Is Nick Foles trade bait? Eagles were shopping him at Senior Bowl

http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2015/03/is_nick_foles_trade_bait_eagles_were_shopping_him.html

The possibility of the Eagles moving on from quarterback Nick Foles seemed to increase on Sunday when the team gave backup Mark Sanchez a pretty hefty two-year contract.

In reality, the team has been exploring the idea of moving on from Foles for some time.

With head coach Chip Kelly, the coaching staff and front office executives in Mobile, Ala. for the Senior Bowl in January, the team made an effort to gauge the value of Foles with other teams in the league.

Whether the team decides to move Foles remains to be seen, but the message that they were open to moving him for the right price was made clear.

Three teams that were interested in Foles at the time, per a person with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity, were the St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans.

Foles was once considered the potential franchise quarterback for the Eagles after throwing for 27 touchdowns and two interceptions in 2013, leading the team to the NFC East crown. After a dreadful 2014, however, the team soured on Foles quickly, as reported by NJ Advance Media back in November.

Foles finished last season with 13 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in eight games last season before cracking his collarbone against the Houston Texans.

It has been downhill for Foles ever since as Kelly has refused to publicly commit to him as his starting quarterback, reports are flying the team is looking into moving up in the 2015 NFL Draft for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota and now Sanchez is set to make significantly more than he is next season.

Throughout the rumors and speculation, Foles has maintained he plans on being back in Philadelphia.

“Yeah you hear about it,” Foles said in Arizona during Super Bowl XLIX. “You are going to hear about it every single year. That’s just part of it. The main word is ‘rumor.’ You can’t put too much into it….I plan on being in Philly.”

JackPMiller wrote:

InvaderRam wrote:
so which qbs in this draft came from a pro-style offense?

Jameis Winston and Brett Hundley are two I know for sure.

Grayson, Mannion

Orlando Franklin – G – Broncos

The Denver Post reports free agent G/T Orlando Franklin’s deal with San Diego will average $7.2 million per year and include $14 million guaranteed.

It sounds like a five-year, $36 million pact. The Franklin deal is one of several agreed to over the weekend that can’t be finalized until Tuesday. Franklin is expected to play left guard in San Diego, upgrading on Chad Rinehart.

Source: Denver Post

http://www.rotoworld.com/playernews/nfl/football-player-news?rw=1

Jim Thomas @jthom1
Rams have shown some interest in former Atlanta offensive guard Justin Blalock.

Cardinals Expected To Go All Out For Adrian Peterson

Shawn Ferris

http://www.endzonescore.com/2015/03/08/cardinals-expected-to-go-all-out-for-adrian-peterson/

Rand Getlin @Rand_Getlin
A source indicated after Darnell Dockett’s release that the #AZCardinals were clearing cap space to make a run at RB Adrian Peterson.

When the Cardinals released Darnell Dockett on February 27th, they freed up $9.8 million in cap space, and let him sign with a division rival.

Now we know why.

To free up space for Adrian Peterson.

Peterson is still under contact with the Vikings, but that relationship has soured considerably, and recent deals signed by Marshawn Lynch and LeSean McCoy isn’t doing the team any favors in their attempt to approach Peterson about a possible team-friendly restructure.

With that in mind, the former 2,000 yard rusher’s contract is borderline untradeable, which means an outright release seems like the most likely scenario.

And it appears the Cardinals will be the first team waiting for him with their new-found cap space.

Byron Maxwell: I’m going to Philly

by Josh Alper

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/08/byron-maxwell-im-going-to-philly/

For a team operating during a period when the NFL says that they aren’t supposed to be doing more than expressing interest and exchanging information with representatives of impending free agents, the Eagles seem to be landing quite a few commitments.

Running back Frank Gore has been telling people that he’s heading to Philadelphia and now cornerback Byron Maxwell has sent the same message to Josina Anderson of ESPN.

“I’m going to Philly” Maxwell told Anderson during a phone conversation.

There have been reports that Maxwell will be signing a five-year deal with $25 million in guaranteed money as he leaves the Seahawks for the Eagles, which would mean Philly paid a big price to fill a big need on their defense.

With Brandon Flowers and Kareem Jackson avoiding the market and Maxwell apparently off of it before it even opens, guys like Chris Culliver, Buster Skrine Antonio Cromartieand Tramon Williams move to the top of the list of available players at the position.

— X — wrote:

Welcome aboard amigo.

Chris Mortensen ‏@mortreport

Ndamukong Suh will sign with #Dolphins on Tuesday based off parameters around $114 million and $60 million guaranteed, per sources.

Ferguson judge criticized as revenue generator who helped bring in millions

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/ferguson-judge-criticized-as-revenue-generator-who-helped-bring-in/article_82ee6ece-248a-5073-a9f9-a3eecbaf073b.html

Three years ago, a Ferguson City Council member raised concerns about Municipal Court Judge Ronald Brockmeyer: He didn’t listen to testimony, review reports, examine the defendants’ criminal history or allow witnesses to testify before rendering a verdict, the council member said, suggesting Brockmeyer not be reappointed.

City Manager John Shaw acknowledged that Brockmeyer’s work had received mixed reviews.

But there was something more important at stake.

“It goes without saying the city cannot afford to lose any efficiency in our courts, nor experience any decrease in our fines and forfeitures,” Shaw said.

The story takes up a single paragraph in a 102-page blistering report that depicts the machinery of small town justice preying on its most vulnerable residents and routinely violating constitutional rights for the purpose of raising money.

While the Justice Department focused on Ferguson, it is clear that the same issues are playing out in other St. Louis County municipalities.

A Post-Dispatch review of state and national data shows that St. Louis County is a national hot spot for ticketing, generating more than $52 million a year for its 90 municipalities, 81 courts, and 63 police departments. That money keeps small cities afloat and supports a cottage industry of lawyers who operate the municipal courts.

St. Louis County has 17 percent of the state population but in 2014 raised 34 percent of the revenue generated by all municipal courts in the state.

Critics say it is a system with little oversight, resulting in cities turning to courts to raise revenue rather than to ensure public safety.

Javad Khazaeli, a St. Louis lawyer who frequently defends clients in the municipal courts, said he was glad to see the Justice Department investigate Ferguson but was concerned people might not grasp how widespread the problems are.

“I don’t want people to think this is only a Ferguson issue,” said Khazaeli, of Khazaeli Wyrsch Stock LLC. “This is happening in dozens of municipal courts all across the region. It’s no secret at all that the many municipalities in St. Louis County see the courts as their own personal ATMs. They incentivize the police to fine people first rather than to do what’s in the best interest of their citizens and their communities.”

NATIONAL HOT SPOT

There is no perfect accounting of which areas in the United States have the most traffic cases. In the most complete data available, the National Center for State Courts tracks caseloads in state and municipal courts that handle traffic cases, noncriminal ordinance violations and parking tickets.

The center’s data put Missouri, with 36 cases per 100 residents, second only to New Jersey. (New Jersey’s numbers are bloated with parking tickets, of which Missouri doesn’t have nearly as many.)

And the state’s traffic caseload is overwhelmingly concentrated in St. Louis County, according to Missouri’s state court system. The county has one-sixth of the state’s population but more than one-third of its traffic cases.

Even when traffic cases alone are considered, 53 municipalities in St. Louis County exceeded that average of 36 cases per 100 residents.

Thirty-seven municipalities doubled that rate; 24 tripled it, and 17 quadrupled it.

On Friday, at a meeting of the Missouri Bar Association, Gov. Jay Nixon called on municipalities to eliminate their “profit motive.”

He threw his support behind a proposal in the Legislature that would reduce the amount of revenue that cities could raise through court fines and fees.

But he said that was only a first step.

“The problems in our municipal courts extend far beyond simply the amount of revenue our municipal courts take in,” Nixon said.

POLITICAL APPOINTEES

In the circuit courts in Missouri’s six urban counties, including St. Louis County, judges are selected by the governor from a panel of three qualified applicants selected by a nonpartisan commission.

Voters decide periodically whether to retain judges. Prosecuting attorneys are elected by popular vote.

It’s different in municipal courts.

Municipal judges and prosecutors wield all the power of their counterparts in circuit court: They order arrests, determine guilt or innocence, punish. But they are hired by — and serve at the will of — municipal officials who are counting on them to keep revenue coming in.

Unlike state courts, municipal courts operate on their own, virtually without oversight. Judges and prosecutors have nearly unlimited discretion to dismiss or amend cases.

St. Louis County Presiding Judge Maura McShane, who in theory oversees the municipal courts, told protesters last fall her ability to make single-handed changes to the municipal courts is limited. She can’t hire or fire and has no ability to transfer cases away from problematic courts, she said. She also can’t force the courts to file their annual financial reports with the state, as the law requires.

Michael Downey, a St. Louis attorney who counsels lawyers on ethical issues, said having judges in a revenue-raising role raises ethical concerns.

“It absolutely compromises a judge’s role if they are part of the revenue production system,” he said. “The judge’s determination of an appropriate penalty should not be influenced by some sort profit revenue goal.”

FAVORS

In St. Louis County, where judges and prosecutors often work in multiple municipalities, politics and court discretion create a cozy environment and potential conflicts of interest.

In the Justice Department report, Brockmeyer was criticized for having his own ticket dismissed by Ferguson prosecutor Stephanie Karr, who also works for a nearby municipality where Brockmeyer was ticketed.

Like other players in the municipal court system, Brockmeyer plays multiple roles, working as a judge or prosecutor in five different municipalities and representing defendants.

It’s not uncommon for him to appear as a defense attorney in a court where the judge might be someone who just represented a client before him in Ferguson.

For example, consider Brockmeyer’s dealings with fellow lawyer Donnell Smith. In Dellwood, where Smith is judge, Brockmeyer works as the prosecutor. Brockmeyer has also represented clients in Berkeley, where Smith is prosecutor, and Smith has represented defendants in Ferguson, where Brockmeyer is judge.

Khazaeli, a former prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said he was appalled when he began working in St. Louis to discover how often such role reversals take place.

“I have never seen a system like this before,” he said.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY?

Like other North County municipalities, Ferguson turned increasingly to its courts for revenue as property taxes and other sources of income declined.

The city’s municipal court grew from $1.38 million in fines and fees in 2010 to a projected $3.09 million this year, according to the Justice Department report.

Brockmeyer was a key part of that increase. He created additional fees, such as a $50 fine issued every time an arrest warrant was cleared and a fine that increased each time an individual failed to appear in court, according to the Justice Department report. The civil rights investigators noted many of the fines on the list “are widely considered abusive and may be unlawful.”

They also pointed out that Brockmeyer had admitted to adding charges and additional fines when a defendant challenged a citation.

Brockmeyer’s treatment of defendants in court, the report said, led to a widespread fear that if they appeared and couldn’t pay their fine in full, they’d be jailed. In one case, Brockmeyer held a man in contempt and jailed him for 10 days for refusing to answer questions, according to the report.

Ferguson court and city officials frequently said traffic offenders brought problems on themselves and should take personal responsibility.

On Friday, Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III said the city would look into the allegations against its judge, but said he didn’t know whether Brockmeyer could be removed during his appointed term.

At the same time Brockmeyer increased court fines and fees and jailed defendants, he didn’t pay his own income taxes, according to property records.

Brockmeyer and his wife, Amy, have six federal tax liens filed against their St. Charles County property totaling roughly $169,000 from 2010 through 2013. Three liens from 2012, of about $63,000, have been paid, according to the St. Charles County Recorder of Deeds office.

Brockmeyer did not return phone calls or emails seeking comment on his tax liens on Friday. He has also declined to comment on the Justice Department report.

In previous interviews, Brockmeyer has defended the system, arguing that his multiple roles gave him a valuable perspective.

==========

Ferguson judge behind aggressive fines policy owes $170,000 in unpaid taxes

Ronald J Brockmeyer, who is accused of fixing traffic tickets for himself and associates, was a driving force behind using fines and fees to generate revenue

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/06/ferguson-judge-owes-unpaid-taxes-ronald-brockmeyer

The judge in Ferguson, Missouri, who is accused of fixing traffic tickets for himself and colleagues while inflicting a punishing regime of fines and fees on the city’s residents, also owes more than $170,000 in unpaid taxes.

Ronald J Brockmeyer, whose court allegedly jailed impoverished defendants unable to pay fines of a few hundred dollars, has a string of outstanding debts to the US government dating back to 2007, according to tax filings obtained by the Guardian from authorities in Missouri.

Brockmeyer, 70, was this week singled out by Department of Justice investigators as being a driving force behind Ferguson’s strategy of using its municipal court to aggressively generate revenues. The policy has been blamed for a breakdown in relations between the city’s overwhelmingly white authorities and residents, two-thirds of whom are African American.

Investigators found Brockmeyer had boasted of creating a range of new court fees, “many of which are widely considered abusive and may be unlawful”. A city councilman opposing the judge’s reappointment was warned “switching judges would/could lead to loss of revenue”.

Brockmeyer, who has been Ferguson’s municipal court judge for 12 years, serves simultaneously as a prosecutor in two nearby cities and as a private attorney. Legal experts said his potentially conflicting interests illustrate a serious problem in the region’s judicial system. Brockmeyer, who reportedly earns $600 per shift as a prosecutor, said last year his dual role benefited defendants. “I see both sides of it,” he said. “I think it’s even better.”

While Brockmeyer owes the US government $172,646 in taxes, his court in Ferguson is at the centre of a class-action federal lawsuit that alleges Ferguson repeatedly “imprisoned a human being solely because the person could not afford to make a monetary payment”.

“Judge Brockmeyer not being incarcerated is a perfect illustration of how we should go about collecting debt from people who owe it,” said Thomas Harvey, the director of Arch City Defenders, one of the legal non-profits representing plaintiffs who were jailed in Ferguson.

Brockmeyer did not respond to multiple emails and telephone calls requesting comment. Federal tax liens filed against Brockmeyer by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) state that he has tens of thousands of dollars in overdue personal income taxes from joint filings with his wife, Amy. He also owes tens of thousands in employer taxes for his law firm and an annual tax paid by employers to fund benefits for the unemployed. Since November 2013, Brockmeyer has paid off another three overdue tax bills totalling $64,599.

He owns three properties in the St Louis area and accompanied his family on a vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida in 2013.

The judge was also named among a group of white Ferguson officials found by Department of Justice investigators to be writing off citations for themselves and friends while punishing residents for similar offences. Another of these officials, court clerk Mary Ann Twitty, was fired by the city in connection with racist emails also uncovered by the inquiry.

The report said Brockmeyer agreed to “take care” of a speeding ticket for a senior Ferguson police officer in August 2014, and had a red light camera ticket he received himself from the nearby city of Hazelwood dismissed in October 2013.

“Even as Ferguson city officials maintain the harmful stereotype that black individuals lack personal responsibility – and continue to cite this lack of personal responsibility as the cause of the disparate impact of Ferguson’s practices – white city officials condone a striking lack of personal responsibility among themselves and their friends,” the Justice Department investigators said, in a scathing report on the city’s administration.

The class action lawsuit filed against Ferguson earlier this year alleges that the city violates the constitutional rights of defendants imprisoned over outstanding tickets and minor offences. It seeks compensation and asks a federal judge to force Ferguson to halt the practices.

“Once locked in the Ferguson jail, impoverished people owing debts to the city endure grotesque treatment. They are kept in overcrowded cells; they are denied toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap; they are subjected to the constant stench of excrement and refuse in their congested cells [and] they are surrounded by walls smeared with mucus and blood,” said one passage of the lawsuit, which went on to name several more hardships.

One of the plaintiffs – Roelif Carter, a 62-year-old disabled military veteran – alleges he was arrested and jailed for three days in Ferguson in 2010 after trying to pay the $100 monthly instalment for his outstanding traffic fines on the second day of the month rather than the first, when it was due. While living in “constant fear” he was arrested and jailed three more times in the following years when he was unable to pay the monthly charge, the lawsuit alleges.

“Most debtors in this country are not rounded up and jailed in brutal conditions,” said Alec Karakatsanis, a co-founder of Equal Justice Under Law and a lead attorney on the lawsuit. “But if you happen to owe your debts to a municipality in St Louis County, they are willing to let you languish there on a ransom.”

rfl wrote:

But then no one can know 32 teams the way we know the Rams.

Yeah, man, I know what you mean.

But then, we’re not offering information on Raiders and Falcons out there on the web as if we are experts.

I guess I figure that, if you set up as an expert offering information claiming credibility, you ought to know what you’re talking about. Or, at least, know the LIMITS of what you know.

All true. I hear you. Thank goodness for message boards.

JackPMiller wrote:

For me, I would not go over $6 million a year for him. I also want Saffold to move back to RG as well.

If you read the thread, he wants 6 M apparently and the Rams don’t want to make it that much.

PA Ram wrote:

I realize there are not really a lot of places to move to but I do agree with Bernie about Bradford cutting the Rams a break, considering how his career has gone.

Who else in Bradford’s position in the history of the NFL has done that?

Younger pro in his second contract territory coming back from injuries.

Who has ever treated that as them “owing” the team something?

I don’t agree that the game has passed Williams by. Also, the Saints defenses that were low-ranked had personnel issues…and still do. So the fact that he got anything out of them at all speaks well of him.

If you like Fisher’s involvement with the defense, he’s still involved.

Wms has produced several top 5 Ds over the years. I see no reason why he can’t do it again.

Most of the really big issues I saw last year were from mental errors. They weren’t overmanned, and I did not see the scheme as a problem in its own right.

The one thing that might hold them back is that maybe these particular players (in the secondary mostly) are just prone to mental errors and there’s no fixing it.

And yes having a young secondary makes a massive difference. That’s never just an “excuse,” it’s real.

CAN the defense improve in 2015? Sure. Will they? Probably (IMO).

Barksdale to hit open market next week

By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/barksdale-to-hit-open-market-next-week/article_80b28dc6-d05b-5f73-a3e6-358fe9ef63d9.html

Joe Barksdale, the Rams’ starting right tackle for the past two seasons, has one foot out the door. Barksdale has decided to test the market Tuesday, the first day of the free agency period, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

The sides are simply too far apart in terms of what the Rams are offering and what the expectations are in the Barksdale camp. Of course, the Rams have more than three days to come up with something that might change Barksdale’s mind, but that appears unlikely.

In addition, outside teams can contact and negotiate with Barksdale starting Saturday as the three-day “legal tampering” window opens. Barksdale had a couple of tough games last season, but losing him would be a blow for the Rams, who already have needs at guard and possibly center on the offensive line.

Barksdale is coming free at a time when there’s a very thin crop at offensive tackle. Green Bay’s Bryan Bulaga is generally considered the best tackle in this year’s free-agent class. Denver’s Orlando Franklin would be No. 2, although he switched to left guard in 2014 after being the Broncos’ starting right tackle for three seasons.

When it comes to possibly replacing Barksdale, the options are limited on the current Rams roster. Jake Long, recovering from a second knee injury in the span of 10 months, could move to right tackle. But it’s not even certain he’ll be on the roster much longer because of a contract clause that guarantees $4 million in base salary if he’s on the roster the fifth day of the league year (March 14).

The current roster also includes offensive tackle Steven Baker, who was on the Rams’ practice squad for the last nine games of the 2014 season. Rodger Saffold has played right tackle in the past, but the coaching staff feels his best position is guard, followed by left tackle.

In other developments, the Rams have sent out one-year tender offers to three of their four restricted free agents.

Quarterback Austin Davis and fullback and tight end Cory Harkey were tendered at the minimum level of $1.5 million. Safety Rodney McLeod was tendered at a second-round level of $2.4 million.

Restricted free agents are players with three years experience and with expiring contracts. Because Davis and Harkey were undrafted players, the Rams would get matching rights if either player got outside offers, but no draft pick compensation if they chose not to match any offer.

They would get a second-round draft pick as compensation on McLeod if they chose not to match an outside offer on him.

The Rams did not make a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Tim Barnes, a center and guard from the University of Missouri. The Rams may try to re-sign him for a lower rate once the free agency period begins.

Also, special teams core player Chase Reynolds and offensive lineman Brandon Washington received one-year tenders offers as exclusive rights free agents (players with less than three years experience).