Tebow picks Jets; Saints suspensions
UPDATE: According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jets and Broncos finally completed a trade for Tim Tebow Wednesday evening.
Tebow picks Jets; Saints suspensions
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
UPDATE: According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jets and Broncos finally completed a trade for Tim Tebow Wednesday evening.
The deal hit a snag earlier because language in Tebow's contract called for the Jets to pay the Broncos up to $5M. In the end, Schefter reported the Jets agreed to pay half that amount.
He also reported that Tebow had the choice to pick between the Jets and Jaguars, and apparently, he chose New York.
FROM EARLIER:
Two big pieces of news broke at just about the same time Wednesday afternoon.
Let's start with Tim Tebow. He's headed to the Jets along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a fourth-rounder and a sixth-rounder, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post.
The Jets, of course, have Mark Sanchez as their starter and handed him a contract extension earlier this month. Sanchez has completed 55.3 percent of his passes in three NFL seasons, to go along with a 6.51 yards per attempt average.
Before the Jets acquired Tebow, cornerback Antonio Cromartie Tweeted the following:
Y bring Tebow in when we need to bring in more Weapons for @Mark_Sanchez let's build the team around him. We already signed to 3 year ext.
I'm guessing that will be a bit of an awkward first meeting, and that there will be several cameras present when it takes place.
Meanwhile, Roger Goodell dropped the hammer on the Saints for the bounty scandal. Head coach Sean Payton is suspended for the entire 2012 season. General manager Mickey Loomis is suspended eight games. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who has sinced moved on to the Rams, is suspended indefinitely. And Saints assistant head coach/linebackers coach Joe Vitt is out six games. All suspensions are without pay.
The Saints are also fined $500,000. AND New Orleans loses a second-round pick in each of the next two drafts (2012 and 2013).
If you're wondering how the draft pick affects the Eagles' second-round selections, the Saints were scheduled to pick 27th. The Eagles, meanwhile, have picks 14 and 19 (from the Kevin Kolb deal), so those selections are not affected. The Eagles swapped to the 89th pick in the third round with yesterday's DeMeco Ryans trade. That obviously now becomes the 88th overall pick.
The most surprising part of the punishment has to be Payton getting a full season. The Saints went 13-3 a year ago and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs before falling to the 49ers. They have been unable to come to terms on a new contract with Drew Brees and have instead used the franchise tag, which he hasn't signed.
We'll soon find out what this means for Steve Spagnuolo, who took New Orleans' defensive coordinator job this offseason and could now be forced into some head-coaching duties.
If Goodell wanted to make sure no one accused him of going soft on the Saints, I'd say he accomplished his goal. And while New Orleans was likely not the only team employing these practices, chances are this punishment will do enough to scare off future coaches and players from using bounties. That's a good thing for the game, and the league.
Punishments for individual Saints players are still pending.
Going forward, each NFL owner and coach must confirm to Goodell in writing by March 30 that it is not employing any type of bounty program. And that requirement figures to stick for future years.
Earlier today, I posted on what they're saying about the Eagles' acquisition of Ryans.
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Still need a QB! :)— osi is hurt boohoo- Payton gets suspended for a season????— varsity
- This comment has been deleted. — DogBiscuitthedope
- NFL's attack on players safety is the reason these penalties were harsher than Spygate.
Althogh I feel what Belicheck & Company was far far worse a crime to the integrity of the league.— dmanphilly - Tebow to the Jets...well, NY sure didn't give up much to get him, good for them. But he will not beat out Sanchez for the starting job. Marketing coup for NY as well...biggest media market, jerseys will sell...I just hope Tebow doesn't run his mouth too much...I have heard rumblings that he's rather sexist w/regard to his fake Xtianity...he really better watch his mouth or he is in big trouble.
--
That out of the way...WHOA. Payton out for the season? Williams out indefinitely? The latter I can see; Payton the whole season? I guess Goodell found his stones after all. We'll see how long before he changes his mind.— MidStaterUXB - What a day in the NFL. Where's that fair weather Saints fan that always posts here?— Richard Saunders
- Did someone say acting Saints Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo?— BMJ
- Whoa. Just whoa. That is an amazingly harsh penalty. Looks like Spags made the best choice after all. The Falcons and Bucs are all dancing in the streets.— Commish
- This isn't going to be the last bounty penalty handed down by the league - the Skins, Titans, Bills, and Jags (all places Williams was a coach) are likely under scrutiny as well. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out, especially with the pressure that is being put on the league by the growing group of retirees that are involved in the class action suit regarding concussions.— CTL
- That's what I posted on PFT.com that Goodell can now turn his full undivided attention to the Redskins. He can start by taking away their number one draft selection. — essell
- I bet you Steve Spagnuolo wishes he had taken Andy Reid up on the offer to join the Eagles staff.— soulman386
- The Jets obviously don't see Tebow as a prospective long-term starter at QB. He's a backup, pure and simple, albeit one who will keep people in the stands in case the Jets'/Sanchez's season goes south.
I think the punishment for the Saints was proper. The game's violent enough without resorting to bounties. This will help the NFL maintain the integrity of the game. If hockey took a similar stand against brawling the NHL would be much better off.— p-diddy - soulman, I was thinking the same thing. If Spags wanted stability he didn't get it but maybe he is now the interim HC?— tpizza
- I'd go the other way with that Soulman - now he gets to be (acting) head coach.— potus
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