League probes Jets’ off-field incident
The NFL is looking into an incident last weekend involving New York Jets players Darron Lee and Leonard Williams at a concert. Lee and Williams were attending the Governors Ball Music Festival on Randall’s Island Saturday night when Williams was seen on a video, posted on Twitter by an eyewitness, stepping in front of a man who appears to be Lee, and then briefly lifting and forcibly removing him from a possible altercation.
Details surrounding the incident are unclear, and police were not involved. Yesterday, Jets coach Todd Bowles said he had no plans to discipline Lee, the team’s first-round pick last year out of Ohio State.
In other Jets news, linebacker David Harris was released, a stunning move in which the team parted ways with one of its mostproductive and well-respected players.
“It was an organizational decision,” Bowles said.
Cutting the franchise’s second-leading tackler, who practiced with the team yesterday and was in the locker room afterward, will save the Jets $6.5 million on the salary cap. The Jets also plan to trade or cut wide receiver Eric Decker.
General manager Mike Maccagnan said that if the Jets can’t deal Decker, they will move forward without him.
Decker’s departure will save the Jets $7.25 million on the salary cap.
“These are tough decisions to make on all of our players,” Maccagnan said. “Going forward, we have a situation where we have some flexibility now. We’ll see how that unfolds going forward.”
Maclin visits Bills
With prompting from running back LeSean McCoy, free agent receiver Jeremy Maclin is making Buffalo the first stop in his bid to land a new job.
The Bills announced they were hosting Maclin for a visit, four days after the seven-year veteran was released by the Chiefs for salary-cap reasons. Maclin has twice topped 1,000 yards receiving but is coming off a season in which he was slowed by injuries and had career lows with 44 catches, 536 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
McCoy revealed during his charitable softball tournament last weekend that he began lobbying for the Bills to sign Maclin. McCoy said it wouldn’t be a surprise if the receiver signed with Buffalo.
The two spent five seasons playing together in Philadelphia, and McCoy was a member of Maclin’s wedding party last month.
Lynch at home
For Marshawn Lynch, the decision to come out of retirement was made as soon as the league announced his hometown Raiders were leaving for Las Vegas.
Lynch wanted to give Raiders fans one last chance to cheer an Oakland native playing for an Oakland team.
“With me being from here, continuing to be here, it gives (fans) an opportunity to get to see somebody that’s actually from where they’re from and for the team that they probably idolize,” Lynch said. . . .
Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker has had shoulder surgery and is out indefinitely.
Bradford rests
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford sat out practice with what coach Mike Zimmer called “muscle tightness.”
Zimmer was not specific on which muscles were ailing Bradford. But he did say it was precautionary and there was no concern for long-term issues. Bradford did some throwing in individual drills but sat out the portions of the workout where the offense went against the defense.