AFC North Notes: Steelers, Harrison, Ravens
The NFL has made plans to interview all of the players (yes, Peyton Manning included) implicated in last year’s Al Jazeera America documentary, but not all of them are thrilled about it. Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who has clashed with commissioner Roger Goodell in the past, laid out his conditions for an interview on Instagram this week (sic):
“I never had a bully before in my life and I’m DAMN sure not about to have one at this point,” Harrison wrote. “But since I’m a nice guy & don’t mind helping to clear the air in the name of the NFL Shield, I’ll do this interview. WITH THESE STIPULATIONS: The interview will be done at MY house. BEFORE training camp. On a date of MY choosing. AND Mr. Goodell must be present.”
While we wait to see if the NFL agrees to the 38-year-old’s terms, let’s take a look at the rest of the AFC North:
- Time is ticking on a potential long-term deal for the Ravens and franchise-tagged kicker Justin Tucker, CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Bo Smokla writes. The two sides have until July 15th to get something done and while Baltimore surely wants to hammer out a multi-year deal, the asking price is probably high. Tucker’s camp could be shooting to top Stephen Gostkowski‘s four-year, $17.2MM deal with $10.1MM guaranteed, which set the market for kickers last year. Right now, Tucker’s franchise tag carries a $4.5MM cap hit but that could be reduced through a long-term pact. Deadlines can spur action, but Smokla writes that there hasn’t been much movement on a deal in the last four months.
- Mike Wallace, who joined the Ravens on a free agent deal this offseason, believes that he has actually improved since his days with the Steelers. “I think I’ve gotten better, even though (the) numbers don’t say so,” the 29-year-old Wallace said of his career since leaving the Steelers in 2013, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “I think I’ll get better this year, and I’ll show some people I have a lot up my sleeve.” In March, the Ravens inked Wallace to a two-year, $11.5MM deal with a $4.5MM signing bonus. He also due a $1MM roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2017 league year. His option for year two must be exercised or declined by the end of the 2016 league year.
- The Bengals’ Andrew Whitworth showed he had plenty left in the tank last season, but he’s unsure if he’ll play beyond 2016.
- The saga of ex-Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel continues to get more and more bizarre.
Cole’s Latest: Lynch, Jets, Bills, Manziel, Brady
Here’s the latest from Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via video links):
- The Bills and Jets are “extremely” interested in quarterback Paxton Lynch, according to multiple NFL executives who spoke with Cole. Both teams see Lynch as a future star in the NFL and know that they will have to move up into the high teens to possibly land him. The Browns pick at No. 8 and are said to be fond of the Memphis product, though that’s probably a little too high to pull the trigger on him. By the same token, the belief is that Lynch will move up the board with Jared Goff and Carson Wentz going in the top two.
- The NFL will speed up its ongoing investigation into Johnny Manziel‘s domestic violence incident this week, an NFL source tells Cole. The expectation that Manziel will get a suspension of some length of time since he narrowly escaped a suspension for a previous incident. Meanwhile, the attorney for Manziel’s ex-girlfriend tells Cole that she is unaware of any NFL investigation at this time.
- Two NFL owners tell Cole that they would like to see Brady and the NFL reach a settlement rather than drag things out in court and in the public. A growing number of owners apparently share this sentiment, he adds. Owners generally feel that some suspension is appropriate for Brady, though a four-game ban is too much.
AFC West Notes: Fisher, Aldon, San Diego, Broncos
With fifth-year option decisions due Tuesday, May 3, the Chiefs are procrastinating — at least publicly — on their choice on whether or not to pick up Eric Fisher‘s.
“I know a lot of guys have been exercising these options on players right now,” Chiefs GM John Dorsey said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “I do things a little bit different. I think what I do is, I’m, at times, compartmentalizing a little bit too much. So really, the task at hand, for me, is to make sure we nail this draft. And I think when we get to Monday, we’ll deal with Monday.”
Fisher would be due a guaranteed-against-injury $11.9MM in 2017 if the Chiefs pick up their left tackle’s option. The No. 1 overall pick in 2013, Fisher improved last season after an unremarkable initial two years. But at $11.9MM, he’d stand to be the fourth-highest-paid tackle in 2017 — behind only Tyron Smith, Trent Williams and Anthony Castonzo. And by waiting until the draft is over, the Chiefs appear to be keeping their options open regarding their blind-side protector’s future, considering he hasn’t yet shown himself worthy of a cornerstone-type contract similar to the ones the aforementioned players received.
Kansas City has already participated in extension talks with Fisher in a likely effort to bring that prospective $11.9MM cap number down for a franchise that doesn’t look to have much cap space come next year, with most of its key players locked in for the next two seasons.
Here’s the latest from the AFC West.
- Speaking at a stadium rally in San Diego on Saturday, Roger Goodell endorsed keeping the Chargers in the city and said that if the downtown stadium initiative goes through, the Super Bowl will return to San Diego. “I said it. I mean it. The Chargers belong in San Diego,” the commissioner said (via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, on Twitter). The Super Bowl last came to the city in 2003, with Qualcomm Stadium — now considered one of the worst in the game — hosting Super Bowl XXXVIII.
- Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and Dean Spanos also spoke in support of the $1.8 billion stadium/convention center project, although as Kevin Acee of the Union-Tribune points out, the words “convention center” weren’t spoken by any of the guest speakers at the signature-collecting showcase that drew around 4,000. “I mean, dadgumit. … It just makes sense right? I hope I’m still around to play in it. Let’s get it done together,” said Rivers, who wasn’t enthusiastic about relocating to Los Angeles when the subject surfaced last year.
- Aldon Smith‘s trial is set to begin May 2, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com reports. The recently re-signed Raiders edge presence faces three charges from the August 2015 incident that led to his release from the 49ers — DUI with a prior conviction, hit and run and vandalism under $400 — according to Bair. Smith remains suspended for a substance-abuse policy violation and can’t return to aid the Raiders on Sundays until November, but the sixth-year veteran must be reinstated by Goodell. That hasn’t been a smooth process for recent offenders.
- Free agent linebacker Nick Moody remains on track to testify at Smith’s trial despite a judge issuing a warrant for his arrest for failure to appear in a Florida court to confirm this, Florio reports. Moody now insists his failure to appear in court Friday stemmed from a miscommunication. Moody spent two years with the 49ers before playing in three games with the Seahawks in 2015.
- The Raiders are showing “serious interest” in Utah interior lineman Siaosi Aiono, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Broncos spent plenty of time trying to re-sign Brock Osweiler and Malik Jackson, and the defending champions added two tackles expected to start during the offseason. But they released Owen Daniels and didn’t make an attempt to bring back Vernon Davis, who signed with Washington. This could be due to the team’s high hopes for second-year tight end Jeff Heuerman, who missed his rookie slate with a torn ACL. “We expect (Heuerman) to step in and be a force,” GM John Elway told media, including Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “We’re counting on (Heuerman) big time,” Gary Kubiak said. “We feel like Jeff can be a total tight end. He’s not just a receiver. We think he has the ability to do both (catch and block).” A former third-round pick, Heuerman wasn’t known for his receiving chops at Ohio State. The 6-foot-5 tight end hauled in 792 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in four years, playing extensively as a junior and senior. Virgil Green is the only experienced tight end on the roster, so it may behoove the team to add some depth at this spot.
Extra Points: NFLPA, Ball, Mason, Spence
Earlier this week, an arbitrator ruled that the NFL’s policy of placing players who are under investigation on paid leave using the commissioner’s exempt list is valid, as Mark Maske of the Washington Post writes. The NFL Players Association had filed a grievance against the policy, which has affected players such as Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy, but the league scored a win over the union after having seen a handful of Roger Goodell‘s decisions overturned in court within the last couple years.
In the wake of the arbitrator’s ruling, optimism has “dimmed considerably” about the prospects of the NFL and NFLPA reaching a compromise on Goodell’s role in player discipline, writes Maske. Multiple sources tell Maske that there are no negotiations happening between the two sides regarding that issue at this point, with one source suggesting it may not be addressed until the next CBA: “We are where we are…. [It] seems like [there’s] nothing to talk about until 2020.”
As we wait to see what battle is next on the docket for the NFL and NFLPA, let’s check in on a few more odds and ends from around the NFL…
- A pair of running backs have been dealing with legal trouble this week, with free agent Montee Ball arrested for felony bail jumping and Rams back Tre Mason missing an arraignment related to his March arrest. WKOW’s Robyn Turner has the story on Ball, while Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com has the details on Mason.
- Eastern Kentucky pass rusher Noah Spence is visiting the Texans today and will visit the Saints tomorrow, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Meanwhile, another potential first-round defender with some off-field question marks, Robert Nkemdiche of Ole Miss, has visits on tap with the Saints and Bengals, says Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter).
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com and Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider link) had similar ideas, with each scribe writing articles proposing trades that could take place before or during this year’s draft. Both Corry and Sando suggested hypothetical deals involving Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas, Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, and Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles.
- The NFL’s VP of football operations Merton Hanks has left the league office, multiple sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It’s not known if the NFL or Hanks made the final call on his departure, but one source tells PFT that the move was part of an effort by the league to upgrade in that area. Two other NFL employees, Joe Hurta and Russ Giglio, are out as well, says Florio.
Talks On Roger Goodell’s Discipline Role Encounter Big Setback
Thought to be progressing, the prospect of Roger Goodell stepping back from his role in disciplinary measures doesn’t look strong at this point. The league and NFLPA have taken a “massive step back” in stripping the commissioner of these powers, according to Jim Trotter of ESPN.com.
In an email ESPN obtained from DeMaurice Smith to the union executive committee, the NFLPA executive director said the NFL communicated a “dramatic change of course” in terms of moving in a different disciplinary direction for the league this week.
The NFLPA’s three points of contention have been the use of the Commissioner Exempt List, neutral arbitration and delegation of commissioner authority, per Trotter, and the players’ association viewed those as intertwined. But Smith said in the email the league doesn’t view neutral arbitration as being part of this discussion, and this discrepancy appears to be one of the talking points that have set back the negotiations.
Smith’s email brings up talks the sides had in October 2015 regarding the use of a panel a three former judges to serve as a disciplinary council of sorts, but the league’s change of course the league looks to have nixed that idea. It goes on to say the NFL wants to “dictate and narrowly limit the scope of these collective bargaining negotiations,” which is a sticking point for the union.
Smith closes with a statement that illustrates the sides’ disconnect over this matter.
“It is very important to know that the NFL’s current proposal does little to address the NFL’s legal and ethical failings regarding the PCP [Personal Conduct Policy] that have occurred during the past year.”
Goodell’s constantly scrutinized authority over the disciplinary aspect of the league doesn’t look to be diminishing any time soon.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Roger Goodell Talks Pats, Chiefs, China, Vegas
With the NFL’s owners meetings winding down in Boca Raton, Florida, commissioner Roger Goodell took to the podium this morning to announcing the rules changes approved by the league and to take questions from reporters. We won’t get into the rule changes here, but we’ll round up several of the more noteworthy comments Goodell made in response to those reporters’ inquiries. Let’s dive in…
- Goodell confirmed that he received Robert Kraft‘s letter asking for the Patriots to get their draft picks back. However, after “considering his views,” Goodell has decided that New England’s Deflategate penalties won’t be altered, since the commissioner doesn’t feel as if new information has surfaced.
- The NFL and NFL Players Association are not close – “by any stretch of the imagination” – to reaching an agreement on player discipline that would strip Goodell of some or all of his power and authority.
- Goodell expects to serve as the arbitrator for the Chiefs‘ appeal of their tampering penalties, adding that he’ll make sure that appeal happened before the draft if the team pushes for that.
- No discipline is expected for the Falcons and/or their coaches after secondary coach Marquand Manuel asked cornerback prospect Eli Apple at the combine if he liked men.
- Although several reports have suggested that the Rams are expected to host the NFL’s 2018 regular-season game in China, Goodell said several teams are interested and no decisions have been made yet. However, he did confirm that the league will play a game in China in ’18.
- Asked about the possibility of the Raiders moving to Las Vegas, Goodell didn’t close the door on the possibility of having an NFL franchise there, suggesting that the league’s 32 owners would have a decision to make if a formal proposal was put on the table. The city’s economic reliance on gambling, and the potential impact on the NFL, would certainly be a significant factor in that decision.
- While no decisions have been made on Josh Gordon‘s potential reinstatement, Goodell expects his staff to update him on the Browns wide receiver’s case next week.
NFLPA Grilled In Latest Deflategate Appeal
NFLPA attorney Jeffery Kessler was grilled by the three-judge panel presiding over the latest step in the Deflategate saga, according to Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today.
The two sides were presenting arguments in front of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, and judges Robert Katzmann, Barrington Parker, Jr. and Denny Chin appeared to reverse course from Judge Richard Berman’s language by directing more scrutiny toward Kessler rather than NFL attorney Paul Clement.
Neither Tom Brady nor 
were present at the NFL’s appellate hearing.
Goodell originally suspended the Patriots quarterback for four games to start last season before Berman’s ruling vacated that ban. Should two out of these three judges determine New England’s 17-year veteran was part of a scheme to have tampered with footballs during the 2014 season, Brady would be suspended for the first four games of this season, per Tom Curran of CSNNE.com.
If this ruling goes against Brady, he can appeal again as well, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).
Reyes describes the questioning directed toward Clement paled in comparison to the inquiries subsequently aimed at Kessler. Parker and Chin, per Reyes, took issue with Brady destroying his cellphone.
“You all had notice with the cell phone issue. Anybody within 100 yards of this case would have known that the cell phone issue elevates this merely from deflated balls to a serious issue of obstruction,” Parker said during the 1-hour, 16-minute session.
Parker also shot down Kessler’s argument for Brady’s privacy-related concerns for destroying the phone by countering, “With all due respect, Mr. Brady’s explanation made no sense whatsoever.”
The three judges will meet for a voting conference, and Katzmann, the panel’s senior judge, will appoint one to be the opinion’s author.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Roger Goodell Earned $34MM+ For 2014
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell received $34.1MM in compensation for the 2014 NFL season, reports Darren Rovell of ESPN.com. According to Rovell, that $34.1MM figure is the amount listed on a tax filing that the league submitted today.
While Goodell’s base salary was a relatively modest $3.5MM, he also received a bonus of $26.5MM, $3.7MM in pension, along with other deferred benefits and “reported compensation.”
The $34MM+ compensation figure applies to the 2014 calendar year. During that time, Goodell dealt with – and arguably botched – a pair of off-field incidents involving running backs Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson.
Despite the blemishes on his résumé, Goodell didn’t see his salary take a significant hit from what he earned in previous years. The NFL commissioner earned just over $35MM for 2013, as we detailed last February. The year before that, Goodell was paid $44.2MM, though that figure included more than $9MM in deferred pay, meaning his salary was once again in the $35MM range.
Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal, who pegs Goodell’s 2014 compensation at $34.2MM, notes (via Twitter) that much of the commissioner’s pay for that year was set in 2013, prior to 2014’s domestic violence scandals. Kaplan also points out (via Twitter) that this will be the last time the NFL has to publicly disclose Goodell’s salary, since the league surrendered its tax-exempt status in 2015.
As Rovell tweets, Goodell has now earned more than $180MM in total compensation during his first nine years as the NFL’s commissioner.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC West Notes: Chargers, Broncos, Raiders
Dean Spanos and San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer were scheduled to meet today in Spanos’ home, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Acee also reports the Chargers hired Fred Maas as a special adviser to Spanos, with the new hire being brought on to help the Chargers and San Diego place a measure on the November ballot regarding public funding for a new Chargers stadium.
Spanos wanted Maas to serve as the city’s liaison for stadium negotiations in 2014. After Maas withdrew his name from consideration, the Chargers’ chairman perhaps not coincidentally, expressed doubt to sources of Acee about a Chargers stadium solution in San Diego.
Special counsel Mark Fabiani will remain a part of these talks, Acee reports.
Here’s the latest coming out of the AFC West, starting with the Super Bowl champions.
- As father Bum Phillips would say, son Wade Phillips has finally “kicked down the door” with his Super Bowl win. The Broncos defensive coordinator helped to lead one of the league’s most fearsome defenses in 2015, but it’s a union that almost didn’t happen. Head coach Gary Kubiak‘s first choice for the job was actually Vance Joseph, formerly a Bengals assistant who recently left Cincinnati to become the Dolphins’ DC. In fact, John Clayton of ESPN.com hears there is a clause in Phillips’ current contract that could have made him a consultant if Joseph would have joined the team as coordinator in 2016.
- Von Miller is expected to receive the franchise tag, and Broncos GM John Elway is confident the sides can work out an extension agreement, Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press reports. “You never know, but we don’t want him to [leave]. We want Von to stay in Denver and we’re going to do everything we can to work it out,” Elway told media, including Stapleton. Miller, who will be 27 before next season, could command a deal potentially well north of the six-year, $101MM pact Justin Houston signed with the Chiefs last season. Houston’s negotiations became contentious at times. Super Bowl 50’s MVP told media, including Stapleton, he expects “peaceful” talks with the Broncos.
- Although Roger Goodell told media the league was working to help Oakland and San Diego find stadium solutions to remain in their markets, league executive VP Eric Grubman told the San Jose Mercury News (via Mark Purdy) he had not met with Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf and doesn’t have plans to do so. Purdy took Goodell’s brevity regarding Oakland the commissioner does not hold the Raiders‘ current troubles in high regard. Mark Davis confirmed the Raiders are negotiating another one-year lease at O.co Coliseum, but the Raiders are a bit behind the Chargers at this point in terms of finding a long-term solution in their city.
Zach Links contributed to this report
Extra Points: Manziel, Schwartz, London
Long thought to be Johnny Manziel‘s career lifeline, the Cowboys may not have been interested in the embattled quarterback at all, Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
Team sources told Hill the Browns quarterback who could be facing legal action for his potential role in a domestic assault wasn’t on the Cowboys’ radar even before the ex-Heisman Trophy winner’s latest off-the-field occurrence.
Hill writes the same personnel who advised Jerry Jones to pass on the polarizing Texas A&M quarterback in favor of Zack Martin are still in place. The Cowboys remain very much in search of a quality backup quarterback, but Manziel doesn’t fit that profile and appears to be a non-starter in Dallas.
The Browns are expected to cut Manziel before the new league year begins.
Here’s the latest from around the league.
- The NFL’s tri-annual showcases in London continue to generate buzz on a franchise spawning in the United Kingdom’s biggest city, and Roger Goodell isn’t doing anything to squelch that notion. “We are considering playing more games in the U.K. It’s a balancing act with our schedule. … As far as a franchise, let’s continue to grow. Let’s continue to see that excitement and enthusiasm, passion and support continue to develop. If it does, I think that’s a realistic possibility,” Goodell told media, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. The obvious logistical issues remain, as London is an eight hours ahead of the Pacific Time Zone, and such an expansion would be the most daring step among the four major American sports leagues.
- Goodell stands in favor of the league pursuing a policy that will automatically eject players after they receive their second personal foul in a game, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports. “I believe that that’s consistent with what we believe are safety issues,” the commissioner told media at his yearly address, “but I also believe it’s consistent with what we believe are the standards of sportsmanship that we’ve emphasized. We should take that out of the hands of the officials.” Any rule change must be approved by at least 24 of the 32 owners. John Mara wants such a rule to be clear as opposed to a gray area regarding low-end personal fouls. “To me, it’d have to be severe enough personal fouls as opposed to something like an incidental facemask,” Mara told Maske. Following the actions of Odell Beckham Jr. and Vontaze Burfict within a span of three weeks, the league would appear to have momentum to pass legislation of this sort.
- Geoff Schwartz would be hesitant if the Giants were to pursue his free agent brother Mitchell Schwartz, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports. The Giants are in need of a right tackle after turning to journeyman Marshall Newhouse last season, and the 26-year-old Mitchell Schwartz is arguably the best available. The Browns’ right-edge presence graded as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best tackle this season. “I don’t know if we would get along too well playing next to each other for a while, just because of our personalities,” Geoff Schwartz said. “Maybe after a week or so, we’d kind of get tired of each other. He’s a great player, don’t get me wrong. He’s the best right tackle this year, I hope he goes somewhere and gets every cent he can get. I just don’t know if the Giants are in position to pay a right tackle eight-and-a-half-, nine-million dollars.” Geoff Schwartz stands to make $3.9MM in base salary if the Giants bring the injury-prone guard/tackle back for a third season. He does not, however, want his brother to re-sign with the rebuilding Browns. “Obviously, you want to get your money, but you want to win. You don’t want to be on a losing team. He’s had four offensive coordinators in four years. He’s had three or four GMs, three head coaches. I mean, you can’t win that way,” Schwartz said.
- Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman did not activate the brakes when his Dodge Ram collided with a Honda Civic in October, injuring the other driver, according to the Seattle Times’ Lynn Thompson. Coleman, who played in a career-most 14 games for the Seahawks this season, was going 60 mph in 35-mph zone at the time of the crash, one that left the driver of the Honda Civic with a concussion and a broken collarbone. Coleman suffered a concussion in the accident while losing his hearing aid. Coleman told police he’d smoked a form of synthetic marijuana, not illegal in Washington, an hour before the collision.