Benny Sapp faces multiple misdemeanors

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On Friday, the Vikings made much ado about the fact that cornerback Benny Sapp wasn’t arrested, but instead simply cited.

It’s a distinction without much of a difference.  Sure, Sapp didn’t ride in the back of a cruiser or do the proverbial perp walk, but he still faces criminal charges.

Specifically, the Associated Press reports that Sapp has been charged with careless driving and fifth-degree assault, both misdemeanors, following a fracas with security at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.  Specifically, Sapp and his 11-year-old son reportedly tried to enter the facility through a closed entrance.  Sapp reportedly left the boy with a security guard, explaining that the boy’s mother was inside the hospital and Sapp had to go to work.

(Hey, it’s better than leaving the kid home alone to play video games.  Wait, no it isn’t.)

Per the report, Sapp allegedly pushed a security guard who tried to detain him.  Sapp then allegedly chest-bumped another security guard who was blocking access to Sapp’s vehicle.

And so Sapp has been charged with two crimes, which is enough to reset the “days without an arrest” meter.  But the Vikings can continue to point out that he technically wasn’t arrested.

When you’re 3-12, it’s important to take your victories wherever you can find them.

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Last month, Bills receiver David Nelson said that quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick cracked ribs against the Redskins.

Coincidentally, the team’s — and Fitzpatrick’s — slide started thereafter.  At 5-2 after shutting out the Redskins, the Bills lost seven straight.  The quarterback’s passer rating plunged from 116.4 against the Redskins to 51.9, 46.6, and 45.8 in the next three games.

But Fitzpatrick showed up only once all season on the injury report.  He was listed as probable with a chest injury for the Week Nine game against the Jets, the first game after the game against the Redskins.

It sounds like it was more than a little worse than that.

“I mean, it’s something I don’t really want to get into much,” Fitzpatrick told the Toronto Sun. “The only thing I’ll say is guys in the NFL play hurt.  Every game guys are hurt, especially at the end of the year. And that’s just part of the game, it’s part of the business, and something you have to do.”

Receiver Stevie Johnson was slightly more talkative on the topic.

“I know personally, in the huddle, the worst it got — to my knowledge — is he barely could say a full play under one breath,” Johnson told the Sun.

“It started right at the halfway mark [of the season].  I mean, everybody in the league is injured or is hurt in some way.  When it’s your quarterback who’s got to throw, and it’s ribs — I mean, it’s tough. That’s the last thing I heard was it was ribs, or what-not.”

“Ribs” never showed up on the injury report.  And if the “ribs” were cracked, it surely wasn’t a one-week situation.

That said, the fact that teams like the Saints (or perhaps a decade ago the Bills) were using cash as the carrot to knock guys out of games, I’ve now got a different attitude about hiding injuries.  Yes, it gives rise to inside information that could be exploited by guys with two ears and one eyebrow.  But if players are going to be corrupted from within the locker room, it’s no longer quite as important to worry about potential outside influences.

So when an NFL player is earning hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, why does the promise of another $1,000 or so provide any extra motivation?

It’s a question that was addressed during Monday’s PFT Live.

The easy answer is that it’s human nature to constantly seek validation, and that the issue isn’t about money but it’s about something more immediate than making it to the Pro Bowl or getting a postseason award.

But don’t take our word for it.  Even though former Saints safety Darren Sharper has been saying too much about the situation, he hit the nail on the head on WWL on Monday by comparing the payments to helmet stickers in high school or college:  “Those are just ways to give guys rewards to have them to be notified throughout their peers on the team that, hey, this guy is making big plays and is allowing us to go out here and win games,” Sharper said.  “They’re a contributor to our team.”

Before this is over, the NFL and the Saints will wish that they had gone with helmet stickers instead.

AP

Mike Florio reported last Friday that the Randy Moss tour would begin this week. FOX 8 New Orleans is now reporting that the Saints will work out Moss “very soon.”

According to FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer, the workout will take place on Tuesday. Former Packers quarterback Brian Brohm will reportedly throw Moss passes during the workout.

It was reported last September that the Saints hosted Moss for a team facility visit just after the club’s season-opening loss to Green Bay. While the Saints disputed the story and denied interest at the time, the writing on the wall suggests their affinity for Moss is not new.

The Saints are now in danger of losing Colston and Robert Meachem in free agency. The fact that New Orleans is giving Moss a “workout” as opposed to a routine free agent visit indicates they’ll ask him to prove his alleged 4.3 speed.

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Before Friday, NFL Network planned to televise the 2009 NFC title game between the Vikings and Saints at 3:00 p.m. ET on Monday.  At some point after the NFL announced on Friday that the Saints had maintained in 2009, 2010, and 2011 a system of bounties that paid defensive players for injuring opponents, NFL Network replaced Vikings-Saints with the 1992 NFC title game between the Cowboys and 49ers.

The decision seemed to create the impression that the NFL has good reason to be concerned about televising the full game, given that the Saints battered Vikings quarterback Brett Favre until his legs matched the color of his helmet.

So we asked NFLN for an explanation.

“Since last Friday, NFL Network has extensively aired video clips of plays related to the Saints bounty investigation on NFL Total Access and during other news reports that are available on NFL.com,” a NFL Network spokesperson said in a statement released to PFT.  “At this time, we decided not to air the complete three-hour game and will reschedule the program for a future date.”

I don’t see the connection.  NFLN extensively aired video clips of Super Bowl XLVI, but that didn’t stop it from televising the full game within a week after it was played.

The better explanation would have been that the league chose not to create the impression that NFLN was exploiting the bounty investigation by televising the most obvious example of the Saints’ misconduct, even though the schedule was set before Friday, March 2.

But that’s not the explanation that was provided.  And the explanation that was provided isn’t very persuasive.

AP

Defensive end Robert Mathis turned 31 last month, but the Colts believe he’s got several good years left.

According to Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star, Mathis’ new contract — announced by the club Monday evening — is valued at $36 million over four seasons.

Per Chappell, Mathis received a $15 million signing bonus. That’s a lot of up-front money and proration, so this is hardly a phony four-year deal. Chappell also reports that Mathis will get $17 million in the contract’s first year and $24 million over the first two.

Add Mathis’ $17 million in first-year payments to teammate Dwight Freeney’s $14.035 million base salary, and the Colts will be forking over in excess of $31 million to two defensive ends, both over the age of 30, in 2012.

Unless Freeney, 32, is quietly on the chopping block and we just don’t know it yet.

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Free agent receiver Vincent Jackson will generate heavy interest if he makes it to the March 13 market. The Chicago Bears are expected to be in hot pursuit, and the Union-Tribune San Diego expects the Buffalo Bills to be, too.

Kevin Acee of the Union-Trib reports that “it is believed” the Bills have interest in Jackson even after Monday’s five-year, $36.25 million Stevie Johnson deal. Buffalo is oozing in cap space after a rollover from last year, and it sounds like G.M. Buddy Nix is ready and willing to spend.

It’s worth noting that Nix was the assistant general manager in San Diego when Jackson was drafted. Working as G.M. A.J. Smith’s right-hand man, Nix oversaw the Chargers’ college scouting department.

Whether Jackson makes it to March 13 unsigned is unclear and perhaps unpredictable. The Chargers want him back, and he wants to be a Charger, but Jackson might be able to make significantly more money if he plays the market right.

AP

We looked earlier this evening at the top free agents remaining in the post-franchise tag period.

Due to large forthcoming bonus payments and/or base salaries, the following ten players could be joining them in free agency soon.

1. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning — You already know. Manning is owed a $28 million roster bonus on Thursday, March 8, and the Colts would shock the world if they paid it.

2. Raiders linebacker Kamerion Wimbley — As Mike Florio has explained, the Raiders must decide Wimbley’s fate prior to March 17. If released, Wimbley can expect hot pursuit from teams in need of a versatile, productive pass rusher.

3. Cardinals tackle Levi Brown — Arizona wants to re-sign Brown to a long-term extension, but he’s fully expected to be released before his $6 million roster bonus comes due on March 12. The sides can resume talks after that.

4. Chargers tackle Marcus McNeill — San Diego is actively working to re-sign free agent Jared Gaither because it knows McNeill will be released in short order. The move will clear $10 million in salary cap space.

5. Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma — Likely to be a primary target as the NFL doles out bounty-scandal discipline, Vilma’s on-field performance has declined sharply and he’s no longer worth his $5.4 million base salary.

6. Jaguars defensive end Aaron Kampman — Owed $5 million in salary and bonuses, the 32-year-old still hasn’t passed his exit physical after three separate knee surgeries since December of 2009.

7. Packers tackle Chad Clifton — Clifton is scheduled to receive a $5.25 million base salary and $203,125 in per-game roster bonuses. He turns 36 before the season and recently underwent surgery on his lower back and hip. Clifton was benched in Green Bay’s playoff loss for ineffectiveness.

8. Rams cornerback Ronald Bartell — St. Louis is expected to be active on the free agent cornerback market, and also has confirmed interest in LSU’s Morris Claiborne. Due a $6.2 million salary and coming off a fractured neck, Bartell could easily be brushed aside in favor of a younger player.

9. Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson — Hutchinson is owed $6.95 million in base pay and a $500,000 offseason workout bonus. After concussions ended his last two seasons, it’s no secret that Hutchinson is in danger of being released.

10. Cardinals linebacker Joey Porter — Porter is due a $5.75 million salary and $250,000 workout bonus in the final season of his contract. $6 million is much too large a figure for a 35-year-old pass rusher who can no longer rush the passer.

Former Colts and Bucs coach Tony Dungy joined PFT Live on Monday to talk about two of the hottest topics in the NFL:  the status of Peyton Manning and the league’s discovery of a three-year bounty system in New Orleans.

On Manning, Dungy talks about, among other things, his assessment of the video of Peyton throwing passes, the factors that the Colts should consider in deciding whether to keep him, the factors Manning should consider in looking for a new team.

On bounties, Dungy discusses his knowledge of such programs in other cities, the effectiveness of extra payments when it comes to motivating players, and whether the league needs to do a full investigation regarding every team.

Here’s the full segment.  The audio also is available on iTunes.

AP

We haven’t heard any public statements from Saints general manager Mickey Loomis or coach Sean Payton after Friday’s revelation about the NFL’s investigation into the team’s bounty program, but signs continue to be strong that they have the support of owner Tom Benson.

Jay Glazer tweeted as much over the weekend and now there’s an Associated Press report quoting a Saints official that reiterates that position. Benson is described as being “110 percent” behind the two men and wants them focused only on the upcoming season.

“The bond between Sean and Mickey and Mr. Benson could not be stronger,” the team official said.

The loyalty to Loomis is a bit surprising because the league’s report accuses Loomis of disregarding Benson’s directive to put an end to the bounty program. As Florio pointed out Saturday, this isn’t the first time that Loomis’ honesty with the owner has been called into question. In the report, Payton was described as being aware of the program, but not directly involved in it, and did nothing to stop it, but there’s no evidence that he and Benson ever spoke about its existence.

Benson’s support of Loomis and Payton fits with the notion that the Saints are doing everything they can to distance themselves from former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Under this argument, Williams carried out the program without the head coach and general manager finding out because of the autonomy he was granted to run the defense. When the Saints found out the results of the league’s investigation, they let Williams leave for the Rams without making much attempt to keep him because they did not want to be associated with the bounty program.

Whether that stance gets them any softer discipline from the league remains to be seen, but, for now, it looks like there won’t be any big shakeup in New Orleans.

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Former Saints safety Darren Sharper has worked as a guest analyst for NFL Network, the TV operation owned and operated by the league.  But Sharper may never get another invitation again, if he continues to openly dispute the findings that the NFL already has made regarding the bounty system that the Saints used from 2009 through 2011.

It started on Friday, when Sharper told NFL.com that the Saints’ bounty system didn’t pay players for hits that injured opponents — even though the announcement of the NFL’s finding plainly states in the second paragraph:  “The league’s investigation determined that this improper ‘Pay for Performance’ program included ‘bounty’ payments to players for inflicting injuries on opposing players that would result in them being removed from a game.”

Sharper was at it again on Monday, telling 97.5 The Fanatic in Philly that Sharper objects to the use of the term “bounty” because it implies ill intentions. “Saying that we were trying to maim guys or try to cart a guy off is just totally ridiculous,” Sharper said, which implies that he believes the league’s investigation is “just totally ridiculous,” since that’s precisely what the league concluded.

Sharper also contradicts the league’s findings regarding the question of whether head coach Sean Payton knew about the bounty system. “I don’t think Coach Peyton had anything or didn’t know anything about that. Coach Peyton didn’t have any idea what we were doing,” Sharper said.  And then Sharper contradicted himself on this point in a subsequent interview with WWL in Louisiana. “Was it overseen and controlled by the coaching staff?” Sharper said. “Yes it was.”

He continues to insist that there was no reward for injuring players, despite the league’s findings.

“This was something that the players came up with and which we wanted to give guys the extra motivation and give guys the extra reward off making big plays in big games,” Sharper told WWL.  “And those big plays included sacks, interceptions, scoring touchdowns on defense, things that we did throughout my time there that allowed us to win in the fashion that we won.  No way possible did we come into the meeting room before games and say if a guy hurts this player here on their team, their best player, their quarterback, whoever it may be we’re gonna reward that guy for doing that.  At no time was that stated in any of the meetings that I was a part of in the New Orleans Saints organization.”

Again, that flies in the face of the league’s findings.

Sharper also takes issue with the dollars involved. “Someone also threw the number out there, $50,000,” Sharper said. “Are you kidding me?  $50,000 on a bounty on someone’s head?  That has to be ridiculous.  First of all, I want to know the guy that’s gonna have that much money they’re gonna pull out their own pocket to pay a guy for just making plays during a game.  That’s just totally nonsense and ridiculous.”

Yes, the stuff that he calls “totally nonsense and ridiculous” comes from the NFL’s findings.

Perhaps most troubling is Sharper’s desire to publicize the name of the person who told the league what really was happening, after the coaches and players who had been questioned by the league successfully had stonewalled NFL security.

“We had a family in that room and whatever we did within that room should have stayed in that room,” Sharper told 97.5 The Fanatic. His words to WWL could be regarded as a bit more sinister, especially since he believes the entire situation arose from a former employee’s desire to exact revenge on the Saints.

“Someone that was formerly hired and that was formerly working for the Saints and that was relieved of his duties has a vendetta,” Sharper told WWL. “And they’re trying to get back and is upset about the fact he was let go by the Saints and is trying to make an issue out of something that was in-house and something that we did and was no ill intent in what we did and was just about playing football but now they’re trying to make it into an issue to put a black mark on the Saints organization.”

Sharper possibly is rooting for a vendetta against the person with the vendetta.

“I believe his name will come out,” Sharper said. “I have the name and I’ve been informed of who we think that possibly is the guy that came out and become the quote-unquote snitch, but it’s not [former director of security Geoffrey] Santini. . . . It’s another guy that I believe will come out at a later date.”

Apart from whether the league is inclined to tell one of its employees to exercise his free speech rights only in a manner that is consistent with what the league has determined to be reality, the NFL would be wise to inform Sharper that the last thing anyone needs is a Steve Bartman-style incident, with rabid Saints fans threatening action against whoever is viewed as being responsible for killing the Super Bowl buzz more than two years after the fact. The fact that Sharper even knows the name is alarming, and the league should move swiftly to ensure that no one blurts it out or leaks it anonymously to the media.

On Saturday, we explained the potential impact of dishonesty on the effectiveness of an internal investigation. In such contexts, the only thing worse than prevarication (why don’t you look it up instead of playing another round of MW3?) is retaliation. If the league tolerates any effort to “out” the “quote-unquote snitch,” the league can forget about ever being able to persuade anyone in the future to do the right thing when rules are being broken in a locker room that would otherwise govern itself by the Golden (Nugget) Rule.

UPDATE 10:02 p.m. ET:  A prior version of this item described Sharper as an analyst with NFL Network, in reliance upon the manner in which he was introduced by WWL.  Sharper instead served only a guest analyst on NFL Network last week.  We apologize for the error.

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The Lions did the expected on Monday and used their franchise tag on defensive end Cliff Avril.

Avril expressed some displeasure about the prospect of being franchised in February, raising the possibility of a holdout. Avril focused on the positive in comments to the team’s website on Monday, however. He described himself as fortunate to get the tag while also expressing the hope that he can reach an agreement with the team on a long-term deal.

“Honestly and truthfully – at the end of the day – I’m very, very fortunate to be franchised by an NFL team,” said Avril. “I’m very blessed. That being said, being a business, you always want to do what’s best for you and your family. Being franchised – I’m blessed and I’m definitely happy about being considered a player to give that tag to. I just hope we can continue to negotiate and try to get something done.”

Nothing Avril said on Monday takes away the possibility that he could hold out of part or all the team’s offseason workouts if the long-term deal doesn’t come his way. It’s too soon to tell if that’s a likely outcome, but it certainly helps matters that it is in the best interests of the Lions to get a deal done as well.

They are tight against the cap with about $70 million in cap space tied up between Avril, Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Kyle Vanden Bosch and Ndamukong Suh. They can get some relief by giving Johnson a contract extension and a new deal with Avril would also open up some money to spend in other places. Freeing up that money could be the difference between retaining linebacker Stephen Tulloch, cornerback Eric Wright and tackle Jeff Backus or watching them leave for other teams.

Still, Avril remains in Detroit and, as he said Monday, “that’s a plus.”

The schedule of team-by-team to-do lists called for the Saints get the to-do treatment on Monday’s PFT Live.

It’s a much different list on Monday than what we would have put together on Friday.

So here’s what the Saints now need to do in order to get ready for a 2012 season that suddenly has gotten a lot more challenging for the franchise that will host Super Bowl XLVII.

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The Steelers made official what was widely expected today, declining to place the franchise tag on restricted free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace.

That means that any team can sign Wallace to an offer sheet, and if the cap-strapped Steelers don’t match the offer, Wallace will cost only one first-round draft pick. Acquiring a 25-year-old who’s arguably the best deep threat in the NFL for a first-round draft pick isn’t a bad deal at all, especially if there’s a playoff contender that believes a big-play receiver is just the thing they need to win the Super Bowl.

For the Steelers, matching a lucrative offer to Wallace would be tough. Although they’ve made several moves in the last week to free up salary cap space, they’re still not in great cap shape. And they’re in a tough spot because they know they’ll face the same situation again next year when receiver Antonio Brown becomes a restricted free agent. Brown was voted the Steelers’ MVP in 2011, and the Steelers would like to keep him beyond 2012, the final year of his current contract. If they tie up a lot of money and cap space in a new contract for Wallace this year, it may be harder to find the money and cap space to devote to Brown next year.

If Wallace ultimately just signs his one-year tender offer as a restricted free agent, he’ll come at a very affordable price of $2.7 million. But in that scenario, Wallace and Brown would both be free agents at this time next year. (Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders becomes a restricted free agent next year, too.)

Add it all up, and the Steelers may decide that matching an offer for Wallace isn’t in the cards, and that they’ll be glad to take a first-round draft pick from the team that signs him. At the moment, however, Steelers G.M. Kevin Colbert is stressing that it’s up to the Steelers.

“He could get offer from another team, but ultimately we get to make the decision on Mike,” Colbert said on Steelers.com today.

Of course, the Steelers already made one decision, not to franchise Wallace. But Colbert said that with the Steelers’ cap situation, the franchise tag is just not a realistic option.

“We don’t have the cap room of having the luxury of using the franchise tag this season,” Colbert said.

If he does get an offer from another team, which team would it be? One of the most intriguing possibilities is New England. The Patriots’ first-round pick is a low one (No. 31 overall), so they may not think it’s a lot to give up to give Tom Brady a speedy receiver like Wallace. And the Patriots have two first-round picks (they acquired the Saints’ first-rounder in a trade last year), so they could still be players on draft day if they give their own first-round pick away. Plus, the Patriots wouldn’t mind taking one of the best offensive players away from one of their biggest AFC rivals.

There’s also been chatter in San Francisco that the 49ers would love to add Wallace to their receiving corps. With the 30th pick in the first round of the draft, the 49ers are another team that could decide that Wallace will be far more productive than any rookie they could add this year.

In any event, every team with a need at receiver has to be thinking about signing Wallace to an offer sheet. And the Steelers have to be thinking that their top receiver in 2011 may be gone in 2012.

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The Chargers haven’t given up hope of re-signing free agent Vincent Jackson, but refusing to franchise tag their No. 1 receiver suggests they’ve at least prepared for the possibility of losing him. Jackson is easily the best wideout left on the market, and will command top dollar if he makes it through the next eight days unsigned.

Both Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune and John Clayton of ESPN believe the Bears will be aggressive pursuers of Jackson if he hits free agency.

McClure explained on Twitter Monday that the Bears were targeting Jackson and defensive end Cliff Avril in advance of the franchise tag deadline. Avril was tagged, but Jackson wasn’t. McClure anticipates Chicago making a push for Jackson.

Clayton also tweeted Monday that he believes the Bears will “make a big run” at Jackson.

At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Jackson would easily be the biggest receiver on Chicago’s roster. Currently, the Bears’ biggest receiver signed for 2012 is 6-foot, 206-pound slot receiver Earl Bennett.

AP

The Colts used the franchise tag on defensive end Robert Mathis to buy themselves a little more time to work out a long-term extension.

As it turns out, they didn’t need much time at all. The team sent out a release Monday afternoon to announce that they had reached agreement on a new contract with Mathis. Details of the deal haven’t been announced, but the most significant detail for now is that Mathis will be in Indianapolis for the long haul.

Mathis has 83.5 sacks and 39 forced fumbles for the Colts since they selected him in the fifth round of the 2003 Draft. There’s been some question about how he’d fit with the Colts’ defense if the team moves to the 3-4 defense that new head coach Chuck Pagano ran in Baltimore, but Mathis’ pass-rushing ability will likely work in whatever system Indy decides to run next season.

Now the Colts can turn their attention to the offense where wide receivers Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon are both free agents. There’s also been some discussion about Peyton Manning’s future with the team, something you might have heard some talk about in these parts over the last few months. Assuming Mathis’ deal comes with a cap figure lower than the $10.6 million or so he would have earned under the franchise tag, the Colts will have more money to use on that side of the ball.