Josh Brown - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Statement On Josh Brown’s Suspension

August 19th, 2016 at 3:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has released a statement on the suspension of kicker Josh Brown. In short, the statement claims that Brown’s ex-wife was not willing to participate in an interview with the league to support her claims. The league was also unable to find corroborating evidence of additional incidents.

The entire statement is below:

In May 2015, the NFL was informed by the New York Giants of Josh Brown’s arrest for an incident in his home involving his then wife. We began an investigation into the incident and circumstances surrounding it.

In the course of the League’s investigation, our investigators became aware that his wife had filed a statement with the county court alleging previous altercations between the spouses. However, despite multiple attempts to speak with her about this incident and her previous statements, she declined to speak with us.We understand that there are many reasons that might have affected her decision not to speak with us, but we were limited in our ability to investigate these allegations.

Over the course of the 10-month investigation, we also made numerous requests—as late as this spring—to local law enforcement officers for information on the case and previous allegations. They declined those requests for information.

As a result of these factors, our investigators had insufficient information to corroborate prior allegations. In addition, no criminal charges were brought forward regarding the incident in question or prior allegations. The NFL therefore made a decision based on the evidentiary findings around this one incident as provided to us by the District Attorney.

The NFL made a finding that Mr. Brown had violated the Personal Conduct Policy. We did so based on the evidence of this one incident as presented in the police report, Mr. Brown and his wife’s statements to police that evening, and his statements in interviews with the NFL.

The NFL Personal Conduct policy allows for discipline to be imposed even when criminal charges are not presented. It further allows for us to consider both aggravating and mitigating factors regarding discipline for domestic violence.

After reviewing the evidence in this one incident, we imposed a one-game suspension for violation of the personal conduct policy. Mr. Brown and the NFLPA appealed this discipline, but the decision was upheld by a hearing officer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Giants’ Josh Brown

August 19th, 2016 at 2:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Soon after the NFL suspended Josh Brown one game for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, the kicker stood in front of Giants beat writers and said that he did not agree with the punishment. Brown was arrested in May 2015 on an alleged fourth-degree domestic violence charge with his now-former wife, but he felt that the one-game ban was excessive since the state of Washington dropped the charges that same week.

Today, Seth Walder of the New York Daily News unearthed the full contents of that 2015 police report and, if the allegations are true, they paint a disturbing pattern of domestic violence between Brown and his now former wife. Molly Brown told police that the Giants kicker had been physically violent with her over 20 times and that she had previously had a protection order against him. Furthermore, she alleged that the violence began while she was pregnant with their daughter.

When asked Thursday about the incident that led to his arrest, Brown said, “It was just a moment.” His ex-wife’s account of things throws that into question, but it’s not immediately clear if there is additional evidence to support her claims. If the claims prove to have merit, then the league may seek to extend Brown’s suspension. The NFL will also have to answer questions about their investigative practices if they did indeed miss a history of violence in Brown’s past.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Kaep, Giants, Vikes, Saints

August 18th, 2016 at 8:59pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

49ers head coach Chip Kelly provided an update Thursday on quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been sidelined lately with a sore right shoulder.

“From what we understand, it’s not a long-term thing,” Kelly said of Kaepernick’s injury. “Talking to him, he says he feels really good about it. But we don’t want to throw him back out there and have a setback right now,”

The 28-year-old threw 47 passes on the side while the 49ers practiced with the Broncos on Thursday, per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group). The 49ers face Denver in a preseason game Saturday, but Kaepernick won’t play in that.

San Francisco is currently hoping Kaepernick will be ready for its Aug. 26 home tilt with Green Bay. Kaepernick hasn’t thrown in team drills in over a week, which has precluded him from competing with Blaine Gabbert for the 49ers’ starting job. Gabbert went 4 of 10 for 63 yards and a touchdown in the Niners’ preseason opener versus Houston last Sunday.

Here’s more frm the NFC:

Giants kicker Josh Brown was arrested in May 2015 on a fourth-degree misdemeanor charge as a result of an incident with his now-former wife, but the NFL didn’t discipline him until Wednesday. When asked what took so long to punish Brown, who received a one-game suspension, vice president of communications Brian McCarthy told James Kratch of NJ.com, “It was a comprehensive investigation with multiple interviews, analyzing a tremendous amount of documents. Also, the player appealed.” Given that Brown appealed, it’s no surprise that he doesn’t agree with the punishment (via Kratch). Brown’s reasoning is that the state of Washington, where the dispute occurred, dropped the charge against him five days after his arrest. “While I’m not OK with the decision, I have to respect it,” he conceded.
Could the Vikings keep four tight ends? It’s a possibility as sixth-round rookie David Morgan continues to prove that he can do more than block, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. “He’s got good hands,” head coach Mike Zimmer said, adding that he doesn’t have reservations about keeping four TEs. “He runs good routes, he gets open, he’s got a little sliver to him. That part I didn’t know about.” At tight end, starter Kyle Rudolph, MyCole Pruitt, and Rhett Ellison (expected to be taken off PUP for opener) are considered locks to make the team. If the Vikings do keep four tight ends, that might be a bad sign for All-Pro fullback Zach Line because Ellison could fill his role.
Cortland Finnegan’s deal with the Saints calls for him to earn a $985K base salary with a $50K signing bonus and a $650K cap hit (minimum salary benefit), Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets.
It’s a safe assumption that the Cowboys will convert some of Travis Frederick‘s $14.221MM base salary for 2017 into signing bonus money for cap purposes, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets.
In case you missed it, PFR reviewed the Packers’ offseason Thursday.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

New York Notes: Petty, DeOssie, Brown

August 18th, 2016 at 11:40am CST by Zachary Links

Bryce Petty’s days with Jets could be numbered, as Kieran Darcy of ESPN.com writes. The second-year quarterback finds himself fighting for a job with starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, backup Geno Smith, and rookie Christian Hackenberg likely filling the top three QB spots. For what it’s worth, Fitzpatrick says that Petty has looked sharp as of late.

“The thing that I’ve noticed, the more comfortable Bryce is getting, the more decisive he’s getting, the better the ball’s coming out of his hand,” Fitzpatrick said. “He can really throw the ball. It’s just a matter of that decisiveness, not overthinking things, being able to dissect what’s going on before the ball is snapped. “I thought he did a great job in the first preseason game. His stats were what they were, but in terms of how confident and comfortable he looked out there, it was a big step up from last year.”

NFL Suspends Giants K Josh Brown

August 17th, 2016 at 7:58pm CST by Zachary Links

7:58pm: Brown’s suspension is the result of a May 2015 arrest on a fourth-degree misdemeanor domestic violence charge, reports James Kratch of NJ.com. The arrest happened at a residence Brown and his wife share in Woodinville, Wa. Brown and the victim “quarrelled (sic),” according to the police report, with Brown grabbing the victim’s wrist while the victim was picking up a phone. After his arrest, Brown was booked into the county jail and released on $2K bond.

3:03pm: The NFL announced that Giants kicker Josh Brown has been suspended one game for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. In a statement, Brown says that he accepts the suspension, although he does not agree with it. The cause of the one-game ban is not immediately clear.

Brown, 37, has racked up a total of 1,353 points over the course of his NFL career, with the Seahawks, Rams, Bengals, and Giants. His 134 points in 2015 represented a career high, and earned him his first Pro Bowl nod.

In April, Brown re-signed with the Giants on a two-year, $4MM deal, marking a significant raise over his previous contract. In 2014 and 2015, Brown was one of the league’s most accurate kickers, converting 24 of 26 field goals in 2014, and 30 of 32 field goals in 2015. He also made all but one of his extra point attempts, for a total of five overall misses in two years.

Assuming Brown continues to hold the Giants’ kicking job until his new contract expires, he has a good chance to become one of the NFL’s top 20 scorers of all time. He currently ranks 30th on the league’s all-time scoring list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Contract Details: Hillman, Browner, Heath

April 21st, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are the details of some recently-signed contracts:

Ronnie Hillman, RB (Broncos): One year, $2MM. $600K guaranteed, including $400K of base salary. $100K signing bonus, $100K workout bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
Brandon Browner, CB (Seahawks): One year, minimum salary benefit. $428K split (Twitter link via Wilson).
Jeff Heath, S (Cowboys): Four years, $7.761MM. $1.8MM signing bonus. Annual $100K workout de-escalator. $500K NLTBE playtime incentives in 2018 and 2019 (Twitter links via Wilson).
Josh Brown, K (Giants): Two years, $4MM. $1MM guaranteed. $750K available via playtime incentives and escalators (Twitter links via Wilson).
Greg Zuerlein, K (Rams): One year, $1.25MM. $675K guaranteed, including $275K of base salary (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
Chase Reynolds, RB (Rams): One year, $862K. $200K guaranteed. $87K roster bonus (Twitter link via Thomas).

Giants Re-Sign Josh Brown

April 18th, 2016 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

12:17pm: The Giants have re-signed Brown, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link).

12:07pm: The Giants are expected to bring back veteran free agent Josh Brown to handle kicking duties for the club, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Vacchiano reports that Brown is set to sign a two-year, $4MM deal, which will feature $1MM in guarantees and could be worth up to $4.75MM in total.

For Brown, it will be a raise on his previous salary with the Giants — his last two-year contract paid him $2.7MM. During those two years, Brown was one of the league’s most accurate kickers, converting 24 of 26 field goals in 2014, and 30 of 32 field goals in 2015. He also made all but one of his extra point attempts, for a total of five overall misses in two years.

Brown, who will turn 37 later this month, has racked up a total of 1,353 points over the course of his NFL career, with the Seahawks, Rams, Bengals, and Giants. His 134 points in 2015 represented a career high, and earned him his first Pro Bowl nod.

Assuming Brown continues to hold the Giants’ kicking job until his new contract expires, he has a good chance to become one of the NFL’s top 20 scorers of all time. He currently ranks 30th on the league’s all-time scoring list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Giants Rumors: JPP, Ayers, Amukamara

February 29th, 2016 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Giants would like to re-sign defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and will continue to try to make it happen, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. However, according to Raanan, the club is currently only willing to do a one-year, prove-it deal. Unless that stance changes within the next week or so, there’s a good chance JPP will explore the market, and if he finds a more appealing offer elsewhere, there’s a good chance he’ll depart.

As Raanan details, it’s possible that another team in desperate need of a pass-rusher will be willing to offer Pierre-Paul a multiyear contract in the neighborhood of $10MM per year, but there are too many variables in play for the Giants to make such an offer themselves before letting JPP gauge his value. It will be an interesting situation to watch as free agency nears.

Here’s more from Raanan on the Giants:

On the whole, the free agent market is expected to be player-friendly, and one player who will likely benefit is Giants defensive end Robert Ayers. According to Raanan, Ayers is expected to land a deal in the range of $6MM per year, and the Giants will be in the running.
The Giants will allow Prince Amukamara to reach the open market to get a sense of his value. The team doesn’t appear poised to spend big money on the cornerback position, since the front seven is the priority, says Raanan. If that’s the case, Amukamara could land with another team.
New York will likely explore signing a veteran free agent safety to pair with Landon Collins, says Raanan. Isa Abdul-Quddus is one player the team could target if it doesn’t spend on a top-tier safety.
The Giants are willing to let kicker Josh Brown walk if he finds a lucrative multiyear contract on the open market, since they don’t want to invest too heavily in the position.

NFC East Notes: Bradford, Giants, Cowboys

February 16th, 2016 at 9:45am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this month, an ESPN report indicated that the Eagles were not expected to use their franchise tag to lock up quarterback Sam Bradford. At the time, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News said the team had yet to make a decision on Bradford. However, with the franchise-tag window opening today, Bowen now agrees that the Eagles “don’t seem wed” to the QB to the extent that they’d dedicate nearly $20MM in 2016 cap space to him via the franchise or transition tag.

While the Eagles appear unwilling to use their franchise tag on Bradford, they still may re-sign him. If the two sides don’t work out a new deal prior to March 9th, the former first overall pick will hit the open market, and Philadelphia may have to address its quarterback situation with a free agent or a draft pick — or both.

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

Like their division rivals in Philadelphia, the Giants aren’t particularly likely to use the franchise tag. If they do, the top candidate will probably be kicker Josh Brown, as James Kratch of NJ.com outlines. Still, Kratch thinks the club can find a middle ground between Brown’s $1MM 2015 salary, and the projected franchise salary for kickers (around $4.5MM).
The Cowboys need a cornerback, but David Moore of The Dallas Morning News isn’t so sure that they should use their No. 4 pick to fill that hole. For starters, Dallas has used a first-round pick on a cornerback twice in the last eight years, selecting Mike Jenkins and Morris Claiborne, and those picks haven’t worked out. Beyond that, Moore points to elite corners like Chris Harris and Josh Norman as evidence that plenty of top CBs can be found in the later rounds.
The Giants are taking a look at two players from overseas, according to NFL Draft Diamonds, which reports that tight end Harry Innis and wide receiver Anthony Dablé are working out for New York. Per NFL Draft Diamonds, both players – who have excelled in European leagues – have drawn NFL interest from multiple teams.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Workout Notes: Giants, Dolphins, Chiefs

October 27th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Giants are working out a handful of kickers today, including Kyle Brindza, Zach Hocker, Corey Acosta, and Tom Obarski, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Josh Brown has been a little inconsistent on kickoffs, putting one out of bounds on Sunday, but it’s hard to imagine the team making a change, considering he’s perfect on field goals and has missed just one extra point. As Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets, the Giants are likely just kicking the tires on free agents.

Let’s round up a few more workout updates from around the NFL…

Defensive linemen Jerel Worthy, Derrick Lott, Glenn Foster, and Davon Coleman worked out for the Dolphins today, says Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). Worthy and Foster are the most notable names of the group, having each logged a full season’s worth of regular season contests with the Packers and Saints, respectively.
Lott was also among the players who tried out recently for the Chiefs, per Wilson (Twitter links). Running back Gus Johnson, defensive end Lawrence Okoye, and linebacker Alex Singleton also got a look from Kansas City.
According to Wilson (via Twitter), before signing wideout Corey Washington to the practice squad, Washington also worked out receiver Marcus Lucas and tight end Connor Hamlett.
Offensive lineman Ben Gottschalk, who spent time in the summer on the Niners’ roster, auditioned for the Buccaneers today, tweets Wilson.
Former USC outside linebacker J.R. Tavai had a tryout with the Packers today, according to Wilson (via Twitter). Tavai signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent in May, but was cut by the team prior to the regular season.
The Cardinals auditioned cornerback Keith Lewis, who was cut by the Jets back in August, tweets Wilson.
On the heels of Jason Myers missing his third PAT of the season, Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley noted that Myers’ kickoffs were also a little short, and mentioned the possibility of bringing in kickers for workouts, per Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com. According to Bradley, GM Dave Caldwell will make that call.