HEADLINES

Greg Hardy

Extra Points: Hardy, Randle, Jordan

April 29th, 2015 at 10:19pm CST by Zachary Links

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith firmly believes there is precedent for getting Greg Hardy‘s suspension reduced, Charean Williams of the Star Telegram writes. “In the last three years, we’ve had the league overturned three times in [the Saints’] Bounty, [Adrian] Peterson and Ray Rice,” Smith said as he gears up to defend the Cowboys star. “To me, it’s never a question about whether I’m confident or not. We start with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and if they continue to seek to impose penalties that are inconsistent with that agreement or inconsistent of the law of the case that has been developed under that agreement, this is what unions do. We fight that.” More from around the NFL..

  • Cowboys running back Joseph Randle won’t face domestic violence charges for his incident in Wichita, according to Drew Davidson of the Star Telegram tweets. There was a “lack of evidence” cited by the DA’s office in the case. More from around the NFL..
  • Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan issued a statement through the NFLPA regarding his suspension. “I’m very disappointed that I will not be playing in the NFL in the 2015 season,” the statement read. “Because of past positive tests and my status in the drug program, the consequence of dilute (not positive) tests is severe. I deeply regret putting myself in this position, and I apologize to my teammates and the Dolphins organization. I will use the time away from playing to finish my college degree. I will stay in excellent physical shape and look forward to returning to the NFL as soon as possible. I’m deeply grateful to my family and friends for their continued support.”
  • Before the Seahawks traded for tight end Jimmy Graham, they had trade discussions with the Bears about Martellus Bennett, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Alex Boone, who held out last offseason for a new contract, will skip all of the 49ers‘ voluntary activities in the final year of his contract, a source close to the guard tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Boone, who will earn $3.4MM in 2015, has not taken part in the 49ers’ offseason program, and he was not on the field Tuesday and Wednesday for the start of the team’s voluntary three-day minicamp at the team’s practice facility.
  • The Titans have gotten calls from multiple teams inquiring about what it will take to deal for the No. 2 overall pick, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Meanwhile, one team executive tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that the Titans have been asking for three first round picks to part with the No. 2 choice. The executive laughed hard when passing that info along, he adds.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Perry, Hardy, 49ers, Rams

April 27th, 2015 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said last week that teams had contacted him to gauge the availability of the first overall pick, suggesting at the time that those calls would probably continue over the next few days. Speaking to Steve Wyche of NFL.com, Licht confirmed as much, indicating that more than one team called him on Sunday to inquire about the No. 1 pick.

According to Licht, the calls were more about “feeling out what it would take” to trade up to No. 1, so it doesn’t sound like any serious discussions took place. It would presumably take a significant offer for the Bucs to consider moving down, since the club has decided which player it will select with that pick. While Licht, of course, declined to name the player, he said that he and head coach Lovie Smith “are in complete alignment” on the choice. Jameis Winston is considered the strong favorite.

As we wait to see if the Bucs have any last-minute surprises up their sleeves, let’s check in on a few other items from across the NFC….

  • The Packers are expected to decline their fifth-year option on linebacker Nick Perry, but nothing is official yet and the team has a few more days to make its decision, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. It would cost $7.751MM for the 2016 season to exercise the option on Perry, who has yet to make a real impact on Green Bay’s defense since being selected 28th overall in 2012.
  • As expected, the NFLPA has officially appealed Greg Hardy‘s 10-game suspension on behalf of the Cowboys defensive end. According to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), the union filed the appeal on Friday night.
  • As Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes, 49ers GM Trent Baalke won’t be pressured into drafting a receiver early this week, but the team is certainly considering wideouts. Georgia Tech’s Darren Waller said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he had a pre-draft visit with the Niners, who spoke to him exclusively about playing wide receiver — Waller is considered a potential tight end in the NFL by some other teams, including the Cardinals (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of Fox Sports).
  • Given the advancing ages and rising cap numbers for James Laurinaitis and Chris Long, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com thinks it’s possible that the Rams will eye potential replacements for their veteran defensive leaders in this year’s draft. In Wagoner’s view, a defensive end is more likely than a linebacker, given the strengths and weaknesses of 2015’s class, but ideally both players would have nice 2015 seasons and adjust their contracts to stick around St. Louis even longer.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Hardy, Bradford, Polk

April 24th, 2015 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Giants‘ top three most-played safeties from 2014 – Antrel Rolle, Quintin Demps, and Stevie Brown – are no longer under contract with the team, and the club missed out on Devin McCourty in free agency. However, GM Jerry Reese doesn’t view the position as an area of need, as Conor Orr of NFL.com details. While Reese may not consider safety to be as important a position as some other spots on the field, it would still be a surprise if the Giants don’t grab one or two at some point in the draft.

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

  • There are some “smart people” around the NFL who believe Greg Hardy‘s suspension will ultimately be reduced from 10 games to something in the neighborhood of two to six games, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Even if Hardy’s appeal isn’t successful, the NFLPA may file a lawsuit on behalf of the Cowboys defensive end, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  • Hardy’s stint in Dallas is off to an ominous start, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, who reports that the defensive end was involved in an altercation with Cowboys teammate Davon Coleman today. A source tells Garafolo that Hardy questioned Colemans’s effort during conditioning drills, and a verbal altercation nearly turned into a physical one. Meanwhile, Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links) hears that Coleman incited Hardy by calling him a “woman beater.” According to Getlin, there’s some concern among the Cowboys that Hardy is already at odds with another member of the club’s defensive line.
  • Heading into the final year of his rookie deal, Sam Bradford isn’t willing to settle for a “substandard” contract extension, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Instead, the former first overall pick is hoping to submit a strong 2015 campaign and reassess his market value at that point. There’s also not 100% certainty that the Eagles will hang on to Bradford through the draft, so the QB wants to make sure he knows where he’ll be playing before he locks himself into a long-term extension.
  • Earlier this afternoon, the Eagles rescinded Chris Polk‘s RFA contract tender, making him an unrestricted free agent. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Philadelphia was open to re-signing the running back at a lower salary, but the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement.

NFC Notes: Seahawks, Peterson, Cowboys

April 22nd, 2015 at 8:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks GM John Schneider told reporters, including Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (Twitter link), that he still wants to re-sign Tarvaris Jackson as a backup quarterback. However, he added that Jackson is still feeling his way through free agency. Here’s more from the NFC..

  • Schneider went on to say that he’d “be lying” if he said that the offensive line isn’t a need for the Seahawks, but he also noted that the draft isn’t the only avenue for adding to that area (link).
  • Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald would love to see his team trade for Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson, Marc Sessler of NFL.com writes. “Adrian Peterson is arguably the best back in the NFL,” Fitzgerald told Around The NFL. “You know, he’s been unbelievable. If he were to leave Minnesota, which I think is maybe a bit unlikely, he would be a huge, huge playmaker for whatever team he went to.”
  • Cowboys owner Jerry Jones issued a statement explaining that the team respects Roger Goodell’s ruling on Greg Hardy, as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes. “This suspension is something that we anticipated prior to Greg’s signing, and we respect the Commissioner’s ruling,” the statement reads. “Our organization understands the very serious nature of this matter. We will use our resources — work closely with Greg and with the league — to ensure a positive outcome.”
  • News of Hardy’s 10-game suspension only makes Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News more certain that the Cowboys should trade back in the draft.

NFL Suspends Greg Hardy For 10 Games

April 22nd, 2015 at 3:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has announced that Greg Hardy has been suspended for 10 games without pay, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). A source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) that the Cowboys defensive end will appeal the decision.

Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Facebook) passes along the entire statement from the league. It reads, in part, “In a letter from Commissioner Roger Goodell, Hardy was informed that an extensive two-month NFL investigation following the dismissal of his case in North Carolina state court determined that there was sufficient credible evidence that Hardy engaged in conduct that violated NFL policies in multiple respects and with aggravating circumstances.”

Within his message to Hardy, Goodell also said that the defensive end “should understand that another violation of this nature may result in [his] banishment from the NFL.” In order to return to playing, Hardy “must have no further adverse involvement with law enforcement and must not commit any additional violations of league policies.”

The statement outlined, in detail, the events that took place on May 13th, 2014.

“First, he used physical force against her which caused her to land in a bathtub. Second, he used physical force against her which caused her to land on a futon that was covered with at least four semi-automatic rifles. Third, he used physical force against her by placing his hands around Ms. Holder’s neck and applying enough pressure to leave visible marks. And fourth, he used physical force to shove Ms. Holder against a wall in his apartment’s entry hallway.

‘The net effect of these acts was that [Nicole Holder] was severely traumatized and sustained a range of injuries, including bruises and scratches on her neck, shoulders, upper chest, back, arms and feet,’ Commissioner Goodell wrote. ‘The use of physical force under the circumstances present here, against a woman substantially smaller than you and in the presence of powerful, military-style assault weapons, constitutes a significant act of violence in violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.'”

The Cowboys expected a four-game suspension and, at maximum, a six-game suspension for their new star defensive end, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Of course, much of Hardy’s contract is tied to bonuses based on games played and performance, so Dallas is protected financially. If Hardy winds up serving the entire 10-game suspension, his first game back will be against the Panthers on Thanksgiving. In total, Hardy stands to miss 25 games between 2014 and 2015 for his actions.

Hardy made the Pro Bowl in 2013 after he compiled a career-high 15 sacks, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the second-best overall defensive end in the league. He was franchised for a one-year salary of $13.1MM for the 2014 season and wound up playing in just one game for that entire campaign.

East Notes: Hardy, Bills, Giants

April 21st, 2015 at 4:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Tony Romo is getting up there in years, but the Cowboys aren’t dialing back the expectations whatsoever. Cowboys COO Stephen Jones says that the signal-caller is “ready to have the best year he’s ever had,” as Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News writes. Romo turns 35 on Tuesday, but this is also the first time in two years that he isn’t coming off of a surgical procedure. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East..

  • Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy has filed a petition to have domestic violence charges officially expunged from his record, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. His lawyer explained that it’s a very common procedure. “Every day Americans who have misdemeanor charges dismissed file for expungement of the charges from their record,” said Chris Fialko, Hardy’s attorney. Hardy will likely be suspended for at least the first couple games of the season.
  • It sounds like Bills GM Doug Whaley isn’t quite as supportive of quarterback E.J. Manuel as he was last season. “The way we looked at is, we don’t have a proven franchise quarterback. That’s obvious,” Whaley said, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. “But what we wanted to do is be perfect everywhere else, where that guy doesn’t have to put the game on his shoulders and be the man. We want him to be able to just make right decisions and be able to put the ball in the hands of the playmakers.”
  • A reader asked Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter) if the Giants might trade down in the first round to obtain more defensive value and he replied that it would be out of character for Big Blue to move down in the draft.

Extra Points: Hardy, Winston, Eagles, Saints

April 10th, 2015 at 10:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Some tidbits from around the NFL as Friday evening comes to a close…

  • The Cowboys and newly signed defensive end Greg Hardy continue to await the NFL’s decision regarding the star pass rusher’s forthcoming suspension for domestic violence issues. Hardy will likely sit four to six games with the possibility of the amount being cut in half after appeal, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Tim Cowlishaw.
  • Despite his overwhelming success on the field, Florida State quarterback and potential No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston had some concerning moments away from the gridiron during his time with the Seminoles. Because of that, David Cornwell – one of Winston’s advisors – cautions that Winston doesn’t yet have everything it takes to be an NFL player. “Jameis is ready to be an NFL player on the field. He’s not ready to be an NFL player off the field,” Cornwell said Friday, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “The idea that, standing alone, he’s ready to get into this shark-invested pool, it’s crazy.”
  • Although the Eagles acquired quarterback Sam Bradford earlier this offseason, they continue to be linked to one of the draft’s top two QBs, Marcus Mariota, largely because of his time at Oregon with Chip Kelly. The Eagles won’t be able to land Mariota with the 20th overall pick, and ESPN’s Ron Jaworski believes Mariota is a prospect for whom moving up in the draft is justifiable. “You have to mortage your future,” Jaworski said on Philly Sports Talk, according to CSNPhilly.com. “I know [Kelly] says he’s not going to, but what mortgage means is you get something now and you pay later.”  If Kelly ultimately does trade up for Mariota, it would likely mean moving into the top five – which would carry a steep cost for the Eagles.
  • Larry Holder of NOLA.com took a look at some under-the-radar Saints issues heading into the 2015 season, with the status of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan being one area of interest. After overseeing the second-worst defense in the league in 2014, Ryan’s job is far from secure going forward, according to Holder – who believes newly hired assistant Dennis Allen could take over if head coach Sean Payton elects to make an in-season change.

Cowboys Notes: Hardy, McFadden, Peterson

April 6th, 2015 at 2:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Not sure who to root for in Monday’s NCAA basketball championship game between Duke and Wisconsin? Well, the Dallas Morning News decided to pit Wisconsin fan Aaron Rodgers against Duke fan Tony Romo to better handicap the odds. While we wait to see whether the Cowboys quarterback will be celebrating tonight, here’s a look at the latest out of Dallas..

  • The NFL has viewed the seven photos it wanted to see from the Greg Hardy domestic violence case and as agreed upon dropped its complaint, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. Of course, the league’s investigation will continue, as a league spokesman told Newton (link). The NFLPA will reportedly fight hard for the Cowboys star if he is given a penalty stiffer than a two game suspension.
  • Newly acquired Cowboys running back Darren McFadden joined the NFL Network to talk about his new team and he explained that the rumors about Adrian Peterson have not bothered him. “Coming into it, that wasn’t a question I asked,” McFadden said, via The Dallas Morning News. “Once DeMarco Murray was released, I felt like it was an opportunity for me step in there and try to go in and get whatever carries I could. Whether they decide to sign Adrian Peterson wasn’t going to make my decision change.”
  • The Cowboys are confident that they can get the most out of McFadden, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. In 2008, the year that the Cowboys selected Felix Jones, Dallas spent a great deal of time studying McFadden and also met with him, as head coach Jason Garrett explained. While injuries have set him back, Garrett is optimistic that he can stay healthy since his problems have been related to soft tissue-type injuries.

East Notes: Washington, Hardy, Cowboys

April 3rd, 2015 at 4:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Washington GM Scot McCloughan followed through with his plan when he landed safety Dashon Goldson on Friday, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Goldson is not a big risk with his $4MM salary and, more importantly, McCloughan knows the type of player Washington received. Here’s more out of the AFC and NFC East..

  • If the NFL suspends Greg Hardy for more than two games, you can expect an automatic appeal on his behalf from the NFLPA, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Hardy has offered a one-game suspension with the thinking that a two-game suspension would be a fair compromise. As for the photos that will come forward, there is one damning photo which shows a bruise on his victim’s face. The rest, according to Cole, do not show evidence of damage inflicted by the Cowboys star.
  • There has been talk of the Cowboys drafting a quarterback, but Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News thinks they already have their developmental arm in Dustin Vaughn. After grabbing Vaughn last year, Sturm isn’t expecting Dallas to address the quarterback position in this year’s draft.
  • Former Patriots running back Stevan Ridley has visits lined up next week but the feeling is that he’ll land with either the Jets or Dolphins, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).

Cowboys Notes: Hardy, Secondary

March 25th, 2015 at 10:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones are awaiting news regarding the NFL’s oncoming disciplinary action against newly signed defensive end Greg Hardy, who missed almost all of last season because of domestic violence issues. According to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, Jones spoke to NFL Network on Wednesday and touched on the subject of Hardy, stating that the team signed Hardy with the belief that he’ll stay out of trouble going forward.

“When the Dallas Cowboys made this decision, we knew there was going to be a ton of awareness and a ton of debate,” said Jones. “That’s just what happens when we get involved. So in that sense, I think that Greg won’t do this again and that’s why we signed him to the team.”

If Jones is right and Hardy is able to clean up his act, the Cowboys should benefit greatly on the field. The 26-year-old Hardy is an elite pass-rushing talent who’s likely to boost a Cowboys defense that was just 21st in the league in sacks last season. Hardy combined for 26 sacks from 2012-13, his last two full seasons, as a member of the Panthers.

Here’s more on Hardy and the Cowboys:

  • David Moore, also of the Dallas Morning News, writes that Hardy will line up at right defensive end for the Cowboys, per head coach Jason Garrett. “From a position standpoint he is a right defensive end for us,’’ said Garrett. “But if you watch him play in Carolina, he plays 3-technique (defensive tackle). He plays the nose tackle. He plays left end. He rushes outside on third down. He rushes inside on third down. He has great versatility as a player, a lot of different skills.”
  • Garrett and the Cowboys are under the assumption that the league will suspend Hardy for some of 2015, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Tim Cowlishaw, who speculates that Hardy might be forced to sit for six games. Garrett indicated that Dallas isn’t tied to Hardy if he doesn’t fit in with the team, saying, “If at any point we don’t like what he’s doing as a player or a person, we can move on without any salary cap consequences.” Garrett went on to state that the Cowboys are “going to approach this on a day-to-day basis.”
  • The Morning News’ Rick Gosselin addressed the Cowboys’ defense, largely the secondary, in a mailbag. Gosselin believes the team’s ‘D’ needs pass-rush help on the interior, a playmaking safety, a cornerback with size and a linebacker. Per Gosselin, Brandon Carr should continue to play cornerback – not move to safety, as a fan asked – and the team should look to add an outside corner via the draft and leave its top cover man, Orlando Scandrick, on the inside.
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