Judge OKs depositions over ‘no-call’
A Louisiana judge ordered that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and three officials from January’s NFC title game be questioned under oath in September about the infamous “no-call” that helped the Rams beat the Saints in the NFC title game, a lawyer said Monday.
Attorney Antonio LeMon, who filed a lawsuit over the game that advanced the Rams to the Super Bowl, said he and league attorneys will pick a mutually agreeable date for depositions in New Orleans — barring any league appeals that might delay or cancel the questioning.
LeMon’s lawsuit seeks $75,000 in damages — to be donated to charity — over the failure to flag a pass interference or roughness penalty against Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman for his helmet-to-helmet hit on receiver Tommylee Lewis well before a pass arrived. The no-call came at a crucial point in the game. The Rams won and advanced to the Super Bowl.
State Civil District Court Judge Nicole Sheppard of New Orleans ruled earlier this month that LeMon’s lawsuit could proceed. She also ruled then that LeMon can request documents and ask questions of NFL officials. She said Monday that depositions should take place in September. She also set Aug. 22 for the next hearing in the lawsuit, according to LeMon.
No Flacco in Hall game: Joe Flacco will have to wait another week to make his Broncos debut.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio said he’ll start last year’s backup, Kevin Hogan, against the Falcons in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday night. He’ll be followed by rookies Drew Lock and Brett Rypien, Fangio said.
Flacco is slated to make his first appearance for the Broncos against the Seahawks on Aug. 8.
Saints cut Meredith: Saints coach Sean Payton announced that the team released veteran wide receiver Cameron Meredith.
As recently as 2016, Meredith led the Bears in receiving, with 66 catches for 888 yards. But he missed all of 2017 because of a major knee injury.
The Saints signed the 6-foot-3 receiver to a two-year, $9.5 million free-agent contract before last season. But the 26-year-old Meredith played in only six games — catching nine passes for 114 yards and one touchdown — before spending the rest of 2018 on injured reserve.
Meredith participated in three practices, but Payton said Meredith was falling behind several younger receivers.
The Saints signed offensive lineman Patrick Omameh. The 6foot-4, 327-pound Omameh has played six seasons with four teams.
Extra points: The Dolphins fired first-year offensive line coach Pat Flaherty. He was replaced by Dave DeGuglielmo, who had been an analyst for the coaching staff. The changes came a day after Flaherty was critical about the line. ... Keith Lincoln, a member of the Chargers Hall of Fame and a star on the team’s 1963 AFL championship team, died. He was 80.