HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Karlos Williams Suspended At Least One Year

June 28th, 2017 at 3:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent running back Karlos Williams has been suspended for at least one year, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Karlos Williams (vertical)

Williams had been handed a 10-game ban last November after violating the league’s substance abuse policy, so this latest suspension is likely the next step in an ongoing punishment process. The 24-year-old signed a reserve/futures contract with the Steelers this offseason, but had been waived in May. With a long-term penalty hanging over his head, it’s going to be difficult for Williams to land another job at any point in the near future.

A former fifth-round pick, Williams posted an extremely promising rookie campaign with the Bills in 2015, averaging 5.6 yards per carry on 93 attempts while scoring seven touchdowns. Buffalo cut Williams in the summer of 2016 following his first substance abuse suspension (and amid reports that he arrived at camp overweight).

Cowboys’ David Irving Suspended Four Games

June 28th, 2017 at 3:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Cowboys defensive end David Irving has officially been suspended for the first four games of the 2017 season after violating the league’s PED policy, the NFL announced today.David Irving (vertical)

News that Irving had reportedly failed a drug test broke last month, but it was unclear what length of time Irving would be forced to miss. A positive test for a diuretic or masking agent without a banned substance detected calls for a two-game ban, while a positive result for an anabolic agent, however, would mean a four-game suspension. Despite indications that Irving may have been able to fight a four-game ban, the NFL has decided to give him the lengthier punishment.

Irving, 23, appeared in 15 games for Dallas last season and developed into a serviceable pass rusher, especially near the end of the year. All told, he managed four sacks and 17 tackles while grading as the league’s No. 29 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. Now, Irving’s 500+ defensive snaps are likely to go other defenders — such as first-round pick Taco Charlton — for the first quarter of the season.

Given that he’s set to earn $615K next year, Irving will lose roughly $145K in base salary as a result of this suspension. He’ll be allowed to participate in all Cowboys offseason activities and preseason games.

Latest On LB Zach Orr’s Comeback

June 28th, 2017 at 1:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After announcing this morning that he’s mulling a comeback attempt, linebacker Zach Orr has drawn the interest from at least eight NFL clubs. Orr plans to meet with each and every one of those teams before making a decision on where (and possibly if) to sign, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The Lions were the first club to reach out to Orr, per Birkett, so he’ll take his first visit with Detroit.

Here’s more on Orr as he ponders whether to make a return to the NFL:

  • Orr’s search for “dissenting medical opinions” was not new, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), and the former Ravens ‘backer finally “found a doctor who told him what he wanted to hear,” a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Baltimore’s doctors wouldn’t clear Orr after a congenital spine condition was discovered, and it’s unclear if another club’s physicians will have a differing view. Initially, doctors told Orr that he was at risk of death or paralysis if he continued his career.
  • The Ravens opted not to use a restricted free agent tender on Orr because they assumed he was retiring, meaning Orr can now choose his next team unfettered. It’s possible another player could attempt to “escape” the restricted free agent process by feigning retirement, as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes. That’s not to insinuate Orr’s retirement was anything but genuine, as his serious medical condition is clearly limiting. But another player could use Orr’s situation as a template to hit free agency on his own terms in the future (although a club could simply tender said player at the cheapest level, allowing the team to hold the player’s rights).
  • Now that Orr returning to the NFL is a viable possibility, his former Ravens teammates are lobbying for Orr to re-sign with Baltimore, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. The Ravens haven’t added a free agent or draft pick to replace Orr’s 932 defensive snaps, and currently have 2016 second-round pick Kamalei Correa penciled in to play opposite fellow middle linebacker C.J. Mosley. Given that it was Baltimore’s doctors that failed to medically clear Orr in the first place, it seems unlikely he’ll end up back with the Ravens.

Brett Veach, Louis Riddick Favorites For Chiefs GM?

June 28th, 2017 at 11:55am CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Chiefs are interviewing Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden today, he’s not currently the frontrunner for the Kansas City vacancy, Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com reports. Instead, Chiefs co-director of player personnel Brett Veach and ESPN commentator Louis Riddick are considered the “strongest candidates” for the job, per McCormick. Indeed, a “growing belief” exists around the league that Veach will end up being promoted, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.

Given that head coach Andy Reid is now “running the show” in Kansas City following the firing of ex-GM John Dorsey, familiarity with Reid seems to be playing an integral role in the club’s general manager search. Veach, of course, has worked with Reid with the Chiefs and also spent time with him in Philadelphia. Riddick, too, has a relationship with Reid based on the pair’s time with the Eagles.

The Chiefs are expected to interview Veach, whose name was tossed out during the Bills GM hunt, at some point this week. Riddick, meanwhile, is a candidate for the Kansas City despite his public denial. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Monday that the Chiefs have reached out to Riddick’s representation, but perhaps not Riddick himself.

As our Chiefs GM Search Tracker shows, Cowden, Veach, and Riddick are three of six candidates who have been linked to the Chiefs’ vacancy. Seahawks co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer will interview this week, Chiefs co-director of player personnel Mike Borgonzi has been mentioned as a contender, and Vikings assistant general manager George Paton declined an interview.

Lions Notes: Asiata, Caldwell, Quin

June 28th, 2017 at 10:35am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the Lions:

Lions To Host Zach Orr On Visit

June 28th, 2017 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

Well, that didn’t take long. The Lions have scheduled a visit with linebacker Zach Orr, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter), just hours announced that he is mulling a comeback. In addition to the Lions, seven other teams have already reached out to the 25-year-old.Zach Orr (vertical)

[RELATED: Zach Orr Considering Comeback]

Orr was a restricted free agent with the Ravens, but they did not tender him a deal after he elected to retire in January. Months later, Orr has gotten new opinions regarding his congenital spinal condition and the doctors he has consulted with say he can play. The Ravens reportedly doubt their own doctors would clear him for action, so we’ll have to wait and see whether doctors for the Lions will give him a thumbs up.

Last year, Orr finished out with a team-leading 130 tackles and earned second-team All-Pro honors. From a football perspective, the Ravens would probably like to have him back on the field, but it doesn’t sound like they’ll be pursuing a new deal based on what GM Ozzie Newsome had to say Wednesday.

“I spoke with Zach yesterday and he informed me that he would like to continue to play football,” Newsome said in a statement. “He is a free agent.”

NFC East Notes: Redskins, Pryor, Eagles

June 28th, 2017 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

Will free agent addition Terrelle Pryor wind up being the Redskins‘ leading receiver in 2017? JP Finlay and Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic put the question up for debate. Pryor’s 55% catch rate last year wasn’t great, but Finlay argues that he couldn’t have done much better given the quarterbacks he had throwing to him. If Pryor was able to haul in 77 receptions for 1,007 yards with a rotating cast of unimpressive QBs, then he could put up even bigger numbers with Kirk Cousins throwing to him. On the flipside, Tandler notes that wide receiver Jamison Crowder and tight end Jordan Reed both figure to be targeted more than Pryor, giving the Ohio State product long odds of being the team’s top pass catcher.

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

  • Eagles running back LeGarrette Blount can earn $50K if he weighs in between 240-245 pounds on the team’s reporting date for training camp, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Blount’s one-year deal calls for $1.25MM in base pay, but he can earn a total of $2.8MM through incentives, including the summer weigh-in. Blount is coming off one of his best seasons, having achieved career highs in carries (299), yards (1,161), and touchdowns (an NFL-leading 18).
  • If a deal does not get done between the Redskins and Kirk Cousins, don’t be shocked if Washington leaks the last offer rejected by the quarterback, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. It’s likely that the final offer will sound impressive in comparison to what Cousins has accomplished so far on the field, so the Redskins can win some fan sympathy by giving a selective peek behind the curtain. An extension is currently viewed as a longshot and Cousins might be fundamentally unhappy with the team.
  • Could the Giants consider free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis? It would make for an excellent story, but James Kratch of NJ.com writes that it doesn’t make sense for the G-Men financially. Revis can collect his $6MM salary from the Jets by sitting on the couch and some have speculated that he would want $8MM from a team in order to actually play this year. Not only is that an unreasonable asking price for Revis at this stage of his career, but the Giants couldn’t fit that salary under the cap even if they wanted to make it happen.
  • Alterraun Verner, on the other hand, would be a more realistic option for the Giants, Kratch writes. Verner was apparently out of shape when he auditioned for the Jaguars in May, but he’d be an interesting slot option if he is now ready to play football. The Giants have a great slot corner in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but they don’t have a Plan B in the event of an injury.

Zach Orr Considering Comeback

June 28th, 2017 at 7:41am CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Zach Orr retired from football in January due to a congenital spinal condition. Surprisingly, the former Ravens standout says that he is now thinking about a return to football. Zach Orr (Vertical)

“I had my mind made up. I was like man, the doctors told me I was done,” Orr said on NFL Network Wednesday morning. “This is a serious issue. So I’m going to leave it alone. But I just kept hearing that from multiple people and some were telling me to just go check out and seek out some more opinions and things like that and come to find out my condition, it is rare — .01 percent of the people have what I have — but there’s no actual evidence or facts that I’m at a higher risk than any other player. And it’s actually been documented that a college player who had the exact same thing that I have that returned to play with no problems.”

The Ravens had the option of controlling Orr through 2017, but they did not use the restricted free agent tender on him before the window expired. The 25-year-old is now a free agent and he could be an interesting option for teams if he is in fact healthy enough to play.

People from the Ravens organization have been in touch with Orr, Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. They love him as a player and as a person, but they seriously doubt their doctors would pass him on a physical. It’s possible that other teams will have similar reservations about Orr, despite his optimism about playing.

Orr’s condition, which affects less than 1% of people, was thought to be serious enough to end his career. Initially, doctors told Orr that he was at risk of death or paralysis by playing with the condition. However, other doctors have since given him the green light to play. Those experts said their only concern would be if Orr played with herniated discs. Fortunately, the herniated discs he suffered last season have corrected themselves.

The former undrafted free agent became a starter for the first time in his career in 2016. As the replacement for Daryl Smith, Orr appeared in 15 games and played the most defensive snaps of any Baltimore ‘backer. All in all, Orr recorded 89 tackles, three interceptions, and five passes defensed.

NFL Held Michael Floyd Hearing Last Week

June 27th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Michael Floyd escaped a failed alcohol test with only a single-day jail sentence, the new Vikings wide receiver isn’t likely to get off so easy in terms of NFL punishment. The league held a hearing on Floyd’s conduct last week, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, and he’ll face a minimum two-game suspension.Michael Floyd (vertical)

However, Floyd’s league-mandated ban could far exceed the minimum length, reports Florio. For one, Floyd plead guilty to extreme DUI, meaning the NFL could hand down an even harsher penalty, as NFL policy allows lengthier bans when a blood alcohol content is above .15% (Floyd’s was at .217).

Additionally, Floyd’s probation violation could theoretically be considered a second offense, which would put him in line for further punishment. If the league takes such an approach, Floyd could be suspended for eight games (although Florio doesn’t expect that to be outcome).

Cowboys Sign Rookie CB Jourdan Lewis

June 27th, 2017 at 9:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys have agreed to terms with third-round cornerback Jourdan Lewis, and as such, wrapped up their 2017 draft class, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com.Jourdan Lewis (Vertical)

Lewis, a Michigan product, was the No. 92 overall selection earlier this year, and was one of three cornerbacks drafted by the Cowboys in 2017. Dallas lost several members of its secondary, including starting corners Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, to free agency, so Lewis should be able to garner playing time immediately. Per Archer, Lewis will start out seeing action in sub packages.

Here’s an overview of the Cowboys’ draft class:

Load More Posts