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Sheldon Richardson

Trade Rumors: T. Smith, Browns, Richardson

October 30th, 2016 at 10:41am CST by Rory Parks

We heard last week that the Eagles, who are desperate for wide receiver help, were discussing a potential trade for the 49ers‘ Torrey Smith, but both Philadelphia and San Francisco refuted those reports just several days later. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said today that the Eagles are continuing to explore a trade for a receiver, and that the Smith talks are still alive. Florio added that it is unclear whether Philadelphia has its eyes on any other receiver at this point.

With Tuesday’s trade deadline fast approaching, let’s take a look at a few more trade-related notes:

  • Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Browns will indeed try to trade Josh Gordon prior to the deadline. We learned earlier today that Gordon was recently released from an inpatient rehab facility and that he is eligible to be traded despite the fact that he has not been reinstated by the NFL. Even if he is dealt, of course, he would need to be reinstated before suiting up for his new club.
  • We also learned earlier today that the Browns could look to move Joe Haden, who has been generating a fair amount of interest around the league, but that Joe Thomas will likely remain in Cleveland.
  • Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com says he would not be surprised if Eagles GM Howie Roseman at least made a call to the Browns to inquire about Josh Gordon.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that teams are calling the Jets about Sheldon Richardson. Such a trade would make plenty of sense, as Gang Green could move on from Richardson next year anyway, although Rich Cimini of ESPN.com does not believe the Jets would get enough in return for Richardson or Brandon Marshall to make trading either player worthwhile.
  • Although it appears as if the Buccaneers could be in the market for a wide receiver, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times does not believe the Bucs will swing a deal in advance of the trade deadline.

Extra Points: Cowboys, Richardson, Penn

October 29th, 2016 at 12:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL…

  • Sheldon Richardson is hoping his versatility will pay off… literally. The Jets defender has contributed on the defensive line and at linebacker this season, and the 25-year-old is hoping other team’s will recognize his versatility when he reaches free agency after next season. “I think it’ll give me more money, just to be honest,” Richardson said (via Dennis Waszak Jr. of the Associated Press). “My film don’t lie. You took a three-technique (lineman) that was drafted in the first round and put him at outside linebacker and he held his own…That’s just building up a resume for that.”
  • In 2014, left tackle Donald Penn saw his eight-year tenure with the Buccaneers come to an end after he was unceremoniously released. The 33-year-old, who now plays for the Raiders, will be making his return to Tampa Bay this weekend, and the veteran was adamant that he wants to stick it to his former team. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s very huge,” Penn told Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “You know me, I’m a straight forward guy. That’s definitely in my mind. I mean that’s something I’m never going to forget, when they released me.”
  • ESPN’s Adam Schefter details how the Cowboys ultimately landed rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, despite the fact that the team explored every other possibility at the position. The team brought in a whopping seven rookie quarterbacks for workouts (including Prescott, Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Paxton Lynch, Christian Hackenberg, Jacoby Brissett, and Connor Cook), and the team also took a look at veterans Nick Foles and Josh McCown.
  • In case you missed it, we learned yesterday that a number of teams are eyeing reinforcement on their offensive lines.

Jets Notes: Geno, Petty, Richardson

October 23rd, 2016 at 10:57am CST by Rory Parks

The Jets are just 1-5 and are turning the reins over to Geno Smith, but they have a chance to get back on track today against the banged-up and struggling Ravens. Let’s take a look at a few Jets-related notes as Gang Green attempts to right the ship:

  • Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com says that even though the Jets are putting their faith in Smith for the time being, the situation will remain fluid. Per Breer, New York could turn back to Ryan Fitzpatrick at some point this season, but the club also wants to get Bryce Petty some real game action to get a better idea of what they have in him (the coaching staff continues to believe that Christian Hackenberg is still too raw to be thrust into a regular-season contest). The Jets’ plans with Petty are part of the “competitive rebuild” that head coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan always knew the team needed. As Breer observes, of the 42 players the Jets cut from their 53-man roster over the past two years, only 13 are still in the league, which suggests that depth is still very much a work in progress.
  • Despite Breer’s report, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says Smith will get a “fair chance” to keep the starting job and will not necessarily be on a short leash.
  • The Jets recently worked out linebacker Lenny Jones and defensive end Josh Shirley, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
  • Rich Cimini of ESPN.com does not believe the Jets necessarily invested too much on their defensive line, but they did invest too much in defensive linemen with similar skill-sets (as Cimini observes, the team’s D-line consists of four defensive tackles). The team of course cannot move on from Muhammad Wilkerson after signing him to a massive contract this offseason, and New York will not move on from Leonard Williams, who may be the best player on the roster. That means that Sheldon Richardson, who has a fifth-year option for 2017, could be cut or traded after the season, although the market for his services will not be as robust as one might think. Per Cimini, opposing GMs are concerned about Richardson’s off-the-field issues.
  • In a separate piece, Cimini writes that there is a “bad vibe” in the Jets’ locker room at the moment, and although Bowles still commands the respect of his club, Cimini is beginning to wonder if the team can remain unified in the face of its losing streak, its generation gap–most of the best players on the club are either over 30 or under 25–and host of dominant personalities.

Jets Notes: Decker, Trades, Revis

October 22nd, 2016 at 9:36am CST by Ben Levine

Jets wideout Eric Decker recently underwent hip surgery, and the 29-year-old is also awaiting an operation to repair his partially torn rotator cuff. Despite these setbacks, Decker said he wouldn’t miss any games in 2017.

“I’m not worried about missing any time next year,” Decker said on ESPN New York (via Darryl Slater of NJ.com). “I’ll be fine by the start of next year.”

Decker will be on crutches for a few more weeks, and he’ll have his shoulder surgery once he’s recovered from his hip operation. The shoulder should take about eight months to recover, which should line up perfectly with offseason workouts.

“I think they say eight months is kind of the time frame where you’re back to full strength lifting,” Decker said. “But there are a lot of guys that say after six weeks, after eight weeks, they feel pretty good. And then it’s a matter of obviously strengthening the shoulder.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the Gang Green…

Sheldon Richardson Rejoins Jets

September 12th, 2016 at 4:12pm CST by Zachary Links

While the Jets were not victorious on Sunday against the Bengals, their defensive line was outstanding and gave Andy Dalton serious trouble. That D-Line is about to get even stronger as Sheldon Richardson is back from suspension. Today, Richardson rejoined the Jets in practice, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. Sheldon Richardson (vertical)

Richardson, 26 in November, was suspended one game for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. In July 2015, the defensive lineman was charged with resisting arrest and running a red light as he was going 143 mph in his car. The former-first round pick lost nearly $475K in base salary as a result of the one-game ban.

Last year, Richardson served a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Still, he tallied five sacks and forced a pair of fumbles. Pro Football Focus, which classified him as an edge defender, ranked him 30th out of 110 qualified players in the group.

The Jets received a roster exemption for Richardson, which means that they won’t have to make a corresponding move until tomorrow (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Cowboys, Elliott, Eagles, Jets

July 22nd, 2016 at 6:11pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Cowboys first-round rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott is currently a suspect in a domestic violence report, but there’s skepticism about its veracity from within the organization. One Cowboys source informed Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that the club thinks a Columbus woman’s allegations that Elliott assaulted her are flat-out untrue, but it warned the ex-Ohio State star to be more careful. Meanwhile, a team source told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, “The kid, we’ve done our research on him (before he became a Cowboy), it doesn’t point to that (being) part of his nature. That’s all I know.'”

More from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Former Lions head coach and current Eagles assistant Jim Schwartz is deferring to a neophyte, Doug Pederson, in Philadelphia, but he’ll essentially have full autonomy over the defense, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Schwartz, in fact, will be the “head coach on defense,” according to the offensive-minded Pederson. “He fully understands his role, his situation. He loves where he’s at as a coordinator,” Pederson said of Schwartz, who was 29-51 as Detroit’s head coach from 2009-13. Schwartz has accomplished more as a coordinator, including his stint atop a dominant Buffalo unit in 2014. Pederson is cognizant of that, saying, “My expertise is on offense. His is over there on defense. So whether I have suggestions or not, it’s our defense. But at the same time, he’s the master. He’s done it for 100 years. It’s proven. Just like the offense that I’ve been in is proven.”
  • Sheldon Richardson‘s motivation to land a lucrative contract extension and his full-time return to the Jets’ defensive line could lead to a huge season for the 25-year-old, argues Brian Costello of the New York Post. The Jets will no longer experiment with Richardson at linebacker, where he spent some time in 2015. He’s also entering the penultimate year of his contract and will be eligible to sign an extension after the upcoming season. New York just awarded a high-paying deal to fellow standout D-lineman Muhammad Wilkerson last week, of course, and Richardson will look to follow in his footsteps in 2017.
  • The Cowboys gave linebacker Justin Durant, who signed with them Monday, an $80K bonus and a $120K base salary guarantee on the one-year deal inked with the team. Durant will count $680K against their salary cap (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com).
  • In case you missed it, Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who’s entering a contract year, is unlikely to receive an extension.

Reactions To Muhammad Wilkerson’s Deal

July 16th, 2016 at 9:12am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets surprised the NFL yesterday by inking Muhammad Wilkerson to an extension. The five-year deal is worth $86MM, including $37MM in guaranteed money.

Predictably, the league’s pundits have plenty of reactions to the extension. Let’s take a look at the opinions and rumblings from around the NFL…

  • ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes that this is the biggest “upset victory” for the Jets since their win over the Patriots during the 2010 playoffs. The writer notes that it never made any sense to trade the 26-year-old star, and he commends general manager Mike Maccagnan for understanding the player’s value.
  • Cimini also points out that fellow defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson is now a “valuable bargaining chip.” If the team is pessimistic about signing him to a long-term extension, Cimini believes we could see Richardson on the trading block by next offseason.
  • Maccagnan’s “last order of business” is signing quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, writes Steve Serby of the New York Post. With newfound cap space, the team could easily offer the signal-caller a one-year deal worth $12MM, which would allow Fitzpatrick to hit free agency again next offseason.
  • The Wilkerson extension was a “major victory” for Maccagnan, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com was “stunned” by the extension, as he thought Wilkerson was the least likely of the extension candidates to sign a new deal. Of course, he also notes that the Jets still weren’t going to emerge as total winners, as the team could have saved about $3MM annually by signing Wilkerson a few years ago.

AFC East Notes: Brady, Jets, Bills, Bush

July 15th, 2016 at 5:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In response to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady abandoning his Deflategate fight on Friday and accepting his four-game suspension to begin the season, owner Robert Kraft issued a statement blasting the NFL for its handling of the matter. Kraft expressed frustration with the notion that Brady “was denied his right to a fair and impartial process. The League’s investigation into a football pressure matter was flawed and biased from the start, and has been discredited nearly unanimously by accredited academics and scientists.”

Kraft continued: “The penalty imposed by the NFL was unprecedented, unjust and unreasonable, especially given that no empirical or direct evidence of any kind showed Tom did anything to violate League rules prior to, during or after the 2015 AFC Championship Game. What Tom has had to endure throughout this 18-month ordeal has been, in my opinion, as far removed from due process as you could ever expect in this country.”

Unsurprisingly, Kraft went on to pledge both his and the franchise’s full support to Brady, saying, “This entire process has indelibly taken a toll on our organization, our fans and most importantly, Tom Brady. His reluctant decision to stop pursuing further action and to put this situation behind him is what he feels is best for the team in preparation for this season and is fully supported by me and our entire organization.”

Here’s more from around the AFC East, whose three other teams are likely feeling a little better about their chances in light of the Brady news:

  • Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson‘s stunning Friday extension with the Jets could spell trouble for Sheldon Richardson‘s long-term prospects with the club, opines CBS Sports’ Joel Corry, who wonders if the latter will end up on the trading block next year (Twitter link). Richardson, 25, is signed through the 2017 campaign at less than $10MM in combined salary, and he has palatable cap hits of $3.115MM and $8.069MM, respectively.
  • On the other hand, Albert Breer of TheMMQB (on Twitter) expects Richardson to stay with the Jets through at least his current contract. The Jets would then have an opportunity to decide whether to go forth with Richardson or Wilkerson, who has $37MM in guarantees coming his way through 2017, or even both. Gang Green will also have further time to develop fellow lineman Leonard Williams – its first-rounder last year – during that period, Breer points out.
  • Thanks to Karlos Williams‘ four-game suspension, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter) looks for the Bills to pursue free agent running back Reggie Bush. With Williams set to miss a quarter of the season and fellow backup Jonathan Williams dealing with his own off-field issues, the Bills suddenly don’t look nearly as deep in the backfield, though they’re still positioned well with LeSean McCoy, 2015 breakout Mike Gillislee and Dan Herron in the fold. Bush, meanwhile, hasn’t yet found work since tearing his ACL as a member of the 49ers last November.

AFC East Notes: Richardson, Giacomini, Dolphins

July 1st, 2016 at 11:32am CST by Ben Levine

Yesterday, Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson was suspended one game for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. After having previously been arrested for driving 143 mph, the 25-year-old was actually grateful that he didn’t earn a longer suspension.

“So the league has sent down there decision,” Richardson wrote on Instagram, “I have to live with it I’m grateful it could have been more but this is overspill from a silly offseason on my part but I’ve grown from it been pass it….I’m still smiling like its draft day.”

Fortunately, as RosterResource.com shows, the Jets should have enough depth on the defensive line to make up for Richardson’s one-game absence. Of course, there’s still lingering concern over the status of fellow d-lineman Muhammad Wilkerson.

While we await some clarity on that situation, let’s check out some more notes from the AFC East…

  • This upcoming season could be right tackle Breno Giacomini‘s final year with the Jets, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. The lineman didn’t have a strong 2015 campaign, and the writer sees little reason why the 30-year-old will improve in 2016. The organization could save $4.5MM against the cap by cutting Giacomini following the season.
  • The Dolphins added plenty of reinforcement to the offensive line this past offseason. The team selected Laremy Tunsil in the first round, and they also added free agents Jermon Bushrod, Kraig Urbik and Sam Young. With this newfound depth, Mike Pouncey is expecting a bounceback season from the unit. “Obviously, we feel like we got a lot of talent on [the] offensive line,” Pouncey told ESPN.com’s James Walker. “We feel comfortable about the guys that we got in our room. This will be one of the first years in a long time we’ll have depth going into the season. As long as everyone stays healthy, we look forward to having a good year.”
  • Speaking of Tunsil, ESPN.com’s AFC East reporters explain how the first-round pick could ultimately help Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Johnny Manziel, Sheldon Richardson Suspended

June 30th, 2016 at 11:56am CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent quarterback Johnny Manziel will be suspended four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, according to TMZ. Meanwhile, Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson will miss the 2016 season opener, as the NFL has announced that Richardson will be suspended one game for violating the personal conduct policy.Johnny Manziel (vertical)

The TMZ report specifies that Manziel’s suspension is for substance abuse, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports that Manziel will be subject to the NFL’s personal conduct policy if he returns to the league. Manziel was involved in a domestic violence incident with his ex-girlfriend earlier this year, and is thought to be the subject of an NFL investigation. Earlier this week, Manziel’s father spoke out about his son, labeling him a “druggie” and indicating that he needs help and rehabilitation.

Clearly, this suspension only adds to any reluctance a club would have when considering signing Manziel. Manziel does need to be on an NFL roster to serve the ban — in other words, even if he signs in Week 5, he’ll still have to sit out four games. But if he doesn’t return to the league in 2016 (which at this point seems likely), the suspension will not roll over to 2017, according to TMZ. There will be no appeal of the ban, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), because Manziel has refused to cooperate with the appeals process.

Richardson, meanwhile, avoided jail time for a July 2015 incident in which he was charged with resisting arrest, speeding, and running a red light, but he won’t evade punishment from the NFL. This marks the second suspension for Richarson, who also missed the first four games of last season after violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The former-first round pick will lose nearly $475K in base salary as a result of the suspension.Sheldon Richardson (vertical)

New York faces the Bengals in Week 1, so the club will have to count on other defensive lineman to compensate for the loss of Richardson. As Roster Resource shows, Gang Green has a solid stable of lineman it can rely on, including last year’s first-round pick Leonard Williams, All Pro Muhammad Wilkerson, and free agent signings Steve McLendon, Jarvis Jenkins, and Shelby Harris, among others.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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