Gareon Conley - Pro Football Rumors

Raiders, Gareon Conley Talking Contract

July 20th, 2017 at 7:59am CST by Zachary Links

Rookie Gareon Conley could conceivably face sexual assault charges stemming from his pre-draft incident. That issue complicates things when it comes to his contract, but the Raiders are not necessarily going to wait for a resolution to things before hammering out a deal. Talks are underway and ongoing, Mike Florio of PFT hears.

The Raiders investigated the allegations against Conley as thoroughly as possible in the days leading up to the draft. Presumably, the Raiders felt that any sexual conduct Conley engaged in was consensual. They likely assumed that he would be cleared of any wrongdoing before the start of training camp, but that might not happen with a little over week to go.

It remains to be seen whether the Raiders will actually ink Conley to a contract before his case is resolved. If they do, they may push for protections that wouldn’t ordinarily be in a rookie’s contract. Conley’s camp may bristle at the notion of accepting less guaranteed money than a typical No. 24 overall pick or allowing the Raiders to have extra escape hatches in the deal.

Beyond the murkiness of his legal situation, the two sides could also butt heads over the guarantees of Conley’s slot versus the guarantees of players drafted around him. Jarrad Davis, taken with the No. 21 overall pick, had his full four-year deal guaranteed. Dolphins rookie Charles Harris, taken No. 22 overall, has 97.31% guaranteed. Giants rookie Evan Engram, selected with the 23rd pick, has more than 96% of his deal locked in. The Raiders may not be inclined to give Conley a deal like Engram’s in light of his off-the-field circumstances.

Latest On Raiders’ Gareon Conley

July 9th, 2017 at 9:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two and a half months ago, Gareon Conley met with authorities regarding a woman’s allegation of sexual assault against him, and the rookie Raiders cornerback’s attorney expected a resolution on this case to come six to eight weeks from that meeting.

No such resolution has emerged, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. Conley has not been charged in connection with this alleged incident, but no word has come out whether he will be or not. After 10 weeks, the cornerback’s future is still clouded because of this matter.

Conley is one of the seven first-round picks who hasn’t signed his rookie deal. The Raiders may be waiting for this matter to be resolved before signing the corner to a deal, Florio offers, noting the $5.5MM-plus signing bonus that will come Conley’s way as part of this impending agreement.

A woman accused Conley of sexual assault at a Cleveland hotel in April, and it affected the Ohio State product’s draft stock. Conley said he did have a consensual sexual encounter with the woman on April 9, an act his attorney specified was not intercourse, Conley’s vehemently denied her allegations.

The Raiders open training camp July 29, and this process dragging on past then would push it firmly into distraction territory for a team that gambled and selected Conley 24th overall.

AFC Notes: Bengals, Raiders, Lynch, Patriots

May 2nd, 2017 at 9:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bengals selected Washington wide receiver John Ross with the ninth overall pick last Thursday, but some clubs didn’t view Ross as a worthwhile long-term investment, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. “We looked at him as a one-contract player,” one front office told La Canfora. “Our doctors had serious reservations about his longevity at this level.” Ross tore his ACL and missed the 2015 collegiate campaign, and also underwent labrum surgery after the combine. If healthy, Ross and his 4.22-second speed should add a new dynamic to Cincinnati’s offense.

Here’s more from the AFC:

The Raiders‘ deal with running back Marshawn Lynch is worth $9MM over two years, reports Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). In 2017, Lynch will earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.35MM plus a $1MM roster bonus due May 3 (which makes it effectively guaranteed). Lynch can also bring in $500K in per-game roster bonuses and $150K via a workout bonus. In 2018, Lynch’s cap number will be $6MM — including a $4MM base salary — but because none of that money is guaranteed (and because Oakland didn’t use a signing bonus), the Raiders can cut Lynch after 2017 with no dead money accelerating onto their cap.
Even if new Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley is handed felony charges after an alleged sexual assault, he can’t be suspended by the NFL, league spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Because the incident and accusations occurred prior to Conley entering the league, the NFL cannot discipline him, although the episode come into play down the line. If Conley were to violate the NFL’s conduct policy going forward, he could be treated as a “repeat offender,” according to Florio.
Mike Gillislee‘s two-year pact with the Patriots was front-loaded in order to convince the Bills not to match, as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. Gillislee will earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.5MM in 2017, and will also rake $2MM via a roster bonus and $500K in per-game roster bonuses. In 2018, he’ll see a non-guaranteed base salary of $1.9MM with another $500K available in per-gamers. No signing bonus was used in the deal.

Latest On Raiders CB Gareon Conley

May 1st, 2017 at 9:28pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

9:28pm: Spellacy has clarified his previous comments, telling Rapoport via text message: “When I referenced a ‘consensual sexual event,’ I was NOT referring to intercourse. That did NOT happen.” Spellacy added, “Nothing that Gareon has said has been inconsistent” (Twitter links).

9:13pm: Raiders first-round pick Gareon Conley, who was accused of sexual assault before the draft, gave a statement and provided a DNA sample to Cleveland police Monday, his attorney, Kevin Spellacy, told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It could be six to eight weeks before the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office decides whether to pursue charges against the former Ohio State cornerback, according to Spellacy.

In speaking with police, Conley claimed that he and his accuser had a consensual sexual encounter on April 9, per Spellacy. That “changes everything,” writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. After all, when news of the accusation came to light last week, TMZ reported that two of Conley’s friends told police that he did not have sex with the woman in question. With that in mind, this is now a “he said, she said situation,” notes Florio (also an attorney), who points out that Conley’s fate might ultimately rest with a jury. And if that jury believes Conley’s accuser, he could be indicted on first-degree felony charges and face a three- to eight-year prison sentence.

Less serious than Conley’s predicament is the plight of the Raiders, who went out on a limb in using the 24th overall pick on him. The Raiders conducted their own investigation before drafting Conley, with general manager Reggie McKenzie telling Peter King of The MMQB: “I understand the issues involved. But we did our research, and we read all the reports, and we did more than our due diligence. After all the information we got, we were comfortable with making this choice and confident in who this player is.”

Conley, for his part, has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

Extra Points: Hawks, Mahomes, Cowboys, Foster, Texans, Savage, Conley

April 28th, 2017 at 4:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Even though the Seahawks have one of the top starting quarterbacks in the NFL in Russell Wilson, they would have strongly considered drafting Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes if he were still on the board for their first-round pick, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Mahomes, who went 10th to Kansas City, was long gone by the time Seattle was on the clock at No. 26. The Seahawks ultimately traded out of the opening round.

More from Seattle and a few other NFL cities as Day 2 of the draft approaches:

Speaking of the Seahawks, the Cowboys had an opportunity to swap picks with them in the first round, per Dallas executive Stephen Jones (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). The Cowboys instead chose to stay at No. 28 because they liked the players remaining on the board, and ended up choosing Michigan defensive end Taco Charlton.
When the 49ers called Reuben Foster to inform him they were selecting him 31st overall, he was on the phone with the Saints at the time. New Orleans, which picked 32nd, was already welcoming Foster to the organization. But once Foster got word that he was going to San Francisco, he hung up on the Saints (Twitter links via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee).
The Texans sent a significant haul to Cleveland to move from No. 25 to No. 12 and select Clemson QB Deshaun Watson, but it appears he’ll begin his pro career as a backup. Head coach Bill O’Brien told reporters, including Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, that Tom Savage will be the Texans’ starting signal-caller next season (Twitter link).
The Raiders were not the team to request a polygraph test from Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley. Instead, it was the Ravens who ordered the test, as Peter King of The MMQB writes. Once the results came in, Conley’s camp forwarded them to teams around the league, but the Raiders would not say whether the results impacted their evaluation of what happened. Conley will meet with Cleveland police on Monday and he’s “very confident that it will be resolved” (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Journal Review). First, however, the 24th overall pick is headed to the Raiders’ facility on Friday to meet with team brass.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Raiders Draft Gareon Conley

April 27th, 2017 at 9:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have selected cornerback Gareon Conley with the No. 24 pick. Conley, once thought to have top ten potential, had everything thrown into flux this week when a woman accused him of sexual assault.

After the allegations came to light on Tuesday, teams worked tirelessly to get to the bottom of what happened between Conley and a young woman in his Cleveland hotel room. After investigating, the Raiders obviously felt that there was no serious wrongdoing on the part of the Ohio State cornerback.

There was talk this week that Conley would not be drafted at all or perhaps would slip to the third round. He is surely breathing a sigh of relief after being taken by the Raiders late in the first round.

Conley will likely supplant David Amerson as the team’s No. 2 cornerback. With Sean Smith and Conley, the Raiders have themselves a solid duo.

Extra Points: Redskins, Allen, Steelers

April 27th, 2017 at 6:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are high on Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Redskins currently own the No. 17 pick in the draft, so they’ll likely need to move up to get him. Then again, Allen might not make it out of the top five.

Here’s more news before the draft gets underway:

Washington defensive backs Kevin King and Budda Baker are on the Steelers‘ “radar”, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Pittsburgh has used early picks on secondary help over the past few seasons, as Artie Burns, Sean Davis, and Senquez Golson have all been added to the defensive backfield since 2015. Golson, however, hasn’t been able to get on the field due to injuries, and the Steelers could use more help in the back end. King would give the club a physical corner to play outside, while Baker can play deep safety and the slot.
Some folks in the Dolphins organization are really high on linebacker Haason Reddick, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears. His fans in Miami believe that he can be a great weakside linebacker right off of the bat and they like his explosive pass rush skills.
An official from one team tells Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that Gareon Conley will go in the first round.
Colts defensive lineman David Parry will avoid jail time after reaching a plea agreement this week, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star writes. Originally, he was facing felony charges stemming from a February arrest in Arizona. It remains to be seen whether he’ll face team or league punishment.

Draft Rumors: Cowboys, Conley, McCaffrey

April 27th, 2017 at 3:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Let’s round up the latest NFL Draft rumors:

The Cowboys should not been overlooked as a possible destination when it comes to Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. Dallas need cornerback help and, as Pelissero notes, they’re used to taking risks. Dallas had Conley in for a visit and also phoned him on Wednesday. Conley, of course, is dealing with allegations of rape, and could fall as far as the third round. If he’s cleared of all charges, Conley could represent an excellent value for the Cowboys at the end of Round 1.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) gets the sense that Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey is likely to go in the top ten. One NFL GM told Schefter that McCaffrey “had the best combine workout I’ve seen. Ever.” McCaffrey has been linked to the top-10 range for some time, and a number of clubs within that space make sense as a landing spot. The Eagles, sitting at No. 14, are reportedly “infatuated” with McCaffrey, but understand they may have to trade ahead of Carolina.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) wouldn’t be shocked if the Chargers beat the Panthers to the punch on selecting McCaffrey. Los Angeles used a first-round pick on running back Melvin Gordon in 2015, and he broke out with 10 rushing touchdowns during his sophomore campaign. However, the Chargers did lose Danny Woodhead in free agency, and McCaffrey would presumably fill Woodhead’s passing down role with aplomb.
The Ravens‘ interest in Corey Davis is real, Peter Schrager of NFL Network tweets. Baltimore owns the No. 16 overall pick, and is certainly in the market for a wide receiver after losing Steve Smith to retirement. Former first-round pick Breshad Perriman has been injured during much of his NFL tenure, so the Ravens could use another pass-catcher to pair with Mike Wallace. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported a strong link between Davis and the Ravens on Wednesday.
Both UCLA linebacker Takkarist McKinley and Washington wide receiver John Ross could slide due to their medical history, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Both players underwent surgery during the predraft process. While McKinley and Ross are certainly considered talented prospects, interested clubs will have to weigh injury risk against potential upside.

Latest On OSU CB Gareon Conley

April 27th, 2017 at 8:39am CST by Zachary Links

This week, teams have taken a deep dive into the allegations against Gareon Conley. The attorney for the Ohio State cornerback says he has spoken to representatives from all 32 teams since the sexual assault accusation surfaced (via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). A different person close to Conley says the player has spoken with GMs, security people, and other reps from at least 24 NFL teams.

Now that teams have done their homework, the general belief is that he will get drafted this week. Three GMs who spoke with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) predicted that he will go in the third round, which aligns with a report from Wednesday night. That’s a hard fall from his original top 15 status, but it’s a better prognosis than he had just 48 hours ago.

If a team lands Conley in the third round and his name is cleared, he could prove to be the best value pick in the entire draft. If the unsettling allegations against him have merit, however, he may never see the field.

Gareon Conley To Fall To Round 3?

April 26th, 2017 at 7:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley insists that sexual assault allegations against him are “completely false,” but they’re still going to have a negative effect on his draft stock. Conley, perhaps a top 10 pick-to-be before the allegations came to light Tuesday, now looks unlikely to come off the board before the third round, a league source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Drafting Conley in the third would be a major coup for a team if his name is cleared, which he is “completely confident” will happen. But there will be risk associated with him until that occurs (if it even does), as Florio notes. In the event Conley is ultimately convicted of a first-degree felony, the club that selects him will have wasted a valuable pick on a player who shouldn’t have been drafted at all.

Judging solely on talent, Conley should be a first-round lock. The two-year starter with the Buckeyes is a safe bet on the field, leading PFR to regard him as a top five pick in its latest mock draft (though that was before this off-field incident came to the fore). Now, on the eve of the draft, he’s perhaps the riskiest player in this year’s class.