Extra Points: Rivers, Brown, Johnson
A federal judge has approved a plan to resolve thousands of NFL concussion lawsuits that could cost the league $1 billion over 65 years, Maryclaire Dale of The Associated Press writes. The awards could reach $1MM to $5MM for those diagnosed in their 30s and 40s with Parkinson’s disease or Lou Gehrig’s disease, or for deaths involving chronic brain trauma. NFL actuaries estimate 6,000 of nearly 20,000 retired players to someday suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or moderate dementia. The settlement between the two sides ends a four-year legal battle. Here’s more from around the league..
- A possible trade of Philip Rivers to the Titans is complicated by the fact that Tennessee would have to work out a contract extension in the days prior to the deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. A deal couldn’t begin and end while the Titans are on the clock at No. 2 since Tennessee would need permission from the Chargers to work on Rivers’ contract (link).
- Antonio Brown took to Twitter to explain his absence from the Steelers‘ voluntary offseason program. “Just enjoying my new born Ali can not wait to get back with my teammates! I am dad first and working to be best player I can be,” Brown tweeted. It’s very possible that Brown is holding out for a new contract too, but that’s apparently not the sole reason.
- Andre Johnson insists that he didn’t sign with the Colts just to get revenge on his former team, as Stephen Holder of the Indy Star tweets. “I didn’t come here because we play against the Texans twice a year..I have bigger goals than just playing against the Texans,” the wide receiver said. Johnson signed with the Colts on a three-year, $21MM deal.
- Former Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla working out this spring and is a player worth watching, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets.
- Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton feels that he could form an “unstoppable” duo with Haloti Ngata if the Lions draft him, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
Pro Football Rumors On Social Media, RSS
The NFL’s 2015 free agent period is essentially in the books, with only a handful of intriguing players still on the market. However, there’s still plenty of action to follow at Pro Football Rumors, as the 2015 draft quickly approaches and trade rumors swirl around big names like Philip Rivers and Adrian Peterson.
Over the next several weeks and months, there will be plenty of notable stories to track on PFR, and you don’t necessarily have to keep refreshing our site to keep tabs on them. There are a handful of different ways you can follow us to get the latest updates on NFL news and rumors all year.
You can like us on Facebook, and receive headlines and links for all our posts via your Facebook account. You can also follow us on Twitter to have all our posts and updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. Meanwhile, our Google+ page is located here, and if you’d like to follow us using your RSS reader of choice, you can find our RSS feed right here.
If you prefer to receive updates only on roster moves such as signings, cuts, and trades, you can follow our transactions-only feeds via RSS and Twitter. And don’t forget to check out our app for iOS and Android, which is available right here.
Facebook/Twitter/RSS Feeds By Team
We’ve detailed how you can follow Pro Football Rumors on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or using an RSS reader to ensure that you receive all of our updates, 365 days a year. If you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NFL team, PFR has you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 32 teams.
AFC East
- Bills: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
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AFC North
- Bengals: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Browns: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Ravens: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Steelers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
AFC South
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- Texans: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
- Titans: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
AFC West
- Broncos: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
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NFC East
- Cowboys: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
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NFC North
- Bears: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
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NFC South
- Buccaneers: Facebook / Twitter / RSS
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NFC West
Extra Points: Tillman, Talib, Los Angeles, Peterson
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Wednesday night…
- Former Bears cornerback Charles Tillman visited the Panthers earlier this evening, reports ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson (via Twitter). The reporter notes that the two sides have yet to discuss a contract.
- Rebecca Lopez of WFAA-TV in Dallas reports (via Twitter) that Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib is being investigated for aggravated assault earlier this morning. The 29-year-old’s brother, Yaqub, is also being investigated by police. According to ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, the pair were questioned by police early Wednesday, but no one was arrested.
- Addressing a rumor going around, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) dismisses the notion that the Eagles have any real interest in acquiring Johnny Manziel. According to Cole, the Browns tossed out the idea in a conversation with Philadelphia, but it didn’t gain any traction. Of course, Cleveland also reportedly offered the Eagles a first-round pick for Sam Bradford.
- In an extensive and interesting piece, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times examines nine potential outcomes for an NFL move to Los Angeles, including scenarios in which multiple teams relocate and scenarios in which just one of the Rams, Chargers, or Raiders makes the move.
- The NFL submitted it’s appeal to the Eighth Circuit Court regarding Adrian Peterson, according to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). Once it’s filed, the NFL Player’s Association will have 14 days to respond. As Pelissero notes (via Twitter), the appeal “has more to do with precedent than Peterson,” adding that the running back could realistically be reinstated regardless of the outcome.
- Count Reggie Bush among those who are rooting for Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne to make the 49ers. The running back expressed his confidence to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I’m sure he’ll make it, I don’t think there’s any doubt in anybody’s mind he’ll make the roster,” Bush said. “He has all the talents and athleticism to be able to play in this league and to be able to play at a high level in this league…I think making the team is actually the least of his worries.”
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android
As free agency winds down and the 2015 NFL draft approaches, you can follow all the latest news and rumors with the Trade Rumors app for iOS and Android devices! Here are some of the features of the app:
- Customize your home screen. The app has feeds for Pro Football Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, and Hoops Rumors by default, but if you’re more of a one- or two-sport person, you can easily remove and reorder feeds. You can also add a feed for any of the 92 MLB, NFL, or NBA teams, as well as the thousands of players in the archives of our three sites. Please note that the default ordering puts MLB Trade Rumors on your home screen, but you can easily go into Settings to reorder and add or remove feeds.
- In addition to customizing your feeds, you can also set up notifications at the sport, team, or even player level, and receive a notification as soon as a new article is posted on that topic.
- We’ve also allowed for filtering of all stories versus top stories, for what is shown on the home screen as well as for notifications. This allows you to limit yourself to just the most important news for a feed, if you prefer.
- Article sharing options are plentiful: choose Facebook, Twitter, email, and text message.
- Once you’ve clicked an article in a feed, you can swipe to read the next article in that feed.
Best of all? The Trade Rumors app is free! Download it today for iOS or Android.
West Notes: LA, Chargers, Broncos, Cardinals
With several NFL teams (including the Chargers) interested in moving to Los Angeles, Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune looks at the concept of relocation fees, the money that a club will have to pay to the league in exchange for changing cities. Per Canepa, the owners haven’t formalized the price tag of moving just yet, but he hears that it could be anywhere from $250MM to $500MM. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains, commissioner Roger Goodell has the “discretion to adjust the transfer free based on the NFL’s interest in encouraging the move or discouraging the move,” so if the league is in favor of a team moving to LA, the fee could conceivably be (relatively) modest.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the West divisions:
- In an in-depth piece on teams’ departures effect on cities, Jonathan Horn of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports cities that lose teams pay more to bring football back than keeping their existing franchises. Houston, which lost the Oilers after the 1996 season, topped the list in paying $519MM to spawn the Texans. St. Louis, Baltimore, Cleveland and Houston averaged just more than $225MM in costs for their respective new stadiums. So while a club like the Chargers could vacate its home city, its conceivable that San Diego fans could yearn for an NFL return in due time.
- The Broncos made it a priority to bring in players who were familiar with new head coach Gary Kubiak‘s offensive scheme, a strategy that is especially evident along the offensive line, writes Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Center Gino Gradkowski and guard Shelley Smith, acquired via trade and free agency respectively, each have a history with both Kubiak and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison.
- With this year’s draft less than four weeks away, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com examines who could be available to the Cardinals with the 24th pick, noting that the club could be in a position to take the best player available. Weinfuss points to Stanford tackle Andrus Peat and Kentucky edge rusher Bud Dupree as logical candidates for Arizona.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
NFC North Notes: Ngata, Copeland, Rodgers
We had a fairly exciting Friday, with a number of players finding new homes for the 2015 NFL season.
Before calling it a night, here are some notes from around the NFC North:
- If you were waiting for fireworks between the Ravens and Lions regarding Haloti Ngata, prepare to be disappointed. The Lions released a statement on Thursday, saying that they were not concerned about comments made by Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti regarding Ngata on a Wednesday conference call. “The Ravens have reached out to us concerning the comments made yesterday by Steve Bisciotti regarding Haloti Ngata,” the Lions’ statement read, according to Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. “We appreciate both the Ravens’ professionalism and the context in which Mr. Bisciotti’s comments were made. We consider the matter to be a non-issue.”
- Linebacker Brandon Copeland visited five teams and had a dozen teams interested in signing him before he agreed to join the Lions, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
- Jacquizz Rodgers‘ one-year deal with the Bears is for the minimum salary, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). The deal has a $745K base salary with a $40K signing bonus.
NFC East Notes: Mariota, Giants, Eagles, Cowboys
Washington has been insistent that they are committed to Robert Griffin III as their franchise quarterback, but that does not mean they aren’t doing diligence on the top passers in the draft. The team plans to host Marcus Mariota for a pre-draft visit, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
“If we think it’s worth the risk to hit the ‘reset button,’ if he’s that good of a football player, if we decide in the building that he’s that good of a football player and that we should do that, then we should do that, you know?,” said head coach Jay Gruden said. “But we’ll see. It has not been determined yet, obviously. We still have some time to determine whether or not we want to go in that direction.”
It is uncertain if Mariota would even be available for the team at the fifth selection.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- Building off reports that Washington will have Mariota for a visit, John Keim of ESPN offers some thoughts on the connection between player and team. He writes that it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the team is at least having him in for a visit, as he is projected to go in the range of their selection, and the teams are allotted 30 visits. He also notes that there are real concerns over Griffin’s standing within the organization, as well as concerns about Mariota’s NFL projection.
- While Washington has expressed some interest in Mariota, Ross Jones of Fox Sports highlights three players who make more sense for the team. He picks pass rushers Randy Gregory and Shane Ray as options, as well as offensive tackle Brandon Scherff.
- The Giants have a need at safety after losing Antrel Rolle to the Bears, but may be able to fill that hole on the second day of the draft, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Citing Mel Kiper of ESPN, Raanan picks out a few safeties who could be available when the Giants come to the podium in rounds two and three, including Byron Jones of Connecticut and Eric Rowe of Utah.
- The Eagles have been engaged in trade talks with the Dolphins, who are reportedly interested in a member of their defensive backfield, writes Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. While the specific player is not known, Shorr-Parks surmises it is either Brandon Boykin, Earl Wolff, or Jerome Couplin.
- The Cowboys are known for having one of the top offensive lines in the league, but that wouldn’t preclude them to adding to a strength in the draft, and Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News has profiled a number of offensive linemen that could be of interest to the team.
Lance Briggs To Visit 49ers
Linebacker Lance Briggs is scheduled to meet with the 49ers on Monday, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Briggs played his whole career with the Chicago Bears, playing in 173 games and earning seven Pro Bowl appearances while making a case for the Hall of Fame.
However, it has already been made clear that he would be not returning to Chicago for the 2015 season. The team is ready to move on from Briggs, who struggled with injuries the past two seasons, as they try to rebuild their defense under new head coach John Fox.
The 49ers have expressed interest in a number of linebackers since the surprise retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland. Aside from Briggs, the team has also been linked to Erin Henderson and Mason Foster.
Briggs has also drawn interest from the Cowboys and Buccaneers, where he is familiar with head coach Lovie Smith.
NFC Links: Ball, McClain, Panthers, Cardinals
Veteran cornerback Alan Ball rejected the Panthers offer in free agency, eventually opting to sign with the Bears. The former seventh-round pick discussed his decision to join Chicago with Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune:
“I just see opportunity in a new defense that is coming in. I’ve watched Vic [Fangio]’s defense in the past and what he does for his players and the situations he puts them in. You have to be excited about that. [Ed] Donatell does a good job with players as well and John Fox, no matter who you ask, they say the same thing about him as a head coach.
“I like the whole situation with those guys after being around them and (general manager) Ryan Pace. It’s good energy and it is something to be excited about. I don’t want to talk numbers. The Bears were competitive. The reason I made the decision overall was because of fit.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC…
- Despite previous reports the the Cowboys wanted to bring back linebacker Rolando McClain, Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News says the two sides are very far apart. Following the deals signed by linebackers Bruce Carter and Justin Durant, Sturm concludes that it’s a “buyer’s market.” Our own Luke Adams analyzed McClain’s free agent stock yesterday.
- Free agent offensive lineman Ben Ijalana visited the Panthers on Friday, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The former second-round pick has played only seven games since joining the NFL in 2011.
- An interesting detail on Alameda Ta’amu‘s contract with the Cardinals (via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com): the nose tackle’s $216K workout bonus is based on the player making weight. The 24-year-old will make $36K for making weight at each of his six weigh-ins.