2015 July - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Justin Hunter Updates: Tuesday

July 21st, 2015 at 8:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Having allegedly been involved in a bar fight over the Fourth of July weekend earlier this month, Titans wide receiver Justin Hunter was arrested in Virginia on reported allegations of “malicious intent.” The Titans issued a brief statement yesterday, indicating that the team was aware of the situation and was still in fact-gathering mode.

While Tennessee continues to gather facts, more details of Hunter’s situation are emerging. We’ll round up Tuesday’s updates in this space, with any additional news added to the top of the page throughout the day:

The Titans will let the legal process play out, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. Hunter can be expected to take part when training camp opens despite his arrest for felony assault, Werder’s source indicates.
Hunter’s attorneys have released a statement (via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com on Twitter): “Justin has been released on $25k bond with normal and reasonable conditions. Based upon all the factors that the court must consider, including prior history and character, strength of the case, and risk of flight, the judge recognized that bond was appropriate. We look forward to vigorously defending the allegations.”
After appearing in court today, Hunter was released on a $25K bond and was placed under a curfew, writes Brock Vergakis of The Associated Press. Per Vergakis, Hunter was charged with malicious wounding.
During today’s arraignment, prosecutors said that Hunter started a fight on July 3 by punching a man in the face twice, writes Vergakis. According to prosecutors, after the bar was cleared, Hunter punched the man again while he was bent over spitting out blood on the sidewalk. The man allegedly had a broken jaw as a result of the assault.

Earlier updates:

The victim in the fight that led to Hunter’s arrest was admitted to the hospital with apparent broken bones, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who cites Virginia police. Rapoport adds in a second tweet that Hunter’s “weapon” was his fists.
The victim that pressed charges against Hunter sustained “serious, but not life-threatening” injuries during the brawl inside the Sandbar Raw Bar on July 3, a Virginia Beach police officer tells Terry McCormick of 247Sports.com.
Having turned himself in on Monday, Hunter was booked and held overnight without bond, though bond will likely be set in the case today, writes McCormick. The wideout is scheduled to appear this afternoon in a Virginia courtroom for arraignment on a felonious assault charge.
During today’s court appearance, Hunter’s next court date will also be set — that date should be about six weeks from now, says McCormick.

Chris Cooley Contemplating Comeback

July 21st, 2015 at 8:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Chris Cooley has been away from the gridiron since the 2012 season but he’s giving some thought to a comeback attempt, as Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post writes. The 33-year-old, who never formally retired, says that he feels “[expletive] awesome” and is confident that he can give it another go.

“If I went to camp, I could be anybody’s third tight end, worst case,” he said. “I have no doubt. Any team in the NFL, I could be their third tight end. There’s not a question in my mind.”

Cooley was just 30 when he decided to walk away from his NFL career and start a new one in sports radio. Cooley was cut by Washington in training camp in 2012 but was brought back during the playoffs when Fred Davis went down with an injury. That offseason, Cooley was leery of playing for anyone but Washington and he intimated that his asking price was higher than the offers he was receiving from other teams.

The tight end wound up signing a radio deal, though the contract included an out in case a football opportunity emerged. Steinberg writes that two NFL assistant coaches, including Jay Gruden who was with the Bengals at the time, informed him of their interest only to be told that Cooley was done. Given Gruden’s previous fondness of Cooley and the tight end’s deep connections to Washington, one can’t help but wonder if there could be a connection in D.C.

In nine seasons with Washington, Cooley hauled in a total of 429 receptions – the all-time high for any tight end in franchise history – 4,711 yards, and 33 touchdowns. The veteran made his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2007, catching 66 balls for 786 yards and 8 touchdowns. He followed that up in 2008 with another Pro Bowl appearance thanks to his 83 catches, 849 yards, and one touchdown. In both campaigns, Cooley started in all 16 regular season contests.

Titans Sign Marcus Mariota

July 21st, 2015 at 6:45pm CST by Zachary Links

6:45pm: The deal has partial offset language, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (on Twitter).

6:35pm: Finally, it’s a done deal. The Titans announced on Tuesday night that they have signed rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota.

“We are glad to have the deal with Marcus done, and I’d like to thank both Marcus and his representatives for their diligence in working with us to finalize this contract,” said Titans Executive Vice President and General Manager Ruston Webster. “We were confident that Marcus would be under contract before training camp, and we look forward to him starting his career on time with his teammates when we open camp next week. This is an exciting time for the Tennessee Titans organization, and we look forward to a bright future.”

Negotiations between Tennessee and the No. 2 overall pick went on much, much longer than anyone anticipated. Eventually, it came to light that the dispute stemmed from whether the contract would include offset language. As explained by Luke Adams of PFR last summer, offset language relates to what happens to a player’s salary if he’s cut during the first four years of his career, while he’s still playing on his rookie contract. For the top 15 to 20 picks in the draft, those four-year salaries will be fully guaranteed, even if a player is waived at some point during those four seasons. For example, if a player has $4MM in guaranteed money remaining on his contract and is cut, he’ll still be owed that $4MM.

However, if a team has written offset language into the contract, that club can save some money if and when the player signs with a new team. For example, if that player who had $4MM in guaranteed money left on his contract signs with a new club on a $1MM deal, his old team would only be on the hook for $3MM, with the new team making up the difference. If there’s no offset language on that first deal, the old team would continue to be on the hook for the full $4MM, and the player would simply earn an additional $1MM from his new club.

No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston didn’t force the issue on offsets, choosing instead to agree to a contract with the Bucs the day after he was drafted. Only one player selected in the top 10 – third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. – has a deal without offset language.

In 2014, the Hawaii native directed the most efficient offense (23.5) in the country and led all quarterbacks nationally with a total quarterback rating of 90.9. Mariota finished the season ranked third among FBS quarterbacks with 4,454 passing yards and amassed 42 passing touchdowns, while rushing for 770 yards and 15 scores. The Oregon QB was regarded by some as the best signal caller in the draft, though the Bucs felt differently and selected Winston No. 1.

Now, only two draft picks remain unsigned: Colts cornerback D’Joun Smith and Colts defensive lineman Henry Anderson.

Bills To Decide On Aaron Kromer Soon

July 21st, 2015 at 6:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills are wrapping up their investigation into the arrest of offensive line coach Aaron Kromer and a decision on his future with the team could be known before the end of the week, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. Kromer, of course, allegedly punched a teenage boy in a dispute over beach chairs.

If Kromer is dismissed, the Bills would likely promote assistant offensive line coach Kurt Anderson to offensive line coach, an NFL source told Carucci. Carucci also hears that if Kromer is canned, they’ll follow a course of firing him with cause and, therefore, not pay him his salary, believed to be slightly more than $1MM annually. Kromer then could file a grievance, but from the outside, that would seem like an uphill battle at that point.

Kromer is due in court on August 12th, when he is expected to enter a plea. However, the Bills are not obligated to wait for that or any plea deal the coach might work out with prosecutors, according to Carucci’s NFL source, and there are strong indications they won’t.

The 48-year-old was at the center of another story in Chicago last season, when he admitted to being the leak for a report in which an anonymous Bears source criticized the play of quarterback Jay Cutler. Having gone from an interim head coach in New Orleans to an offensive coordinator in Chicago to an offensive line coach in Buffalo, Kromer had already seen his coaching career trending in the wrong direction in recent years.

Community Tailgate: Philip Rivers’ Contract

July 21st, 2015 at 5:06pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re still several weeks away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this month, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Today, we’ll be discussing Philip Rivers and his contract status. Monday night, we learned that the Bolts hope to have a new deal in place with their starting quarterback before the start of training camp. It wasn’t long ago that Rivers’ future beyond 2015 was highly in question. In fact, there were rumblings that he would be wearing a different uniform this spring. Outside of perhaps Adrian Peterson, no veteran Pro Bowler was mentioned more as a potential trade candidate in April as Rivers.

Ultimately, Rivers was not dealt for Marcus Mariota or anyone else. The signal caller is set to make a total of $17.42MM in his walk year and the Bolts seem hopeful that they’ll get a new deal done, despite Rivers’ reported reservations about playing in Los Angeles. It’s fair to wonder, however, if the two sides will see eye-to-eye on his value. Rivers started all 16 games for the Chargers last season and threw for 4,286 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. In 2014, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Rivers as the seventh-best quarterback in the league last season, putting him ahead of Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, and Peyton Manning. Still, Rivers is 33-year-old and it’s fair to wonder if he’ll continue playing at that level.

When all is said and done, do you expect the Chargers and Rivers to reach agreement on a new deal? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Wayne Hunter To Retire

July 21st, 2015 at 4:44pm CST by Luke Adams

4:44pm: Hunter has decided to retire following his release, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. Rodak (link) adds that the Bills’ decision to release Hunter was his own decision since he didn’t feel like his body was good enough to play again. The Bills, he says, could pursue more offensive line depth between now and the start of camp.

3:51pm: Despite an effort to return to action in the NFL for the first time since 2012, veteran offensive lineman Wayne Hunter saw his time in Buffalo cut short after just three weeks. According to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter), the Bills have released Hunter, less than a month after signing him.

Hunter, who started all 16 games at right tackle for the Jets in 2011, was widely criticized by fans during his time in New York. In his final year in green, Hunter graded out as one of the very worst tackles in the NFL, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Hunter finished with an overall grade of -24.6, ranking him 71st out of 76 qualified players at the position.

In August of 2012, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer convinced the Rams to send Jason Smith to the Jets in order to bring Hunter to St. Louis. Hunter fared slightly better in his 14 games (4 starts) with the Rams, but still graded out with a below average mark, according to PFF.

Given the somewhat unsettled situation on the Bills’ offensive line, Hunter’s former head coach, Rex Ryan, wanted to take a look at his old tackle. However, the audition didn’t last long — Hunter, who turned 34 earlier this month, will return to the free agent list immediately since he’s not subject to waivers.

Chiefs Waive Justin Cox

July 21st, 2015 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after he was arrested in Mississippi, defensive back Justin Cox has been waived by the Chiefs, the team confirmed this afternoon (via Twitter). Cox will become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers tomorrow.

Cox, who played his college ball at Mississippi State, was suspended indefinitely by the team after being arrested last November. He wasn’t selected in the draft, but quickly found an NFL home in May, signing with Kansas City and receiving a $10K signing bonus.

However, following his Monday arrest, the Chiefs decided to part ways with Cox. The Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Michael Bonner of The Clarion-Ledger that Cox was charged with aggravated domestic violence, burglary of a residence, and trespassing on Monday, nearly identical charges to the ones he faced last year.

Goodell: No Timeline For Brady Decision

July 21st, 2015 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been nearly a month since Tom Brady‘s appeal hearing concluded, and the quarterback’s camp reportedly expects Roger Goodell to announce a decision this week. However, the commissioner himself, who served as the arbitrator for Brady’s appeal, tells Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that there’s no strict timeline for a ruling.

“We are focused on it,” Goodell said. “We are obviously being very thorough and want to make sure we consider all aspects of his appeal. We will make a decision as quickly as possible.”

As we continue to wait for a formal announcement from Goodell, here a couple more items related to Brady’s appeal and DeflateGate:

While it hasn’t been viewed as a probable outcome, a negotiated settlement remains a possibility for Brady, in theory, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Of course, any compromise would likely fall somewhere in between the maximum punishment and a full exoneration, and Brady continues to seek the latter.
Appearing on FOX Sports Radio, Saints head coach Sean Payton was asked about similarities between the Patriots’ DeflateGate situation and his own team’s bounty-related saga. As Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune writes, Payton pointed out that he was in a much different situation than Brady, since he didn’t have the NFL Players Association to back him.

Vikings, Adrian Peterson Restructure Contract

July 21st, 2015 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

1:09pm: According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Peterson’s new deal includes $20MM in guaranteed money, though some of that money is guaranteed for injury only. While Florio doesn’t have the official details yet, he speculates that Peterson’s 2015 salary (approximately $13MM) is likely fully guaranteed, while a portion of his 2016 salary is guaranteed for injury, and will later become fully guaranteed.

12:07pm: As expected, the restructured deal will give Peterson additional guaranteed money in 2015 and 2016, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. According to Robinson, Peterson’s 2017 salary will still be non-guaranteed, though if the new contract features a signing bonus, that would mean adding some dead money to the team’s books for ’17.

11:57am: The Vikings and running back Adrian Peterson have mutually agreed to restructure the final three years of Peterson’s contract, the team announced today in a press release. The terms of the agreement weren’t released by the club, but the move – which GM Rick Spielman calls “a win” for both the team and the player – likely ensures that Peterson will get some guaranteed money this year and next year.

“I appreciate the Vikings for working together on this restructured contract, which provides additional security for me but also allows opportunities for me to further prove my value to the team and within the NFL,” Peterson said in a statement. “It was important for me to continue my career in Minnesota, and I cannot wait to get on the field in front of Vikings fans again.”

The relationship between Peterson and the Vikings was strained earlier this offseason, with multiple reports suggesting that the running back and his agent Ben Dogra were angling for a trade after Peterson was reinstated from his suspension. However, Minnesota’s brass repeatedly stated that the team was not considering such a move, and after the draft came and went without a deal, Dogra and his client appeared to shift their focus to securing additional guaranteed money. In late May, Peterson ranted on Twitter about the lack of guaranteed contracts in the NFL.

Although Peterson had been scheduled to earn base salaries of $12.75MM, $14.75MM, and $16.75MM from 2015 to 2017, none of those figures were fully or even partially guaranteed. Additionally, the 30-year-old’s deal didn’t feature any dead money on the Vikings’ cap beyond this season, which would have made it easy for the team to move on from him if his production had fallen off.

Peterson, of course, missed nearly all of the 2014 season after being indicted in a child injury case. The Vikings running back spent most of the year on paid leave on the commissioner’s exempt list before being suspended for the final six games of the regular season once his legal case was resolved. Peterson reportedly felt that the team didn’t sufficiently support him during his absence, which led to the acrimonious relationship between the two sides this spring.

Ultimately, Peterson and the Vikings appeared to mend fences to some extent when the former MVP reported to OTAs without a new deal in place. Now that his contract has been reworked, I imagine Peterson will be even happier with his situation when he reports to training camp in the coming days.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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.

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