Daryl Washington - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals To Meet With Daryl Washington

May 4th, 2017 at 12:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Daryl Washington has been cleared by the league to return to football, but the Cardinals have some questions first. Cardinals GM Steve Keim says the team wants to sit down with owner Michael Bidwell, coach Bruce Arians, and the linebacker to determine the next step.

“To be quite honest with you, we have had dialogue with his agent, but have not have had a chance to talk with Daryl yet, just because of how busy we have been,” Keim told SiriusXM (transcript via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). “We will attend to that in the near future and obviously get a chance to talk to Daryl and see what is going on…There will be a sit-down…an educational briefing on ‘Just where have you been the last three years, what’s going on in your life?’ Once that meeting occurs, there will be a decision made.”

Washington earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2012 and he was still productive in 2013, but that’s the last we’ve seen of him on an NFL field. Washington was hit with an indefinite suspension in 2014 for a substance abuse violation, so the Cardinals say that they want to get caught up on the last three years.

Previous reports have indicated that the Cardinals are not interested in taking Washington back. At minimum, however, he’ll have an opportunity to make his case face-to-face with the team’s most important decision makers.

NFL Reinstates Cards LB Daryl Washington

April 25th, 2017 at 4:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has conditionally reinstated Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Although he has been out of football for a long time, he plans to play in 2017, a source tells Schefter.

Washington, 30, has been lobbying for a return for some time. Earlier this year, an anonymous source told Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic that the Cardinals are not interested in taking him back. The statement released by the team doesn’t do much to dispute that notion.

“Considering we have been prohibited from having contact with him over the last three years, it would be premature today to discuss a potential return to the team,” the Cardinals said in a statement (Twitter links).

Washington was suspended indefinitely in 2014 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and has not played since Week 17 of the ’13 campaign. The linebacker earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2012 when he notched 134 total tackles and 9.0 sacks and continued to be productive in his final NFL year, but the Cardinals have run out of patience with him. Now that he has been cleared, he’ll have to try and hook on elsewhere.

On Tuesday afternoon, the league also granted conditional reinstatement to Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant.

Cardinals Not Interested In Washington Return

February 3rd, 2017 at 12:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Daryl Washington anticipates being reinstated this year and expects that the Cardinals will want him back in the fold. Well, we have some bad news for the suspended linebacker. When asked about the possibility of Arizona welcoming Washington back, one source told Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter), “[I] highly doubt it.”

Washington has been encountered a number of hurdles with regards to a potential return. He was suspended indefinitely in 2014 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. On top of that, he still could face league discipline for a domestic violence incident which resulted in one year of probation. Washington has not played since Week 17 of the 2013 season and despite his optimism, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be given the green light for 2017.

Washington, 30, earned his first career Pro Bowl nod in 2012 when he notched 134 total tackles and 9.0 sacks. Even in his final year, he continued to be productive with 75 total tackles and 3.0 sacks. Still, the Cardinals have run out of patience with Washington. If cleared, he’ll have to try and hook on elsewhere.

West Notes: 49ers, Cardinals, Chargers

February 3rd, 2017 at 9:46am CST by Zachary Links

After facing the Patriots on Sunday, the next daunting task for Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will be to fix the 49ers, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com writes. It won’t be easy, but plenty of people say he’s up for the task.

“He’s an excellent player evaluator, and I think he can evaluate any position,” said Atlanta quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur, who has worked on Shanahan’s staff eight of the past nine years in three different cities. “He as a vision for what he wants, and he knows how to find those players to fit exactly what that vision is. He can recognize what players do well and put them in position to be successful. I think that’s one of his best attributes.”

Shanahan will be blocked from taking many of his assistant coaches with him to San Francisco, but Graziano says that a few of his current players could follow. Falcons backup quarterback Matt Schaub played for Shanahan in Houston and will be a free agent. Same goes for Falcons starting right guard Chris Chester, who played for him in Washington.

Here’s more out of the West divisions:

Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington “anticipates the team wanting him back,” a source tells Joe Pequeno of CBS5 (on Twitter). Furthermore, Washington expects to be reinstated in March. This item should be taken with a kosher grain of salt since Arizona’s level of interest is unknown. Washington’s own assessment of his reinstatement process also doesn’t mean a great deal. The former Pro Bowler hasn’t played since Week 17 of the 2013 season thanks to a substance abuse ban that has yet to be lifted.
Chargers wide receiver Travis Benjamin had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last week, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Benjamin was dealing with a grade-2 PCL sprain for several weeks last season. There’s no mention of Benjamin potentially missing an extended period of time, so he should be good to go this summer.
The Chargers officially terminated their lease with City of San Diego today, paying a $12.575MM termination fee in the process, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. It remains to be seen whether SD might redirect those funds towards an effort to lure the Raiders to town. As the Raiders’ planned move to Las Vegas hit some roadblocks this week, mayor Kevin Faulconer reached out to see if the Raiders might be willing to move ~500 miles south.

West Notes: Lynch, Washington, Manning

November 22nd, 2015 at 8:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Marshawn Lynch will visit a specialist in Philadelphia, with a possible sports hernia injury, Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Pete Carroll noted after Lynch missed the Seahawks‘ victory against the 49ers that injury hasn’t been ruled out, and such a diagnosis would shelve Lynch for a while.

The Seahawks appear to be in solid shape due to Thomas Rawls‘ presence, however, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio didn’t mince words when characterizing what the rookie’s 255-total-yard day means for the 29-year-old Lynch’s future in Seattle, saying the sixth-year Seahawk will not be back with the team for a seventh season due to the gulf between the backs’ contracts.

With a cap number of $11.5MM, Lynch would be the third-highest-paid Seahawk in his age-30 season. Should the Seahawks take Florio’s advice and turn their backfield over to 2015 UDFA Rawls, who’s slated to make $530K next year, Lynch’s recent extension which runs through the 2017 season contains $5MM worth of dead money going into next season.

Here’s some more news coming out of the Western divisions tonight.

Former Cardinals Pro Bowl linebacker Daryl Washington continues to violate the terms of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, Jay Glazer reported on Fox (as relayed by Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk). The 29-year-old Washington hasn’t played since Week 17 of the 2013 season due to his year-long suspension that hasn’t been revisited. Washington was scheduled to apply for reinstatement in March, and there are concerns his career is over.
Rams starter Case Keenum sustained a concussion during the team’s loss to the Ravens today, but he continued to play, losing a fumble that led to Baltimore’s game-winning field goal, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. A Timmy Jernigan sack that didn’t count due to an offside penalty negating it did the damage, according to Jeff Fisher. Media learned of Keenum’s concussion only when informed by the St. Louis media relations staff that the quarterback wouldn’t be available for postgame interviews.
San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer met with Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt to discuss progress on a path to a new Chargers stadium, David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Hunt’s a member of a six-owner committee focused on Los Angeles relocation, and Faulconer’s met with five members of that newly formed coalition thus far. The two didn’t discuss the two LA stadium projects, Garrick reports, with the meeting instead focusing on San Diego’s path to green-lighting construction on its own. Faulconer’s plan features $350MM in contributions from city and county taxpayers, and after California Gov. Jerry Brown’s recent ruling to expedite an environmental review would put this proposal up for a city vote as early as June, but the Chargers have yet to resume negotiations with the city.
Gary Kubiak hasn’t decided if Peyton Manning or Brock Osweiler will start for the Broncos against the Patriots next week, Florio reports. The PFT scribe notes Kubiak said he’d have a difficult time benching Osweiler after his solid performance against the Bears, and if the fourth-year career backup follows it up with an upset over the Patriots, Kubiak’s previous declaration of starting Manning again when healthy will simply resolve itself when the first-year Denver coach deems the 39-year-old of insufficient health to recapture the job.

NFC West Notes: Washington, Rams, Seahawks

July 14th, 2015 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL’s four unsigned franchise-tag players are dominating headlines this week, but it’s fairly quiet elsewhere in the league, such as in the NFC West, where no teams or players are involved in that franchise-player drama. Still, there are a handful of updates trickling out of the West, so let’s round up the latest from the division….

According to Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Arizona (Twitter link), Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington applied for reinstatement from his indefinite suspension way back on May 8. The NFL’s substance abuse policy dictates that the league must issue a decision on an application for reinstatement within 60 days, so it’s not clear what the holdup is in Washington’s case. Yesterday, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Jurecki (Twitter link) that “there is no change” in Washington’s status.
In response to a report indicating that Rams games don’t create enough tax revenue for the city of St. Louis to cover the city’s annual debt and upkeep payment, regional leaders have suggested that various conventions booked at the Edward Jones Dome help cover those debt payments. David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the details on the tax issue, which could be a point of emphasis in talks involving a new St. Louis stadium.
Gregg Bell of The News Tribune examines the Seahawks‘ crowded race for wide receiver jobs on the 53-man roster, noting that Jimmy Graham‘s ability to line up on the outside could be a factor as the team makes its decisions.

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.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Cards, Cowboys, Bucs

June 19th, 2015 at 8:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although the 49ers had a hectic offseason highlighted by the departure of head coach Jim Harbaugh and surprise retirements of Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Chris Borland and Anthony Davis, newcomer Darnell Dockett is unfazed by the team’s troubles. The longtime Cardinals defensive tackle signed with the 49ers before Willis, Smith, Borland and Davis retired, but he’s confident the club will overcome an adverse offseason and find itself in the thick of what should be a highly competitive NFC West race in 2015.

“I’ve been in the division for so long, everybody’s aiming for the top teams, so I was getting a lot of criticism and people saying, `Oh, man, why’d you go to San Fran?’ and `Why’d you do this, everybody’s jumping ship? You should have went to Seattle,’ Dockett, 34, told the Associated Press.

“I’ve been playing in this league for so long, it don’t matter the players that depart the team. It’s all about the chemistry and things you build in July and August. Everybody’s got to play the game on Sunday.”

Dockett, who missed the 2014 season with a knee injury, expects to be ready for training camp next month. The three-time Pro Bowler is also excited to play for new coach Jim Tomsula.

“I’ve had the utmost respect for Jim throughout my career. After every game we met on the 50-yard line and always talked football,” Dockett said.

In other NFC news. . .

Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington – whom the NFL suspended for four games in 2013 and all of 2014 because of multiple substance-abuse violations – is expected to miss time this year because of domestic-violence issues, but he told Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 that he’s “confident that something will work out.” Washington added that he’ll be ready for training camp in August.
The Cowboys elected early in the offseason to place the franchise tag on star receiver Dez Bryant and let reigning rushing champion DeMarco Murray become a free agent. Those decisions led to acrimony between the team and Bryant, who still hasn’t signed his one-year franchise tender and only has until July 15 to reach a long-term deal with Dallas, and Murray’s departure to NFC East rival Phildelphia. However, if given the chance to reverse course, tag Murray and let Bryant hit free agency, the Cowboys wouldn’t do it, according to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News.
The Buccaneers will try to make first overall pick Jameis Winston’s transition from Florida State to the pros as smooth as possible. One method they’re exploring includes using “virtual reality” technology to help the quarterback, writes Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.

NFC Notes: Washington, Peterson, McCoy

June 15th, 2015 at 8:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals inside linebacker Daryl Washington, who plead guilty to aggravated assault in March 2014, had his probation reduced, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. Now, it remains to be seen whether Washington will face suspension for this incident. Washington has been suspended since May 30, 2014, for violating the substance abuse policy, a second substance abuse violation that caused him to miss the entire 2014 season. Here’s more from the NFC..

The NFL has said it will handle Washington’s domestic violence case separately from (and after) his substance abuse suspension, Weinfuss tweets. Recently, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said that he hasn’t given much thought to the idea of Washington returning to the team.
Don’t tell Adrian Peterson that running backs typically decline once they enter their 30s. Of course, Peterson is no ordinary running back, but the former MVP sounds awfully optimistic about his NFL future, telling Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) that he wants to play for seven or eight more years. “I really feel that I can be 38 out here and still be the best running back in the NFL,” Peterson said. For now, the Vikings back will be looking to rebound from a lost 2014 season and show that he’s still one of the league’s best backs at age 30.
Michael Vick, who continues to look for an NFL home, wishes that former teammate LeSean McCoy wouldn’t take shots at former Eagles coach Chip Kelly. “I try to give my little piece of advice that I can offer him. He’s his own man. He has his own feelings and emotions. So I can’t interfere with that,” Vick said, according to Jordan Raanan of The Star-Ledger. “The only thing I try to tell him is stay positive, don’t expose yourself so much. You’re still blessed to be playing in the NFL, a great league, and don’t take things so personal. Your life is great on and off the field. Keep it that way.”

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC West Notes: Lee, Davis, Washington

June 6th, 2015 at 2:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Anthony Davis‘ sudden retirement announcement and caveat this may be a boxing-style sabbatical rather than a move similar to ex-teammates Patrick Willis or Chris Borland will feature financial ramifications.

Should Davis indeed return next season or in 2017, it will likely cost him the signing bonus money he intends to pay back to the 49ers, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The 49ers will place the right tackle on their reserve/retired list, retaining his rights and locking in his 2015 salary for the next season in which Davis plays, if he does. But Florio notes the 2011 labor deal doesn’t contain language about a player returning to the game’s ability to recoup signing bonus money he returned, which could lead to the 49ers and the NFL management council to argue that the bonus money is gone forever. In Davis’ case, that figure is $4.66MM.

NFL Insiders also suggest to Florio that Davis could have said his 2014 concussion was limiting his ability to play and force the 49ers to either cut him or place him on injured reserve instead of him retiring with a much bigger hint at a return to the game than most who retire offer, complicating this process.

Here are a few other Saturday-afternoon items from the NFC West.

Retirement, trades or free agency have besieged the 49ers’ Pro Bowl contingent of its roster, which was one of the league’s healthier stables last season, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The team’s trade of Andy Lee marked the fifth Pro Bowl performer — after Mike Iupati and Frank Gore‘s traditional exits, and the retirements of Patrick Willis and Justin Smith — San Francisco has lost in the past three months.
The 33-year-old Lee, midway through a six-year, $20.5MM extension he signed in 2012, will make $2.55MM this season in Cleveland, but his cap figure balloons to $4.13MM by 2018, writes Branch. Assuming Lee’s spot, 21-year-old draftee Bradley Pinion led all Power 5 conference punters with 33 induced fair catches, according to Pro Football Focus. The ex-Clemson punter who’s stood out this offseason with the 49ers flashed potential in high school with a 100-yard kickoff at a national showcase.
Daryl Washington‘s murky future remains, especially after the Cardinals linebacker’s agent hasn’t exactly been timely with paperwork, reports Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Eligible for reinstatement 60 days prior to the one-year anniversary of his suspension (May 30, 2014), Washington has yet to force any action from Roger Goodell since agent Jordan Woy hasn’t submitted his reinstatement application. Woy plans to do so soon, but as Somers points out, a player who’s met the criteria to return and has the desire to do so would’ve probably had the application submitted the first day it was permitted.
The Rams are shuttling three candidates into first-team reps, with Tim Barnes, Demetrius Rhaney and Barrett Jones vying to replace Scott Wells, reports Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Second-year pro Rhaney, from Tennessee State, received the first snapping work on Friday after spending last season on IR.
Greg Robinson‘s shed 20 pounds and is working out at 319 currently, notes Lyons. The 2014 No. 2 overall pick is still recovering from offseason toe surgery.