NFL Players Association - Pro Football Rumors

NFLPA Re-Elects DeMaurice Smith

March 16th, 2015 at 7:50am CST by Luke Adams

Despite a crowded field that featured eight challengers, reigning executive director DeMaurice Smith was re-elected by the NFL Players Association last night in Hawaii by the league’s team player reps, per Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter). The decision ensures that Smith gets another three-year term heading the NFLPA.

Outside of Smith, Jim Acho, Sean Gilbert, Robert Griffith, Rob London, Art McAfee, John Stufflebeam, Andrew Smith and Jason Belser were also vying for the union’s executive director position. Belser, who has worked under Smith as part of the NFLPA in recent years, was viewed as perhaps the strongest challenger.

Nonetheless, one executive committee member, veteran safety Ryan Clark, tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) that the vote to re-elect Smith was unanimous on the first ballot. Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link) pushes back on that report, suggesting that the first vote wasn’t unanimous, with the player reps re-voting to exhibit solidarity. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that Smith at least got the majority he needed for re-election during the first round of voting, so it wasn’t a contentious process.

The current Collective Bargaining Agreement is widely considered to be more owner-friendly than player-friendly, which made Smith vulnerable to challengers. However, with nine candidates in the running for the position, the field may have been slightly diluted, pushing players to align themselves with the candidate they knew best, rather than rallying around another contender.

Smith’s candidacy may also have received a bit of a boost in the wake of some of the lucrative free agent contracts signed by players within the last several days.

Extra Points: NFLPA, Cutler, Raiders, Rams

March 6th, 2015 at 6:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

NFLPA President Eric Winston tweeted Thursday night that the deadline for nominations for Executive Director of the NFLPA had passed. Along with incumbent DeMaurice Smith, Winston listed Jim Acho, Sean Gilbert, Robert Griffith, Rob London, Art McAfee, John Stufflebeam, Andrew Smith and Jason Belser as candidates. The election for the position is scheduled for March 15.

According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, NFLPA executives are concerned about the internal lack of confidence in DeMaurice Smith. Cole reported that those execs are unsure how Smith will be able to lead going forward if he keeps the job, which he has held since 2009.

Here’s more from around the league:

Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets that, in the aftermath of the Brandon Marshall trade, “chances are” the Bears will keep Jay Cutler for at least another year. According to Breer, Chicago hasn’t brought up the possibility of a Cutler trade with other teams this offseason. Breer notes that the Bears have a “Cutler-friendly staff” with new offensive coordinator Adam Gase and quarterbacks coach Dowell Logains. Breer’s report runs contrary to one released Thursday by NFL.com colleague Ian Rapoport, who said that “teams certainly know that Cutler is available.”
The Raiders’ possible relocation to Carson, Calif., has been a major topic in recent weeks, and team owner Mark Davis said in a radio interview Friday that “other cities are possible relocation places,” Howard Balzer tweeted. Davis went on to state that he “wouldn’t say St. Louis is one of them.” Like the Raiders and Chargers, the Rams have been linked to the Los Angeles area. All three teams can terminate their leases and move after next season. If the Rams relocate, there have been rumblings about another NFL team playing in St. Louis in the future. If you’re to believe Davis, the Raiders won’t be that team.
Speaking of the Rams, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Friday that the team and right tackle Joe Barksdale are “too far apart” on a new deal. Thus, the 26-year-old will hit free agency when the market opens March 10. The four-year veteran has started 29 games over the last two seasons for St. Louis. Out of 84 qualifying tackles, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Barksdale as the 48th best in the league in 2014.

Extra Points: Yates, Titans, NFLPA, Pats, Rams

March 5th, 2015 at 10:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Four teams are expressing interest in free agent quarterback T.J. Yates, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Yates did start five games during his rookie season in Houston, but none since, and he attempted just four passes for the Falcons last year. Even with a weak crop of free agent QBs, Yates is likely only receiving inquiries that involve backup jobs.

Let’s look at some more items from around the league…

Despite many denials on the part of the team, the Titans could still be for sale in 2015, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). La Canfora reported the same in December, but club CEO Tommy Smith has insisted the Titans are not for sale.
Another candidate has emerged in the race for NFLPA executive director, as senior director of the players’ union Jason Belser announced that he’ll be running against incumbent DeMaurice Smith, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
The Vikings are close to a new deal with long snapper Cullen Loeffler, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Another long snapper, Denver’s Aaron Brewer, received a new contract earlier today.
Appearing on CSN New England, NFL.com’s Albert Breer said he’d be surprised if the Patriots lose both Darrelle Revis and Devin McCourty, adding that Revis is the favorite of the two to return to New England.
After acquiring a pack of picks for giving up the right to draft Robert Griffin III, the Rams should now reverse themselves and surrender whatever is needed to move up and select Marcus Mariota in next month’s draft, argues La Canfora in a separate piece.
Jets receiver Percy Harvin is due a $10.5MM salary next season, and if he’s still on the roster as of March 19, New York’s draft-pick compensation to Seattle increases from a sixth-rounder to a fourth-rounder. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com runs through Gang Green’s options with its mercurial pass-catcher.

Extra Points: Suh, Flowers, Titans, NFLPA

March 5th, 2015 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

The money could get silly for guys like Ndamukong Suh and Darrelle Revis since some teams will need to spend to reach the cap minimum and a lack of in-house guys to reward could push free agent prices through the roof, says Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter links). Here’s more from around the NFL:

The Dolphins and Colts are expected to make the strongest pushes for Suh, multiple league sources told Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Both teams have been heavily linked to the impending free agent defensive tackle in recent days.
Appearing today on the NFL Network, cornerback Brandon Flowers said he’d like to remain with the Chargers, and is in discussions with the club about a new deal, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Flowers described his situation as win-win: “If I stay in San Diego, it’s a place I loved stepping in from Day 1. It’s a nice place to live, and with a quarterback like Philip Rivers, you always have a chance. And if I’m not able to go back, I’m going to the free agency market.”
Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean looked at the Titans‘ free agents and ran down which ones the team should look to re-sign. The top priorities, he says, should be linebacker Derrick Morgan, punter Brett Kern, and defensive lineman Karl Klug.
Former NFLPA staff counsel Arthur McAfee is officially on the ballot for the upcoming executive director election, tweets Getlin. Jim Acho, a Michigan attorney running for the job, has also been told he has the three nominations needed to get on the final ballot, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Additionally, sports advisor Rob London tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link) that he also received the necessary recommendations from player reps to qualify as a candidate. There are now eight candidates in the mix for the position.
In this week’s mailbag, a reader asked Mike Klis of the Denver Post if the Broncos would consider former fan favorite Peyton Hillis at fullback. If he were a bit more spry, Hillis would be close to an ideal fullback in Gary Kubiak‘s system, but even then he’s still too small for the position.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Extra Points: DeVito, L.A., Garcon, NFLPA

February 25th, 2015 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

While hundreds of NFL writers will submit mock drafts within the next two months, few are more plugged in than Peter King of TheMMQB.com, whose first mock draft of the year lends credence to the idea that the Eagles have real interest in Marcus Mariota. King’s mock has the Eagles pulling off a trade with Washington to move up to the No. 5 spot and nab Mariota — Philadelphia gives up its first- and second-round picks this year, along with its first- and fourth-round picks for 2016, in the hypothetical swap.

Here’s more miscellany from around the NFL:

The Chiefs are expected to ask defensive lineman Mike DeVito to take a pay cut, reports Conor Orr of NFL.com. DeVito, who is set to earn a base salary of $3.75MM with a 2015 cap number of $5.4MM, could be cut by Kansas City if he decides he doesn’t want to accept a reduced salary.
As Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times reported late last night (via Twitter), Inglewood’s City Council unanimously approved Stan Kroenke‘s Hollywood Park stadium project. By approving the project, the Inglewood City Council can skip a couple steps, Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk explains. City officials can now avoid putting the stadium proposal up for a public vote, and can avoid “potentially lengthy” environmental reviews. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link) notes that Carson officials are expected to do the same thing with the Raiders/Chargers‘ stadium proposal.
There have been “zero talks” about Pierre Garcon‘s contract between his camp and the Washington front office, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter). That doesn’t mean discussions won’t happen at some point, but Keim notes there’s been nothing yet to indicate that any sort of move involving Garcon is coming.
An already crowded field got even more crowded today, as former NFL player Sean Morey emerged as the latest candidate to become executive director of the NFLPA, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
The latest MMQB.com piece from ex-Packers executive Andrew Brandt touches on a handful of interesting topics, as Brandt explores the L.A. issue, notes the different between a contract restructure and a pay cut, and points out that salary cap flexibility can often be created fairly easily.

NFLPA Files Grievance Vs. Browns For Gordon Suspension

February 17th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Luke Adams

7:30pm: Gordon was notified in writing about his lateness on multiple occasions, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The NFLPA grievance claims that he wasn’t notified or fined for it.

9:11am: The NFL Players Association has filed a non-injury grievance vs. the Browns, challenging the one-game suspension the team handed out to Josh Gordon at the end of the 2014 season, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The ban, which happened prior to Week 17, came from the team, and is separate from the year-long suspension the wideout later received from the league.

This grievance had been anticipated, since suspending Gordon for the final game of the 2014 campaign ensured that he only played in five games, one short of the six he would require for an accrued season. While the discipline may have been warranted, it looked like it also could have been a ploy by the Browns to push the 23-year-old’s eligibility for unrestricted free agency back by a year.

Regardless of whether or not Gordon’s suspension from the team is upheld by an arbitrator, the wideout’s unrestricted free agency will still be delayed by at least one year due to his more recent ban from the league, since a player doesn’t receive an accrued season when he spends the year on the reserve/suspended list. A player is eligible to be a UFA after four accrued seasons, but if both of Gordon’s suspensions stand, he’ll only have two accrued seasons by 2016, which is when he originally would’ve been set to hit the open market.

NFL Notes: NFLPA, Cap Casualties, Team Needs

February 15th, 2015 at 5:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

Labor and employment law attorney Andrew Smith has joined the race to become the next Executive Director of the NFLPA, and is officially on the ballot as he has acquired written endorsements from three player reps, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). As far as Getlin knows, Smith is the first of the candidates to get all three endorsements required (via Twitter).

Here are some other links from around the NFL:

Agent Rob London will also be joining the field, making him the fifth person to put his name in the hat to run against current Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, writes Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter).
Josh McCown and LaRon Landry are among players who have already been released this offseason, but Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes that there are a number of other veterans that could be on the chopping block before the new league year starts. Volin’s list includes Percy Harvin, Brandon Marshall, Troy Polamalu, and Marques Colston, among others.
While Volin is busy talking about players who could be released, Jason La Canfora is figuring out what players team’s need to bring in, as he outlines all 32 franchises’ needs this offseason for CBS Sports. La Canfora picks out the top priority for every team.
Jameis Winston’s trangessions during his time at Florida State could play a big role in his NFL career, as the league’s new player conduct policy would allow for a player’s past incidents to play a role in punishment when dealing with new offenses at the professional level, writes Jane McManus of ESPN.com. Not to assume Winston will be in trouble once he gets drafted, but it could affect his draft status if a team knows he will not get a clean slate after coming into the NFL.

Extra Points: Browns, Hoyer, NFLPA, L.A.

February 11th, 2015 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Executives from rival teams are beginning to complain about the fact that Kevin O’Connell, who is on track to become the Browns‘ new quarterbacks coach, continues to work with Marcus Mariota to help him prepare for the draft, amidst rumors that Cleveland is contemplating trading up to draft a QB.

“So let me get this straight,” said one high-level team executive on another team, to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “The Browns can have their quarterbacks coach in waiting work with a player, teach him the entire offense, etc., but we can’t even talk to any potential draft pick until the combine per league rules? Something is wrong here.”

As Florio notes, the Browns may not technically be violating any rules, since they haven’t officially announced O’Connell as their QBs coach yet, but considering Cleveland is currently under investigation for another rules violation (“Textgate“), the team may want to tread carefully.

Let’s check in on a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:

Speaking of the Browns‘ quarterback situation, prospective free agent Brian Hoyer told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that while it’s possible he’ll return to Cleveland, the city he grew up in, he also has do what’s best for himself this offseason. With that said, Hoyer is confident that he could become the Browns‘ starting quarterback again if he stayed with the club. “I did it once [before],” Hoyer said (Twitter link).
Three notable quarterbacks from the class of 2004 – Eli Manning (Giants), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), and Philip Rivers (Chargers) – are headed into the final year of their respective contracts. As Jordan Raanan of NJ.com details, contract extensions for the trio won’t come cheaply even as the three players enter their mid-30s, with the price tags likely to be in the neighborhood of $20MM annually.
The battle to become the new NFLPA executive director is becoming a crowded field, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. Cole reports (via Twitter) that, in addition to incumbent union leader DeMaurice Smith, at least three other candidates – Jim Acho, Sean Gilbert, and John Stufflebeem – will run for the position, while two others are considering entering the mix.
The NFLPA Committee on Agent Regulation and Discipline (CARD) announced that agent Vincent Porter has been suspended after he was arrested for wire fraud. Porter was the agent for Giants linebacker Devon Kennard and previously worked with Seahawks tailback Christine Michael and Patriots running back Jonas Gray as well.
Bryce Johnston of Over The Cap puts his concept of “expected contract value” to the test by using it to break down recent contracts signed by top centers Ryan Kalil (Panthers), Alex Mack (Browns), and Maurkice Pouncey (Steelers).
Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson is interested in becoming involved in efforts to get an NFL franchise to Los Angeles, as he tells Jarrett Bell of USA Today Sports.

Extra Points: NFLPA, Mayo, Van Pelt, Raiders

January 23rd, 2015 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL Players Association has formally filed a grievance against the league challenging the NFL’s new personal conduct policy, which was adopted in December despite the NFLPA’s objections, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The union contends that it didn’t have an opportunity to collectively bargain many key points of the new policy, arguing that the policy violates the CBA and that it was adopted “without the consent, and over the objections, of the NFLPA.”

While we wait to see what comes of the union’s grievance, let’s round up several items from across the NFL….

Injured Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo has been prioritizing his rehabilitation after a season-ending knee injury, and fully intends to get back on the field in 2015, but he has also developed an interest in coaching during his time spent on injured reserve, writes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “I’m just trying to learn as much as I can,” Mayo said. “If I do choose to go down that road, hopefully I can apply some of these principles that I’ve learned from coach [Bill] Belichick in my coaching career.”
While a previous report revealed the Packers turned down the Rams’ request to speak to Alex Van Pelt about their offensive coordinator job, St. Louis wasn’t the only team rebuffed by Green Bay. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), the Jaguars and Bears were also denied permission to interview Van Pelt.
The Raiders have officially confirmed a handful of new additions to Jack Del Rio’s staff, announcing in a press release that they’ve hired Todd Downing (QB coach), Marcus Robertson (DB coach), Sal Sunseri (LB coach), and Mike Tice (OL coach).
The Jets also announced several new assistants in addition to their new coordinators. According to the team, Mike Caldwell (assistant HC/ILB coach), Mark Collins (OLB coach), Joe Danna (DB/S coach), and Karl Dorrell (WR coach) are among the new arrivals.
Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey isn’t phased by the fact that 2015 could be a make-or-break season for him and head coach Joe Philbin, suggesting that he approaches every season as if it’s make-or-break, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
The Texans have made some front office changes, promoting Jon Carr to director of college scouting and hiring Matt Jansen to the new position of college scouting coordinator, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links).
We learned yesterday that Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett met with the Dolphins at the Senior Bowl, but Miami is far from the only team to interview Lockett. The wideout, who is generating plenty of buzz in Mobile, tells James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he spoke to 28 NFL teams this week.

Extra Points: Peterson, Kiffin, Draft, Jets

January 16th, 2015 at 10:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In a 35-page document filed Friday, the NFL asked a federal court to throw out the NFLPA’s petition to have Vikings running back Adrian Peterson‘s suspension overturned, writes Dave Campbell of the Associated Press. Citing labor law, the league argues that there is no reason to “re-litigate all of the decisions” made by arbitrator Harold Henderson on December 12. The trial is scheduled for February 6, while Peterson is currently suspended through at least April 15. Let’s look at some more notes from around the NFL…

We heard earlier today that Mike Shanahan could be “in play” for the 49ers offensive coordinator job, and now another interesting candidate has emerged. A league source tells Cam Inman of the Mercury News that Lane Kiffin could be interested in returning to the NFL, and posits San Francisco as a possible destination. Kiffin, the OC at Alabama, was the Raiders head coach from 2007-08.
86 underclassmen have declared for this year’s draft, a 20% decrease from 2014, tweets Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive director of football operations. Those declaring have until Monday to withdrawal and reclaim their eligibility.
Following the news that Jets director of college scouting (and former GM) Terry Bradway was fired, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com looks back the executives many missteps during his time leading Gang Green. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News takes a different tack (Twitter links), noting that Bradway heavily pushed to draft Darrelle Revis, and wanted to select Russell Wilson.
USA Today examines how each of the four remaining playoff teams were built, noting that each club contains forward-thinking personnel men, strong drafting decisions, and top-notch quarterbacks.

NFL Players Association News & Rumors