Extra Points: San Diego, Hardy, NFLPA
The city of San Diego is looking more and more like they will lose the Chargers in the near future, but Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune hopes that the organization retiring LaDainian Tomlinson’s jersey could save the team. He writes that team chairman Dean Spanos has a soft spot for his future Hall of Fame running back, and that an emotional moment of honoring him could be the impetus for a change of heart and new commitment to keep the Chargers in San Diego.
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network touches on many topics in his latest column for NFL.com, providing a few more details on Greg Hardy‘s absence from a Cowboys team meeting, and noting that the NFL will send a contingent to Mexico City for the second time in three weeks, with an eye toward getting Azteca Stadium NFL-ready for a 2016 game.
- The NFL’s general counsel Jeff Pash confirmed the the league and player’s union are having substantive talks regarding player discipline, reports Mark Maske of the Washington Post (via Twitter). In the talks, the NFL is still against including any third-party arbitration.
- Pash did make a statement over the status of the negotiations, according to Maske (via Twitter). “I don’t think we’ll get it done tomorrow. I do think… we can get there.”
Extra Points: Goodell, Los Angeles, Draft
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.
NFC East Notes: Collins, Cruz, JPP
Before choosing to sign with the Cowboys, offensive lineman La’el Collins whittled down his list of suitors from 16, to eight, to six. That list of finalists included the the Bucs, Chargers, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, and, of course, the Cowboys, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes.
In total, agent Deryk Gilmore of Priority Sports estimates that he was contacted by at least 25 interested teams. Gilmore also estimates that Collins going undrafted cost his client at least $14MM, because that’s the amount that offensive lineman Ereck Flowers got from the Giants on a four-year deal. The agent feels that Collins would not have slipped past the Giants at No. 9, but that should probably be taken with a grain of salt since many mock drafts had the LSU product going later in the first round.
Here’s more out of the NFC East:
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter) could see the Giants moving on from pending free agent wide receiver Rueben Randle this offseason. He feels that Victor Cruz, on the other hand, could be back with the team on a reduced deal. Graziano (on Twitter) also opines that Jason Pierre-Paul is more likely to stay with the club than he was a few weeks ago because of the way he has carried himself since his return. Things were rather contentious between JPP and the Giants this offseason, but everything seems to have mellowed and the defensive end has been productive.
- Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that the competition committee was “unanimous” in its decision to OK the trading of compensatory picks. The new rule “creates new opportunities” for teams looking to trade, he added.
- Earlier tonight we ran down a few items on the Cowboys, including an op-ed from a leading NFLPA official regarding Greg Hardy.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/15
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: TE Konrad Reuland (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: CB Terrance Mitchell (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of ESPN.com)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DB Tim Scott, LB Keith Smith (Twitter link via David Helman of DallasCowboys.com)
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Joseph Fauria, CB Chris Greenwood, S Brock Vereen (Twitter links via Field Yates of ESPN.com and Doug Kyed of NESN.com)
- Cut: S Dewey McDonald, S Ross Ventrone (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Ben Edwards, C Shane McDermott (link via Jordan Raanan of NJ.com)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: WR Donte Foster (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post)
Seattle Seahawks
- To be signed: WR/CB Douglas McNeil (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com)
- Cut: DL Julius Warmsley (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: DT Doug Worthington (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: G Josh Allen, LB Josh Keyes (press release via team)
Malcom Floyd Still Plans To Retire
Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd stated all season long that this would be his last NFL campaign, but some speculated that his recent shoulder injury, thought to be a season-ender, could throw that plan into flux. On Tuesday, teammate Antonio Gates became the latest to question the finality of Floyd’s decision. However, Floyd has put all of that talk to bed.
“Means a lot from my big brother but I’m still sticking to the original plan,” Floyd said of Gates’ words of encouragement (via Annie Heilbrunn of Mighty 1090).
Floyd, 33, has been a Charger since joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2004, but had one of the most productive seasons of his long career in 2014. Starting all 16 games for the first time, Floyd caught 52 balls and matched career highs with 856 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The performance increased Floyd’s career totals to 291 receptions, 4,989 yards, and 31 TDs. In 2015, Floyd reeled in 21 catches for 409 yards and three touchdowns before the shoulder injury.
The 2016 offseason may represent a major transition period for the Chargers, whose future as a franchise in San Diego is uncertain. Besides Floyd, longtime Chargers like Gates and Eric Weddle are in the final year of their respective contracts as well.
West Notes: A. Smith, Floyd, Foles
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.”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/17/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Corey Washington (Twitter link via Art Stapleton of The Record), LB Khaseem Greene (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DE B.J. McBryde (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
- Cut: DT Eric Crume
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Ross Travis (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)
- Cut: DT Hebron Fangupo
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: T/G Chris Martin (Twitter link via agent Brett Tessler)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: TE Dominique Jones (Twitter link via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com)
New York Giants
- Cut: WR Julian Talley (via press release)
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: RB George Atkinson, OL Adam Gettis (Twitter link via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com)
- Cut: RB Rajion Neal
San Diego Chargers
- Cut: S Matt Daniels (Twitter link via Matt Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Justin Hamilton, DB Trovon Reed (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: OL David Arkin (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)
- Cut: DE Gerald Rivers (Twitter link via Howard Balzer of USA Today)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cut: S Akeem Davis, LB Quayshawn Nealy (press release)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OLB Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil, CB Shaquille Richardson
- Cut: OLB Markus Pierce-Brewster (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of Titans Online)
Los Angeles Relocation Fee To Be $500MM+
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.
Sunday Roundup: O’Brien, Harbaugh, Lacy
As the early Week 10 games get underway, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:
- Texans owner Bob McNair is understandably disappointed with his club’s performance this year under second-year head coach Bill O’Brien, and rumors persist that O’Brien could be on his way out at the end of the season while GM Rick Smith, long a McNair favorite, could stay in Houston. If that happens, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that O’Brien is “very intrigued” by the head coaching job at the University of Maryland, which is a more attractive position than some outsiders may realize. O’Brien fits Maryland’s criteria–a relatively young offensive mind who can run a quality pro-style offense–and he previously served as an assistant coach with the Terrapins. Current Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich is also reportedly interested in the job.
- Although it was expected that Texans TE Ryan Griffin would play this week, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle reports that the team did not activate Griffin from the Injured Reserve-Designated To Return list before a Saturday afternoon deadline, meaning he will have to wait until next week to get back into game action. As Wilson writes, Griffin has recovered from a sprained MCL suffered during the season-opener against Kansas City, but he is still working his way back into football shape.
- After Michigan’s narrow win over Indiana last night, an Indiana-based reporter began to ask Wolverines head coach–and former Colts quarterback–Jim Harbaugh if he would have any interest in the Colts head coaching position should it become available at the end of the season, as is widely expected. Per Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com, Harbaugh did not allow the reporter to finish the question, saying simply, “Stop. Just stop yourself. No comment.”
- Eddie Lacy was a surprise entry on the Packers‘ inactive list today, but he has disappointed all season. Some of Lacy’s struggles can be attributed to injury, some to poor blocking, and some to Lacy’s physical condition (he is noticeably heavier than last year). As Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com writes, Lacy is facing a crossroads in his young career, and Green Bay hopes that the emergence of James Starks, coupled with Lacy’s difficulties, will spur the latter back to his previous level of success.
- Mark Kiszla and Troy Renck of The Denver Post debate whether the Broncos should give backup quarterback Brock Osweiler some snaps down the stretch in order to preserve Peyton Manning for what will likely be his last playoff run. As long as a first-round bye is at stake, Osweiler will remain on the sidelines, unless the outcome of a particular game is no longer in doubt.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com breaks down the upcoming free agent and trade markets for quarterbacks.
Latest On Los Angeles
11:37am: In a separate piece, La Canfora reports that former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. is in discussions with Raiders owner Mark Davis about joining Davis’ ownership group. Davis, who has been actively seeking minority partners that would inject additional capital into his franchise in advance of the team’s potential move to LA, has previously been very reluctant to yield any controlling interest in the club to others, but given DeBartolo’s excellent reputation around the league, and given that the Carson project still needs to procure more support from other league owners to move forward, Davis may be willing to make an exception. Nothing is imminent at this time, but this is still a development worth keeping an eye on.
10:59am: We heard earlier this week that although the Carson stadium proposal put forth by the Chargers and Raiders continues to gain momentum– particularly now that Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger has agreed to become chairman of the project–there are still a number of high-profile owners who back the Inglewood project, which would see Rams owner Stan Kroenke move his club to Los Angeles.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, those high-profile holdouts include Jerry Jones of the Cowboys, Robert Kraft of the Patriots, Dan Snyder of Washington, Jeffrey Lurie of the Eagles, Woody Johnson of the Jets, Ziggy Wilf of the Vikings, and Steve Biscotti of the Ravens. Bengals owner Mike Brown, meanwhile, frequently abstains from voting and would therefore be counted as a “nay” vote for either project. The Bills, Falcons, and 49ers apparently hold the “swing votes.”
As La Canfora writes, a number of owners were concerned that the Spanos and Davis families’ lack of prior experience in deals of this magnitude would be a major blow to the Carson project. However, the inclusion of Iger, who would “oversee the design, construction and development of the stadium, as well as set the vision for the marketing, branding and in-game experience,” has largely assuaged that concern. But the Carson project still does not have quite enough support from other owners to move forward. Either bid would need the approval of 24 owners, and La Canfora says that while the Carson bid has grown increasingly viable with the addition of Iger, the Kroenke supporters could still quash it.
Nonetheless, Iger’s decision to come aboard at this point in the process could signal his belief that the Carson project will obtain the ownership support it needs. While the Carson team will need at least one of the current Kroenke backers to change his vote, it appears increasingly likely that will happen.