Tom Brady

NFLPA Grilled In Latest Deflategate Appeal

March 3rd, 2016 at 4:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFLPA attorney Jeffery Kessler was grilled by the three-judge panel presiding over the latest step in the Deflategate saga, according to Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today.

The two sides were presenting arguments in front of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, and judges Robert Katzmann, Barrington Parker, Jr. and Denny Chin appeared to reverse course from Judge Richard Berman’s language by directing more scrutiny toward Kessler rather than NFL attorney Paul Clement.

Neither Tom Brady nor were present at the NFL’s appellate hearing.

Goodell originally suspended the Patriots quarterback for four games to start last season before Berman’s ruling vacated that ban. Should two out of these three judges determine New England’s 17-year veteran was part of a scheme to have tampered with footballs during the 2014 season, Brady would be suspended for the first four games of this season, per Tom Curran of CSNNE.com.

If this ruling goes against Brady, he can appeal again as well, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).

Reyes describes the questioning directed toward Clement paled in comparison to the inquiries subsequently aimed at Kessler. Parker and Chin, per Reyes, took issue with Brady destroying his cellphone.

“You all had notice with the cell phone issue. Anybody within 100 yards of this case would have known that the cell phone issue elevates this merely from deflated balls to a serious issue of obstruction,” Parker said during the 1-hour, 16-minute session.

Parker also shot down Kessler’s argument for Brady’s privacy-related concerns for destroying the phone by countering, “With all due respect, Mr. Brady’s explanation made no sense whatsoever.”

The three judges will meet for a voting conference, and Katzmann, the panel’s senior judge, will appoint one to be the opinion’s author.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

AFC East Rumors: Fitzpatrick, Dolphins, Bills

March 3rd, 2016 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

As negotiations between the two sides continue, the Jets have made it clear to Ryan Fitzpatrick and his representatives that they want Fitzpatrick to be their starting quarterback in 2016, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). However, according to Cole, the Jets’ offers to Fitzpatrick so far don’t necessarily reflect the going rate for starting quarterbacks.

Cole adds that while the Jets players like Fitzpatrick, there are some that wouldn’t mind seeing the team bring in another viable option at the position to challenge the incumbent veteran.

As we wait to see whether the Jets can lock up Fitzpatrick to a new deal before free agency gets underway next week, let’s check in on several other items from out of the AFC East….

The Dolphins have reportedly identified five or six defensive ends in free agency and the draft that they’ll go after if Olivier Vernon signs elsewhere, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Salguero explores some of the possibilities, suggesting that even if the team brings back Vernon and Derrick Shelby, another addition at the position may be necessary.
With the outcome of the Philadelphia D.A.’s investigation into LeSean McCoy still unresolved,the Bills have some uncertainty at the running back position as the new league year approaches. However, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com outlines, McCoy isn’t the only player whose future with the team remains somewhat up in the air to some extent.
The Bills would like to bring back as many of their restricted free agents as possible, according to general manager Doug Whaley, who says the club is “working on it” (Twitter link via Rodak). That may be easier said than done, since low-end RFA tenders will cost $1.6MM+ each, and Buffalo doesn’t have a ton of cap room to work with.
After their tight ends combined for just eight receptions in 2015, the Jets could be in the market for a free agent TE this offseason. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com explores that possibility.
With the NFL and the NFLPA set to return to court to revisit the Deflategate saga and the vacated suspension for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, SI.com’s Michael McCann provides a primer on what to expect.

AFC Notes: Brady, Broncos, Jaguars

January 24th, 2016 at 8:09pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Tom Brady‘s season ended on a sour note Sunday when the Patriots dropped a 20-18 decision to Denver in the AFC title game. Now the 38-year-old will once again turn his focus to the Deflategate scandal that dominated headlines last offseason. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes, the NFL’s appeal regarding Judge Richard Berman’s Sept. 3 reversal of Brady’s four-game suspension will take place on March 3. If the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rules in favor of the league, Brady might have to sit out the early portion of the 2016 season.

More from the AFC, including a note on the conference champions:

Broncos safety Darian Stewart suffered a sprained MCL on Sunday, reports Troy Renck of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Stewart says he’s fine, though. “Hell yeah I will be ready for the Super Bowl,” he told Renck.
Despite signing a contract extension through 2017 this week, Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is facing a make-or-break 2016 campaign, opines Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union. Jags players and prospective free agents are aware that Bradley is on the hot seat, according to Frenette, who believes the 49-year-old must win at least eight games next season in order to return in ’17. The Bradley-led Jags have gone 12-36 in three years. Despite only winning five games this season, a career best for Bradley, the team does finally appear to be trending upward.
Before Bradley promoted ex-defensive line coach Todd Wash to D-coordinator this week, Wash had to sit in on interviews Bradley conducted with other candidates. That made Wash “uncomfortable,” he told reporters (link via Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union). “In the back of your mind, it’s human nature, you want to be the defensive coordinator,” he added.

East Notes: Deflategate, Bills, Beckham, Cowboys

December 21st, 2015 at 6:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL filed its final salvo in the Deflategate saga, countering the NFLPA’s 73-page appeal earlier this month with a 38-page response that centers on how the Patriots‘ alleged manipulation of footballs does not compare with uniform or equipment violations as the Players’ Association previously stated.

The case that resulted in Tom Brady being suspended for four games, then being permitted to play during that period by Judge Richard Berman, will reach the appeal stage March 3, 2016.

Let’s look at some more news coming out of the Eastern division as Week 15 wraps up.

Rex Ryan said today he’s “pretty sure” Tyrod Taylor will be the Bills‘ starting quarterback next season, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports. After winning a three-man quarterback race as a newly signed free agent this offseason, Taylor will be able to further develop with an entire offseason shaped around him being atop the depth chart, Ryan said. After beating out the since-traded Matt Cassel and ex-first-rounder EJ Manuel, Taylor has completed 63.2% of his passes — although the ex-Ravens backup’s failed to surpass the 60% plateau in each of his past five games — and thrown 20 touchdown passes compared to just five interceptions.
Mario Williams continued his recent path out of Buffalo on Sunday in criticizing Ryan’s defensive scheme, and Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News said the 30-year-old defensive end’s team-high $19.9MM cap number next year makes that an easier decision. Dunne also sees Kyle Williams ($7MM 2016 cap figure) having a potential uphill battle to remaining on the roster.
Odell Beckham took issue with Panthers practice squad players allegedly lobbing homophobic slurs at him before Sunday’s eventful Giants-Panthers game, sources inform Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. Jones also notes Beckham was, per sources, intimidated by Panthers defensive backs swinging a baseball bat during pregame warmups, a ritual that’s spawned this season for the unbeaten Panthers. Carolina sources obviously don’t believe the bat routine could have necessitated Beckham’s rampage.
In its letter communicating Beckham’s suspension, the NFL found six violations committed by the Giants second-year wideout, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Two of the three transgressions for which Beckham wasn’t penalized involved punches being thrown. “Your actions adversely reflected on the NFL and have no place in the game because incidents like this erode public confidence in the orderly conduct of our game as well as the good character of our participants,” NFL V.P. of operations Merton Hanks told Beckham in the suspension letter.
Kellen Moore‘s late-season audition for the Cowboys will be for the No. 2 job and won’t influence what the team does this coming offseason in pursuing Tony Romo‘s potential heir apparent, Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). The 26-year-old Moore, a UDFA who the Lions cut this year, completed 15-of-25 passes and threw three interceptions against the Jets.
Eagles high-priced corner Byron Maxwell sprained his SC joint in Sunday night’s loss to the Cardinals and may miss Saturday’s pivotal tilt with Washington, Les Bowen of Philly.com reports.

AFC East Notes: Brady, Pats, Jets

November 23rd, 2015 at 10:10pm CST by Zachary Links

As the Bills and Patriots do battle, here’s a look at the AFC East:

The NFL’s appeal on the Tom Brady ruling will take place on March 3rd, as Jonathan Stempel and Joseph Ax of Reuters write. The court date comes weeks after Super Bowl 50 (Feb. 7th), so the outcome will not affect Brady’s current season or the Patriots no matter what.
On Monday, Jets coach Todd Bowles said that he is sticking with Ryan Fitzpatrick as his starting quarterback, as Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. Despite Fitzpatrick’s rough outing against the Texans, the coach said there was “not much” discussion about making a switch to Geno Smith. “We went over the film like we always do and we judge everybody and we graded every player,” Bowles said. “He missed some throws, but like everybody else he did a lot of things … and we did a lot of things as a group that we’ve got to correct. But we’re fine with Ryan.”
Fitzpatrick has been struggling for sure, but the Jets‘ offensive problems go deeper than that, and Bowles is right to stick with him at quarterback, opines Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. For what it’s worth, the locker room still has Fitzpatrick’s back, including left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson.

Breer’s Latest: Lions, Manning, Hardy, Brady

October 30th, 2015 at 6:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As he does each week, Albert Breer of NFL.com spoke with several executives and scouts around the league, delving into some of the pertinent topics in the NFL heading into Week 8. Let’s dive in…

The Lions made several changes to their coaching staff this week, including firing their offensive coordinator, but there could be more staff alterations on the horizon, per Breer. Martha Ford, the owner of the club, didn’t play a role in hiring head coach Jim Caldwell, so his status going forward remains unclear. Additionally, if the rest of the coaching staff is terminated after the conclusion of the season, it’s likely that the front office, including GM Martin Mayhew, would be fired as well, adds Breer.
Peyton Manning is in the middle of the worst season of his career, and some personnel men feel the veteran Broncos quarterback’s play might stagnate even more as the weather gets colder. “I thought it was pretty clear he’s not the same guy, and he’ll probably never be the same guy,” one AFC scout told Breer. “Now, it’s a matter of whether they can function the offense well enough with him. And with that defense, they can,” added the scout, noting the importance of Denver’s run game as an aid to Manning.
The uproar surrounding Greg Hardy‘s recent behavior is nothing new — as evidenced by his run-ins with the law that caused him to miss nearly all of the 2014 season — and Breer writes that concerns about Hardy’s off-the-field behavior date back to his college days at Ole Miss. Once he entered the league in 2010, Panthers teammates would often have to ensure that Hardy simply made it to practice. As one source noted about the Cowboys defensive end: “You never know what you’re gonna get.”
Following the NFL’s filing of a brief to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals regarding the Tom Brady appeal decision, the court announced that the hearing would take place on February 1 — the Monday of Super Bowl week. The NFLPA, unsurprisingly, finds the decision “alarming” (in the words of union spokesman George Atallah), while the league indicated it would comply with the schedule handed down by the court.
Noting the gap in appeal between NFL and NCAA head coaching jobs isn’t what it once was, Breer puts together a preliminary list of NFL candidates who might be interested in moving to the college ranks, including the Colts‘ Rob Chudzinski, Bengals OC Hue Jackson, and Bills OC Greg Roman.

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.

AFC Notes: Harvin, Brady, Bengals, Moore

October 22nd, 2015 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we heard conflicting reports on whether Bills wide receiver Percy Harvin, who is battling hip and knee issues, is truly considering retirement. As Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports writes, the fact that Rex Ryan and the Bills have made sure to stress that Percy Harvin’s absence in London this week is “personal” and not injury-related suggests that there’s something to the retirement rumors.

If Harvin were to retire during the season, he’d risk forfeiting several million dollars in salary and signing-bonus money, as the Bills would be within their rights to try to recoup that money. For his part, the veteran wideout would probably rather avoid a contract stand-off, which would help explain why he’d want to continue his career, even if health problems had him contemplating the idea of retirement.

As we wait to see how the Harvin situation plays out in Buffalo, let’s round up a few more AFC notes….

Tom Brady said this week that his goal is to play “maybe 10 more years,” according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Pressed on whether or not he was serious, the Patriots quarterback added: “That’s what my goals are, that’s what I’m hoping.” Of course, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, it’s not the first time Brady has repeated that “10 more years” mantra, and if he really wants to play that long, there’s no guarantee he’ll do so in New England.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links) passes along news on a pair of Bengals workouts, reporting that quarterback Bryn Renner and linebacker Alex Singleton got a look from Cincinnati today.
After spending the first four years of his NFL career with the Broncos, safety Rahim Moore signed with the Texans this offseason. Those teams’ respective places in the standings indicate that Moore may regret his decision, but that’s not the case, as Wilson writes for the Chronicle. “I think this is a great decision,” Moore said. “Some people can make the wrong decision in free agency and have regrets. I don’t have any”

AFC Notes: Broncos, Mingo, Revis, Brady

October 15th, 2015 at 8:09pm CST by Luke Adams

In a mailbag this week, a reader asked Troy Renck of The Denver Post whether the Broncos should consider benching Peyton Manning in favor of backup Brock Osweiler. Manning is off to a rough start in 2015 and the concerns about him are understandable, but Renck says it’s not time to panic, especially with Denver at 5-0.

Manning, 39, had another excellent season for the Broncos in 2014, putting up 4,727 passing yards to go along with 39 touchdown passes. However, he was hampered by injuries late in the season and struggled down the stretch, particularly in the team’s divisional playoff loss to the Colts, in which he totaled just 211 passing yards on 46 attempts.

This offseason, Manning agreed to a contract restructuring that included a no-trade clause. However, in theory, Denver would be free to deal the future Hall of Famer after the season.

Here’s more from across the AFC:

Jeff Guerriero, the agent for Browns linebacker Barkevious Mingo, expressed some unhappiness with his client’s playing time, telling Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links) that Mingo “is an impact player and needs to be on the field.” According to Cabot, Guerriero wouldn’t say whether or not he’d ask the Browns to trade Mingo — if he and his client want a deal, they’ll have a couple more weeks to make that request, with the trade deadline coming up on November 3.
In an interview scheduled to air this weekend, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis spoke to 60 Minutes about the fact that he has signed five contracts in seven years, suggesting that the best players should be willing to take some risk to maximize their value (Twitter links via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
Jimmy Smith joked about it, but cornerback Shareece Wright says that he actually chose to sign with the Ravens, in part, for chance to be reunited with his good friend, Jon Meoli of The Baltimore Sun writes. The opportunity to play with Smith “played a big role” in him choosing Baltimore, but not the only one. “We always talked about if we had the opportunity to play on the same team, and be playing corner on the same team one day like we did in high school, it’d be a blessing,” Wright said.
In a sitdown with The Associated Press, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was asked about how much longer he sees himself playing. “I’ve got a lot of football left,” the 38-year-old said. “Football is a contact sport and there’s a lot that goes into it. But I have committed myself for a long time to doing it, and because I love doing it so much I want to make that commitment.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Wilkerson, Graham, Manziel, Brady

September 26th, 2015 at 5:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Muhammad Wilkerson begins another standout season, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News begins wondering if he could be the trade chip that lands the Jets a quarterback.

After noting the Jets prefer the skill set of currently troubled 2013 defensive rookie of the year Sheldon Richardson to Wilkerson, Mehta speculates whether Wilkerson’s contract-year campaign could still benefit the Jets down the road by allowing them to keep the defensive end around for trade purposes. Using the Chiefs’ 2008 trade of Jared Allen to the Vikings as an example, Mehta proposes the Jets use a non-exclusive franchise tag on Wilkerson after this season and dangle him in trade talks, as Kansas City did seven years ago.

He continues in saying the only way the Jets could keep both of their star ends is one agreeing to take far less than their value, which will not happen. Of course, this talk of trading Wilkerson is contingent on Richardson re-routing his career, which is far from a certainty at this point.

Here is some other news from around the league.

Jimmy Graham‘s level of happiness with the Seahawks has been one of the key points of discussion in the NFL this week, and the sixth-year tight end might not experience a morale uptick, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk offers. While noting satisfaction could come in time as Graham and Russell Wilson increase their rapport, Florio suggests Graham is not a fit for what the Seahawks do. Graham’s begun to lobby for Wilson to not shy away from throwing his way, even if he’s covered. “Obviously, Drew (Brees) wasn’t running the read options, Graham told media. If (Wilson) is in trouble, he was going to read me, and I was the option. … I tell Russ every day, it don’t matter (if coverage is tight) and sometimes just throw it because sometimes it just doesn’t matter.”
Sufficiently recovered from a high-ankle sprain, Eric Fisher will return to the Chiefs‘ starting lineup against the Packers, doing so at right tackle now, after sitting behind waiver pickup Jah Reid in the first two games, reports Kevin Patra of NFL.com. Although Andy Reid denied the speculation Fisher delayed his recovery in order to not have to face J.J. Watt in the Chiefs’ opener, Fisher hasn’t remotely lived up to expectations as a No. 1 pick and will begin a critical campaign in hopes of rescuing his career.
Nick Toon‘s workout itinerary now includes a stop in St. Louis, as the Rams examined the former Saints backup, per Florio. The Rams also worked out wideouts Issac Blakeney, Kain Colter, DaVaris Daniels, Jordan Leslie, Tyler Rutenbeck and Taylor Washington. Florio opines that the Rams, who carry six healthy receivers presently, are sending a message to some in the unimpressive group. Toon also worked out for the Cowboys and Titans this month after being waived by the Saints.
After news emerged on the timeline for the Tom Brady case, Michael Coyne of the Massachusetts School of Law explains to CSNNE.com how that will affect the 38-year-old quarterback’s season, should the Patriots return to the playoffs as expected. While distractions are inevitable given how this has unfolded, Coyne points out Brady will not have to be present for the appeal hearings.
Johnny Manziel fumbling twice in each of the Browns‘ first two games was the driving force behind them opting to relegate him back to the bench in favor of Josh McCown, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com writes. The Browns lost possession on both mishaps against the Jets and recovered each loose ball against the Titans. “The No. 1 thing when you play quarterback is you have to protect the football,” Browns OC John DeFilippo told media. “. . . If you don’t protect the football, then you’re not giving yourself the best chance to win.”
A knee injury this week during practice will keep Trent Cole from traveling with the Colts to Nashville, Tenn., for their Week 3 tilt with the Titans, reports Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (on Twitter). Robert Mathis‘ workload will increase as a result, Holder reports.

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