2015 NFL OFF SEASON NEWS AND HAPPENINGS

[eagle eye]

Not much movement in free agency today but there are two items of note.

 

> After signing Mike Wallace to a contract the Vikings have released WR Greg Jennings. Jennings went to Minnesota as a free agent a couple of years ago and has pretty much disappeared. NFL.com speculates that Jennings might return to Green Bay where he had his greatest success but I have my doubts about that. Especially after giving Randall Cobb a nice deal to stay with the Packers. The Packers have gotten younger and they just don't need Jennings. Maybe a team like Houston would be willing to take a chance on him --- at the right price.

 

> After a brief visit with his old team, the New Orleans Saints, Reggie Bush has been signed by the San Francisco 49ers to a deal to compliment new main man, Carlos Hyde. If Bush can stay healthy this might be a nice duo going forward.

[eagle eye]

It seems impossible but did you realize former Packer CB Tramon Williams is 32 years old today. I thought he was a rookie just a couple of years ago! Be that as it may you may have noticed I said former Packer. That's right Williams is now a member of the Cleveland Browns along with DT Randy Starks formerly of the Miami Dolphins. Both were signed today in Cleveland.

 

There has been a Tim Tebow sighting and it was in about the only place you might expect, Philadelphia. With Chip Kelly making some unusual moves this off season he has decided to let Tebow work out for the coaches. The last time Tebow took and NFL snap was in training camp of 2013 with New England. Since then Tim has hosted shows on ESPNU for college football programing.

 

Former Texans QB Matt Schaub was released by the Oakland Raiders today. Schaub had been a good QB in Houston for a few years but in 2013 the wheels seemed to just come off for him. I'm not sure I've ever seen a player decline so fast in my life. He was signed by Oakland last off season to start games and mentor Derek Carr but Schaub did a lot more mentoring than playing in Oakland.

[eagle eye]

It seems the Baltimore Ravens just can't catch a break with their running backs. First the Ray Rice incident cost them a productive running back and now Bernard Pierce was arrested Wednesday for DUI in Towson Maryland. Just hours after the fact the Ravens decided to cut bait with Pierce announcing his release today. Pierce knew he would be cut because on the way to jail following his arrest Pierce told the officers, "Do you know what happened the last time a Ravens player got a DUI?" Pierce asked the officer while en-route to the station. "I'm getting cut tomorrow, not like you care."

 

It's likely Pierce, just 23, would be cut because he hasn't performed well at all the past two seasons. Justin Forsett came in and took the job away from Pierce. Now Pierce is the newest member of the NFL Knucklehead's Club.

 

Six year pro CB Bradley Fletcher signed a one year deal with the New England Patriots worth $2.5 MM. Fletcher was signed after the Pats lost Derrelle Revis to the New York Jets last week. It's a poor trade as Revis is recognized as one of the best in the business while Fletcher has struggled especially last season when receivers like Dez Bryant and Jordy Nelson torched him on a regular basis.

[eagle eye]

It didn't take former Ravens RB Bernard Pierce to find a new team after being released on Wednesday following his DUI arrest in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The Jacksonville Jaguars picked up Pierce and they are hoping he returns to the form he displayed in 2012 with the Ravens. The Jags signed former Minnesota Vikings RB Toby Gerhart as a free agent last season hoping he could be their main man but he was by and large a disappointment. Pierce will have to show and show early or he will not have a job long.

 

Former Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe has a new home too. The receiver starved Cleveland Browns signed Bowe to a deal yesterday giving the Browns an all new look at WR. With Bowe on one side and the Browns other new guy Brian Hartline, who was signed last week, will join with projected slot man Andrew Hawkins and speedster Taylor Gabriel rounding out the top 4 receivers for Cleveland to form a new look Browns WR corp.

 

The Colts just keep on getting better as yesterday they signed former Denver Bronco ILB Nate Irving to a 3 year deal worth up to $9.5MM. It's another signing that Indy has made to upgrade their defense which was the Colts Achilles heel last season. The signings should drive up their 2015 Super Bowl stock and make yet another fantasy football upgrade. This is lousy news for Texans fans.

[eagle eye]

The biggest news this week is there is an NFL owner's meeting in Phoenix Arizona with no significant news coming from that other than one owner believes there could be two NFL franchises in Los Angeles in 2016. My question is why bother? The NFL has had dismal luck with teams in the City of Angels. That's why there isn't one there now. Owners see that LA is the second biggest market in the US but fail to see what is right before their eyes---the NFL hasn't worked there. At one time the Chargers were in LA. The Raiders moved to LA for a couple of years before moving back to Oakland. The fact is LA is a basketball, baseball and hockey town. Not to mention the beach, the movie stars and Disneyland. There is only so much disposable income for people to worry about football.

 

One team speculated to move to LA is San Diego. If it does it will have to find another QB because Phillip Rivers has told the Chargers ownership he won't play in LA. Rivers has refused to talk contract despite the fact 2015 is the final year of his current deal and it sort of looks like he's tired of the left coast anyway and wants to move back to the part of the country he's from which is the south. He was born in Alabama and he went to school at North Carolina State it's highly likely he'd like to move back to that part of the country. Rivers has been the subject of trade talks recently as he has made it clear he doesn't intend to remain in California and it would be smart if San Diego traded Rivers and got something for him rather than lose him to free agency with no compensation at all. One team he's been linked to is the Tennessee Titans who need a QB and has the 2nd pick in this year's draft. It would be awesome if Tennessee would trade that No 2 pick for the 33 year old Rivers, especially since the QB class in the draft if pretty thin, but I'd bet the Titans won't trade their pick for a QB on the downside of his career. It's not like Tennessee is a QB away from making the Super Bowl. IMO it would be great for San Diego except it would derail any chance they have at their own Super Bowl dreams this season but it would be stupid for Tennessee to pass on their future for a shaky present or 3 or 4 years when they have so many holes in their roster to fill.

 

The NFL has removed the television blackout ban for this season and probably future seasons going forward. At one time stadium revenues were the life blood of the NFL. It paid the bills so the blackout of games on TV for stadiums who didn't sell out help put fans in the stands. Nowadays TV revenue has replaced the fan in the stadium as the money pipeline for NFL teams. The blackout is not seen as a necessary evil any more. I think this is a good move by the NFL.

 

The head of NFL officiating Dean Blandino said there won't be any changes to what constitutes a catch by a receiver in the NFL. The discussion came up because of the controversy of the Dez Bryant non-catch (which was a catch) in the playoff game against the Packers in January. I am not surprised there was not change because if there was it was an admission that the refs in New York that overturned the catch in Green Bay would have to admit they were wrong and that wasn't going to happen even though virtually everyone on the planet thought Dez made that catch. It was a gutless move by a bunch of douchebags who don't want to admit they blew it. All that happened was to rephrase the wording of the rule to "simplify" its interpretation. Please.

 

Why is god's name is Dallas getting hammered by signing Greg Hardy while teams are fighting over the right to either keep or sign Adrian Peterson. To me AP did the much more heinous crime. He spanked his kid bare assed with a switch which resulted in lacerating the child's privates. Seriously? I don't condone spousal abuse at all but child abuse is the most heinous thing in the world to me. If AP didn't play again in the NFL I would have no problem with that. I think it's a crying shame that Peterson's actions against his son are swept under the rug the way they have been.

 

C'mon NFL draft and give us relief from this idiocy.

[eagle eye]

LB Donte Hightower will miss the next 6-7 months following off season shoulder surgery. It's being reported that he played most of Super Bowl XLIX with basically one arm. Hightower was a mainstay of the Patriots defense and possibly would not have won the SB if not for his play. The recuperation and rehab time frame will cause him to miss all OTA's, training camp and likely the first 4-7 weeks of the season. It would not surprise me if NE didn't put him on the PUP list to begin the season.

 

Former Dallas Cowboy and now former Cincinnati Bengal Terrance Newman will rejoin his old defensive coach with the Cowboys, Mike Zimmer. Zimmer is now the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and that's where Newman will be playing this coming season. Newman signed a one year $2.5 MM deal with the Vikings with $750K guaranteed.

 

Offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, probably more famous for the hazing incident that occurred between him and Richie Incognito, was released yesterday by the San Francisco 49ers. Martin, a graduate of Stanford went to the Niners the season following the bru-ha-ha in Miami. He played but one season in San Fran starting nine games but that experience should warrant Martin a look with another team as most NFL teams are always on the hunt for a good O-lineman.

 

With a lot of people scratching their heads over some of the odd moves made by Philadelphia Eagles head coach and GM Chip Kelly WR Jeremy Maclin says he still believes in Chip--even though he's got to do from Kansas City now. Earlier this month the Eagles were trimming salary cap unfriendly players and if they weren't cut they were traded and some just left for bigger paydays than the Eagles were willing to pay. Maclin was one of those players who took the big bucks and actually reunited with former Philly head man Andy Reed in KC. Apparently, not one to burn bridges Maclin say he still believes Chip Kelly will have great success in Philly and the fact they couldn't agree to terms of his contract Maclin bears no grudge or ill will to his former coach.

[eagle eye]

Since Peyton Manning joined the Broncos he's organized a get together of his receivers for a little off season workout. This year is no different but what is different is WR Emmanuel Sanders having a little fun at the expense of a teammate.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000483319/article/emmanuel-sanders-photoshops-teammate-in-picture

[eagle eye]

The NFL has done something that isn't giving The Shield a black eye for a change. A nice caveat to the news is it should bring some positivity to the NFL for the first time in a long time. What could be so groundbreaking? The NFL has named the first full time female referee. This may seem like a ho-hum news item but it's really not. Women representation in sports has officially expanded and the landscape with be just a little different going forward. It certainly opens the door for future opportunities for women and who's to say it won't help improve officiating overall? The lady's name is Sarah Thomas and she has been working in Conference USA for the past 8 of her 19 years of officiating. Here's the article about the announcement from NFL.com. One of the storied "Good old boys clubs" has just had the door kicked in and perhaps it's long overdue.

 

Looks like the Broncos and Wes Welker have parted company and it's possible that WW will end up right where he started in the NFL as he is scheduled to make a visit to the Miami Dolphins this week. Technically I guess you'd have to say he actually began with San Diego but one game and gone is hardly a beginning. His first team where he stuck to a roster was Miami before the deal of the century when he was traded to New England and you know the rest of the story there. This visit with Miami is the first known visit this off season by Welker who is 33 and coming off two seasons in Denver where Welker battled through several concussions and missed some significant time because of them. Last off season the Broncos signed former Steeler Emmanuel Sanders as a free agent and he stepped right into Welker's spot and has rendered Welker expendable.

 

NFL.com is reporting that after the NFL met with Adrian Peterson over the child discipline that resulted in injuries to he son's private parts as part of the NFL's determination if any more suspension is warranted under the NFL player conduct policy. The reports are that, based on that meeting, AP will likely not receive any further action by the NFL. Who knows if it's true but you wonder why more importance isn't placed on abuse of a child when people go bat-crap crazy over spousal abuse. Both are heinous offenses but, to me, the child abuse thing is the more reprehensible of the two situations. As it is the only "penalty" AP has had to endure is not playing football in 2014. He was, like Greg Hardy, on the so-called Commissioner's Exempt List which just means he would be allowed to play any games but he still received regular paychecks. Hardy, BTW, had the worst of the situation after enduring the backlash from the media following his signing by the Dallas Cowboys a couple of weeks ago.

 

Rumors continue to circulate about AP being traded to the Dallas Cowboys but that scenario is highly unlikely. This newly fiscally responsible regime in Dallas would not sell the farm for a 30 year old RB and that's about what they'd have to do to get Peterson from Minnesota. Draft picks are just too precious and this draft class is really deep at the RB position for Dallas to trade away picks when they still have so many holes to fill on defense. The major debate on the Cowboys website is whether they go defensive end or cornerback with the 27th pick in the draft. Dallas could just jump up and take Georgia's Todd Gurley who is recognized as far and away the best RB in this year's draft. If he fell to 27 I bet a week's pay Dallas snatches him up quicker than you can say Jack Robinson despite the fact Gurley is coming off ACL surgery this past November and will like be unavailable for training camp or the beginning of the regular season in September. Dallas could "redshirt" Gurley or put him on PUP and give him time to fully heal before throwing him out on the field.

 

Remember last off season when then-teammates LeGarrett Blount and Le'Veon Bell were arrested for possession of marijuana and in Bell's case a DUI? After the arrest Blount was released by the Steelers and he eventually landed with the New England Patriots where he was instrumental in their march to a Super Bowl victory this past February. Now, after almost 9 months the NFL has gotten around to punishing Blount for violating the NFL substance abuse policy by suspending Blount for Week 1 of the 2015 season.

 

The 2015 NFL draft is 22 days away.

[eagle eye]

No news of real note today. Killing time until the draft. Roger Goodell will have two decisions to make soon regarding Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy and the darndest thing of all is that no matter what he rules in terms of suspensions --- he's going to be wrong. These decisions will be Goodell's "Kobayashi Maru". Star Trek fans know what this is, a test of character in a no-win situation. You ever been in a lose-lose situation? It sucks, doesn't it. Captain Kirk was the only one to ever win the Kobayashi Maru and he cheated. There is no cheat available to Goodell. He's going to end up attached to another object by an inclined plane wrapped helically around an axis --- in other words --- screwed. (Star Trek AND Big Bang Theory references --- I'm hot tonight!)

[eagle eye]

There was actually some news of note in the NFL today.

 

First, all-world safety, Troy Palumalu announced his retirement. Troy was a cornerstone of the New Millenium Steel Curtain defense that won 2 Super Bowls in the 2000's.

 

Former Cowboys LB Victor Butler has been suspended the first 4 games of the upcoming season for violating the PED use rules. He was signed earlier this spring by the New York Giants and he was a longshot to make the team anyway and this certainly won't help his chances going forward. He can attend OTA's, mini camps and training camp but then his suspension kicks in. He still does have an outside shot because he can at least practice. Butler was drafted by the Cowboys in the 4th round of the 2009 draft but he left via free agency after the 2012 season.

[eagle eye]

The Cleveland Browns unveiled their new look uniforms. The helmets will still be the same but there are some changes to the unis and they look pretty good considering they have pumpkin, brown and white to work with.

 

http://www.nfl.com/photos/0ap3000000485388

 

Speaking of the Browns, there is speculation that they will try to trade up in the draft to take QB Marcus Mariota. This is all well and good but it's only a year removed from Cleveland spending a first rounder on Johnny Football. As you know Manziel didn't do squat in his rookie season except party. He checked himself into a rehab facility to try to get a handle on his life and it remains to be seen if this change and his skill set will succeed in the NFL. This isn't far removed from the Browns taking Brandon Weeden in the first round 4 years ago and before him Brady Quinn. What I'm saying is, the Browns have been just awful at finding that franchise guy to lead the team for the next 10-12 years. It will be something if they get someone to last 2-3 months.

 

Have you noticed that Marcus Mariota has replaced Jameis Winston as the possible first pick in the draft? It all goes back to Winston's many off field issues. Using the first pick in the draft on a wild card from a maturity standpoint ain't good. It's pretty much agreed Winston is the best athlete of the two but there are serious questions about his maturity and dedication to football. Nobody has every questioned Mariota's character or dedication. Is it enough for Tampa to go Mariota over Winston? That remains to be seen in about 15 days.

[eagle eye]

BREAKING NEWS: The jury in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial has found him guilty of first degree murder of Odin Lloyd in June of 2013. Lloyd had been dating the sister of Hernandez fiancée when he was found in a field near Hernandez home shot six times. The defense acknowledged that he was present during the shooting but was just a scared 23 year old who didn't know what to do. The prosecution asserted that Hernandez planned and carried out the killing then tried to cover it up. The conviction carries with it a sentence of life in prison with no parole.

[KABrother88]

I was surprised at the amount of emotion (or lack there of) displayed by Hernandez when the verdict was read...absolutely zero response to hearing you will spend the rest of your life behind bars without a chance to get out. I think that kind of demonstrated how much this guy just doesn't care.

 

As for his attorney, I was shocked when the news broke of what he said during closing arguments. They built a case surrounding their client being 100% innocent and nothing to do with this only to say yea he was there but he just watched and hung out with the guys in the hot tub afterwards and didn't think it was important enough to report it cause he was an innocent 23 year old.

[eagle eye]

I was surprised at the amount of emotion (or lack there of) displayed by Hernandez when the verdict was read...absolutely zero response to hearing you will spend the rest of your life behind bars without a chance to get out. I think that kind of demonstrated how much this guy just doesn't care.

 

As for his attorney, I was shocked when the news broke of what he said during closing arguments. They built a case surrounding their client being 100% innocent and nothing to do with this only to say yea he was there but he just watched and hung out with the guys in the hot tub afterwards and didn't think it was important enough to report it cause he was an innocent 23 year old.

 

I thought, man, that's crazy for that lawyer to say something like that because it made a difference to the jury when they heard that in the closing arguments. There wasn't any evidence other than very strong circumstantial evidence. No gun, no DNA, no eye witness -- until he admitted Hernandez was at the murder scene. D-U-M-B. It won't be long and Hernandez goes on trial for a double murder so it's likely if he got off this one they'd nail him in the next trial. The guy is just a stone cold sociopathic killer. Good riddance. BTW, I still can't believe, when everyone was going bat-crap crazy over Dallas' signing of Greg Hardy, that Colin Cowherd compared Hardy with Hernandez like both offenses and convictions were equal. I like Cowherd most of the time but sometimes he can be such a douche.

[KABrother88]

There was also no motive that the state could justify. The general concensus is that the victim knew of the Boston double homicide and Hernandez didn't trust Lloyd to keep his mouth shut...however before the trial the judge ruled that the Boston double homicide charges could not be mention in this case, therefore eliminating the state from using that motive. From what I've read the double murder case is supposedly a lot stronger than this case so I won't be surprised if he'd guilty on both of those charges plus whatever extra weapon charges he faces in it. There is also a claim from a former "friend" of Henandez that Hernandez shot this "friend" in the face and he ended up losing his eye...and he refused to press charges but wanted to file a civil suit to get money out of him...thought that was very strange Edited April 16, 2015 by KABrother88

[eagle eye]

I don't know about the world sometimes. Or maybe I'm just missing something. Adrian Peterson is reinstated as an active member of the NFL as of today. All people can talk about is where is AP going to play this fall and there seems to be no fallout over why he spent all but one game on the Commissioner's exempt list as he went through the process of dealing with child abuse issues. It's been reported that the reason the NFL didn't suspend him or punish him more was because he didn't claim he was innocent of the deed. He pleaded no contest to the charges. He paid his fine, is doing his community service and he is going to counselling as his punishment for spanking his son with a switch bad enough to draw blood and injure his private parts. Folks, I got in trouble as a kid and I've been spanked with a hand, a belt, a paddle and, yes, one time, a switch. I never needed medical attention as a result of any of them. I used to look at AP as a sort of super hero. Nobody on the planet could tear an ACL and 8 months later begin a 4 month march to 2,000 yards but AP did. However, there's one thing I can't abide and that's somebody who hurts kids. I don't understand why everyone went bat-crap crazy over the Cowboys signing Greg Hardy when a judge only saw fit to give him an 18 month probation sentence in his domestic violence issue and AP got less for a documented issue of actually injuring a child. Hardy was portrayed as the second coming of Satan while Peterson only talked about in relation to where and who he plays football with. Unless, of course, Dallas signs him then the Cowboys will be portrayed as a team that doesn't have any moral character and will sacrifice human decency for a Super Bowl ring. I'll bet even then AP is only on the periphery of the conversation. I'll admit, it would be interesting to see what he could do behind the Cowboys line with a great QB and WR and TE. Peterson could run for 3,000 yards. It's sort of the argument about how many yards Barry Sanders would have gained if he was in the Cowboys backfield instead of Emmitt Smith. If DeMarco Murray could gain 1,800+ yards just how many yards would the best RB our current generation gain? It's a tempting situation but I can't help feeling it would leave a bad taste in my mouth rooting for a guy who hurt his little boy. In reality, the Cowboys probably can't afford Peterson. Even if he restructures his deal and the Cowboys only have to pay him $8MM a year for 3 years where do they get the money? Not from the restructured Tony Romo contract. That just paid for the moves they've made up until now. It would mean that something would have to be done about Brandon Carr's contract and the Cowboys and Dez would have to get a long term deal done to lower his current $12.98MM cap hit that is on him as being tagged the franchise player to even have a prayer to sign AP. Then there is the usual backlash aimed at Jerry Jones and the Cowboys front office. They survived the Greg Hardy rigmarole even though some of the names they were called and their character questioned so viciously that I'm not sure there wasn't a slander or liable suit warranted over the deal. You just know the Cowboys will get hammered again over signing AP even though no other NFL would be raked over the coals if they signed him. It would be ideal if Dallas just drafted the next guy. Maybe Todd Gurley. Perhaps Melvin Gordon from Wisconsin. Or Jay Ajaye from Boise State. Less headaches, less money to sign, longer time with Dallas than AP would have, and most importantly--no baggage to deal with. Tough call but I like the "get him in the draft" option.

[eagle eye]

Johnny Manziel was released from his rehab facility yesterday and will be available for all off season work beginning tomorrow. Manziel released statement through the team apologizing to the Browns, his teammates and everybody he's let down to this point. As he acknowledges in his statement it's how he acts going forward that will determine if he really got anything out of rehab. Here's the article from NFL.com.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000485997/article/browns-qb-johnny-manziel-releases-statement

[eagle eye]

I don't get Chip Kelly. Last year he gets rid of DeSean Jackson. This year he trades away LeSean McCoy and allows Jeramy Maclin to leave via free agency. He signs perpetually injured WR Miles Austin, he trades for perpetually injured QB Sam Bradford and he signs former Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray to a deal not too much cheaper than he would have paid McCoy. Now Kelly has signed NFL outcast Tim Tebow. Eagles fans have to be scratching their heads saying "WTF!" Maybe their is method to Kelly's madness but obviously we won't see it until September comes. (Cue Green Day song here). You just have to wonder what Kelly has in mind for Tebow that Bill Belichick and John Fox didn't see when they had him. Oh well. Right now the Eagles have a grand total of 6 QBs on the roster. Including Tebow and Bradford he has Matt Barkley, Marc Sanchez and G J Kinne. Tebow ought to be well rested, he hasn't played an NFL down in 2 years.

 

Many teams began official off season workouts today around the NFL. According to the collective bargaining agreement teams can lift weights, do rehab and conditioning work with trainers in what is called Phase I of offseason work. Phase I last the next two weeks. Here's a recap of what is allowed by the collective bargaining agreement which is only slightly less stringent than Sheldon and Leonard's roommate agreement.

 

From DallasCowboys.com

 

Phase One – these next two weeks – permits only strength, conditioning and rehab work with strength and conditioning coaches.

Phase Two includes three weeks of on-field work with coaches, though live-contact offense vs. defense or kick team vs. return team reps are not permitted.

Phase Three includes up to 10 days of non-live organized team activities (OTAs) and a three-day team minicamp.

[eagle eye]

With the draft only 5 days away there is the usual chatter about trades and who might do what to get a more favorable position in the draft. Rumors and speculation is the order of the day for the next 4 days. Fans of all 32 teams are hoping this is the draft that puts their team over the hump to a SB championship. It's kind of like baseball in April, hope springs eternal.

 

The Carolina Panthers have exercised their 5th year option on super-duper LB Luke Kuechly. Big surprise there. For all you Cowboys and Texans fans hoping to get super RB prospect from Georgia Todd Gurley. I reference Aerosmith's most famous song---"Dream On". Especially the Cowboys fans. It ain't happening. The only way Dallas had a shot is if the health update on Gurley was not good. Then Gurley likely would have dropped like a stone enabling Dallas to possibly wait until the 2nd round 60th pick to draft him. But he checked out fine and NFL.com is reporting he showed off his speed on a treadmill on an instagram post. Right now the chances the Cowboys will be able to draft him with the 27th pick in the 1st round will either be pure luck or Dallas trades up to get him. Houston at pick 16 has a shot, a real decent shot, if Bill O'Brien wants him. With Arian Foster and Alfred Blue already the Texans one-two punch they may feel they don't need a RB that high. However, Gurley is considered that rare talent that comes around once a decade so you never know. If Houston gets him the could afford to let Gurley heal completely, he wouldn't have to start Week 1 and truth be told probably wouldn't start at any point in the season as long as Foster stays healthy.

 

I honestly can't understand why the NFL wants a team in Los Angeles so bad. No pro football team has had financial success there--ever. The original San Diego franchise began in LA and moved. The Raiders took a shot in the City of Angels and moved back to Oakland. There's talk about the Raiders moving back to LA because they can't bribe the City of Oakland into building a new stadium for them. This one is just talk so far. The Rams spent the longest tenure in LA of 48 (1946-1994) years but in the end the team lost money and moved to St Louis. LA belongs to the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers and Kings. Even in LA there's only so much money to go around. I understand that LA is a huge market and the NFL doesn't like to leave money on the table but haven't they done just fine without a team there for 20 years now?

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000488072/article/goodell-la-stadium-plans-are-viable-very-exciting

[eagle eye]

Just two days until the draft! Beer on ice? Check. Snacks ready to go? Check. Draft guide handy? Check. Getting an All Pro in the first round? Priceless.

[eagle eye]

Missouri's star defensive end Shane Ray was given a citation for possession of a small amount of marijuana. Dumb? Yes, especially since the deal went down just days before the NFL draft. Ray was once a lock to be a top ten pick as he is one of the best pass rushers in this year's draft. Could such a thing have cost him more than some embarrassment? Could be. Because of concerns about substance abuse and resent issues with other players inability to let the devil weed go could cost Ray his top ten draft status and ultimately cost him a lot of money. Without any priors on his resume maybe it won't but I wouldn't surprised if it did.

 

Okay, add Miami Dolphins star pass rusher Dion Jordon to the latest membership roll of the NFL Knuckleheads club. After being suspended 4 games last season for violating the NFL substance abuse policy he got caught again. This time the NFL is suspending Jordan for the entire 2015 season. The Dolphins have got to be pissed. I look for contracts in the future to include language that absolves teams from responsibility for honoring contracts under this type of circumstance. Jordan is one of the best defensive players in the league and his loss certainly hurts the Dolphins. It's this type of selfish behavior that has to drive NFL GMs and coaches and fellow players crazy.

 

The NFL draft is down to hours away, right around 35 hours as of this post. I can't wait. This is on a par as Christmas was to me as a kid.

[eagle eye]

I think this is the right forum to discuss where the 3rd and 4th best QBs went in this year's draft. Arguably the 3rd best QB was Baylor's Bryce Petty and he went to the Jets in the 4th round who actually moved up one spot in a trade with Jax. The reason the Jets moved up one spot was because the fly on the wall said that Cleveland was going to make a move for him so it prompted the Jets to act. It wasn't terribly expensive because all NY gave up was a 7th round pick. Petty will be a developmental QB and he will move into an ideal situation for a young QB. I like Petty and I think the Jets got a great prospect. Now, all the Jets have to do now is really develop the kid. The new coaching staff led by new head coach Todd Bowles hopefully will be better than the Rex Ryan regime was in developing Geno Smith.

 

Later on in the 5th round the Packers took UCLA signal caller Brett Hundley. Hundley, like Petty, is a guy who is thought of as a developmental guy. A guy with some skills but needs to learn the pro game after playing in a non-pro style offense in college. He will be under no pressure other than being good enough to make the roster or at least the practice squad so he has a chance to develop. He will be a cheaper version of a guy or two on the Packers roster and he will have a guy in Aaron Rodgers who had to sit and learn behind a veteran guy (Brett Favre, in case you forgot).

[eagle eye]

The list of the top undrafted free agents has been put out by NFL.com's Gil Brandt with notations of the players already signed.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000490510/article/top-undrafted-free-agents-following-the-2015-nfl-draft

 

The Rams have traded RB Zac Stacy to the New York Jets for the 224th pick in the draft. Stacy saw his days as numbered in St Louis after the Rams traded up to draft RB Todd Gurley. Stacy lost his starting job last season to rookie Tre Mason and I'm sure Stacey saw his playing time sliding right off the table. The Rams made the deal at Stacy's request.

 

One of the feel good stories of the NFL weekend came yesterday after the draft was over when Seattle signed former Green Beret Nate Boyer as an undrafted free agent. Boyer, 34, will be a long snapper for the Seahawks.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000490648/article/former-green-beret-nate-boyer-joining-seahawks

 

The saga of former LSU OL La'el Collins continued with the end of the draft and the fact Collins went undrafted.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000490639/article/lael-collins-goes-undrafted-not-eligible-for-16-draft

Edited May 3, 2015 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

There is a clause in Jameis Winston's contract with Tampa Bay that prohibits him from playing baseball. No big deal, but it's a little different than the contract Russell Wilson has with Seattle. He has gone to spring training with the Texas Rangers who drafted Wilson in the 2013 Rule 5 draft. Prior to that Wilson was in the Colorado Rockies organization since being drafted in the 4th round of the 2010 draft. The Seahawks have placed no limitations on Wilson who is a middle infielder in baseball. Winston, a relief pitcher for the Florida State Seminoles was drafted in 2012 but he opted to stay in school. Good move there as Winston led the Seminole football team to a National Championship in 2013 was well as winning the Heisman Trophy the same year. Winston came back to school in 2014 and was one win away from back to back National Championships. Winston expressed the desire to play both football and baseball as he loves both sports. Apparently the Tampa Bay powers-that-be didn't like that and they structured Winston's contract to ban him from playing baseball.

[eagle eye]

In the "When will this BS end" department the NFL's investigation into deflategate is over and the findings have been released.

To sum up, the investigation team found a locker room attendant, an equipment manager and Tom Brady are thought to have been involved in willfully deflating the game balls used in the first half of the AFC Championship game between the Patriots and Colts. Thought to be. As you can read in the link below the findings are conclusive that there are no conclusive facts the balls were tampered with but, evidence points to said results. So, based on strictly circumstantial evidence and perceived common sense the investigation team decided to throw those 3 under the bus.

As the article points out, Patriots owner Robert Craft threw the investigation team under the bus by saying, ""Throughout the process of this nearly four-month investigation, we have cooperated and patiently awaited its outcome. To say we are disappointed in its findings, which do not include any incontrovertible or hard evidence of deliberate deflation of footballs at the AFC Championship Game, would be a gross understatement...". There was more but you can read it for yourself. Much ado about nothing IMO. Patriots haters or Belichick haters or Brady haters have more fuel for the hate fire but it's still all a load of crap to me. In the first place a pound of air in this case isn't a measure of weight, it's a measure of pressure so the argument that the ball were lighter and thus easier to throw and catch is all a lot of hogwash. If it was easier to throw it was because it was easier to grip. The accusers didn't even get that right from the git-go.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000491385/article/wells-report-released-on-footballs-used-in-afc-title-game