2015 July - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Bills OL Coach Aaron Kromer Arrested

July 12th, 2015 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

Former Bears offensive coordinator and current Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer was arrested on Saturday night by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Police arrested Kromer on a misdemeanor battery charge, the department confirmed today in a press release (Facebook link).

According to the Walton County Sherrif’s Office, Kromer and his son allegedly confronted a group of three boys – who had been fishing – over the use of beach chairs. The victims told Walton County deputies that Kromer grabbed their fishing pole and threw it in the water, then pushed one of the boys to the ground and punched him in the face. The victim, identified as a juvenile, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), also said Kromer threatened to kill his family if he reported the incident to the police.

While Walton County police continue to look into the incident, and Kromer has not yet been found guilty, we’ve seen NFL teams release players following lesser charges this offseason. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bills decided to part ways with their offensive line coach without waiting for the legal process to play out, though there has been no indication yet which way the team is leaning.

Kromer 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. If the Bills decide to let him go, it’s hard to imagine the former Bears OC landing another job in the NFL this year.

Jason Pierre-Paul Notes: Sunday

July 12th, 2015 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

It has now been more than a week since Jason Pierre-Paul‘s Fourth of July fireworks accident, which ultimately cost him a finger on his right hand, and there’s still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the defensive end’s recovery and his contract. Here are the latest items on JPP:

There’s “no chance” Pierre-Paul will sign a long-term deal by Wednesday’s deadline, but there are still plenty of ways for his contract situation to play out. Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News examines five possibilities, suggesting that the most likely scenario will see JPP negotiating new terms to his franchise tender.
With the help of sports medicine analyst Mike Ryan, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains why the multiple fractures in Pierre-Paul’s right thumb figure to wreak the most havoc during his recovery and rehab.
A prosthetic finger to replace the one he lost won’t be an option for JPP, according to Zach Braziller and Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Such a procedure would only make sense aesthetically, since a prosthetic wouldn’t be functional for playing football.
Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News criticizes Pierre-Paul’s decision not to bring the Giants into the loop on his health status. While Lupica might be right when he says that the lack of communication could create some ill will between the two sides, I certainly understand JPP’s perspective — the Giants appear to have no intent of withdrawing the franchise tag, even as they remain in the dark on the details of the 26-year-old’s injury.

Extension Candidate: Cordy Glenn

July 11th, 2015 at 8:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is rightly atop the Bills’ priority list when it comes to extension candidates, but he isn’t the team’s only key lineman entering a contract year. Offensive tackle Cordy Glenn is also set to play out his final season under Buffalo’s control. While the team would be wise to make an effort to lock Glenn up for the foreseeable future, there hasn’t been much talk of a long-term deal for the 25-year-old. Unless something changes, he could cash in elsewhere in 2016.

Since the Bills used a second-round pick in 2012 on Glenn, the former Georgia standout has been a durable stalwart, appearing in 45 of a possible 48 regular-season games with the team. Every one of Glenn’s 45 appearances have been starts, and he has earned positive grades from Pro Football Focus in all three seasons of his career. Glenn was the only Bills O-lineman last year who received plus marks from PFF, which ranked the unit an abysmal 30th out of 32 teams.

Glenn’s ability to both stay on the field and play well despite being surrounded by subpar line mates are reasons to keep him in the fold going forward, but the Bills may not view the 25-year-old as positively as PFF does. In fact, he and second-year man Seantrel Henderson – whom PFF (subscription required) ranked as the worst right tackle in the league in 2014 – spent offseason practices alternating between the left and right sides.

Glenn took the transition in stride, saying, “The way I look at it, when you’re here, you’re trying to help out your team … Anything you’ve got to do to win, you’ve got to do it.”

Glenn’s positive approach could change if he ends up in a backup role, which Buffalo News scribe Vic Carucci introduced as a possibility last month. If the Bills’ coaches (namely head man Rex Ryan, offensive coordinator Greg Roman and line coach Aaron Kromer) like the athletic Henderson enough to be their left tackle and fellow second-year pro Cyrus Kouandjio on the right side, that could relegate Glenn to the bench – a place for which he’s clearly far too qualified. That seems unlikely when one considers Glenn’s track record, Henderson’s horrid 2014 and Kouandjio’s inability to get on the field as a rookie after the team used a second-round pick on him, but the fact that Carucci mentioned the idea means it isn’t totally far-fetched.

Even if Glenn does ultimately start and impress for a fourth straight season, it may not be enough to sway Bills brass, led by general manager Doug Whaley, in his favor. Carucci noted late last month that, given the Bills’ desire to keep a dominant defense together, Glenn was at the bottom of an extension pecking order that includes Dareus and linebacker Nigel Bradham, whose deal also expires at year’s end.

In the event the Bills do find a way to keep Glenn as part of their long-term core, a deal in the range of $30MM to $40MM overall may be in the offing. That’s roughly the going rate nowadays among good, in-their-prime tackles – evidenced by the recent contracts given to Rodger Saffold ($31.7MM), Jared Veldheer ($35MM) and Eugene Monroe ($37.5MM) – not to mention a significant step up from the rookie deal under which Glenn is currently playing.

One comparable Glenn and his agent could use is Veldheer, whose resume was similar to Glenn’s in places when he signed his deal as a free agent in 2014. At the time, Veldheer was 26, a four-year veteran, with 48 starts under his belt. On the other hand, two of Veldheer’s seasonal performances drew negative grades from PFF and he missed 11 games because of a triceps tear the year before signing with the Cardinals. However, PFF did rank him as one of the league’s 16 best tackles in 2011 and ’12. Those efforts helped the ex-Raider land a five-year, $35MM payday. The total value of Veldheer’s contract currently ranks a modest 14th among left tackles, as does the the $17MM in guarantees (including a $6.25MM signing bonus) he received, per Over The Cap. If Glenn’s next contract exceeds those totals, odds are it won’t be by much.

The Bills seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach with respect to Glenn’s long-term status. But if Henderson and Kouandjio don’t take sizable steps in 2015, it’s hard to imagine Buffalo letting Glenn go without a fight. Quality left tackles who are young and durable aren’t exactly easy to come by, and a team whose O-line was a major weakness last season (and could be again this year) isn’t in position to allow one of its few capable blockers to head elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Jags, London, Hardy, Kaep, WRs

July 11th, 2015 at 6:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jaguars signed a four-year agreement in 2012 to play one home game per year in the city of London from 2013-16. That deal is half over, but the Jags’ foothold in England is unlikely to slip anytime soon. When the team travels to London to play in October, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union expects Jags owner Shad Khan to announce a new four-year agreement. If it’s the same as their current accord and begins in 2017, it would mean one Jags home game in the U.K. through 2020.

The venue could eventually change from Wembley Stadium to Tottenham’s new stadium when it opens in London in 2018, notes O’Halloran, though the latter is expected to hold at least 22,000 fewer fans. That would mean less revenue for the Jags, but Tottenham’s stadium will have an artificial playing surface – which holds up better for American football than the natural grass at Wembley.

Here’s what else is happening around the NFL:

Arbitrator Harold Henderson’s decision to reduce Cowboys pass rusher Greg Hardy‘s suspension for domestic violence from 10 games to four games is getting panned nationally, notes the Dallas Morning News. One sampling, courtesy of National Organization for Women president Terry O’Neill: “What’s very very sad is that nothing has come out of the NFL that indicates a real commitment to ending the violence-against-women problem that they have in the NFL.”
The 49ers had a hectic offseason highlighted by several key departures and some noteworthy additions, and quarterback Colin Kaepernick thinks the changes will ultimately serve the team well. “A lot of new faces in the locker room and a lot of new coaches. I think the changes are for the good,” Kaepernick told the Nevada Appeal, according to CSNBayArea.com. “I feel people are writing us off, but for us, that’s all right.”
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap took a look at three wide receivers who, in his opinion, have the worst contracts at their position. The list consists of a trio of big names, with two being potential Hall of Famers.

AFC Rumors: Brady, Herron, Marks, Chargers

July 11th, 2015 at 5:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Let’s look at some of the news coming out of AFC cities as we remain in the NFL’s mid-summer lull.

The optics of Tom Brady‘s Deflategate suspension remaining at four games won’t look good for the league if a player convicted by a judge in a non-jury trial in a domestic violence matter receives the same suspension as one connected to potentially doctoring footballs, writes Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe. Young notes Roger Goodell could reduce the Patriots quarterback’s suspension to just one game should the public relations-conscious commissioner see how “ridiculous” it looks to have these two offenses treated equally.
Sen’Derrick Marks could wind up on the physically unable to perform list after tearing his ACL in Week 17 of last year, notes Kevin Patra of NFL.com. The Jaguars‘ top interior defensive lineman stopped short of predicting an Adrian Peterson-like return to the field for Week 1 but believes he’ll be “pretty ready” for the Jags’ opener.
Eric Weddle should have plenty of motivation in what becomes an audition for what could be his last NFL contract, notes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Williams notes the Chargers should still receive excellent safety play from Weddle despite his dissatisfaction with the organization, while the Pro Bowl talent will also be backed by “one of the better cornerback tandems in the league” in Brandon Flowers and Jason Verrett.
Dan Herron will enter the season as Frank Gore‘s definitive backup, writes Kevin Bowen of Colts.com, but opines that with Gore in the fold the Colts‘ alternating-possessions approach to backfield time might not apply anymore. They used this plenty last season, with the still-ineffective Trent Richardson being spelled by a spry Ahmad Bradshaw. But with Gore entering his age-32 season and Herron averaging 4.5 yards per tote (albeit in just 78 carries), the second-year runner should see his share of work to keep the five-time Pro Bowler fresh. Gore’s kept his average above four yards per carry in each of his 10 seasons, but that’s partially because the 49ers did a solid job spelling him. Gore hasn’t carried the ball more than 285 times in a season since 2006.

NFC Notes: Hardy, JPP, Lee, Lions

July 11th, 2015 at 3:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following Friday’s reduction of Greg Hardy‘s suspension, the Cowboys‘ highest-profile offseason addition has several legal options before he begins his season in Dallas, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

While the most obvious one is the defensive end accepting the six-game slashing of his ban and suiting up for a Week 5 tilt against the Patriots, Hardy has three different legal avenues, according to Florio. The potential solutions all concede Hardy should miss two games, just as Ray Rice was supposed to when the then-Ravens running back was slapped on the wrist for domestic violence under the league’s former, less-strict policy.

One involves a lawsuit and preliminary injunction, which would push for a two-game ban and go after judge Harold Henderson’s reasoning for assigning four games. Hardy and the NFL Players Association would have to get this matter resolved before the end of Week 2 or run the risk of the ex-Panthers Pro Bowler missing two more contests of greater consequence should the ruling not go down in his favor. Florio adds that should this strategy backfire, this situation could drag on further and potentially force Hardy to miss two games this season and two next season, which would affect the former sixth-round pick’s pursuit of his first noteworthy long-term contract.

Another route Florio offers but doesn’t recommend comes via the NFLPA suing and not seeking a preliminary injunction, meaning Hardy would miss the Cowboys’ first four games and sue to reclaim the two checks he would’ve missed. This method basically serves just Hardy while depriving Dallas of an extra two tilts with its best pass-rusher.

Here’s some other Saturday content from around the NFC.

The Cowboys will not move Sean Lee back to the middle linebacker position where he played in 2013, notes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Machota expects newly acquired Jasper Brinkley to play inside until Rolando McClain returns from his suspension, with the coaching staff preferring to keep Lee on the weak side.
Machota also believes La’el Collins would win a tiebreaker of sorts if he and incumbent Ronald Leary play at around the same level during the preaseason. While grading as the team’s worst offensive line starter last year, Leary still managed a positive assessment from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Machota notes the 27-year-old Leary will have to play much better than Collins to keep his job.
Also mired in a complex saga going into his sixth NFL season, Jason Pierre-Paul has several courses of action going into the season, offers Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. JPP’s already informed the Giants he won’t sign his franchise tender until healthy, which will keep him off the unpaid Non-Football Injury list, but Vacchiano provides two interesting scenarios. One features the Giants’ best pass-pursuer not signing his tender and sitting out the season. While no money would come Pierre-Paul’s way, he’d have the chance to either sign a long-term contract with the Giants (or another team), or sign a franchise tender that figures to be higher than 2015’s $14.813MM defensive end tag. The Giants may be hard-pressed to re-apply a tag if Eli Manning is still unsigned by next March, notes Vacchiano. Of course, it also puts JPP’s ability in question, which would limit the kind of contract the 26-year-old could draw. The other path, and the one Vacchiano expects, is the Giants and JPP renegotiating his tender, lowering his 2015 salary — which is allowable under the CBA — in exchange for a promise not to place him on the NFI list.
Pierre-Paul not meeting with the Giants and notifying him of his decisions regarding his badly injured hand aren’t a sign of immaturity, but rather a bit of panic at what was unfolding in his life, Dr. David Chao tells Nick Powell of NJ.com. “If you’re going through this kind of mental anguish, are you going to talk to anyone? Even your friends?” Chao said. “I wasn’t in the room, but I know what players go through. I don’t think he was dissing the Giants; he was just in his own world, and understandably so.”
The Lions suddenly have plenty of depth at defensive end, which will create a high-quality competition for the rotation jobs, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. Corey Wootton and CFL sack champ Phillip Hunt will push backups Darryl Tapp and Devin Taylor for the top roles behind starters Ezekiel Ansah and Jason Jones. 2014 fourth-rounder Larry Webster also factors into this talented group that lost George Johnson, writes Rogers. A former starter, the 28-year-old Wootton has ability to play inside as well and figures to be a key cog here.

Extra Points: Pierre-Paul, Wilson, Los Angeles

July 11th, 2015 at 12:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott knows a thing or two about losing a finger. That’s why it was notable when the 49ers legend said Giants defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul would be fine after having a figure amputated earlier this week:

“He’ll be able to play with it and he’ll learn how to deal with it,” Lott said during an appearance on the “The Rich Eisen Show” (via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News). “But the moment of not seeing it, the moment of looking at your hand and looking down and realizing you have that phantom (finger), where you use your finger but you don’t see it, there’s a lot of things emotionally that he’ll have to deal with. He’ll have to learn how to understand that it’s not there and that there are things that will play tricks on his mind.”

Let’s take a look at some more assorted notes from around the NFL…

If the Giants agree to pay Pierre-Paul, even if he lands on the non-football injury list, the defensive end will be with the team prior to Week One, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
Former Raiders draft pick Tyler Wilson is giving it one last shot at making an NFL roster. A fourth-round selection in the 2013 draft, the quarterback has yet to make an NFL appearance. “At this point, I’ll give this thing until August,” Wilson told Leland Barclay of the Times Record. “If I’ve with a team, I’ll continue to play and work into camp. I’m ready to go another direction. There’s life after football.”
The decision by the Rose Bowl to not put their name in the hat as a temporary Los Angeles home leaves the NFL with few options, writes Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com. These options include the Coliseum (although they only want to host one team, not two), the Dodgers and Angels baseball stadiums, and the 27,000-seat StubHub Center. Despite the low number of seats at that latter suggestion, Gantt believes the NFL would still consider the venue.

Minor Moves: Saturday

July 11th, 2015 at 11:28am CST by Ben Levine

Here are Saturday’s minor moves, with any updates added to the top of the list throughout the day:

The Browns placed offensive tackle Tyler Loos on the reserve-retired list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The former Northern Illinois standout signed with the Browns following a rookie camp tryout in May, but he’s apparently decided to move on from the sport. The 22-year-old was expected to compete for a spot on the third-team offense.

NFC Mailbags: Washington, Panthers, Packers

July 11th, 2015 at 10:31am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start off with some interesting notes out of the NFC…

Washington isn’t necessarily looking to upgrade at any position, but John Keim writers that the team is hoping to add a tight end and outside linebacker.
Jose Weinfuss says there could be a number of reasons why a decision hasn’t been made yet regarding Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington‘s reinstatement. No one is entirely sure when the player applied, and the NFL has up to 60 days to make a final decision.
David Newton believes the Panthers final receiver spot will come down to Brenton Bersin, Jarrett Boykin and Stephen Hill. The writer picks Bersin as the favorite, considering the chemistry between him and quarterback Cam Newton.
The Packers don’t want to give up on punter Tim Masthay, but Rob Demovsky says the team needs to see more consistency from the position. The Packers also have 2014 undrafted free agent Cody Mandell on their roster.

Reactions to Greg Hardy Ruling

July 11th, 2015 at 9:50am CST by Ben Levine

Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy has his suspension reduced from 10 games to four yesterday, prompting owner Jerry Jones to release a very brief statement:

“We are looking forward to the start of the season and having Greg be a part of the team.”

The story may not be over, however. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the 26-year-old is still considering appealing the ruling, with a decision expected early next week.

As Schefter notes in a second tweet, the next move for Hardy would be filing suit against the league in federal court. Adrian Peterson took this route and had his suspension completely erased.

Let’s check out some more notes and reactions stemming from yesterday’s decision:

Hardy was present for the entire appeal hearing, but he did not testify, according to documents obtained by ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio. The writer believes the decision to keep Hardy quiet was a “concession that a violation occurred.”
The reduced suspension “was a win for the Cowboys but a loss for humanity,” opines Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Dallas Star-Telegram. Yes, Dallas will now get the former Pro Bowler for twice as many games. On the flip side, as Hill notes, the NFL continues to look clueless as they hand out punishments for domestic abuse.
Hill adds that it would be best for all parties if Hardy took his suspension and moved on. What Hardy did was wrong, says the writer, and there’s no reason for the player to “be defiant now.”
ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert hopes Friday will the final time “we’re confused, distrustful or otherwise outraged” by the discipline in domestic abuse cases. As Seifert notes, the NFL can now refer to their revamped domestic violence policy, which calls for at least a six-game suspension for a first-time offense.

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