May 22, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) catches a pass during organized team activities at Gillette practice fields. Photo Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy, multiple media outlets reported on Thursday.
Edelman is appealing the suspension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Field Yates.
Should Edelman’s suspension stand, he’ll miss the Patriots’ season opener against the Houston Texans (Sept. 9), road games versus the Jacksonville Jaguars (Sept. 16) and Detroit Lions (Sept. 23), as well as a home tilt against the Miami Dolphins (Sept. 30).
Edelman has been a favorite target of quarterback Tom Brady when healthy over the last several seasons. He caught 98 passes for a career-high 1,106 yards in 2016 before sustaining a torn ACL in a preseason game on Aug. 25.
Edelman has recorded 425 receptions for 4,540 yards and 24 touchdowns in 103 career games since being selected in the seventh round by the Patriots in the 2009 NFL Draft.
–Terrell Owens publicly declined his invitation to attend the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony on Aug. 4 in Canton, Ohio.
“While I am incredibly appreciative of this opportunity, I have made the decision to publicly decline my invitation to attend the induction ceremony in Canton,” the 44-year-old Owens said in the statement. “I have already shared this information with the Hall. After visiting Canton earlier this year, I came to the realization that I wish to celebrate what will be one of the most memorable days of my life, elsewhere. At a later date, I will announce where and when I will celebrate my induction.”
“I would also like to thank the San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals for the time I was granted with each organization. I am thankful for the relationships forged and the lessons learned while part of each team.”
A finalist for the past three years, Owens was selected for enshrinement in the Class of 2018 along with linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher, wide receiver Randy Moss and safety Brian Dawkins. They will be joined by Bobby Beathard (contributor) and seniors committee nominees Jerry Kramer and Robert Brazile.
–The Cleveland Browns have agreed to terms with running back Duke Johnson on a three-year contract extension, multiple media outlets reported.
Johnson’s deal is worth $15.6 million over three years and included a $5 million signing bonus, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, citing a source. Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network initially reported the pending agreement.
The agent for Johnson, Kristin Campbell, told Cleveland.com on Thursday that she was hopeful the deal would be completed by the end of the day.
Johnson has started eight of 48 games in his three seasons, rushing for 1,085 yards and five TDs on 259 carries. He has amassed 188 receptions and five scores in that same span.
–Tom Brady downplayed the notion that any lingering friction with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick led to his decision to stay away from much of the team’s offseason program.
“Just some personal reasons for me,” Brady told reporters at a media briefing on the third and final day of the team’s mandatory minicamp. “But I’m here now and focused on what I need to do, as I always say I am. Like I said, I’m looking forward to this year.”
Asked if those personal reasons had anything to do with a reported flap with Belichick dating to last season, Brady responded: “Not at all. No. No.”
Brady, a three-time NFL Most Valuable Player and four-time Super Bowl MVP, has two years remaining on his current deal and is scheduled to earn a base salary of $14 million in 2018. He would not say if that was a reason for skipping OTAs.
–The Indianapolis Colts have been waiting months for quarterback Andrew Luck to be able to begin throwing again. That time could be coming soon.
Luck, who missed the entire 2017 season while rehabbing from shoulder surgery, is “real close” to resuming throwing, coach Frank Reich said, per the Indianapolis Star.
The 28-year-old Luck did not throw during the team’s offseason program, working instead on his footwork and taking snaps from center, but Reich is optimistic that the three-time Pro Bowl selection is ready to take the next step.
“Again, I’ve never been through what he’s been through. I could sit here and say what I think but it’s gotta come from down in here,” said Reich, motioning to his heart. “There’s an instinct as a player, that you know when you’re ready to go, and you keep testing it and testing it. And you work with the people you’re working (with), and you trust your instinct when you’re ready to go.”
–Seattle Seahawks defensive end Dion Jordan was missing from organized team activities after recently undergoing a surgical procedure on his knee.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters that Jordan is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
“He had a surgery, kind of an after surgery to correct a little something,” said Carroll. “Everything went really well, and we’re hoping by camp time he’ll be ready to rip and all that. A little knee thing. He’s had some complications just over time and so it was worth it to go ahead and clean this thing up. It was a really small issue, but it was one that was going to sit him down for 6-8 weeks so we went ahead and did it.”
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 draft, Jordan has appeared in only five games over the past three seasons — all with Seattle in 2017.
–The Chicago Bears were hoping offensive guard Kyle Long would be ready for the 2018 regular season. That timetable has been moved up.
Bears coach Matt Nagy told reporters that Long should be able to go “full speed” for the start of training camp next month.
Long has spent the offseason recovering from three different surgeries — a procedure on his neck in December and subsequent operations on his shoulder and elbow.
The 29-year-old Long has missed 14 games over the past two seasons. He had ankle surgery after the 2016 season that caused him to miss time at the beginning of last season. He then ended the 2017 season on injured reserve.
–The New York Giants signed rookie defensive lineman B.J. Hill, ESPN reported.
Hill, a third-round draft pick out of North Carolina State, agreed to a standard four-year rookie contract.
The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Hill was the fourth of New York’s six draft picks to sign.
Running back Saquon Barkley, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, and fifth-rounder RJ McIntosh remain unsigned for New York.
–The Chicago Bears signed free agent outside linebacker Kasim Edebali, the NFL Network reported.
Edebali, 28, was on the roster of four different teams last season, seeing action in 13 games with the Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions.
An undrafted free agent out of Boston College, the 6-foot-2, 253-pound Edebali initially signed with the Saints in 2014 when current Bears general manager Ryan Pace was a member of the New Orleans organization.
Edebali appeared in all 16 games in each of his three seasons with the Saints, making one start, and recorded 48 tackles and 8.0 sacks. He set a career high with 5.0 sacks in 2015.
–The Indianapolis Colts waived injured wide receiver Kolby Listenbee, the team announced.
Listenbee had been on the Colts’ Injured Reserve List for the past three weeks. Indianapolis waived Listenbee with an injury designation last month and placed him on the Injured Reserve List after he cleared waivers.
A sixth-round draft pick of Buffalo in 2016, Listenbee has not played in an NFL game.
