Two stories have emerged from Jacksonville Jaguars‘ linebacker Dan Skuta’s arrest for misdemeanor battery on June 19. The contradictions are a big reason we’re only now hearing about the arrest.
According to the unnamed “victim” in the official police report, Skuta asked for her phone number and she refused. The two argued and she alleges that Skuta pushed her face into a glass window.
Jags linebacker Dan Skuta arrested for battery in Orlando #Jaguars pic.twitter.com/WAmaZDOqLS
— Ben Becker (@BenBeckerANjax) June 27, 2016
There’s an issue with that account. According to Skuta’s lawyer, Mark NeJame, and multiple witnesses, Skuta was with his girlfriend when all this took place.
“Eyewitnesses… will attest that Dan was alongside his girlfriend when this fabricated event supposedly took place and only verbally instructed two women who were harassing his friends to leave them alone. The witnesses confirm… Dan was then struck in the face by one of the women, as evidenced by his mugshot which clearly shows where he was struck.”
Dan Skuta's attorney just sent us a statement regarding the arrest.@ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/GeEkYcGXXc
— Brent Martineau (@BrentASJax) June 27, 2016
According to NeJame, Skuta hasn’t been charged with any crime and, if this account is true, should have a nice little case against the woman who got him arrested in the first place.
Skuta is about to begin his eighth season in the league and second with the Jaguars. Last year he had 40 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defended.
Skuta joined the Jaguars as a free agent last season, signing a five-year, $20.5 million contract.
Will Carson Wentz start the season on the inactive list?
It looks that way. The Philadelphia Eagles have been content to spend money on their three quarterbacks and are evidently fine with keeping the future of their franchise on the bench. The Philly Voice reported that the team plans to keep Wentz as the No. 3 quarterback all season as he learns head coach Doug Pederson’s offense.
#Eagles reportedly plan to deactivate QB Carson Wentz to begin the regular season, no plans of playing him if Bradford stays healthy
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) June 27, 2016
While it might usually be the plan to sit a rookie unless he wins the job outright, keeping the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NFL draft in a t-shirt and shorts for an entire season would be an odd situation. Usually the rookie QB is the No. 2 quarterback behind the place-holder quarterback, in this case Sam Bradford. The issue with the Eagles is they signed Chase Daniel as their No. 2, giving him a three-year, $21 million contract in the offseason.
Bradford should be no stranger to this kind of situation. When the St. Louis Rams drafted him in 2010 A.J. Feeley was supposed to start for a while as Bradford learned the offense. Instead, Bradford beat him out in the preseason and started every game as a rookie, winning offensive rookie of the year.
So barring injury or a total quarterback meltdown by Bradford of Daniel, Wentz’s jersey may stay clean and in his locker for the entire season.
Watkins may not be ready for camp after all
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins has made it clear his intentions to be ready for training camp after his latest foot surgery in April. Just last week he gave all of Bills nation hope that it was going to happen, but Monday he was singing a different tune.
Watkins told ESPN that he’s not sure the team doctors will clear him to practice.
“You never know,” Watkins said. “Be very skeptical about it. Hopefully I’ll be back. If I’m not, then cool. Get ready for the first game. Right now I feel good, but I got to go back and train and rehab. Hopefully it feels good when I run and everything life that. I haven’t ran in three or four weeks. Hopefully I’ll feel good about it and I’ll be on the field in training camp.”
.@sammywatkins: "Hopefully I'll be back (for training camp)." https://t.co/7vGBBJhZPk pic.twitter.com/HFYNDUN1R7
— NFL (@NFL) June 27, 2016
Watkins broke out for the Bills last season after a solid rookie season. He caught 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games. As a rookie he had 65 catches for 982 yards and six touchdowns.
The Bills desperately need Watkins to be ready when the season begins. While they have a tremendous backfield with LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams, but quarterback Tyrod Taylor needs all the help he can get in a contract year.
