NFL - NEWS & NOTES

The 3rd overall pick in 2015, Dante Fowler is in trouble again.
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler has been charged with three misdemeanors -- including first-degree battery -- stemming from his arrest in July, according to court records obtained by NFL.com.

Fowler was formally charged Aug. 10 with battery, criminal mischief and petit theft in connection to his July 18 arrest in St. Petersburg, Florida. His arraignment in Clearwater, Florida, is scheduled for Sept. 11 -- one day after the Jaguars' regular-season opener against the Houston Texans.

Per police records obtained by NFL.com, Fowler was seen punching a man after a "brief verbal confrontation" in a St. Petersburg parking lot. Fowler then stepped on the man's glasses, "breaking a lens," according to the report.

Florida State prosecutor Bernie McCabe's office alleges Fowler intentionally caused bodily harm against the individual in addition to "willfully and maliciously" damaging the man's property.

If convicted on all counts, Fowler could face up to a year in jail. He also is subject to possible discipline under the NFL's personal conduct policy. My worst draft of a player in l4sn dynasty.

 

A dozen Browns players take a knee before their preseason game vs the Giants. They must really want Kaepernick to play QB.

 

Browns defeat the Giants, 10-6.

 

This National Anthem stuff still bugs me. Goodell had a chance to stop it, instead his comments practically endorse it. There is no way in my NFL players would be demonstrating during the National Anthem. There is a time and place for this, but not during the Anthem.

Seems as if we live in a society that holds nothing sacred or traditional anymore and that's sad.

Some say they have a 'right' to protest in this way... I don't think that's what the bloodshed is all about.

 

OBJ - Just a sprain...

Odell Beckham Jr. expressed relief to come out of Monday night’s game with only a sprained ankle. It initially looked — and apparently felt — worse than what it was.

“That’s a great word,” the Giants receiver said when asked if he was “relieved,” via video from northjersey.com.


Beckham will undergo more tests on his left ankle Tuesday, but X-rays were negative...

 

Cam Newton remains on target to hit the field come Thursday night.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera confirmed Tuesday that his star quarterback will take first snaps against the Jacksonville Jaguars, barring a setback with Newton's surgically repaired shoulder. The team plans to make a final decision on Wednesday, per multiple reports.

 

Browns name DeShone Kizer the starter for third preseason game

Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer has been named the starter for Saturday’s preseason game against the Buccaneers, the strongest indication yet that he’s the favorite to be the starter when the regular season begins.

Browns coach Hue Jackson said he’s very pleased with everything Kizer is doing, and believes Kizer can start in the regular season as well, although he stopped short of saying Kizer will get the job permanently.


“He has made a lot of progress by investing the time necessary to learn our offense, working hard to improve on his fundamentals while also effectively moving the offense in preseason games,” Jackson said. “Development is so important for a young quarterback, this is the next step he needs to take and he deserves this opportunity. We are very excited about seeing DeShone in the role of starter for this week, as he is certainly positioning himself well to earn the starting job heading into the regular season.”

Kizer has played well in the preseason, but it was unclear whether he played well enough to move ahead of Brock Osweiler and Cody Kessler on the depth chart. Now it’s clear that Kizer is the favorite to win the job, and if he plays well this week he’ll start in Week One.

 

Chad Henne to start Jaguars’ third preseason game

Chad Henne now appears to be the leading candidate to start the regular season at quarterback for the Jaguars.

The Jaguars have confirmed that Henne, and not Blake Bortles, will start this week’s third preseason game. Typically the quarterback who starts the third preseason game also starts the first regular season game.

Bortles had been the presumed starter all offseason, but after he struggled in the preseason, head coach Doug Marrone said he and Henne would compete for the starting job. Now it looks like Henne is poised to win that competition.

If Bortles isn’t the starter, there’s a good chance the Jaguars will cut him: Bortles would be guaranteed $19 million next year if he suffers a serious injury this year and can’t pass a physical next year.

So Henne may be one solid preseason performance away from ending the Blake Bortles era in Jacksonville.

 

Thursday Schedule...

Thursday, Aug. 24: Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles 7:00 PM
Thursday, Aug. 24: Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars 7:30 PM

 

chad henne starting at qb. jeez im getting old. i thought he was out of the league. lol

 

NSFW

 

Wentz to Smith and just like that its 7-0 Eagles...

 

Eagles 38, Dolphins 31
Panthers 24, Jaguars 23

 

Fridays Schedule...

Friday, Aug. 25: New England Patriots at Detroit Lions 7:00 PM
Friday, Aug. 25: Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks 8:00 PM CBS

 

Texans' Jaelen Strong suspended one game by NFL

Houston Texans receiver Jaelen Strong has been suspended for the opening game of the 2017 season.

The team released a statement on the suspension:

Jaelen Strong of the Houston Texans has been suspended without pay for the first game of the 2017 regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.

Strong will be eligible to return to the Texans' active roster on Monday, September 11 following the team's September 10 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Strong is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Strong's appeal of the suspension was denied.

 

Blake Bortles: I don’t know if it can get any worse than getting benched

Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles was demoted on the depth chart this week, coming off the bench in Thursday night’s preseason game for the first time since he was a rookie. He wasn’t happy about that.

“I don’t know if it can get any worse than that,” Bortles said Thursday night. “As a quarterback in the NFL, that’s probably the last thing you want to hear. I think you can roll over and lay down or you can keep working, grinding and trying to win that spot back. So, you have two options and I think you pick one and you go.”


Chad Henne started ahead of Bortles, but Bortles played better than Henne on Thursday and Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said after the game that he still hasn’t decided who his starting quarterback is. Bortles said he tried to do all he can to earn the job back on Thursday night.

“It’s tough. I think you’re getting dealt a certain hand and it’s your decision and you chose to do what you want with it. You can put your head down and continue to work and continue to fight and go out and play. Make each rep you get in practice as meaningful as possible,” Bortles said.

Marrone is running out of time to make a decision. Bortles is hoping he can still do something to turn the tide his way. (PFT)

 

^^ glad im not a jacksonville fan.

 

Henderson refuses to require Tiffany Thompson’s presence at Elliott appeal hearing

With the appeal hearing in Ezekiel Elliott‘s case coming on Tuesday, arbitrator Harold Henderson has issued key rulings regarding the contours of the process.

Per a league source, Henderson has denied a request from Elliott’s representatives to make his accuser, Tiffany Thompson, available to testify. Henderson also has denied requests for notes or transcripts of meetings with Thompson.


Instead, Henderson has required only that Kia Roberts, who was involved in the investigation on the league’s behalf, be available to testify.

And so Elliott will have had no chance to question the key witness in the case, she will have never been placed under oath, and her credibility will have never been tested by either of the people making the key decisions in the case — Henderson now or Commissioner Roger Goodell previously.

None of this excuses domestic violence. But if the NFL is going to have its own in-house justice system aimed at investigating and prosecuting domestic violence, the NFL must have reasonable safeguards in place to ensure that the player has a fair opportunity to defend himself against these charges. Absent those protection, a very real risk of players facing false charges will emerge.
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This is just insane! Henderson, Goodell and the NFL are extremely missing the mark here. Its so stupid, I cant even believe it.

 

C'mon now, they can't allow anything that might have a chance of altering their pre-determined outcome. Where's the fun in that.

Also, FU De Smith.

 

Ridiculous. So the NFL gets to interview Tiffany Thompson ad nauseum to render it's verdict, but Elliott's representatives don't have the opportunity to question her in the appeals...? WTF is that?