the Vikings and star-running back Adrian Peterson had seemingly become strained since he missed 15 games last season after a domestic violence charge. Even so, Peterson has stated that not only does he want to keep playing until he is in his late thirties, and said he would have no problem signing another long-term contract with the team, in a Q&A with Ben Goessling of ESPN.

Here are some more stories from around the NFC:

  • Newly re-signed Cardinals center Lyle Sendlein said he had interest from other teams throughout the NFL, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). “Deep down,” said Sendlein, “we wanted to come back here.”
  • The appeal of Letroy Guion‘s three-game suspension stemming from an offseason arrest will be heard by the NFL on August 24th, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
  • Tight end Jean Sifrin got a tryout with the Saints, according to Nick Underhill and Joel Erickson of the New Orleans Advocate (via Twitter).
  • Former Saints defensive end Glenn Foster, who was released recently, said he needs about one month to complete the rehab on his knee, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN. Foster still plans to sign somewhere when healthy and play in 2015.
  • Despite adding workhorse running back DeMarco Murray and former Charger Ryan Mathews, head coach Chip Kelly sees a bigger role in the Eagles’ offense for Darren Sproles. While that could be the result of a pair of running backs with injury history, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the extra snaps and touches will like come as a receiver in 2015.

North Rumors: Packers, Pitta, Browns

July 21st, 2015 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Packers president Mark Murphy wasn’t thrilled to see his a handful of his players at the center of off-field incidents this offseason, with Datone Jones having been suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, while Letroy Guion and Andrew Quarless were each arrested and could be suspended as well. However, the team still doesn’t have any plans to release any of those players to send a message, as Murphy tells Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“While we’re disappointed in all the situations, we have to let the process play out and see exactly what happens in each situation,” Murphy said.

As we wait to see how Quarless’ legal situation plays out, and whether or not Guion receives discipline from the NFL, here are a few more items from around the league’s two North divisions:

  • Although Dennis Pitta has made “significant progress” in his recovery from a fractured and dislocated right hip, his NFL future is still up in the air. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens tight end will likely begin the 2015 regular season on the physically unable to perform list, which would sideline him for at least the first six weeks. Pitta, who will earn a guaranteed $4MM base salary this year whether or not he plays, has yet to be medically cleared to practice.
  • In his latest piece for ESPNCleveland.com, Tony Grossi highlights the departure of former Browns director of player engagement Jamil Northcutt, suggesting that the so-called mutual parting reflects a “seeping rift” between head coach Mike Pettine and GM Ray Farmer. Sources have told Grossi that Northcutt was a recipient of Farmer’s illegal in-game texts that earned the GM a four-game suspension, though another source says that’s not accurate.
  • The Vikings don’t have interest in free agent guard Evan Mathis, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, who tweets that the team wants to see what it has in its young players. Minnesota could consider revisiting Mathis later if the club’s guard play is an issue.
  • U.S. Magistrate Judge Janie Mayeron has ordered the NFL and the Players Association into settlement negotiations in their battle over Vikings running back Adrian Peterson‘s suspension, writes Dave Campbell of The Associated Press. The legal fight stems from the NFLPA claiming that the league “deliberately ignored” Judge David Doty’s ruling when Doty sided with the union in rejecting arbitrator Harold Henderson’s decision to uphold Peterson’s suspension.

NFC Notes: Guion, 49ers, Panthers, Cowboys

July 3rd, 2015 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion is already at risk of being suspended for an arrest earlier this year, and now he’s facing a civil suit over a 2013 altercation in which no criminal charges were filed, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Seth Katz tells Demovsky that the suit is of “suspect nature” and that there’s “no basis for it.” While the suit is unlikely to lead to any discipline from the NFL, it’s the latest issue Guion has had to face in what has been a tumultuous offseason for the veteran defensive lineman.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • The 49ers, who selected 10 players in this year’s draft, have placed an emphasis on developing young players, which means some veterans may be in danger of losing their roster spots this fall. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com identifies three Niners – tight end Vance McDonald, safety Craig Dahl, and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks – whose places on the 53-man roster may not be completely secure.
  • The Panthers didn’t make a huge splash in free agency or on the trade market in recent months, as the 2015 offseason was all about keeping the team’s core intact, writes Max Henson of Panthers.com. Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, and Thomas Davis have each inked new contracts with Carolina since the start of March.
  • Considering how tight NFL playoff races can be, suspensions to key defensive players like Greg Hardy and Rolando McClain may have a noticeable effect on the Cowboys‘ postseason chances, says Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Earlier today, we asked whether McClain’s four-game ban would negatively impact the Cowboys more than Sheldon Richardson‘s and Antonio Gates‘ suspensions would impact the Jets and Chargers, respectively.

NFC Notes: Guion, Hardy, Panthers, 49ers

July 2nd, 2015 at 5:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Letroy Guion was arrested in February when police found 357 grams of marijuana and an unloaded gun in his truck, and there’s a chance the incident will result in discipline from the NFL for the Packers defensive tackle. However, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com observes, despite the fact that Guion’s case was closed in March when he accepted a plea deal, the Packers have yet hear from the league one way or the other about a possible suspension.

As Guion and the Packers wait to hear whether he’ll be eligible to play all 16 games this season, let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC….

  • Five weeks after Greg Hardy‘s appeal, arbitrator Harold Henderson has yet to announce a ruling, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The CBA calls for a decision “as soon as practicable,” which gives arbitrators plenty of wiggle room. If Hardy’s 10-game suspension is ultimately upheld, the delay will give the Cowboys defensive end less time to challenge the ruling in court.
  • While Hardy awaits word on his appeal, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer examines how the Panthers plan to get after opposing quarterbacks now that Hardy is no longer on their roster.
  • In a piece for The Sporting News, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a closer look at the salary cap situation for the 49ers, a team in transition. Meanwhile, on his own site, Fitzgerald identifies the three least team-friendly running back contracts in the NFL, writing that Jonathan Stewart‘s pact with the Panthers puts the other two to shame.

North Notes: Vikings, Gipson, Guion

June 11th, 2015 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

To say that things have been rocky between the Vikings and star running back Adrian Peterson this offseason would be a criminal understatement. Still, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf says that he holds no animosity towards Peterson.

“He’s always had a good heart,” Wilf said of the former MVP, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “He’s a great football player. We have great memories, and we’ll continue to have good memories with him. … He’s been great for the community, and that’s basically who he is, and when you know that’s the character of that person, you believe in him.”

Peterson, of course, is pushing for a reworked contract that gives him guaranteed cash for the remaining three seasons – or at least the first two years – of his deal.

Let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFL’s North divisions….

  • The Browns could rescind Tashaun Gipson‘s restricted free agent tender next Monday, but head coach Mike Pettine wouldn’t comment today on whether or not that’s in the team’s plans, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. If Cleveland does withdraw Gipson’s RFA offer, worth $2.356MM, the team could retain the safety’s rights by offering him a tender worth about $627K (110% of his 2014 salary).
  • Pete Dougherty of the Press-Gazette feels that the Packers were right to re-sign Letroy Guion this offseason, but it’s now on the defensive tackle to stay away from marijuana. Guion was arrested with about two-thirds of a pound of pot, which could indicate a pretty serious problem. Guion, 27, had an effective first season with the Packers in 2014, starting all 16 games for the team and racking up 41 tackles to go along with 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
  • Although the Ravens are saying all the right things about Arthur Brown publicly, it’s fair to wonder if this year is the linebacker’s last chance with the team, writes Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com. I’d be somewhat surprised if Baltimore gave up on Brown this summer, but he has certainly been underwhelming since joining the club as a second-round pick in 2013.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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