MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Deshaun Watson ruling may be weeks away



The three-day hearing in the matter of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has ended. So when will Judge Sue L. Robinson issue a decision?

Per multiple reports, she has asked the two sides to submit written briefs in support of their respective positions by Monday, July 11. At that point, she’ll have everything she needs to make a ruling.


When she does, she’ll generate a written document, possibly 20 pages in length or longer. It will make findings of fact that will be binding on the appeals process. She will then apply the Personal Conduct Policy and any other relevant considerations to those facts in order to make a decision.

Our guess (and it’s just a guess) is that a decision will come by Monday, July 25. Then, the appeals process potentially will unfold — unless she decides to impose no discipline at all.

Again, her factual findings will be binding on the appeals process. Those findings also will go a long way toward helping media and fans understand the reasoning for the ultimate decision.

We fully expect the written decision from Judge Robinson to be published. When it comes to players, there’s always transparency. If Watson will be punished not very harshly or not at all, the league needs to hope that Judge Robinson makes a clear and persuasive explanation for the outcome. The league also will need to publish her decision for all to see, not sweep it under the rug like it did with the Commanders situation.

PFT

 

She's been working on this for months. This should have been the final effort to answer any lingering questions and validate the data collected. It shouldn't take 20+ days to write a 20 page summary of her decision. No reason to be any longer than the end of next week. That would give enough time for the appeal process to play out before training camp, if one is needed. This needs resolved NOW.

 

I agree. It shouldnt take weeks, but these folks involved may not be in a big hurry or they may just be covering their rear-ends in case of some sort of unforseen snag.

The evidence has been laid out... Im really interested in the findings and opinions, punishment (if any) and what the NFL proposes, but it seems as if they arnt going to rush this thing. Hard to tell whats on their minds, but I agree that closer is needed ASAP so the Browns and all involved can move on. Hell, the Browns may want to know who the QB will be come training camp... thats kinda an important position.

 

At every single turn, you keep displaying that you have NO idea how any of this works. You keep saying the absolute dumbest stuff.

 

I'll admit that I dont know how any of this works, nor do I have any idea on how it will turn out. One thing tho, the NFL is a bit wishy washy (double standards) at times and the outcome could be very surprising. I'll just wait and see.

 

Solid advise for everyone to follow.

 

Thank you for the well thought out and non-biased response.

Now, since you obviously know how everything works, not just in this situation but literally everything, feel free to elaborate on exactly how it works. To me, it's the first case that they have used this process and no one really knows how it works, but since you do, please explain.

If you don't know either and you are just trying to get a rise out of me, fuck off.

 

He’s just a child you shouldn’t use fowl language around him.

 

The NFL is awful, and I'm glad they're being called out on their BS re: owners not being properly punished, internal policing being inconsistent and based on optics more than infractions... it's all terrible. But the NFL isn't in charge, right now. Appeals? Sure. But that's not the stage we're in, now.

Irish seems upset because he has to potentially wait a few weeks for a retired judge to make probably the most public decision she's ever made, regarding what will amount to many millions in consequences, not to mention what information from this may impact the pending civil cases (personally, I don't know enough about the specifics of the situation to determine what that is, if anything, but it's always a consideration in other circumstances)... Like, jeezus, Irish has to wait a few weeks, what a tragedy...

She's doing everything by the book, and frankly doing it VERY quickly, all things considered. This is an unprecedented process, given it's the first time it's happened for the NFL. You could compare it to contract arbitration in other sports, or internal discipline / arbitration cases within larger private entities. I don't work in that field of law, so I'm not practiced in it. She's giving time for parties to make arguments / briefs in writing, then providing her own well-considered judgement and summary. There's nothing abnormal about that.

Irish has been wrong about literally everything up to this point, regarding the process. He can shutup and wait a few more weeks, here.

 

No, I think you're a moron and not worth anyone's time. You write so much and think so little.

 

See we have points we agree on.. That bias shouldn't have any place in this CBA agreed environment, but when you leave loopholes in that agreement, they can continue to do whatever they want to do.

Again, you say I am wrong.. I didn't write anything false, I gave an opinion. In this country an opinion isn't wrong. Facts can be wrong, but not opinions.

I never said she wasn't doing everything by the book. That's something you just made up. The fact is, the league has announced the process was coming to a close, she opened up this final floor for both sides to give their final say, answer questions, etc. I would think that she has formed an opinion that could have been swayed slightly by new material presented over these past 3 days, but I am sure all the work done previously was thorough and it is doubtful that anything new surprised her in any way. If that is the case, then her assessment should be pretty easy to put together a 20 page document over the course of 5 days with her experience and background. That's an opinion. Disagree all you want, but what you are doing is simply being childish in calling me out. Nothing you have said shows my opinion isn't warranted.

You spend A LOT OF TIME expressing yourself over my opinion, that this is literally a moronic statement on your part. You give next to nothing in return on any subject matter. Whether factual or opinion, other than that of disliking other posters, to the point that it is easy to come to the conclusion that you are just a desperately lonely person and I feel sorry for you.

Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend, I hope you find something that you enjoy enough to take some of that hate out of your heart, sincerely.

 

OK, so he had a point. I just re-read the initial article and I didn't see this part where she asked for written briefs by July 11th.

My apologies..

 

No, Irish - I like talking about sports, and I work in the legal field, so I like it when someone doesn't just say inane, nonsensical shit like you have done for much of this conversation (and beyond). I am telling you from experience that your estimation of how long something should take is wrong. You can have your opinion, but literally an entire field of work disagrees with you. I'm sorry you don't like it.

Don't act like you know me or anything about me. I enjoy talking about these kinds of issues, and having it polluted by absolute know-nothings making statements like they're educated and reasonable makes it very difficult to enjoy. If you posted in ways that indicated you were aware of your ignorance, that'd be fine, but that's not what we get - we get paragraphs of word vomit making wild assumptions and assertions, and then moving the goalposts to try and defend it thereafter. Stop acting like this is my problem, and start wondering why multiple people on multiple occasions in just these last couple pages of this singular discussion have continually had to educate and correct you, and then consider your statements before and afterwards.

I know this situation sucks, but the conversation about it doesn't have to. I know that I have much to learn about all this, not having devoted a ton of time to the specifics (what's available to us). I have said as much on multiple occasions. Maybe you can start by at least acknowledging the same.

 

Thank you. Again, this lends to my point of reading more and writing less, in the future. It will help all of us.

 

If he gets anything less than 17 games I might have to stop watching the NFL. I’ve seen too many players suspended 4 or more games for far less he said she said than the number of she saids in this case. If he gets less it proves that they don’t give five cents about their image.

 

If he wrote less you wouldn’t have anything to do today.

 

I'm sorry that I haven't paid attention to you, Gidion. You are MUCH stupider and by FAR a bigger waste of space. Don't be jealous.

 

Maybe having joy in your heart is better than having a college degree that can’t buy you happiness.

 

Ryan Tannehill: Austin Hooper’s got such a savvy feel for running routes



In the 2021 offseason, the Titans lost tight end Jonnu Smith to the Patriots in free agency.

Though running back Derrick Henry‘s absence for half the season due to injury didn’t help, Tennessee wasn’t ever able to truly replace Smith’s production during the year. Anthony Firkser was the most productive tight end, catching 34 passes for 291 yards with two touchdowns. But in 2020, Smith caught 41 passes for 448 yards with eight TDs.


So in 2022, the Titans signed free agent Austin Hooper to a one-year deal. He and Tannehill were working during the offseason program to get on the same page — a process that will likely last through training camp.

“Just reading his body language, how he comes in and out of breaks,” Tannehill said recently, via Turron Davenport of ESPN. “There are little things that you probably don’t notice from the outside that I can file away and learn from. He’s got such a savvy feel for running routes, his route craft, and how he’s able to use his size/quickness at the top of the routes to get open.

“You gotta see it a few times, whether it’s on tape or in person. That way we’re on the same page and I can anticipate where he’s going to be.”

Hooper was a Pro Bowler in 2018 and 2019 for the Falcons. But he never quite found his footing with the Browns in 2020 and 2021. Though he played 16 games last season, Hooper had just 38 catches for 345 yards with three touchdowns.

Tannehill should have a lot of work to do this summer to establish chemistry with his new top pass-catchers, with receivers Robert Woods and Treylon Burks joining Hooper for those top three spots.

PFT

 

Report: Seahawks have never had strong interest in Baker Mayfield



Quarterback Baker Mayfield remains a member of the Browns with training camp less than a month away and it doesn’t sound like one team that’s frequently linked to Mayfield will be swooping in to trade for him.

The Seahawks have been reported to have varying levels of interest in a trade for Mayfield since the Browns acquired Deshaun Watson in March with some reports indicating that there’s strong interest in a deal for Mayfield. The Seahawks have remained publicly committed to a Geno Smith–Drew Lock competition for the starting job, however, and their private conversation appears to be the same.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that the Seahawks have never been that interested in Mayfield.

The Panthers are the other team mentioned most often as a trade destination for Mayfield, but earlier talks stalled because of how much of Mayfield’s salary the Browns would eat to facilitate a move. Mayfield was unenthusiastic last week when asked about the prospect of reconciling with the Browns in the event of a Watson suspension, although that might still wind up being the clearest path to a starting job in 2022.

PFT