Page 1537 of 2957

Marshall facing substantial suspension?

According to Mike Klis of The Denver Post, receiver Brandon Marshall could be facing a substantial suspension if he’s found guilty of a misdemeanor battery charge at his trial on Thursday in Atlanta.

Marshall’s trade request is secondary to his trial Thursday in Atlanta. If he’s found guilty of a misdemeanor battery charge, he could be suspended for a substantial period. If that happens, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Broncos dump Marshall for a bag of deflated balls.

But if he’s found innocent, then I think the Broncos will try to get Marshall’s hip healthy and hope he has another big year for them. Only then would he have trade value.

Marshall received a three-game suspension from the NFL in August of last year due to his off-field issues, but he appealed the decision and it was reduced to only one game. If Marshall is found guilty on Thursday, then commissioner Roger Goodell could view the situation as the receiver’s second official offense under the league’s player conduct policy and come down hard on him as Klis suggests in his article.

Now, what kind of suspension that entails I don’t know but given Goodell’s track record, it could be anywhere from three to 16 games. (Pacman Jones was suspended for an entire season, while Chris Henry was suspended eight games, Tank Johnson for 10 games and Michael Vick for six games.)

We’ll see what comes out of Marshall’s trial. One thing is for sure, if the Broncos intend to deal Marshall before the season, they better hope he doesn’t receive a guilty verdict on Thursday or else they’ll be hard-pressed to find a trade suitor.

Training Camp Notes: Smith, Sanders, Bowe

Carolina Panthers:
Receiver Steve Smith is expected to miss at least two weeks with a strained shoulder after suffering the injury in practice on Monday. Dwayne Jarrett is expected to fill in for Smith while he’s out, which is kind of like going from a corvette to a station wagon. (Charlotte Observer)

Indianapolis Colts:
Safety Bob Sanders is expected to meet with orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews soon. Sanders had another clean up procedure done on his knee this offseason and the Colts don’t know when he’ll be healthy again. He hasn’t practiced or played in game since Week 16 of last year. (Indianapolis Star)

Kansas City Chiefs:
Receiver Dwayne Bowe isn’t currently practicing with the Chiefs’ starters and apparently is in new head coach Todd Haley’s doghouse. Haley appears to be making an example of Bowe, who hasn’t responded well to KC’s new disciplined training habits. (Kansas City Star)

New England Patriots:
Tom Brady has yet to miss one practice since returning to action following ACL and MCL surgery. Brady continues to work out with a brace on his knee, although he’ll likely have to play with the brace the rest of his career. (Boston Globe)

Tampa Bay Bucs:
Receiver Antonio Bryant will be out for the next 3-4 weeks with a torn meniscus in his knee. Bryant could miss the entire preseason, but is expected to be healthy by Week 1. Still, the Bucs are thin at receiver and are implementing a new offense so Bryant’s injury is of concern. (Pewter Report)

Earnest Graham is listed ahead of Derrick Ward on Tampa’s depth chart, but considering the Bucs paid Ward like a starter this offseason, it’s wise not to read too much into this. (Buccaneers.com)

Miami Dolphins:
Former Hawaii product Davone Bess has been starting ahead of Greg Camarillo in Miami. Carmarillo appears to be completely recovered from ACL surgery, but Miami likes Bess’ speed and playmaking ability and see him as a starting flanker. (Miami Herald)

Nationals’ Zimmermann to have Tommy John surgery

According to a report by NBC Sports, Nationals’ starter Jordan Zimmermann will have to have Tommy John surgery to repair his right elbow injury.

(Acting general manager Mike) Rizzo says Monday that Dr. James Andrews reviewed an MRI exam done on Zimmermann’s right elbow and agreed with a Nationals team doctor that the pitcher should have an operation to repair a ligament.

The team will seek a third opinion before consulting with Zimmermann and his agent on whether to have the surgery.

This is a massive blow to both Zimmermann and the Nationals, who view the 23-year-old as the cornerstone to an up-and-coming starting rotation. If he does follow through with the surgery, he’ll likely miss the entire 2010 season and won’t be ready to rejoin Washington’s rotation until 2011 at the earliest. And of course, there’s no guarantee that he’ll respond well to the surgery.

This is disappointing news for a developing young star like Zimmermann.

Powe close to signing with Cavs?

Per Yahoo! Sports…

Free-agent forward Leon Powe will sign a two-year contract for the league minimum with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday if the team’s doctors are satisfied with the progress of his injured left knee, a league source said.

Powe tore his anterior cruciate ligament and cartilage in his knee during Game 2 of the Boston Celtics’ first-round series against the Chicago Bulls. He had reconstructive surgery on May 5 – his third major knee surgery – and has been rehabilitating in Los Angeles. Powe hopes to be back on the court by this season’s All-Star break, and the Cavaliers are willing to take a low-risk gamble on him pending the results of his physical.

Over the past two seasons with the Celtics, Powe has been highly productive in the limited minutes he’s received. He had a PER of 21.04 in the 2007-08 season and 17.25 in 2008-09. (15.00 is average.) He’s an energy guy with a great nose for the ball and a limited offensive game. Sound familiar? That’s exactly how I’d describe Anderson Varejao.

Which brings me back to the problems I have with the Cavs’ offseason. I don’t mind the addition of Shaquille O’Neal, but if he and Varejao (or Powe, if he signs) are on the court at the same time, LeBron is going to find that it’s going to be tougher to get to the hoop. Other than Zydrunas Ilgauskas, none of the Cavs’ bigs can shoot the ball effectively from outside the lane.

This wouldn’t be much of a concern if Cleveland didn’t depend so much on LeBron’s one-on-one game. If he can’t get to the rim as easily, he’ll be settling for jumpers, and the Cavs’ offensive efficiency will go down.

« Older posts Newer posts »