HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Latest On Dan Snyder’s Status With WFT

July 3rd, 2021 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL opted not to suspend Washington Football Team owner Dan Snyder, and the league’s lengthy investigation into sexual harassment allegations by 15 former WFT female employees did not produce a written report of investigator Beth Wilkinson’s findings. Although the league fined the franchise $10MM after the investigation revealed a problematic culture, particular toward women, its handling of this matter has generated some scrutiny.

Snyder’s status has also invited some debate. The longtime owner is currently sidelined from a day-to-day role with the franchise, ceding those responsibilities to his wife, new WFT co-CEO Tanya Snyder. A Washington Post report Thursday night indicated Dan Snyder will not be permitted to return to a day-to-day role running the team until he receives approval from Roger Goodell, but Snyder’s attorney disputes this.

“Any suggestion that Commissioner Goodell must approve Dan Snyder’s return to daily control is false,” Siev said, via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). “Dan was not suspended, so by definition he does not need to be reinstated to any position.”

Siev’s comments did not induce the Post to make any retractions on its original report (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). Snyder may still attend Washington games, but his role going forward is murky.

The NFL’s stance appears to be that Dan Snyder will be effectively sidelined for a while. The league’s release said Tanya Snyder will oversee the day-to-day aspects of the Washington Football team and represent the franchise at league meetings for “at least” the next several months. Based on his attorney’s comments, Dan Snyder may be readying to contest this arrangement.

Cowboys, 49ers, Jags Penalized For OTA Violations

July 3rd, 2021 at 2:56pm CST by Ben Levine

SATURDAY: It turns out the 49ers were not forced to cancel their final week of OTAs this year, with Schefter adding the team avoided such a penalty after having already canceled its final OTA session and its mandatory minicamp (Twitter link).

THURSDAY: Three organizations have been slapped with fines following OTA violations. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the league handed out the following punishments:

  • Cowboys fined $100K, HC Mike McCarthy $50K
  • 49ers fined $100K, HC Kyle Shanahan fined $50K
  • Jaguars fined $200K, HC Urban Meyer $100K

The three teams violated CBA rules focused on offseason workouts.

The Cowboys will also have to forfeit one of their OTA practices during the 2022 offseason, while the Jaguars will have to forfeit a pair of 2022 practices. The 49ers have already carried out their penalty; per Schefter, the NFL Management Council “ordered” the organization to cancel the final week of OTAs back in June. When we reported that the 49ers were cutting short their offseason program, the decision was attributed to injuries, as the team lost part-time starters Justin Skule and Tarvarius Moore for the season and running back Jeff Wilson for the next few months.

“The health and safety of our players is our highest priority, and we take following league rules very seriously,” the 49ers said in a statement today (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area on Twitter). “We will continue to work with the NFL and the NFLPA to ensure compliance.”

Everson Griffen Wants To Return To Vikings

July 3rd, 2021 at 2:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Everson Griffen played for two teams last season, with the Cowboys trading him to the Lions in October. The veteran defensive end has not surfaced on the radar much this offseason, but he wants to play a 12th NFL slate and would like to do so in a familiar place.

The longtime Vikings pass rusher wants to return to the team, according to Vikes play-by-play announcer Paul Allen. The 33-year-old edge defender texted Allen he “never should have left the Vikings,” with the KFAN radio host noting Griffen “desperately” wants to rejoin the Vikings (h/t SI.com’s Will Ragatz).

Despite playing for two teams and missing two games due to contracting COVID-19, Griffen finished with six sacks last season. No Viking rusher compiled more than five. Yannick Ngakoue reached five before the Vikings traded him in October; no one still with the team tallied more than three sacks in 2020. The Vikings finished with just 23 sacks last season, which ranked 28th in the NFL. While Allen said Griffen (80.5 career sacks) has support from some with the Vikings, he does not expect the four-time Pro Bowler to be back in Minnesota this season.

Minnesota’s D-line situation looks better going into the 2021 season. Danielle Hunter is on track to return after missing all of last season due to a neck injury. The team has three veteran D-tackle starters — Michael Pierce, Dalvin Tomlinson and Sheldon Richardson — set to join Hunter. The Vikings also used third- and fourth-round picks on ends — Patrick Jones II (Pittsburgh) and Janarius Robinson (Florida State) — in April. That said, Griffen could profile as a veteran stopgap opposite Hunter. He has three double-digit sack seasons on his resume and was a Pro Bowler as recently as 2019.

The Cowboys added Griffen midway through their 2020 training camp. Griffen catching on elsewhere this year will likely involve a similar transaction, with teams’ rosters largely set. A few teams figure to upgrade at defensive end, via starter or situational pass rusher, in the near future. A glut of veteran edges remain available. Griffen joins Justin Houston (32), Melvin Ingram (32) and Olivier Vernon (30) on the market.

Finding A Zach Ertz Destination

July 2nd, 2021 at 10:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Months after Zach Ertz‘s name popped up in trade rumors, he remains with the Eagles. The three-time Pro Bowl tight end is not viewed as likely to be part of this year’s Philly team and did not report for the team’s offseason program. Despite a lengthy delay in this saga, a separation still feels imminent.

Ertz has one season left on the five-year, $42.5MM extension he signed way back in January 2016. The veteran lobbied for a new deal last year, but he and the Eagles could not agree on terms. Those disagreements became rather noticeable as well. Even if some suitors cannot presently afford Ertz’s $12.7MM cap number, which could cause the Eagles to finally release him, the team will likely try to work a trade for a bit longer.

Where will the 30-year-old pass catcher be come Week 1? Here are a few candidates:

Arizona Cardinals

This franchise has not shown a strong interest in bolstering this position in many years, and Kliff Kingsbury — with A.J. Green and Rondale Moore joining DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk — may well opt to deploy more four-receiver sets. That said, the Cardinals’ additions of Green, J.J. Watt, Rodney Hudson, Brian Winters and Malcolm Butler illustrate a commitment to adding veterans to help the cause in a loaded NFC West. The Cards, who have Maxx Williams (304 yards in two Arizona seasons) as their top tight end, have not had a tight end surpass 600 yards in a season since moving to Arizona in 1988.

Buffalo Bills

The team most closely connected to Ertz this offseason, Buffalo has not received much from the tight end position in recent years. And the defending AFC East champions have lacked a higher-end receiving threat at this spot for much of its existence. Five Ertz receiving totals would eclipse the best tight end showing (726 yards) in the Bills’ 61-season history. While the Bills’ Stefon Diggs–Emmanuel Sanders–Cole Beasley–Gabriel Davis quartet leaves it well-stocked for aerial targets at present, the tight end position has come up as one the franchise would not mind bolstering.

Dawson Knox led Buffalo tight ends with 288 yards last season; the team lost Tyler Kroft in free agency and has second-year player Tommy Sweeney coming off a season in which he encountered severe COVID-19 issues. With the Bills in position to aim for a Super Bowl berth again, another weapon makes sense.

Indianapolis Colts

With Doug Pederson out of the NFL at the moment, the Colts serve as the reunion spot for Ertz. Carson Wentz played with Ertz for five seasons and helped him set a tight end record with 116 catches in 2018. Frank Reich coached Ertz the previous two years, and the Colts could certainly use another viable weapon — even if they figure to lean heavily on the run game.

Indianapolis re-signed T.Y. Hilton and has 2020 second-rounder Michael Pittman Jr. coming off a promising finish to his rookie season, but the team has not been able to keep injury-prone ex-second-rounder Parris Campbell on the field. Ninth-year tight end Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox combined for just 645 yards last season. The Wentz trade, assuming he stays healthy for most of this season, will cost Indianapolis a first-round pick in 2022. Bringing in his former top target at a low cost would enhance the relocated QB’s comfort level and help justify the lofty investment.

Jacksonville Jaguars

This spot differs from the rest mentioned here, with the Jaguars coming off a 1-15 season and in clear rebuild mode. But Jacksonville drafted Trevor Lawrence and has no proven tight end to pair with him. The team leads the NFL in cap space ($38MM) as well.

Exiting draft weekend, Urban Meyer expressed concern about his team’s tight end depth chart. The Jags drafted Ohio State’s Luke Farrell in Round 5 and did go on to sign Tim Tebow. While this would seemingly not be a desirable spot for Ertz as a free agent, the Jags could make sense as an unorthodox trade destination.

Tennessee Titans

Ertz trade compensation would not approach what the Titans paid for Julio Jones, and even after acquiring the all-time Falcons great, the team was on the lookout for tight end assistance. The Titans lost Jonnu Smith and did not add a notable replacement. The Jones trade shows the Titans are committed to contending this season, even after losing Smith and Corey Davis. Even after a disappointing 2020 season, Ertz would provide a substantial upgrade over Anthony Firkser.

NFC Rumors: Bears, Biadasz, Cowboys, Vikings

July 2nd, 2021 at 8:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears made Kyle Fuller a surprise cap casualty shortly after free agency’s outset, and while the team did sign Desmond Trufant, the former well-paid Falcon has struggled with injuries in each of the past two seasons. Chicago has resisted adding more help at the position, and Trufant may not have the inside track to start opposite Jaylon Johnson at outside cornerback. After a strong minicamp, Kindle Vildor may be ahead of Trufant on the track toward a starting job, Adam Jahns of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Although the 2020 fifth-round pick out of Georgia Southern only played 135 defensive snaps as a rookie, new DC Sean Desai mentioned him as an in-house solution to replace either Fuller or departed slot corner Buster Skrine. The Bears going with Vildor alongside Johnson will certainly represent an experience step back, with Fuller and Skrine having combined to play 17 seasons.

Here is the latest from the NFC:

  • On a similar note, the Cowboys appear set on a 2020 Day 3 pick taking over at center. Travis Frederick‘s retirement initially thrust Joe Looney into Dallas’ starting lineup, and after fourth-round pick Tyler Biadasz replaced an injured Looney early last season en route to four starts, the veteran reclaimed his job after a Biadasz pregame hamstring injury. Biadasz played just one offensive snap in Dallas’ final eight games, but Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News notes the Cowboys plan to use the Wisconsin product as their starter this season. Looney, 30, remains a free agent, while OC Kellen Moore has talked up Biadasz this offseason. Biadasz started three years at center for the Badgers, winning the Rimington Award — given to college football’s top center — in 2019.
  • Some additional details have surfaced on Sheldon Richardson‘s second Vikings contract. The well-traveled defensive tackle agreed to return to Minnesota on a one-year, $3.6MM deal. The Vikings included some incentives in the former Defensive Rookie of the Year’s contract as well. Richardson can collect $250K if he reaches five sacks this season, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweets. If Richardson gets to seven sacks, a $500K bonus will await. The team included another $250K bonus if the 30-year-old D-tackle makes the Pro Bowl. Richardson has two five-plus-sack seasons (2014 and ’15) and one Pro Bowl on his resume.
  • The Saints have included an interesting incentive in Ryan Ramczyk‘s extension, but it only will benefit the All-Pro right tackle if he moves to the left side.

This Date In Transactions History: Browns Select Bernie Kosar In Supplemental Draft

July 2nd, 2021 at 6:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL has not held a supplemental draft since 2019; the league canceled the 2021 summer event this week. The July draft has not been especially consequential in a long time, but in the 1980s, it brought some big-name players into the league.

A Browns move 36 years ago today began that run. On July 2, 1985, the Browns ended one of the more intriguing college-to-NFL sagas by selecting Bernie Kosar with the first overall pick in the supplemental draft. The eventful stretch that led the acclaimed quarterback back to Ohio involved a few teams, and it ended up elevating the Browns into an AFC power for the rest of the ’80s.

After their “Kardiac Kids” 1980 season, the Browns regressed for a period. By 1985, they were coming off three sub-.500 seasons in four years. But, in a situation more complex than the ping-pong ball-induced sequence that brought LeBron James to Cleveland in 2003, a northeast Ohioan helped steer the Browns back to contention.

A two-year starter at Miami, Kosar opted for the supplemental draft over the April standard draft. The QB who started on the Hurricanes’ first national champion team was a Cleveland-area native and sought to play for the Browns. But players on the heels of their sophomore seasons, as Kosar was in 1985, were not yet allowed to enter the NFL draft. A summer graduation, however, exposed a loophole in this system. Kosar ended up bypassing the April draft in order to land in Cleveland via the lower-profile supplemental event.

To obtain the first pick in the supplemental draft, the Browns swung a deal with the Bills. On April 9, 1985, the AFC teams agreed on a trade that sent Buffalo’s first overall supplemental pick to Cleveland for the No. 7 overall selection in 1985, a 1986 first-rounder, along with third- and sixth-round choices. The Bills held the top supplemental pick due to their 2-14 1984 season, a record that also gave them Bruce Smith first overall in the April draft. (Possessing then-USFL QB Jim Kelly‘s rights, the Bills were not in play for Kosar.)

The Vikings and Oilers — the teams picking second and third in the regular draft — protested this arrangement, but the NFL let Kosar decide which draft he entered. Kosar did visit the Vikings, who traded up from No. 3 to No. 2 with the Oilers to be in better position to land that year’s top QB prospect, but communicated to them he wanted to play for his hometown team. Minnesota ended up trading back down, to No. 4 overall, and selecting Hall of Fame defensive end Chris Doleman in the April draft. The Browns chose Kosar in July.

Kosar quarterbacked the Browns to the playoffs four times, including his rookie season, taking over Cleveland’s QB1 role that year before breaking through as a full-season starter in 1986. The Browns earned the No. 1 seed in ’86 and rode their stationary quarterback’s 489-yard performance to a divisional-round comeback win over the Jets. John Elway‘s “The Drive” ended the Browns’ run a week later, and a Kosar- and Earnest Byner-led comeback bid in Denver in the 1987 AFC championship game concluded with Byner’s infamous fumble. The Browns lost to the Broncos in the 1989 AFC title game as well and failed to make it back to the playoffs with their popular passer.

The then-Bill Belichick-led Browns released Kosar midway through the 1993 season. He caught on with the Cowboys, filling in for Troy Aikman on multiple occasions en route to Dallas’ Super Bowl XXVIII championship. Kosar retired after the 1996 season. The supplemental draft produced linebacker Brian Bosworth, Hall of Fame wideout Cris Carter, Pro Bowl running back Bobby Humphrey and Pro Bowl receiver Rob Moore in the five years after Kosar’s move.

Pat Bowlen Trustees Receiving Offers For Broncos?

July 2nd, 2021 at 5:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The ownership squabble in Denver has begun to point to a Broncos sale, and prospective bidders made the trustees presently in charge aware true offers should materialize.

The three-person Pat Bowlen Trust has received offers for the franchise over the past few months, Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic reports (subscription required). While the offers cannot currently be entertained, Kaplan adds potential buyers contacted the trustees to let them know there will be extensive outside interest in acquiring the franchise. The Bowlen family has owned the Broncos since 1984, but recent events may lead to the franchise being put up for sale.

After the trial that was meant to clarify and finalize Bowlen’s estate (including future ownership of the Broncos) ended up being vacated this week, the future of the franchise is in flux. Two of Pat Bowlen‘s daughters from a previous marriage, Beth Bowlen Wallace and Amie Klemmer, filed suit challenging their father’s mental capacity to approve the trust. Pat Bowlen died of Alzheimer’s in 2019. Brittany Bowlen, the Hall of Fame owner’s youngest daughter, has received support from the trust to one day take over running the Broncos. Members of the league office are believed to be in favor of this path, and the 31-year-old Broncos staffer has confirmed her interest in becoming the team’s controlling owner as well. But multiple other Pat Bowlen heirs have contested this plan.

The trial to settle this matter being delayed indefinitely may mean a settlement has already been reached. Bowlen Wallace said she and Klemmer would walk away from a trial if the Broncos were put up for sale, so this week’s development would point to that being in the cards. A sale may not be imminent, however.

A strong chance exists the NFL will intervene and return the Bowlen-family squabble to arbitration, where it resided before Klemmer and Bowlen Wallace’s lawsuit, Kaplan adds. The NFL intervened recently in a Chargers ownership matter. The late owner’s widow, Annabelle, also has Alzheimer’s. Her death would lead to Pat’s seven children, from different marriages, possessing equal control of the franchise. The trust dictates the Bowlen children sign off on an ownership plan, and the NFL requires franchises have a sole decision-maker for league-related matters.

If the Broncos do become available, Kaplan notes a decades-old agreement may come into play. Previous owner Edgar Kaiser‘s estate claims Pat Bowlen gave Kaiser the right of first refusal in case the team went up for sale again. That would complicate bidding this time around. The Panthers sold for $2.275 billion in 2018; the Broncos, per Kaplan, would likely to go for more than $3 billion.

Josh Gordon Applies For Reinstatement

July 2nd, 2021 at 3:33pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. Receiver Josh Gordon has officially submitted his reinstatement letter to the league office and commissioner Roger Goodell, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Gordon’s most recent reinstatement was rescinded in February, making him once again suspended indefinitely. He was then released by the Seahawks in early March. He said a few weeks later that he hoped to eventually return to the NFL again, and now he’s making moves in that direction. Schefter notes that Gordon “hopes to be with a team for training camp.”

He also reports that the NFL has been giving the former Brown and Patriot random drug tests for the past three months, and that Gordon is “said to have passed all tests.” That’s great news, and hopefully he can keep it up. Gordon, of course, appeared on the verge of becoming a superstar with Cleveland back in the day before substance abuse issues derailed his career.

He was a first-team All-Pro in 2013 when he led the league in receiving yards with 1,646 in only 14 games, but things quickly unraveled after that. He’s been suspended numerous times, and last played in 2019 when he appeared in six games with New England and five with Seattle.

He only just turned 30, so he should have plenty left in the tank physically. Whether he can keep things in order off the field is an entirely different question, and he likely won’t have teams beating down his door assuming Goodell even approves another reinstatement.

He won’t get much, if any, guaranteed money, and will need to settle for a short prove-it deal if he gets cleared by the league. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear more.

AFC Notes: Jackson, Sanders, DeCastro

July 2nd, 2021 at 2:34pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There’s been a lot of talk about the coming Lamar Jackson extension this offseason. Both he and the Ravens have insisted something will get worked out, and that they’re not worried about when. We heard this past week that Jackson was still operating without an agent, and that his mother was running point on negotiations as his business partner. Apparently that has some people concerned, causing the NFLPA to reach out. The players’ union “has tried to assist to no avail,” during the process, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes.

La Canfora says Jackson has received “zero guidance” from the NFLPA. He also notes that since no agent is involved, there’s naturally “zero flow of information about it in the agent community.” La Canfora opines that since the contract negotiation process “requires exposing warts and engaging in a bare-fisted back-and-forth at times,” it can be a “far easier exchange with a third party.” He also says he’s inclined to think the negotiations drag “on for a while, and we don’t get a lot of action in the first half of July.” It’s a unique situation for the Ravens and their franchise quarterback, and one everyone around the league will be watching with eyebrows raised. It should be very interesting to see how it all plays out.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • The Bills finally got their man, signing Emmanuel Sanders to a one-year deal this past offseason. Apparently they’ve been after the veteran receiver for a while. GM Brandon Beane tried to trade for Sanders at the 2019 trade deadline, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic writes. He was ultimately traded from the Broncos to the 49ers at that deadline instead. We knew Buffalo pursued him in free agency last year, but he ended up signing with the Saints. The third time turned out to be the charm. Sanders turned 34 in March but remained fairly productive in New Orleans last season and Buscaglia seems bullish on his outlook, writing that he’s the “most underrated piece” of the Bills’ offense and that Josh Allen looked for him often during recent practices.
  • David DeCastro was just released by the Steelers last week, and the veteran lineman is reportedly considering retirement. Although DeCastro will apparently wait at least a couple of months before deciding whether or not to play again, he has another decision that sounds easier for him to make. DeCastro is “likely to file a grievance” through the NFLPA against the Steelers, Ed Bouchette of The Athletic writes. Pittsburgh released him with a non-football injury designation, but DeCastro said recently the ankle problem for which he’ll soon undergo another surgery is something he was dealing with from last season that didn’t heal right. Bouchette seems to think the Steelers know they’ll have to end up paying DeCastro some more money down the line, but that they made the move so they’d immediately be able to fit Trai Turner‘s contract into their salary cap.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/2/21

July 2nd, 2021 at 1:15pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here as we head into the weekend:

New York Jets

Peters was let go to make room on the roster for Morgan Moses, whose contract with the Jets became official today. Peters became a starter at Auburn in his senior year, but was mostly viewed as a potential special teams guy in the NFL. He blocked four punts at Auburn. Meanwhile, we just heard that Moses will be the team’s starting right tackle in 2021, even if the Jets insist for now there will be a competition with George Fant.

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