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Greg Hardy

NFC Notes: Kaepernick, JPP, Hardy

November 6th, 2015 at 7:08pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

For the first time since 2012, the 49ers will have someone other than Colin Kaepernick under center this Sunday when they face the Falcons. After the Kaepernick-led 49ers stumbled to a 2-6 start, head coach Jim Tomsula elected to make a change at quarterback and turn to backup Blaine Gabbert. Tomsula said that sitting will enable Kaepernick to take a breath and refocus.

“I’m not out of breath, so I don’t understand that reference,” Kaepernick said Friday, according to the Mercury News’ Cam Inman.

In response to offensive coordinator Geep Chryst‘s assessment that Kaepernick has been more focused on avoiding mistakes than making plays this season, the 28-year-old stated, “I don’t believe that’s accurate. Every time I step on the field, I step on the field to make plays. That’s just a matter of opinion.”

While Kaepernick may not agree with Tomsula or Chryst, he added that he’s respectful of the coaches’ authority (Twitter link via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez) and won’t be a distraction to either Gabbert or the rest of the 49ers.

“I’ll support my teammates and support Blaine in everything they do, because they’ve been good to me,” Kaepernick stated.

More from around the NFC:

  • Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who lost his right index finger in a devastating July 4 fireworks accident, could make his long-awaited season debut this week. Linebacker Devon Kennard said Pierre-Paul has been “very good” in practice, while head coach Tom Coughlin added that Pierre-Paul has “done everything we’ve asked him to do and we’re very positive about it.” Coughlin will decide by 4 p.m. Saturday whether to activate Pierre-Paul for the Giants’ game in Tampa (story via Brian Heyman of Newsday).
  • The Cowboys and Greg Hardy are facing further backlash from media and fans after Deadspin released horrifying photos and details of the defensive end’s 2014 domestic violence arrest Friday. In light of Deadspin’s report, Christine Brennan of USA Today writes that Hardy should be banished from the league.
  • Contrary to the wishes of Brennan and many others, the Cowboys won’t send Hardy packing, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Rick Gosselin. The organization is unfazed by the Deadspin report and believes that Hardy has been suitably punished for his past misdeeds (which came when was a Panther). Further, considering the franchise is in the business of winning games, its thinking is that having Hardy around is more beneficial than detrimental. Hardy has indeed been an asset on the field for Dallas, racking up three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble in three games, but his presence hasn’t yet led to any victories.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Curry

November 4th, 2015 at 9:10am CST by Luke Adams

Having waived running back Joseph Randle this week, the Cowboys parted ways with a player who had been expected to pick up a good chunk of DeMarco Murray‘s carries this season. Still, as Schuyler Dixon of The Associated Press details, Randle’s disappointing 2015 campaign isn’t making Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones second-guess the decision to let Murray walk in free agency back in March.

“That ship’s sailed,” Stephen Jones said. “We’d make that decision over, same decision, we’d make it again. We have to develop, structure a football team with the salary cap. You can’t pay a top receiver, a top quarterback, a top pass rusher, a top left tackle. You’ve got to make hard decisions.”

As the Cowboys prepare to move on with Darren McFadden and Christine Michael leading their rushing attack, let’s check in on a few more items from around the NFC East….

  • With the Cowboys‘ top decision-makers insisting they have genuine interest in locking up Greg Hardy to a extension, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com breaks down three possible contract structures that would somewhat limit the risk for the team.
  • Like every other team in the NFL, the Giants ultimately stood pat on Tuesday as the trade deadline came and went. According to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, that was the right call for the club, which he feels is ultimately a “rebuilding team” in the big picture. As such, it wouldn’t have made sense for New York to move future draft picks.
  • Vinny Curry had his name circulated in trade rumors over the last few days, but Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said the defensive end wasn’t discussed in trade talks. As Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Curry is used to the trade speculation surrounding him, and was unfazed by it this week.

Extra Points: Jets-Pats, Browns, Hardy, Winston

October 31st, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

It was reported Friday that NFL officials swept the Jets’ locker room and questioned three Patriots employees during their matchup last Sunday at Gillette Stadium. The report stated that the sweep came via request by the Jets, who were concerned that the stadium’s operations and radio frequencies weren’t up to par. Though the Jets subsequently denied having any involvement, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the league informed the Pats that “a team” did ask for it to happen. New England believes the Jets are that team, Florio reports, which should add to an already heated rivalry.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Browns owner Jimmy Haslam stressed patience over the summer regarding his club’s rebuild, but the team is 2-5 and matters could worsen with several playoff-caliber opponents on the schedule over the final nine games of the season. A marked regression from last year’s 7-9 finish might force Haslam to consider making changes, writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Those changes could begin in the front office and cost second-year general manager Ray Farmer his job.
  • While the Cowboys have expressed a desire to give defensive end Greg Hardy a contract extension, the Dallas Morning News’ Tim Cowlishaw doesn’t think a new deal would make sense for either side right now. The Cowboys would be taking a substantial risk in signing Hardy just two games into his career with them, as they aren’t yet aware of whether he’s capable of staying out of trouble off the field. In Hardy’s case, he’ll have plenty of offseason suitors if he can behave himself until then. That would obviously up the 27-year-old’s asking price.
  • Since playing arguably the worst game of his young career in an Oct. 4 loss to Carolina, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has turned in back-to-back terrific performances, connecting on 34 of 48 passes for 500-plus yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is impressed with the progression of Winston, the No. 1 pick in last spring’s draft, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “Jameis is growing fast,” Koetter said.

East Notes: Hardy, Bills, Marrone, Mallett

October 27th, 2015 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Cowboys executives Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones have each said this week that they’d like to get a deal worked out with Greg Hardy to keep the veteran defensive end with the team beyond the 2015 season. While those comments could simply be interpreted as a public show of support for Hardy, the Cowboys are expressing a similar sentiment privately, having reached out to Hardy’s representatives to make it clear they have no issues with the pass rusher on or off the field, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

A report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Monday indicated that there was some confusion about Hardy’s absence from practice last Thursday, but Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com says the 27-year-old’s whereabouts was no mystery for the team. According to Mortensen, Hardy first sent a text message to the Cowboys’ head athletic trainer, Jim Mauer, at 5:30am to communicate an illness. David Moore of the Dallas Morning News has since published a similar report.

While the Cowboys insist no one was caught off guard by Hardy’s absence from practice, it’s hard to know for sure — after all, neither Hardy’s camp nor the Cowboys would be eager to confirm such a report, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to shoot down Rapoport’s report, whether or not it’s accurate. In any case, it’s clear that the Dallas organization isn’t upset about Hardy’s missed practice, or any of his other actions.

Here’s more on Hardy, along with a few other items from around the NFL’s East divisions….

  • Hardy and his agents “would love” to begin talks on a long-term extension with the Cowboys, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link), who admits that probably goes without saying.
  • In an engaging feature for ESPN, Elizabeth Merrill speaks to former Bills head coach Doug Marrone about his decision to leave Buffalo following the 2014 season.
  • Mike Rodak of ESPN.com explains why he has a hard time envisioning the Bills seriously pursuing quarterback Ryan Mallett, who was released by the Texans today.
  • The NFL officially filed its appeal of Judge Richard Berman’s ruling that overturned the league’s four-game suspension of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady several weeks ago, as Christopher Price of WEEI.com details. Within the filing, the NFL insisted Roger Goodell and the league acted within the parameters of the CBA, insisting that “the district court’s decision cannot stand.” The Deflategate saga figures to drag on well into 2016.

Cowboys Want To Extend Greg Hardy

October 27th, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

While many NFL observers have criticized Greg Hardy for his sideline outburst over the weekend – and the Cowboys for condoning it – Dallas owner Jerry Jones is doubling down on his support for the defensive end. According to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter), Jones repeated today what his son Stephen Jones said yesterday, telling 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that the Cowboys would like to extend Hardy beyond this season.

Hardy, 27, was coming off nearly a year-long absence in 2014 this offseason, and also saw his market affected by a looming suspension. As such, the Cowboys were able to ink him to a modest one-year deal which was heavy on per-game roster bonuses and performance incentives. Now that Hardy is off to a strong start, with three sacks in his first two games, it sounds like Dallas wants to ensure he sticks around beyond 2015.

Still, while Hardy has impressed on the field, it’s fair to question why the Cowboys would talk about an extension after observing his behavior off the field — or, as was the case on Sunday, along the side of the field. It’s one thing for an established veteran to express frustration toward a teammate or coach during a game, but for a player like Hardy – who is coming off a suspension for an alleged domestic incident, is playing for a new team, and has repeatedly exhibited questionable judgment – it’s not exactly a great look.

Jerry and Stephen Jones may be publicly supporting the idea of an extension for Hardy, but I’d be pretty surprised if they actually got something done with the pass rusher in the near future. Given all the headlines Hardy has made in his first few weeks back from his suspension, it makes sense to be careful and patient, since it’s anyone’s guess how the next couple months will play out.

If the Cowboys still want to extend Hardy at season’s end, teams will surely proceed with caution in free agency. The ex-Panther, meanwhile, would likely take into consideration the support given to him by the Joneses and the Cowboys organization throughout the year

NFC East Notes: JPP, Hardy, Cowboys

October 26th, 2015 at 8:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason Pierre-Paul‘s visit to Giants was reported to the league as an official free agent visit, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That makes the visit his second of that type and there will be no more allowed, so the JPP saga has to end soon.

Here’s more from the NFC East..

  • JPP won’t be able to just swoop in and fix the Giants‘ woeful pass rush, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes. The best the Giants can hope for, the Daily News scribe opines, is that maybe he can squeeze out a few plays in a few games near the end of the season. Even then, team sources tell Vacchiano that they’re skeptical he’ll be able to make a mark for the Giants down the stretch.
  • Cowboys star defensive end Greg Hardy was not on time for practice on Thursday and didn’t call the team, leading the club to start calling around and ask about his whereabouts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Ultimately, Hardy was listed as a DNP with an “illness.” It’s not immediately clear what the issue was but it would appear that the Cowboys are having issues with their marquee offseason addition.
  • Hardy will not be disciplined for his sideline blowup on Sunday, head coach Jason Garrett told reporters (via Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram on Twitter). However, the coach added that the Cowboys have talked to him.

    • NFC Notes: Levy, Lions, JPP, Hardy

    October 26th, 2015 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

    A week after undergoing surgery on his troublesome hip, Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy is still contemplating trying to return this year, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details. Asked why he isn’t shutting it down for the season, Levy replied, “We’re not mathematically out of it yet, are we?”

    Of course, no team is mathematically out of the postseason yet, and no team will be for several more weeks. But with the Lions in the NFC North cellar at 1-6, the playoffs seem awfully unlikely, so I’d be surprised if Levy doesn’t land on IR within the next couple weeks.

    Here’s more from across the NFC:

    • After another disappointing loss in Week 7, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said his team isn’t making any changes to its coaching staff this week, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
    • If Jason Pierre-Paul were to sign his franchise tender with the Giants, and the team placed him on the non-football injury list for the rest of the season, it would likely result in the NFLPA filing a protest over the move, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The union’s goal would presumably be to get Pierre-Paul free agent status, rather than having the Giants keep him under team control.
    • While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones supported Greg Hardy publicly, there are people within the organization that view the defensive end’s behavior as “juvenile,” says Cole in a separate video. The team seems invested in Hardy for this season, but Cole thinks that the former Panther will have to change his attitude in order for his time in Dallas to last more than just one year.
    • The Falcons worked out former Tuskegee linebacker Quavon Taylor last Friday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

    NFC East Notes: Eagles, Hardy, Kerrigan

    October 26th, 2015 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

    Earlier this morning, we passed along the latest updates on injured Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and his franchise tag, but there are plenty of other items from out of the NFC East to round up, so let’s dive right in…

    • Appearing on WIP in Philadelphia today, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said that he isn’t looking for a new kicker and doesn’t anticipate making any major changes during his team’s bye (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). It’s no surprise that the Eagles are sticking with Caleb Sturgis — he missed one field goal attempt in last night’s loss, but it came from 50 yards out.
    • After Greg Hardy‘s outburst on the Cowboys‘ sideline during Sunday’s loss to the Giants, Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com writes that Dallas should be suspending the volatile defensive end, rather than enabling him.
    • Washington linebacker Ryan Kerrigan fractured a bone in his right hand during Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay, and may have to undergo surgery this week, according to Andrew Walker of Redskins.com. However, with the team’s bye coming up in Week 8, there’s a chance Kerrigan won’t have to miss any time.
    • Many NFL observers were shocked when the Giants signed wide receiver and special-teamer Dwayne Harris to a $17MM contract back in March, but as Paul Schwartz of the New York Post outlines, Harris’ kick return touchdown on Sunday against his old team might have helped save New York’s season.

    East Notes: Hardy, Fins, D. Lewis

    October 11th, 2015 at 12:02pm CST by Rory Parks

    Greg Hardy is set to make his Cowboys debut today, though it will not come without some extra controversy. On Tuesday, in his first media session since he signed a one-year deal with Dallas this offseason, Hardy made some bizarre and ill-timed comments regarding Tom Brady‘s wife and returning to the field with “guns blazin,'” and a rap video heavy on strippers and guns–which Hardy made during his suspension–surfaced just yesterday. The NFL’s first vice president of social responsibility, Anna Isaacson, recently issued the following statement:

    “I couldn’t disagree more with Greg Hardy’s comments, and they do not reflect the values of the league. We are working hard to bring attention to the positive role models many other players represent and also to continue our education with all members of the NFL family.”

    As the early Week 5 games approach, let’s take a quick swing around the league’s east divisions, including more notes on Hardy:

    • Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett reportedly admonished Hardy for his comments, but on Friday, owner Jerry Jones took to the airwaves to defend his player. In so doing, says Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News, Jones undermined his head coach and further enabled the apparently oblivious Hardy.
    • In a bit of Twitter repartee this morning, ESPN’s Ed Werder and former Packers executive Andrew Brandt discussed the Hardy signing. Brandt points out that, in normal circumstances, Hardy would have generated interest from 12-15 clubs, but given his impending suspension, only one or two teams were interested. Werder says that, had teams known Hardy would have agreed to the team-friendly terms that the Cowboys offered him, there would have been at least 15 clubs in the running. The lack of interest, Werder says, was not based upon morality.
    • The Dolphins might have just fired Joe Philbin, but it was not that long ago that owner Stephen Ross was determined that Philbin would lead his club for the foreseeable future. Per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Miami vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum pushed Ross to at least pursue Dan Quinn, who was ultimately hired by the Falcons, but Ross would have none of it, and the Dolphins never even made an effort to contact Quinn.
    • Whether or not the Dolphins are able to land Sean Payton in the offseason–and all indications are that Payton will remain in New Orleans—James Walker of ESPN.com says the interest in Payton makes it clear that Miami will be seeking an experienced head coach at season’s end.
    • Ben Volin of The Boston Globe explores why the Patriots, who rarely invest in running backs, recently signed Dion Lewis to a contract extension through 2017 after just three games. As Volin points out, the Pats got tremendous value out of the deal, as Lewis has no guaranteed money for 2016 or 2017, and his cap number for 2017 will be the second-lowest among all starting running backs. New England is privately shocked that Lewis accepted a deal so far below market value.

    Gates, Hardy, Others Return From Suspensions

    October 5th, 2015 at 8:45am CST by Luke Adams

    With four weeks of the NFL season now in the books, several players – and one general manager – are eligible to return from their four-game suspensions, as Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link) notes. While Yates’ list isn’t exhaustive, he includes the most notable names who will be eligible to suit up for their teams’ next games:

    In most cases, teams will be given a roster exemption for their returning players, so they won’t have to immediately make room for them on the 53-man roster today. However, teams will have to create an opening on their rosters by Thursday if they intend to activate these players, and there aren’t any players on this list that look like release candidates.

    The Cowboys could get the biggest boost this week, with two of their best defensive players – Hardy and McClain – set to return. McClain’s career production has been somewhat up and down, and Hardy hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2014 season, so it’ll be interesting to see if either player is able to make an immediate impact for Dallas.

    Richardson, meanwhile, could be a candidate for additional discipline — he’ll have his pre-trial hearing on street-racing charges today, but the legal process is expected to continue for about a month, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). The NFL could step in and hand out another suspension for Richardson before his trial, but it’s more likely that the league will simply wait until after it concludes to make a decision.

    As for Farmer, the Browns GM, who was suspended for texting coaches on the sideline during games last season, will be able to resume making roster decisions today, though Cleveland wasn’t exactly closed for business over the last four weeks — with interim GM Bill Kuharich at the helm, the team locked up quarterback Austin Davis to a two-year extension last week.

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