2012 NFL Offseason Thread

[Senator Clay Davis]

And with this, hopefully Vilma just goes away and takes his punishment like a man

“Mr. [Gregg] Williams and Mr. [Mike] Ornstein and another member of the Saints defensive coaching staff, all of whom were present at the meeting, all stated to NFL investigators that Mr. Vilma pledged $10,000 to any player who knocked Brett Favre out of the next week’s NFC championship game against the Minnesota Vikings,” White said according to the official transcript, a copy of which PFT has obtained. “All three witnesses stated that the amount of this bounty was $10,000.”

Vilma’s offer allegedly sparked a tidal wave of similar gestures.

“According to one of the witnesses present at the meeting, the bounty offered by Mr. Vilma prior to the NFC championship game inspired additional players to pledge money for injury-producing hits or potentially injury-producing hits against opposing players or for other types of plays during the game,” White said. “Mr. Vitt told NFL investigators that this meeting, quote, got out of hand, unquote. NFL investigators were informed that a member of the defensive coaching staff kept track of the various pledges made by players at this meeting.”

White also said that an unnamed witness provided the following quote regarding Vilma’s behavior before the prior week’s game: “‘In the NFC divisional playoffs, the Saints faced the Arizona Cardinals. During a meeting of the defense the night before the game in January 2010, Jonathan Vilma, a Saints defensive captain, asked for permission to address the team, which was granted,. Mr. Vilma, in the course of giving a motivational speech to the team, stated, while raising his hands, each of which held stacks of bills, that he had two five stacks, which I understood to mean $10,000, for anyone who knocked Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner out of the game.’” White said that the quote was independently confirmed by Mike Ornstein.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...omment-1840907

[Montana Moe]

See, things like that are more of what I'm looking for regarding actual evidence of a bounty program. Not pay for performance, but an actual "three-year, institutionalized pay-to-injure ("bounty") program" as specified in the original NFL accusation.

I have my issues with trusting guys like Ornstein and the "anonymous source", but if the coaches are admitting it, then that's a move in the right direction.

From the link above:

And that perhaps is and will continue to be the biggest question, which may never be answered. What will an assistant coach who may have been (and likely still is) motivated by saving his career, a twice-convicted felon who still hopes to have access to NFL events (and inexplicably still does), and an unnamed person who may be a disgruntled former Saints employee say, if ever asked about these matters, especially if asked about them under oath?

I have a feeling that Vilma is going to go through with his suit against Goodell. If it causes more evidence to be exposed in an actual courtroom setting, I'm all for it, whether it be damaging to the Saints or the NFL.

Moving on, we used to have a Falcons fan that posted here, but he's since disappeared. A shame, really. I was hoping he could explain just what that spot on Matt Ryan's pants really was...

NSFW!

[CofR]

Prosecutors in Texas have dropped a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib.The decision, detailed in a court filing Monday, was made a week before the 26-year-old Talib was due to be tried for allegedly firing a gun at his sister's boyfriend. The alleged incident occurred during a March 2011 domestic dispute in Garland, a Dallas suburb.
One of Talib's attorneys, Frank Perez, said he believes "credibility issues" with the boyfriend caused prosecutors to dismiss the charge.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/footb...ped/55688486/1

[Bobblehead]

With the 1st rounder AJ Jenkins signing today, all 49er draft picks are now signed.

[DropIt]

Percy Harvin reportedly requests a trade out of Minnesota. However the Vikings have made it known that Harvin wont be going anywhere.
Interesting to see how this will play out

[Drake]

Originally Posted by DropIt

Cute story involving Brandon Jacobs:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...224310864.html

SANTA CLARA – If you happened to be at the Jump On In bounce house in Boonton, N.J., on Wednesday, you saw quite a sight: a 6-foot-4, 266-pound NFL running back flailing about on inflatable castles and slides like a first-grader hopped up on Sweet Tarts.

Armento is the New Jersey boy who, when told the hometown New York Giants could no longer afford to keep Jacobs, emptied his piggy bank – all $3.36 – and sent it to California in an effort keep his favorite player with the Giants.

Joseph was blown away. Jacobs also gave him a signed Giants football helmet. Jacobs signed it with his former number, 27. (He wears No. 45 with the 49ers.) It reads: "To Joe: Thanks for being a fan. God bless, Brandon Jacobs."

Jacobs had one final gift for Joseph – a $5 bill. After all, Jacobs ended up signing with the 49ers, so it was only fair the boy get his piggy bank money back.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/21/457...s-biggest.html

[Otsy]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

With the 1st rounder AJ Jenkins signing today, all 49er draft picks are now signed.

Hopefully he gets his ass in gear now. Reports he was out of shape and 5th or worse on receiving depth chart at OTA's. Maybe someone will smack him around now and tell him he better come to camp in shape.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Otsy

Hopefully he gets his ass in gear now. Reports he was out of shape and 5th or worse on receiving depth chart at OTA's. Maybe someone will smack him around now and tell him he better come to camp in shape.

Out of shape? I was watching clips of him at OTA's on the NFL network the other day and I thought his head was going to fall off his tiny body. They guy looks like he needs a sandwich!

[Otsy]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Out of shape? I was watching clips of him at OTA's on the NFL network the other day and I thought his head was going to fall off his tiny body. They guy looks like he needs a sandwich!

Out of shape doesn't necessarily mean fat. Maybe not happy with strength and conditioning.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...ll-struggling/

Looking forward to a good training camp from him

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Otsy

Hopefully he gets his ass in gear now. Reports he was out of shape and 5th or worse on receiving depth chart at OTA's. Maybe someone will smack him around now and tell him he better come to camp in shape.

Apparently he had a good finish to the mini-camp.

Jenkins finished strong at the 49ers' mandatory minicamp last Thursday, making one of the best catches of the team's offseason program. Jenkins, covered by starting cornerback Carlos Rogers, made a finger-tip grab of a laser thrown by No. 2 quarterback Colin Kaepernick at the back of the end zone. He also managed to tap both feet in-bounds.

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Out of shape? I was watching clips of him at OTA's on the NFL network the other day and I thought his head was going to fall off his tiny body. They guy looks like he needs a sandwich!

It sounds like he has a ways to go to get into "NFL shape" but that it isn't a huge concern.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said he has been impressed with Jenkins' attitude. When Jenkins first reported to the 49ers' offseason program, Harbaugh commented that Jenkins was not in the kind of physical condition that would be needed.

http://www.csnbayarea.com/football-s...58&feedID=5936

[transplant99]

Yet another Lion player arrested, this one on DUI among other things.

What is going on with that football team?...what is this now...6 arrests this off season?

Every team has a knucklehead or two on it, but this is approching absurdity.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/80...-suspicion-dui

[Drake]

Jonathan Vilma outs the whistleblower in the bounty case as former New Orleans Saints defensive assistant Mike Cerullo.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...whistleblower/

[Montana Moe]

As it states in the column, not exactly a shock to people that have been following the situation. I definitely agree with the last two paragraphs of the column:

And so the broader message to the Saints organization is either that they need to treat their employees better, so that they don’t become disgruntled and share secrets with others, or that they need to do a better job of screening applicants who could eventually tell lies about the organization. Or perhaps both.

For the league, the broader message is that there’s no longer any reason to protect Cerullo. He has been outed in a federal lawsuit. Release his notes and the summaries of all interviews to the players and their lawyers, and let’s see what Cerullo had to say.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Montana Moe

As it states in the column, not exactly a shock to people that have been following the situation. I definitely agree with the last two paragraphs of the column:

I'm sure the NFL promised to not release the info. I'm not an expert but the only way that info is unearthed is through discovery in Vilma's lawsuit, and if that's true the info won't leave the courtroom.

[Drake]

Seriously? It seems you can't go one or two days this off-season without someone finding trouble with the law. Adrian Peterson is the latest as he was arrested for resisting the pigs in Houston, Texas this morning. He was released on $1,000 bond.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...rest/#comments

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...ideo/#comments

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Drake

Seriously? It seems you can't go one or two days this off-season without someone finding trouble with the law. Adrian Peterson is the latest as he was arrested for resisting the pigs in Houston, Texas this morning. He was released on $1,000 bond.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...rest/#comments

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...ideo/#comments

Seriously?

[Drake]

How very sweet of Fred Jackson to do this for his momma.

When Bills running back Fred Jackson was 12 years old, the college football movie The Program hit theaters. And it made quite an impression on young Fred. And had an effect on his mom as well.

Jackson said in an interview on SportsCenter that he was inspired by the character Alvin Mack, whose goal was to make enough money playing football to buy his mother a house, and Jackson made that his own goal as well — a goal he recently accomplished.

“I was able to go get her a house,” Jackson said. “The Program was one of my favorite movies growing up. He promised her a house and gave her a doorknob he told her he would get her a house for once he got to the NFL. I made my mom that same promise right after that movie. I was able to do so this past offseason. She’s loving it, loving every minute of it, and it’s one of the proudest things I’ve ever done for my mom. Just to see her happy about it makes it all worth it.”

'

“I told her we were actually going to hang out with one of my teammates who wanted to meet her,” Jackson said. “She walked in and she saw pictures of my kids on the wall and she was like, ‘What is going on here? Why are there pictures of your kids on the wall?’ And that’s how I told it to her: I told her, ‘It’s your house and the kids are on the wall for you to look at.’”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...ouse/#comments

[Displaced Flames fan]

I don't like a lot of Non-Broncos players. Just the nature of my fandom, but Fred Jackson is awesome.

[Sylvanfan]

KC fans are getting as ornery as Philly fans booing Matt Cassel at the All Star game slow pitch game. I mean the guy isn't very good, but I don't think he deserved to be booed at an event like that. Boo him for his on field play when it's warranted...but off the field, no way he deserves that.

[Drake]

Eventually, the lawsuits filed recently in Louisiana will heat up, with inevitable efforts to block the suspensions pending the outcome of the courtroom challenges to Commissioner Roger Goodell’s exercise of power over the players. As to the defamation claim filed by Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma against Goodell, however, the NFL has thrown down the proverbial gloves.

The nfl sent me a letter "demanding" I drop my defamation suit or else...lol or else wat?!?? They no likey me lawsuitey

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the more accurate description is that the NFL has filed a grievance under the CBA against the NFLPA and Vilma seeking an order forcing Vilma to dismiss his defamation suit. On Wednesday, lawyer Peter Ginsberg informed the league that Vilma will not be withdrawing the defamation suit, arguing that the grievance filed by the league has no merit.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...case/#comments