The Daily Briefing Monday, August 29, 2022

AROUND THE NFL

GREEN BAY

Peter King with a Fantasy tip:

I saw somewhere that Green Bay rookie WR Romeo Doubs was a “super sleeper,” and that’s nuts to me. Doubs, barring injury, could be on the field for 700 snaps this year, and his quarterback is Aaron Rodgers, and Davante Adams isn’t there anymore. Doubs (pronounced “Dobbs”), the fourth-round receiver from Nevada, was a sleeper in May, but you should be wide awake on him now.

MINNESOTA

Peter King with a Fantasy tip:

One of my favorite players to emerge this year is Vikings WR K.J. Osborn. (And not because he was born on my 40th birthday, June 10, 1997.) New coach Kevin O’Connell loves Osborn’s route-running and ability to get deep and O’Connell plans to feature all three of his receiving threats. I could see Osborn getting 100 targets out of O’Connell’s scheme that will feature a majority of three-wide sets.

DALLAS

Peter King with a Fantasy tip:

I’m a broken record on this: Tony Pollard is the best running back on the Cowboys roster.Again, we enter a season hearing Dallas fans talking about Zeke dominating once more. Elliott in the last two years: 32 games, 481 carries, 1,981 yards, 4.12 yards per rush… Pollard in the last two years: 31 games, 231 carries, 1,154 yards, 5.00 yards per rush. Why argue about what you see every week? Pollard should carry it more.

The DB sees this as more of an argument not to draft EZEKIEL ELLIOTT than as an argument to draft Pollard.

WASHINGTON

Commanders RB BRIAN ROBINSON was gunned down on the streets of DC.  He will survive the two bullets, but no prognosis on football.  Mike Jones of USA Today:

Washington Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. sustained multiple gunshot wounds in his lower body during an attempted robbery in Washington, D.C. He remained hospitalized Sunday while in stable condition, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced details of the incident, said that Robinson’s injuries are considered to be non-life threatening.

Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Dustin Sternbeck said officers responded shortly before 6 p.m. local time to a reported shooting in the 1000 block of H Street Northeast, a well-trafficked area filled with restaurants and bars.

Sternbeck said the lone victim in the shooting sustained two gunshot wounds to their lower extremities and was taken to an area hospital. The suspects fled the scene before police arrived, but officers did find a firearm nearby, Sternbeck added. They believe the victim was targeted in an attempted armed robbery.

The police department also wrote on Twitter that, as of Sunday evening, it was on the lookout for “two black juvenile males with shoulder length dreads, medium complexion, wearing a black or brown shirt with yellow smiley faces on it.”

“We have been made aware that Brian Robinson Jr. was the victim of an attempted armed robbery or carjacking in Washington D.C.,” the Commanders said in a statement released Sunday night. “He sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is currently being treated at the hospital, where Team officials are on-site with him. We ask that you please respect Brian’s privacy at this time.”

Coach Ron Rivera later tweeted that he had visited Robinson and said he was “in good spirits.”

Robinson, a third-round pick out of Alabama, had shined during training camp and the preseason and the Commanders planned for him to have a major role in the offense as the starting running back. The 6-foot-1, 228-pound Robinson didn’t play in Saturday’s preseason finale because he had secured his roster spot and position atop the depth chart.

NEW ORLEANS

Peter King with a Fantasy tip (DB concurs):

Gut Feeling of the Year: Chris Olave of the Saints will be the most productive rookie WR.Receivers used to take two or three years to stand out, and now they hit the ground running. “Ohio State’s pretty close to an NFL program,” Olave says. He’s shown maturity and instincts early, and coach Dennis Allen told me he’s one of the most polished route-runners he’s seen come out of the college game in his time in the NFL. When I asked teammate Jarvis Landry about Olave, he said: “Coachable, playmaker, his speed really stands out. He just belongs.”

SAN FRANCISCO

Peter King with a quote from QB TREY LANCE on QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO:

“We talk just in passing. He’s not really around for practices or meetings or anything like that. [Backups] Nate Sudfeld and Brock Purdy have done a great job. Those two guys I know have my back.”

— 49ers starting QB Trey Lance, on the oddity of San Francisco’s invisible $24-million quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, who works out alone and doesn’t attend meetings as he waits to be either traded or released (he hopes) prior to the season.

Don’t just assume Garoppolo will head to the QB deficient Seahawks.  Peter King with advice:

I think if I’m Jimmy Garoppolo, and I get my freedom sometime in the next two weeks, I don’t sign anywhere. I wait. I get fully healthy and sign with a team when there’s a quarterback injury. Maybe Seattle’s a good opportunity for him (I haven’t heard the Seahawks are very interested anyway), but he’d have to learn a new offense and join a team not committed to him on the fly when two quarterbacks already have been immersed in the offense since the spring. (And in Geno Smith’s case, longer.) Waiting allows Garoppolo to be choosy and maybe to get very lucky if the team with an injury is a strong playoff team.

And as we go to press – Garoppolo isn’t going anywhere after all.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Jimmy Garoppolo is not done with the 49ers after all.

The 49ers and Garoppolo have agreed to a new contract that will keep him in San Francisco this season. Garoppolo had been due a non-guaranteed base salary of $24.2 million this season, but now Garoppolo will get a fully guaranteed salary of $6.5 million, with various incentives that could push his compensation up to $16 million if he were to get significant playing time, according to multiple reports.

Garoppolo is not expected to get that significant playing time at the moment, as the 49ers are planning to go with Trey Lance as their starting quarterback. But if Lance gets injured or gets benched, Garoppolo can make good money — though still not the kind of money he would have made on his current contract.

The contract also includes a no-trade clause, and will prevent the 49ers from putting the franchise tag on Garoppolo next year.

After an offseason full of speculation about whether the 49ers would trade or release Garoppolo, the answer proved to be neither: Garoppolo stays in San Francisco, as Lance’s backup.

KANSAS CITY

Peter King with a Fantasy tip:

Reborn Player of the Year: Kansas City WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. I wrote a couple of weeks ago Smith-Schuster won’t be in the slot exclusively for KC, and he’s been revitalized because he thought he was typecast as a slot guy only with the Steelers. He loves Patrick Mahomes, and the feeling is mutual.

BALTIMORE

Peter King with a Fantasy tip:

Okay, so here’s a sleeper: Ravens TE Isaiah Likely. You say, I’m not picking Baltimore’s second tight end. I get it. Can you stash him on your bench just in case? He fell to the late fourth round in the draft for two reasons: a slow 40 time (4.8-ish) and he played at Coastal Carolina. But he’s playing more to a 4.55 speed in camp, and my guess is Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman is dreaming up lots of two-tight-end sets. Ideal-world would be Likely matched up on a linebacker in space and singled (of course). Likely could turn out to be a great rookie producer.

We’re not sleeping on him after watching him in Preseason Game 2 against Arizona.

CLEVELAND

Interesting take on why 11 games is better than 17 if you think the Browns bear some responsibility for the QB DESHAUN WATSON fiasco.  Peter King:

I think this comment really surprised me from a prominent team executive the other day: “I think there were multiple owners who didn’t want Deshaun Watson suspended for the season, and told Roger Goodell that.” Hmmmm. Reasoning: If Watson was banned for the year, his contract would have rolled over into 2023, and the Browns would have had him for an extra season—through the 2027 season. By Watson playing part of this season, his contract now expires after the 2026 season, and the Browns will owe him $40 million for being eligible to play a meager six games in 2022. The way NFL contracts work is if a player doesn’t play in a season because he either chooses to sit out or is suspended for the year, the contract “tolls,’’ or is pushed back one season. Watson, of course, was suspended 11 games and fined $5 million on sexual-offense charges.

PITTSBURGH

We don’t officially know that QB MITCH TRUBISKY has survived the challenge of rookie QB KENNY PICKETT to start against the Bengals a week from Sunday.  Jeff Kerr of CBSSports.com:

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have already made a decision on their starting quarterback. Whether it’s Mitchell Trubisky or Kenny Pickett, head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t ready to tell the public — yet.

“I might, but you’re not going to have that today,” Tomlin said when asked after Sunday’s preseason finale if the Steelers have a starting quarterback. “We’re not going to make knee jerk reactions and statements following a performance. We’ll go through our proper, professional procedure.

“We’ll evaluate the game. We’ll meet with our front office people. We’ll have discussions. We’ll talk internally. We’ll talk external possibilities. We’ll go through our normal procedure this time of year, and we’ll disclose it to you at our leisure, to be quite honest with you.”

Pittsburgh has a tough decision to make in the coming days, but it should be a good one based on how well Trubisky and Pickett have both played. Trubisky got the start Sunday, finishing 15 of 19 for 160 yards and a touchdown (119.3 passer rating). He went 24 of 34 for 283 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the preseason (115.2 rating).

Pickett entered the preseason finale in the second half and finished 10 of 14 for 90 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions (88.4 rating). He faced mostly second-teamers in the preseason, but the first-round rookie went 29 of 36 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions (124.7 rating). Both Trubisky and Pickett separated themselves from Mason Rudolph, who was also in the race for the starting quarterback job.

Trubisky appears to be in line to start the season, followed by Pickett as the No. 2 quarterback. No matter who wins the job, Trubisky and Pickett will continue to work together and make each other better, just like they did throughout camp.

Both players were still doing the same on the sidelines Sunday, knowing there is a starting quarterback job at stake.

“We were both bouncing ideas off each other on what we saw when we were out there and what we thought was working so that when Mason [Rudolph] was in there, we could relay the same stuff,” Pickett said. “We have a great relationship; the whole quarterback room does. We can talk out ideas on what we see and what we don’t like. We had a really good preseason.”

– – –

So this knocked RB NAJEE HARRIS down a few pegs on the DB’s Fantasy Draft list.  Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Running back Najee Harris revealed Sunday that the foot injury he sustained on the first day of padded practices in training camp was more serious than what coach Mike Tomlin reported to the media.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ second-year runner said he has been dealing with a sprained Lisfranc, a potentially serious injury.

“I never did just get my foot stepped on,” Harris said after the Steelers’ 19-9 victory against the Detroit Lions in the preseason finale. “That is why I was out the majority of camp.”

Harris said the injury takes 4-6 weeks to heal and that he is near the end of that timeline. Harris made his preseason debut Sunday and played most of the first half. He finished with four carries for 10 yards. Aside from an 11-yard burst, Harris was limited to minus-1 yard on three other carries. He also caught three passes for 11 yards.

“I’m just now getting over it,” Harris said. “It was getting back in my motions. I was rusty today. It wasn’t a good performance and nothing I should be proud of, either. I need to get better.”

Harris will have two weeks to shake off the rust. The Steelers open the season Sept. 11 at Cincinnati.

HOUSTON

Peter King with a Fantasy tip:

I don’t think RB Dameon Pierce will be a top-15 back, but if he gets pushed down far enough, the Houston rookie is good value. Watch the way Pierce runs — tough, gritty, can run out of tackles. For a growing team with a questionable line like Houston, and with a coach, Lovie Smith, who values the run hugely, Pierce will get a chance to be the top back for a team that will need to run a lot.

Even if Houston runs a lot – King still also touts a wide receiver:

Absolutely stuck in your last round? Don’t know what to do? Look to Houston. Stop laughing! I’d say this about wideout Nico Collins, who might be gone midway through the last round of your draft anyway. He’s 6-4, 215, Davis Mills loves him, and, when Mills got hot in the last five games of 2022 (102.4 rating, making the Texans forget chasing Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason), he targeted Collins 30 times. That projects to 102 targets over 17 games, and I’d be surprised if it wasn’t more than that if Collins stays healthy.

INDIANAPOLIS

We’re not sure how good QB SAM EHLINGER is, but we think he is too good for the Colts to think they can sneak him onto the practice squad.  Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star:

Sam Ehlinger made a seven-step drop, saw the green grass form like an ocean and decided to take the plunge.

The Colts’ third-string quarterback made it 30 yards before a Buccaneers defender came near him, then cut inside past a pair before pulling one into the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown.

It was the latest highlight in a preseason full of them. Through three games, he’s been the Colts’ leading rusher and one of the league’s most explosive passers in a stretch of football that’s widely considered meaningless.

But maybe at some point, the production starts to mean something. That’s Ehlinger’s hope after throwing four touchdowns and zero interceptions, completing 83% of his passes at nearly 10 yards per attempt, playing with backups and against backups.

It’s something the Colts are having to ask themselves as they finalize the roster.

“Sam has had a phenomenal preseason,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “It’s hard to imagine having a better preseason than he’s had. He’s done everything he’s needed to do.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger has made his case for a roster spot this preseason by tossing four touchdown passes with no interceptions while leading the Colts in rushing.

Like all teams, the Colts must pare their roster down to 53 players by Tuesday. For them, it means cutting 27 players. They’ll sign some back to the practice squad, if they clear waivers and decide to take Indianapolis’ offer over others on the market.

The decision with Ehlinger at this point appears to be more about other factors than it does him. The second-year, sixth-round pick out of Texas happens to play a position where only one man plays, shy of injury. And he has two veterans entrenched in spots ahead of him in Matt Ryan and Nick Foles, both of whom have a year left on their contracts.

At a bare minimum, the Lions should want him immediately as their number two with a bullet behind QB JARED GOFF.

Heck, the DB would rather take a chance on Ehlinger than either of Seattle’s QBs.

He’s a 6^th round pick in 2021 (who else was a 6^th round pick?) who had plenty of production in four years at Texas with 94 career passing TDs and 33 more on the ground. Injured last year in preseason last year.  If he had stock, we are buying.

BUFFALO

The Bills have not waited for justice to play out before dumping P MATT ARAIZA despite his thunderous leg.  Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com:

The Buffalo Bills released punter Matt Araiza two days after a civil lawsuit was filed alleging he and two of his former San Diego State teammates gang raped a minor. All three are accused of rape, gender violence and false imprisonment.

“This is bigger than football,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Saturday night. “Let’s just step back and [let Araiza] go handle this. That’s what we thought was most important.”

Beane said in a news conference held over two hours after practice ended in the team’s fieldhouse that the decision was made to release Araiza earlier that afternoon.

Araiza was not at practice Saturday after being held out of Friday’s preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. He was not on the sideline during the game or in the locker room afterward. He traveled back to Buffalo on the team plane and has not spoken with reporters since the civil suit was filed.

In a statement released during the game Friday, Araiza said, “The facts of the incident are not what they are portrayed in the lawsuit or in the press. I look forward to quickly setting the record straight.”

“With the serious nature and allegations, and we just can’t, we don’t have the means to put all the facts together,” Beane said. “There’s multiple versions of what happened, and [Sean McDermott’s] a football coach, I’m a GM. We don’t have access to everything, and so that’s more important than playing football. And so, we want Matt to focus on that.”

Beane confirmed that the team got the “boulders” of what was being accused by the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, when the team’s assistant general counsel, Kathryn D’Angelo, spoke to her lawyer, Dan Gilleon, in late July. During that call, Beane said, Gilleon “laid out some of the things that they were accusing Matt and others of.”

“Doing the best we could with our resources, talking to the league, using our people to try and find information,” Beane said of the team’s investigation. “But ultimately, there’s a lot of things that we have not pieced together even today. We’re just trying to do the best we could and be thoughtful and not rush to judgment.”

Gilleon told ESPN that only the one conversation was had between Jane Doe’s representation and the Bills after Gilleon sent emails to different members of the team’s legal representation July 30 and 31, as seen by ESPN.

Asked if Doe’s words were enough for the team, Beane said they were “trying not to rush to judgment and obviously Matt’s version was different and you want to give everyone as much due process as you can. Again, we’re not a judge and a jury.”

In a statement released Thursday, the team said it “conducted a thorough examination of this matter.” Beane said Saturday that the team probably should have described the examination as “ongoing” because it wasn’t completed.

The lawsuit accuses Araiza, who was 21 at the time, of having sex with a then-17-year-old high school senior, who was under the age of consent in California, outside an off-campus party held at his residence in the early morning of Oct. 17, 2021. The suit states that Araiza then took her inside the home, where at least three other men, including the other two defendants named in the suit — Zavier Leonard, a redshirt freshman with the Aztecs, and Nowlin Ewaliko, who is no longer on the team’s roster — were located and that she was repeatedly raped for about an hour and a half. The lawsuit states that nose, belly button and ear piercings were pulled out during the acts and that she was bleeding from her vagina.

Araiza’s criminal attorney, Kerry Armstrong, told ESPN that his client spoke with the girl at the party but that the rape allegations are “just untrue.”

In a statement, Armstrong said, “I am sure he is very upset and disappointed that his career with the Bills ended not because he played poorly, but because of false allegations leveled against him by a young lady and her attorney. I hope he is back in the NFL soon.”

As far as the timing of when the Bills were informed, Beane said he could not remember if Araiza or Gilleon, Jane Doe’s attorney, first told the team of the accusations. Beane said both took place around the same time.

While an initial story by the Los Angeles Times was published June 3, connecting five current or former San Diego State football players to a rape, a follow-up story including more of Doe’s perspective was published July 29. Based on accounts from multiple parties, the Bills were contacted by both sides sometime after the second story was published.

Araiza was selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. Beane said they have reached out to a double-digit number of teams and “no one had anything on this” prior to the draft. Araiza received significant attention in the preseason for an 82-yard punt against the Denver Broncos.

“The Buffalo Bills had no choice but to cut their young punter after so badly botching their response to our claim,” Gilleon said in a statement. “They ignored us, as though what I warned them would happen could be avoided if they just kept their heads in the sand. This is what enablers do.”

A criminal investigation is ongoing into the alleged events, with the San Diego Police Department turning its investigation over to the district attorney’s office as well as an investigation by San Diego State under the California State University systemwide policy.

The NFL said in a statement that it was aware of the lawsuit but declined to comment. Because the alleged rape happened before Araiza was drafted, he would not be subject to the league’s personal conduct policy.

Bills co-owner Terry Pegula was kept updated on the situation when new information came up, but Beane said that Kim Pegula, the Bills’ co-owner and team president who has not been in public around the team and whose role is unclear since a health issue was first shared June 14, was not consulted.

So the Bills have known about it for about a month.

And, sad to hear that Kim Pegula was not in a position to be informed.  Prayers for Kim.

The Bills said they have contacted ten other teams who say none of them had red flags about Araiza.  The AP found two that did.

Executives from two different teams told The Associated Press they became aware of Araiza’s involvement in an incident during the draft process, but neither person knew the extent of the allegations. Executives from three other teams said they had no knowledge of the allegations against Araiza before the draft and only learned of the incident Thursday. All the people spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

MIAMI

Gutted to hear about the passing of Dolphins PR head Jason Jenkins.  Hal Habib in the Palm Beach Post:

Jason Jenkins, the longtime right-hand man to Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and for many in the South Florida community the face of the organization’s outreach efforts, died Saturday following a medical emergency.

The exact cause of death was not immediately known.

The Dolphins announced Jenkins’ death at halftime of Saturday night’s game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I am heartbroken,” Ross said. “Jason Jenkins was an icon in the Miami community, and above all a kind and incredible family man. His dedication to our organization was unmatched. He was my friend but most of all he was a generous soul. My heart is with Elizabeth and his children tonight. The Jenkins family will always be a part of the Dolphins family.”

Tom Garfinkel, the Dolphins’ vice chairman, president and CEO said, “Our hearts are broken and grieving the loss of a man who was a dear friend and beloved by so many people. Jason faithfully served the Dolphins organization for 14 years, was a beacon in the community, a trailblazer and champion for others, and above all, treated people with a kindness and dignity that left a lasting mark on everyone he met. Our deepest condolences and our unwavering support go out to his wife, Elizabeth, and his three children.”

The Dolphins paid tribute to Jason Jenkins at halftime of Saturday’s game.

Jenkins, 47, began working for the Dolphins in 2009 and was promoted to senior vice president of communications and community affairs in 2015. Few if any community events backed by the Dolphins took place without Jenkins representing the organization.

Peter King:

The Dolphins’ senior vice president for communications and community affairs, Jason Jenkins, died unexpectedly Saturday. He was 47. Players, a coach, alums and co-workers were left in tears Saturday, and it’s easy to see why. A selfless and invaluable part of the Miami organization, Jenkins was the king of outreach in south Florida. “He got the Dolphins more involved in the community than any team in south Florida’s history,” wrote Dave Hyde, sports columnist for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. “ … All we can do today is cry.” No team in the NFL has quite the diverse melting pot that the Dolphins have, and Jenkins invented Football Unites, an effort to bring every community in the community some Dolphins sunshine. Other franchises called and asked, How can we build this? Jenkins walked them through it. During Covid, Jenkins established an immense daily food pantry at Hard Rock Stadium, getting thousands of dollars and donations-in-kind so those without work would have something to eat. He got youth and high school football teams to come to practice and stand on the sidelines with players and coaches. Such a doer. The football world, and the world, will be lesser places without Jason Jenkins.

Coach Mike McDaniel:

McDaniel handled a difficult situation eloquently, paying tribute to Jason Jenkins while recognizing the gaping hole his departure creates, for his family and for the franchise.

“As consistent as I have ever seen, from his wardrobe to his spirit,” McDaniel said, as to the impression Jenkins made. “He was the nines. That’s why it makes it so tough. This is a healthy, healthy guy that just brought it every day. He worked at the stadium. I’m not sure how many people that I feel like I know from the stadium. I would love to know more, but on a day-to-day I don’t get to interact with all the people as much as I would like. For him to make such an impact, it was obvious. You can’t make that impression. You get to talk to them maybe once a week, but the impression that he made, there’s no fooling that. You could see the relationships, the eye contact, how people looked at him, how he embraced others. He was the consummate professional. I know for guys that have been around here for a while, they knew him like a family member, and I think it’s incredibly impressive, and it just speaks to the human being and his impact on all of us where I could see that in my brief time around him. I mean, he was a force of positivity. The organization has been through some stuff, and it was very impactful to me just how many people in the organization were passionate about doing their jobs well and about the Dolphins, and he was the top of the list. He was just full of life. That’s the hardest part. There’s no words to describe. He had a great family. His wife is awesome and his children, and it’s just tough. It’s a tough one to swallow, and he will be missed, but he will not be forgotten.”

NEW ENGLAND

Bill Belichick admits concern about the offense being run by Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.  Peter King:

It’s getting late early in New England. Hate overreacting to the preseason. It’s always a fool’s errand. But the Patriots looked bad, particularly on offense, throughout the summer, and Mac Jones wasn’t as sharp in practice this summer as he was in games as a rookie. After another clunker of a preseason game in Vegas Friday night, Bill Belichick said, “I need to clean up a lot of things here.” The Patriots enter the season the clear number three in the AFC East behind Buffalo and Miami. New England’s 17-17 post-Brady. Last playoff win: 43 months ago.