In an offseason filled with blockbuster trades, some of the biggest news comes from the trades that didn’t happen. Tuesday night Benjamin Allbright reported there were talks between the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans about a possible Manning trade.
https://twitter.com/AllbrightNFL/status/613493490522046464
https://twitter.com/AllbrightNFL/status/613493676690403328
Both teams have denied it publicly, but CBS in Houston is reporting that they’ve found another source confirming that the teams were in “very preliminary talks” about Manning.
Here's one for the record – The speculation is false, and your report is inaccurate. https://t.co/Epge4WkOrX
— Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) June 24, 2015
This all happened right before Manning signed a new contract with a pay cut and a “no-trade” clause, so it makes sense that the talks not only happened, but that Manning was made aware of them. Manning’s new contract pays him $15 million in base salary, a number any QB-needy team would be happy to take on to get a season or two out of the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Even if it ended in a one-and-done playoff season as has become the hallmark of Manning’s career.
Manning wilted at the end of last season suffering from at least an injured thigh, if not multiple injuries before another inglorious playoff exit. He still had an All-World regular season passing the ball, throwing for 4.727 yards and 39 touchdowns with 15 interceptions.
Manning wasn’t the only high-profile quarterback nearly moved this offseason. Rumors swirled that the San Francisco 49ers were shopping Colin Kaepernick with no takers.
My understanding of Peyton rumors is they’re similar to Kaepernick rumors: Texans did due diligence on QBs, called around. That’s really it
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 24, 2015
The one big trade that did happen, with the Philadelphia Eagles shipping Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams for Sam Bradford, started out as the same kind of rumor, first reported by Ben Allbright.
Tom Brady’s DeflateGate appeal was an epic 10-hour marathon, decision won’t come this week
I’m not sure how many times you can mention the word “balls” in 10 hours, but surely a record was set at the NFL offices in New York Tuesday in a ridiculous 10-hour appeal hearing that, as predicted, ended with no revealed resolution. With the NFLPA and the League both filing briefs next week, there is no quick decision in sight.
Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 NFL season for ordering two New England Patriots peons to deflate footballs to his liking in an effort to gain a competitive advantage, i.e. cheat.
Tom Brady's lawyer: We made 'very compelling case' to overturn Deflategate suspension –> http://t.co/EeKRwSoORt #WHAS11
— WHAS11 News (@WHAS11) June 25, 2015
The interesting fact about the hearing, and Brady’s testimony, is that it was apparently under oath, which means if he’s caught lying he could be prosecuted for perjury.
According to Field Yates of ESPN, Brady was a decent witness for himself in the hearing, though I don’t see how that could be possible unless he admitted wholeheartedly that he instructed the two Patriots patsies to deflate the footballs. Anything else is crazy and all Pro-Brady leaks have obviously come from Brady’s camp to try to work on public perception. Something that, outside of the New England area, has been solidly against Brady since the DeflateGate scandal broke.
Ohio State will allow Terrelle Pryor back on the campus with Browns
The Cleveland Browns are scrimmaging at Ohio Stadium in August and that normally wouldn’t make any real news except for one fact, Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor is banned from the campus.
Pryor was banned after getting kicked off the Buckeyes team for selling and trading his own signature, in a “scandal” that ended his college career, along with that of his head coach Jim Tressel, at least for now.
An Ohio State representative addressed the ban on Pryor Wednesday, stating that, as a member of the Browns, he wouldn’t be tackled, tazered and cuffed the minute he crossed the property line.
“He (Brown) should be allowed to participate as a member of the Cleveland Browns when they are on campus at Ohio State in August, if he is a member of the team,” Ohio State said through the rep. “His participation should be identical to that of all team members, with no special accommodations provided to him due to his Ohio State affiliation.”
Browns aren’t giving up on Josh Gordon for now
Josh Gordon won’t play a down of football this season thanks to his latest violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, but the Cleveland Browns, at least halfheartedly, don’t appear ready to cut bait just yet.
Cleveland Browns are in contact with suspended wide receiver Josh Gordon http://t.co/iCH3rzQmeT
— NFLJoshua Johnson (@DFF_Cog) June 24, 2015
The NFL allows teams to stay in touch with suspended players through a player-engagement representative and the Browns are doing that according to team spokesman Greg Aiello. Gordon will not be up for reinstatement until February, 2016 and has to put up with as many as 10 drug tests a month until then.
