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When it comes to NFL teams deciding who they will forgive for off-the-field indiscretions, and who they won’t, it’s certainly not an even playing field.
And that isn’t anything new.
The Cleveland Browns cut defensive end Lonnie Phelps last week, after he was arrested for drunk driving after crashing into a restaurant in Florida with his SUV.
But these are the same Cleveland Browns who have a quarterback who had 24 lawsuits filed against him by women after being accused of sexual misconduct. Most of the women are massage therapists. He has settled most of the lawsuits out of court.
He was suspended 11 games by the NFL for his actions.
“I think in this country and hopefully in the world, people deserve second chances,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said in 2022 after acquiring Watson and giving him a record contract at the time. “I really think that.”
So what about Phelps?
Doesn’t he deserve a second chance?
The Kansas City Chiefs released defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs after a couple of legal issues recently.
Yet, they keep wide receiver Rashee Rice, who also had a couple of legal issues recently.
I’m not here to defend Phelps and Buggs for breaking the law, but some might argue that double standards are wrong.
The Jets released cornerback Tae Hayes on Monday, one day after he was arrested in Alabama for marijuana possession.
Another cornerback on the Jets, Brandon Echols, seemingly did something worse.
On April 22, 2022, Echols was involved in a two-car crash in Florham Park that resulted in the partial paralyzation of the other driver. Echols had been traveling 84 mph in a 50 mph zone. He was charged with fourth-degree auto assault, and was summoned for speeding, failure to wear a seat belt, reckless driving, an unsafe lane change, and improper passing.
What Hayes was arrested for in Alabama, he perhaps would not have been arrested for in New Jersey.
Alabama has much stricter marijuana laws than New Jersey.
I’m not going to get into the whole marijuana legalization debate, but from an NFL standpoint, the league has softened their rules about the use of weed.
When was the last time you heard of a player getting suspended for smoking pot?
In the last Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), in negotiating with the union, in exchange for a 17th game, the union got some things in return like lighter rules on marijuana and less on-field work in the off-season.
Look, NFL teams are private companies, and they can chose to cut or keep whomever they want.
But we know Rice is a lot more valuable to the Chiefs than Buggs and Echols is more valuable to the Jets than Hayes.
As for Watson, he takes up 25 percent of the Browns cap this year. No more needs to be said than that, and the fact that they traded for him, knowing about all the allegations.
But I don’t want to hear from anybody about how tough or no-nonsense teams are when they release players following arrests.
They are not.
It all depends how good you are.
June 26, 2024
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