Jaguars linebacker Dan Skuta was arrested on June 19 and charged with misdemeanor battery, but Skuta and his lawyer are now disputing the charges, as Brent Martineau of Action News Jax reports. While a woman claims she was hit by Skuta after she rebuffed his advances, Skuta’s lawyer contends that the linebacker was actually the one who was struck. Jags management, meanwhile, has released a statement saying that while they are “aware of the situation,” they won’t be offering further comment.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two South divisions:
- Panthers GM Dave Gettleman moved on from cornerback Josh Norman this offseason but he replenished the cornerback position by drafting James Bradberry (second round), Daryl Worley (third round), and Zack Sanchez (fifth round). All of them had their moments during OTAs and minicamp, but it remains to be seen how these young cornerbacks will perform in live action, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. The prevailing wisdom is that Carolina doesn’t need shutdown corners, thanks to their heavy use of a zone scheme — not to mention its dominant front seven. Whether this crop of rookie defensive backs can (in part) replace Norman could be a key to the Panthers’ season.
- Former Division II standout C.J. Goodwin is a longshot to make the Falcons‘ roster, but because Jalen Collins is facing a four-game suspension to start the season, Goodwin, a receiver-turned-cornerback, could earn a place on the final 53, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Goodwin, who played only two seasons of collegiate football, switched to the defensive side of the ball while working on Atlanta’s practice squad last year, and with a history of special teams experience, he could make for a solid back-of-the-roster contributor.
- Earlier today, veteran evaluator Dave-Te Thomas examined which Texans rookies could make an impact during the 2016 season.
Zach Links contributed to this post.