Lane Johnson - Pro Football Rumors

Lane Johnson Files Suit Against NFL, NFLPA

January 6th, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson continues to contest the 10-game suspension the NFL handed him back in August for violating its policy on performance-enhancing substances. Johnson has filed a suit in federal court against both the league and the NFLPA, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old wants the court to vacate his penalties.

This is the next step in a long fight for Johnson, who unsuccessfully appealed his ban earlier in the season and sat out from mid-October until early December as a result. Not only did the suspension cost Johnson most of the season, but he also lost 10 weeks of his $675K base salary and $1.5MM of his $10MM signing bonus. Worse, it voided the $25MM in guarantees remaining on Johnson’s contract. He’ll still be able to earn that money, but he’ll have to do it on a year-to-year basis if the court doesn’t rule in his favor.

Between the failed appeal and Friday’s decision, Johnson elected in November to file charges against both the league and the union with the National Labor Relations Board. He also filed a claim against the NFLPA with the Department of Labor.

“During Lane’s appeal, it became apparent that the written words in the collectively bargained Performance-Enhancing Substances (“PES”) Policy, under which Lane was disciplined, are meaningless,” attorney Steve Zashin stated at the time. “The PES Policy, as written, guarantees rights, protections and due process to players in recognition of the enormous consequences of discipline. The NFL and the NFLPA have undermined these protections leaving the players -including Lane — with a hollowed-out process devoid of any protections. The actions of the NFL and NFLPA violate federal law.”

Johnson maintains that he unknowingly took a tainted amino acid, which led to the failed drug test over the summer, and has argued that the NFLPA’s Aegis Shield app did not flag the supplement he took. He’s also irked that only two arbitrators handled his case, which seemingly violates the league’s collective bargaining agreement. According to the CBA, three to five arbitrators should’ve been assigned. Zashin reiterated that Friday and added that one of the arbitrators was affiliated with the league, creating a conflict of interest (Twitter link). While Zashin didn’t name the arbitrator, he was alluding to James Carter, who oversaw the league’s Ray Rice investigation in 2014.

Notably, the suspension Johnson served in 2016 wasn’t his first. He previously sat four games in 2014 after testing positive for PEDs.

Eagles Activate Lane Johnson

December 20th, 2016 at 3:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles announced that Lane Johnson has been formally activated for this week. To clear a spot, running back Kenjon Barner was placed on the injured reserve list.

Johnson, of course, was hit with a 10-game suspension earlier this year and his appeal was unsuccessful. The tackle maintained that he was not given proper information from the NFL or NFLPA regarding banned substances and he took action against both. Ultimately, he would up serving a lengthy suspension as a repeat PED offender. He’ll be back in action for the final two games of the year, but these, unfortunately, are largely meaningless games for Philly. Next up for the Eagles is an opportunity to block the Giants from potentially taking the division.

Barner, meanwhile, is being shut down after suffering a hamstring injury.

Albert Breer On Johnson, Cousins, Draft

November 24th, 2016 at 1:44pm CST by Zachary Links

We have conflicting reports on the Redskins and their plans for pending free agent Kirk Cousins. Earlier today, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that the Redskins are willing to use the franchise tag on Cousins for the second consecutive year, if necessary. However, Albert Breer of The MMQB is hearing the opposite.

The Redskins still want to lock Cousins up, but Breer’s understanding is that they will only go so far to keep him. He also cautions that the team’s stance could change in the coming months.

Unless Cousins falls apart in the second half of the season, I would expect the Redskins to do whatever it takes to keep him under contract. Since being handed the job in 2015, Cousins has a 68.7% completion percentage, 7,257 yards, and 46 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. The Redskins might not want to pay him nearly $25MM/year on a new deal, but they also know that they won’t be able to replicate that production any other way.

Here’s more from Breer:

Eagles lineman Lane Johnson is fighting his 10-game suspension and Breer has the specifics on his argument. For starters, the performance-enhancing substance policy calls for a panel of 3-5 arbitrators, and Johnson’s reps note that there were only two assigned to his case. One of those arbitrators, James Carter, handled the Ray Rice investigation for the NFL and his cozy relationship with the league could be a conflict of interest, one that was not disclosed to Johnson. Johnson is also going after the NFLPA, in part because he says their Aegis Shield app for checking supplements did not flag what he was taking.
Executives around the NFL are high on Ohio State’s Marshon Lattimore. The cornerback appears to have better grades than former Buckeye Eli Apple did last season and that should put him in the first round. “He’s smooth—a good athlete with good ball skills,” said one AFC executive. “There’s not a lot bad to him. He’s a first-rounder.” Still, Lattimore will have to silence some concerns about his speed. “He’s big, strong, athletic, good ball skills,” one scout assigned to the Buckeyes said. “But you still feel like you need to see more, because he only has 11 career starts and they rotate three guys. You want to see his speed. I don’t know if he’ll run 4.4, and he hasn’t been tested like he will this weekend.”
Meanwhile, North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky could be in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick. The redshirt junior could choose to stay in school, but it would be hard for him to turn down such a golden opportunity. Two NFC execs pegged Trubisky as a Top 10 pick, praising his accuracy, vision, and overall arm talent. The Tar Heel’s biggest liability could be his perceived leadership ability. While there are no character concerns, Trubisky is not as outspoken and outgoing as some evaluators would like. The Browns are reportedly focusing on Trubisky.

Latest On Lane Johnson

November 22nd, 2016 at 8:14pm CST by Ben Levine

Lane Johnson‘s fight isn’t over, even after an unsuccessful appeal of his 10-game suspension. The Eagles lineman has reportedly filed charges against both the NFL and the NFL Players Association with the National Labor Relations Board, attorney Steve Zashin told ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via ESPN’s Tim McManus). Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com passes along more specifics on the charges (via Twitter). Johnson filed unfair labor practice charges against the NFL and NFLPA with the NLRB. The 26-year-old also filed a claim against the Players Association with the Department of Labor.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com believes the issue was likely sparked “from accusations Johnson made about the accuracy of information provided to players regarding banned substances.” The NFLPA has since denied Johnson’s assertions, while the lineman’s lawyers have pushed the Players Association to investigate why news of the suspension was originally leaked to the media.

“During Lane’s appeal, it became apparent that the written words in the collectively bargained Performance-Enhancing Substances (“PES”) Policy, under which Lane was disciplined, are meaningless,” Zashin said in a statement (via NFL.com’s Albert Breer on Twitter).

“The PES Policy, as written, guarantees rights, protections and due process to players in recognition of the enormous consequences of discipline.

“The NFL and the NFLPA have undermined these protections leaving the players -including Lane — with a hollowed-out process devoid of any protections. The actions of the NFL and NFLPA violate federal law.

“Lane trusts that he can get a fair hearing with the NLRB and the DOL.”

We first learned of Johnson’s 10-game suspension back in August. Johnson immediately attributed the positive test to contaminated amino acids, as the lineman said he had confirmed the supplement’s contents with an NFLPA-approved application. After a month-long appeal process, the suspension was ultimately upheld. That meant Johnson’s suspension began in mid-October, preventing the lineman from taking the field until Week 16.

This was Johnson’s second career ban. The lineman was also suspended four games in 2014 after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The former first-rounder inked a five-year, $56.26MM ($21MM guaranteed) extension with the Eagles back in January.

Lane Johnson’s Suspension Upheld

October 11th, 2016 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

Lane Johnson‘s 10-game suspension has been upheld by the NFL, attorney Steve Zashin tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Johnson’s ban initially came down over the summer, but he has been fighting the decision. Now, the fight is over and Johnson will be out of action until Philly’s Week 16 game against the Giants.

Johnson tested positive for PEDs in August but he claimed that he unknowingly took a tainted amino acid. His previous positive test for PEDs probably hurt his credibility on the matter. Johnson had $25MM in remaining guarantees on his contract, but that money is no longer secured thanks to the suspension.

Without Johnson, the Eagles will be missing a key part of their O-Line for the bulk of the season. Johnson, the fourth overall pick in 2013, has been a starter for the Eagles since the team drafted him out of Oklahoma, playing primarily at right tackle before spending some time at left tackle in 2015.

Now that Johnson’s ban has been upheld, Philadelphia will reportedly start Halapoulivaati Vaitai at right tackle in order to leave Allen Barbre at left guard.

This past season, Pro Football Focus ranked Johnson 24th among 81 qualified offensive tackles.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Eagles OT Lane Johnson

October 4th, 2016 at 7:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson‘s appeal of his 10-game PED suspension has concluded, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links). As expected, no decision has yet to be announced, but Johnson’s attorney Steve Zashin did release a statement.

“There are a number of issues related to Lane’s appeal,” said Zashin. “Many of those issues strike at the heart of substantive player protections. We await the decision of the arbitrator. In the meantime Lane will prepare and play as scheduled.”

f the Eagles are without Johnson for more than half the season, it would be a crushing blow to their O-Line and offense as a whole. Johnson, the fourth overall pick in 2013, has been a starter for the Eagles since the team drafted him out of Oklahoma, playing primarily at right tackle before spending some time at left tackle in 2015.

In his three years with the Eagles, he has only missed four games due to his first PED suspension. This past season, Pro Football Focus ranked Johnson 24th among offensive tackles, out of 81 qualified players at the position.

The Eagles expect Johnson to be available for Sunday’s game against the Lions, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. But if Johnson’s ban is upheld, Philadelphia is considering employing Halapoulivaati Vaitai as a starter at right tackle in order to leave Allen Barbre at left guard, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Appeal Date Set For Eagles’ Lane Johnson

September 20th, 2016 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

Finally, Lane Johnson has a date for his appeal. The Eagles tackle will have his case heard on October 4th, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. In the interim, Johnson will play on Sunday against the Steelers. Then, the Eagles have Week 4 bye.

If Johnson’s suspension is upheld, he will be suspended for ten games, starting with the Oct. 9 contest against the Lions. Then, Johnson would be left with the final three games of the season: Dec. 18 against the Ravens, Dec. 22 against the Giants, and Jan. 1 versus the Cowboys.

Johnson tested positive for PEDs in August but he claims that he took a tainted amino acid. Johnson’s reps were hoping that the B sample on this most recent test would show something different than the A sample, but he learned before Monday night’s game that they matched up. The 26-year-old was already suspended four games for PEDs in 2014, so he is facing a much stiffer punishment this time around.

It’s not immediately clear how the Eagles would change up their offensive line if they’re without Johnson for an extended period of time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Wentz, Johnson, Palmer, Giants

September 17th, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Further illustrating the Eagles‘ belief in Carson Wentz and their motivation to make the seminal trade with the Browns in April, new Philadelphia OC Frank Reich offered some high-end comparisons for the No. 2 overall pick.

“Physically, he reminds me a little bit of a combination of Andrew Luck — though, I’ve never played with him — just watching him play, but a guy that I did play with in Jim Kelly, the size, strength and just the toughness,” Reich said, via Matt Lombardo of NJ.com.

Wentz ran a tenth of a second slower in the 40-yard dash compared to Luck coming out of college (4.77 seconds to 4.67), but the quarterbacks are similar in size — both 6-foot-5 and around 235 pounds. The younger player will attempt to build on his breakthrough debut, one executed despite scant preseason reps and the anticipation he’d be the third-string passer.

Here’s more on Wentz’s potential rise and on some other NFC teams.

The Eagles trading Sam Bradford to the Vikings opened the door not only for Wentz to receive an early start on Sundays, but it cleared a path toward endless practice reps instead of a short-term future as Philly’s third-stringer, Jeff McLane of Philly.com writes. Reich told media, including McLane, there was “no question” the additional practice work would accelerate Wentz’s development compared to a season spent behind Bradford and Chase Daniel. Per McLane, Wentz did not speak up much in quarterback meetings while he was the No. 3 quarterback, instead deferring to the veterans. Daniel functions as the scout-team quarterback, and the meetings are geared around a Wentz-conducted offense.
Doug Pederson expected to hear something on Lane Johnson‘s lingering suspension by now, Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com notes, but the league has yet to announce the expected 10-game ban. “You would think you would have heard something by now,” Pederson said. “If it does happen down the road, it just pushes everything back. Me personally, I’d rather know now than later. But until then, [Johnson] is the guy.” Pederson said Stefen Wisniewski would play left guard after current starter Allen Barbre swings to right tackle in the event Johnson’s ruling comes down. Wisniewski usurped Isaac Seumalo as the next guard up since the Eagles initially announced their Johnson contingency plan.
Earlier today, a potential Panthers plot to select Blaine Gabbert No. 1 overall emerged in advance of Sunday’s Panthers-49ers game. The Buccaneers‘ Week 2 opponent, the Cardinals, also employ a quarterback who will face a team that pursued him years ago. The Bucs attempted to trade for Palmer in 2013, but refusing to push then-starter Josh Freeman to a backup role did not make it an enticing fit for the then-Raiders quarterback as he looked for a team and a long-term deal, Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times writes, analyzing what could have been in advance of Sunday’s tilt. The Bucs joined the Cardinals and Bills in making a push for a then-33-year-old Palmer’s services. Then-Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano wasn’t enamored with Freeman, but the organization did not want to give up on the former first-round pick by automatically making Palmer a starter. Freeman lasted just three games into the ’13 season before being released.
The Giants worked out four linebackers on Saturday after cutting Deontae Skinner from their practice squad. Cassanova McKinzy, Deiontrez Mount, Eric Pinkins and Myke Tavarres worked out for the team, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

Eagles Notes: Johnson, Wentz, Fullbacks

September 10th, 2016 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles are entering their Week 1 matchup with the Browns in an interesting position on their offensive line. Since the NFL has yet to announce the expected suspension for Lane Johnson, the team shelved a plan that included an alternate route at right tackle and will instead start Johnson on Sunday, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

“Getting ready to play, man,” Johnson told media after Friday’s practice. “I didn’t think this day would come. This has been the biggest mental hurdle of my career.”

Johnson faces a 10-game suspension after his A sample tested positive for a banned substance. The delay for the league appears to stem from the results of his B sample not being retrieved. The fourth-year tackle intends to appeal any suspension, and with that process taking as many as several weeks, he may be available longer than expected this season. However, the loss of an appeal could sideline Johnson during more second-half games than anticipated since the ban won’t be starting Week 1 as he anticipated.

Here’s the latest coming out of Philly.

Hours before the Eagles’ third preseason game, wide receiver Jordan Matthews told Howie Roseman that Carson Wentz was ready to see play now instead of being a quarterback-in-waiting, Zach Berman of the Inquirer reports. The rookie was then relegated to personal throwing sessions while recovering from injury, and while the third-year pass-catcher’s statement probably wouldn’t have proved as significant for the purposes of Week 1 had Teddy Bridgewater not gone down, the comment looks somewhat prescient now that Wentz is the starter and Sam Bradford‘s in Minnesota.
Some in the Eagles’ organization are surprised by the Browns’ comments regarding Wentz, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Paul DePodesta recently revealed the Browns’ brass did not consider the North Dakota State product a potential top-20 NFL quarterback, and young defenders Carl Nassib and Ibraheim Campbell respectively called Wentz’s delivery and inexperience into question this week after it became known he would start the season for the Eagles. Wentz had read DePodesta’s comments before he was named the Eagles’ starter, Cabot writes.
It doesn’t look like Doug Pederson‘s offense will be housing a pure fullback for a while, Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com writes. The team cut potential options Ryan Mueller and Chris Pantale. Many teams obviously go without pure fullbacks in today’s NFL, but the Andy Reid– and Pederson-run Chiefs employed one in Anthony Sherman during the three seasons that duo coordinated Kansas City’s attack. The Eagles have Andrew Bonnet on their practice squad and could use third tight end Trey Burton there, per new OC Frank Reich.
Earlier today, former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook said some Philadelphia veterans aren’t on board with the Bradford trade.

Latest On Lane Johnson

August 30th, 2016 at 12:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Eagles tackle Lane Johnson will start Week 1 if his suspension has not started yet, head coach Doug Pederson told reporters today, including Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com (Twitter link). There had been some thought that Philadelphia would hold Johnson out even if his ban hadn’t been announced, but that apparently will not happen.

Johnson is facing a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy, but even though the ban was reported weeks ago, the NFL still hasn’t made the suspension official. Meanwhile, Johnson has said that he’ll appeal any suspension that is announced, so it’s possible that he’d be able to play Week 1 while the appeal process was underway.

If the Eagles are without Johnson for more than half the season, it would be a crushing blow to their O-Line and offense as a whole. Johnson, the fourth overall pick in 2013, has been a starter for the Eagles since the team drafted him out of Oklahoma, playing primarily at right tackle before spending some time at left tackle in 2015. In his three years with the Eagles, he has only missed four games due to his aforementioned PED suspension. This past season, Pro Football Focus ranked Johnson 24th among offensive tackles, out of 81 qualified players at the position.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.