Cops probe assault charge on Ryan
Nashville police are investigating a misdemeanor assault complaint made by a man who says former Buffalo Bills and New York Jets coach Rex Ryan grabbed him by the neck.
Police spokesman Don Aaron said that Matthew Havel, a 30-year-old from Pueblo, Colo., made the complaint Sunday night.
Havel told police that he saw the Ryan brothers — Rex and former NFL defensive coordinator Rob Ryan — at the Margaritaville restaurant in downtown Nashville near Bridgestone Arena. Aaron said Havel indicated he went up to the Ryans’ table and was there for over an hour before Rex Ryan “reached across and grabbed at his neck.”
Havel told police the incident was unprovoked.
Aaron said no arrests have been made and no charges are presently outstanding.
Rex Ryan is a longtime Nashville Predators ticketholder who has been seen at many of their playoff games, including one of their second-round road matchups in St. Louis. He also was shown Saturday smashing a Pittsburgh Penguins car for charity in front of Bridgestone Arena while Rob looked on before the Predators’ Game 3 victory in the Stanley Cup finals.
Rex Ryan coached the Jets from 2009-14 and the Bills from 2015-16 before being fired in December. Rob Ryan, who won two Super Bowl rings as a Patriots assistant, was on his brother’s staff in Buffalo last year.
Ravens cut Pitta
The Baltimore Ravens released tight end Dennis Pitta with an injury waiver after he hurt his right hip for a third time in practice last week.
The injury occurred during an offseason practice session Friday. Each time Pitta hurt the hip previously, the injury was serious enough to be considered career-threatening.
That appears to be the case again following his release.
The 31-year-old Pitta began his career with Baltimore in 2010 and caught a touchdown pass to help the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII against the 49ers.
Pitta first injured his hip in 2013 and he hurt it again in 2014. He played in four games in 2013, three in 2014 and sat out the entire 2015 season.
Last year, however, he returned to catch 86 passes, most by a tight end in franchise history.
OBJ wants new deal
The million-dollar question for the Giants this offseason may in fact come down to millions of dollars.
Odell Beckham Jr.’ s decision to skip New York’s voluntary OTA workouts over the past 21⁄ weeks is “directly related to his desire for a new deal,” according to ESPN.
The network cites sources who say the 24-year-old wide receiver would like to replace his rookie contract. Beckham still has two years left on his current deal, which is scheduled to pay him $1.7 million this season and over $8 million in 2018. . . .
The Green Bay Packers signed undrafted rookie free agent cornerback Daquan Holmes and released cornerback David Rivers.