Raiders may get deal on HQ, practice site
The City Council in Henderson, Nevada, is scheduled Tuesday to consider offering land at a discounted price to the Oakland Raiders for a new headquarters and practice site when the NFL team makes its expected move to Las Vegas.
A resolution for the sale of 55 acres (22 hectares) of vacant land near the Henderson Executive Airport puts the sales price at $6 million, half of the $12 million appraised value.
If the council votes Tuesday in favor of the sale, a second vote for final approval would be conducted in February.
The Raiders’ stadium broke ground in November. The $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat domed stadium is scheduled to open in July 2020.
Nevada law allows cities to sell public property for economic development at discounted rates.
Forte goes to IR
Running back Matt Forte has been placed on injured reserve a day before the Jets’ season finale, possibly ending his stint in New York.
The 32-year-old Forte said earlier in the week that he had been playing the last month on “one leg” with swelling in his surgically repaired right knee. He finished his second year with the Jets with a career-low 381 yards rushing.
Forte has a year remaining on his contract, but he’s due to make $3 million next year and the Jets could opt to clear that amount on the salary cap.
The Jets also announced Saturday they placed running back Akeem Judd on injured reserve with an ankle injury. The team promoted wide receiver-returner Lucky Whitehead and running back Jahad Thomas from the practice squad, and signed wide receiver Dan Williams to the practice squad.
Blame the Browns
An Ohio man’s tongue-incheek obituary blames the winless Cleveland Browns for contributing to his demise.
The obituary published in the Sandusky Register says Paul Stark died Wednesday at a hospice facility after a brief illness “exacerbated by the hopeless condition of the Cleveland Browns.”
The football team was 1-15 last season and 0-15 this year ahead of today’s finale in Pittsburgh.
Even so, Stark’s obituary included a nugget of the optimism voiced by some longsuffering fans. It says the 80-year-old Mansfield native “passed just before the Browns were prepared to turn the corner.”
Giants cleaning house
The New York Giants have fired Marc Ross, the team’s vice president of player evaluation for the last five seasons.
New General Manager Dave Gettleman on Saturday announced the move, his first since rejoining the franchise.
Ross had been with the Giants since 2007, serving six years as director of college scouting. Ross had been in charge of the Giants’ draft, along with previous GM Jerry Reese, who was let go this month.
Ross was one of four candidates to interview for the general manager position.
Among the players New York drafted under Ross were Odell Beckham, Jr., Sterling Shepard, Landon Collins and Jason Pierre-Paul.
Snap decision
The Minnesota Vikings have placed long snapper Kevin McDermott on injured reserve, forcing them to break in a new specialist right before the playoffs.
The move was made Saturday, making room on the active roster to promote practice squad center Cornelius Edison. McDermott hurt his shoulder on Dec. 23 at Green Bay, and backup tight end David Morgan stepped in as the emergency long snapper against the Packers.
The Vikings signed Jeff Overbaugh earlier this week for the final regular-season game against Chicago, but now Overbaugh will have the job for the postseason, too. Overbaugh went undrafted last year out of San Diego State and has not appeared in a regular-season game. He has had stints with the Rams, Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears.