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Breaking News - Saints players have won their appeal


Grits and Shins
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I wonder what kind of participation level you will see the affected players have?

 

I think Fujita and Smith start right away given the lack of depth on their respective teams at the position they play. Something tells me that Vilma might not see the field a whole lot however.

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From the Associated Press:

A three-member appeals panel has overturned the player suspensions in the Saints bounty case, according to a source familiar with the ruling.

The panel overturned a ruling by NFL system arbiter Stephen Burbank that commissioner Rodger Goodell was within his powers under the collective bargaining agreement to suspend four players for their alleged roles in a pay to injure system.

According to source, the suspensions are voided immediately, howevever the commissioner can reconsider discipline if -- and only if -- there is evidence of intent to injure beyond just a performance pool.

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I wonder what kind of participation level you will see the affected players have?

 

I think Fujita and Smith start right away given the lack of depth on their respective teams at the position they play. Something tells me that Vilma might not see the field a whole lot however.

 

 

Curious what your reasoning is. If Vilma was suspended all season, was he even practicing, is he in game shape? If not, him not playing much the first game has more to do with that than any depth on the Saints.

 

Agree that Fujita plays, Browns already lost Gocong for the year, and one of the backups got hurt in the second game.

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I don't think Vilma plays at all this year. Hasn't he had like 4 surgeries since November? If anything, he'll be placed on the PUP to see if they can get anything from him this season. Will Smith, on the other hand, should be good to go.

 

 

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Curious what your reasoning is. If Vilma was suspended all season, was he even practicing, is he in game shape? If not, him not playing much the first game has more to do with that than any depth on the Saints.

 

Agree that Fujita plays, Browns already lost Gocong for the year, and one of the backups got hurt in the second game.

 

 

I think Smith will play because the Saints need him. Junior Galette is not starting material. I'd take Smith at 50% over any other end on the Saints (except maybe Cam Jordan) at 100%. Same deal with Fujita, I'll take Scott Fujita at his current health and participation level over UDFA LJ Fort as SAM LB for the Browns.

 

My point was that Vilma won't be playing a whole lot even if he is active; he is coming off multiple surgeries from an injury-riddled year last year and it unlikely to be in shape, the Saints have plenty of LBs at the ready and he hasn't been available for this week's practices.

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From the Associated Press:

A three-member appeals panel has overturned the player suspensions in the Saints bounty case, according to a source familiar with the ruling.

The panel overturned a ruling by NFL system arbiter Stephen Burbank that commissioner Rodger Goodell was within his powers under the collective bargaining agreement to suspend four players for their alleged roles in a pay to injure system.

According to source, the suspensions are voided immediately, however the commissioner can reconsider discipline if -- and only if -- there is evidence of intent to injure beyond just a performance pool.

 

 

So, if Burbank and the panel reviewed all the evidence and vacated the suspensions then was there ever any viable evidence of intent to injure beyond just a performance pool?

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I think Smith will play because the Saints need him. Junior Galette is not starting material. I'd take Smith at 50% over any other end on the Saints (except maybe Cam Jordan) at 100%. Same deal with Fujita, I'll take Scott Fujita at his current health and participation level over UDFA LJ Fort as SAM LB for the Browns.

 

My point was that Vilma won't be playing a whole lot even if he is active; he is coming off multiple surgeries from an injury-riddled year last year and it unlikely to be in shape, the Saints have plenty of LBs at the ready and he hasn't been available for this week's practices.

 

 

Ok, got it.

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More details, from Yahoo Sports:

"Consistent with the panel's decision, Commissioner Goodell will, as directed, make an expedited determination of the discipline imposed for violating the league's pay-for-performance/bounty rule," the NFL said in a statement. "Until that determination is made, the four players are reinstated and eligible to play starting this weekend."

The original appeal ruling, given by arbiter Stephen Burbank, opined that Goodell was within his authority to suspend the four players for alleged "pay-to-injure" schemes. Saints coaches and executives will remain suspended because they were not part of the appeal filed by the players.

Per the appeal ruling, Goodell can re-suspend the players if there is evidence of a pay-to-injure scheme, but he will have to be much more proactive about actually producing evidence this time.

 

So, Goodell can resuspend for pay-to-injure if he has evidence to buttress that claim. May not totally be over - we'll have to see some of those 10,000 pages of evidence the NFL purports to have.

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So, if Burbank and the panel reviewed all the evidence and vacated the suspensions then was there ever any viable evidence of intent to injure beyond just a performance pool?

 

 

Per Albert Breer tweet:

 

"Goodell does have the power simply go back, say "thanks appeals panel, I suspended them on pay-to-injure all along" and uphold suspensions."

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More details, from Yahoo Sports:

"Consistent with the panel's decision, Commissioner Goodell will, as directed, make an expedited determination of the discipline imposed for violating the league's pay-for-performance/bounty rule," the NFL said in a statement. "Until that determination is made, the four players are reinstated and eligible to play starting this weekend."

The original appeal ruling, given by arbiter Stephen Burbank, opined that Goodell was within his authority to suspend the four players for alleged "pay-to-injure" schemes. Saints coaches and executives will remain suspended because they were not part of the appeal filed by the players.

Per the appeal ruling, Goodell can re-suspend the players if there is evidence of a pay-to-injure scheme, but he will have to be much more proactive about actually producing evidence this time.

 

So, Goodell can resuspend for pay-to-injure if he has evidence to buttress that claim. May not totally be over - we'll have to see some of those 10,000 pages of evidence the NFL purports to have.

 

 

That would work for me.

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So, if Burbank and the panel reviewed all the evidence and vacated the suspensions then was there ever any viable evidence of intent to injure beyond just a performance pool?

 

 

Obviously I haven't seen anything you guys haven't, but I would thing that the ruling has to do with his authority to suspend the players, not whether or not the players were guilty of anything. Their appeal was based on the process, not the evidence as I understand it.

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