NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

A Report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says that the player involved with the alleged sexual assault incident involving a Packers player is second-year CB Brandon Underwood. The paper had the story earlier, but with no name, but about 11:15pm Saturday night released an update saying Underwood is the player involved.

Here is more of what the paper had to say about the case involving Underwood:

Police said seven Packers were at a condo where a party was taking place and where the two women said the assaults occurred.

Six Packers were interviewed and released, but police are focusing on the seventh player, who told investigators that the contact with the two women was consensual, said Sgt. Gerald Grimsled of the Lake Delton Police Department.

Grimsled said police don’t believe the other six players were involved. Lake Delton Police said the six cleared were quarterback Matt Flynn, safety Khalil Jones, guard Josh Sitton, fullback Korey Hall, and linebackers Brad Jones and Clay Matthews.

Police declined to release the name of the seventh player on Saturday. “(The) seventh did have contact with the two females,” Grimsled said. “We were pretty sure of that. Everybody was cooperative.

“It comes down to ‘was it consensual sex?’ One side says yes, the other says no.”

Underwood was selected with the second of the Packers' two sixth-round draft choices, No. 187 overall in last years draft. He overcame academic difficulties early in his career that led to a lost scholarship at Ohio State by transferring to Cincinnati and paying his own way.

Just a few days ago there was a tidbit in the Green Bay Press Gazette on Underwood. Coach Mike McCarthy called him the most improved 2nd year player on the team. Now with the following coming out, Underwood may find himself in a totally different battle than that of just trying to improve on the field.

Coach Sean Payton took time from a busy Friday to sit down with the media and discuss his team’s play at their first practice of mini-camp this week. Here are some of his thoughts and observations.

On Jeremy Shockey’s condition

"He's doing well. We held him out today unrelated to last week. We held him out today because he had some back spasms. Last week he was dehydrated and all the tests came back. Basically his blood sugar count was low and he had that fainting episode. What's holding him back right now is just his back. It's something that probably in the last 24 hours it began to twinge on him and we're going to just play it day to day with him and make sure that he's ready but that's unrelated to what happened a week ago so the good news is from a test stand point, he's healthy, he's just battling the back. We have to get him ready."

On the recent postings on Twitter concerning his players

"We mentioned this a year ago, with the Twitter and a lot of these other means of communication. Really, when you Twitter, it's a press conference and I think it's something that we talked about a year ago and it's something that we talked about this week. Bottom line is that we're sitting here in June, and so I haven't really paid that much attention to it until the last, really, 24 hours. The various comments going back and forth, I just think it's fairly silly that we are sitting in the month of June talking about two players. It would be different if they were texting each other but I don't anticipate it being any more of an issue, but it is something when you decide to. I don't have a Facebook or a Twitter, or any of those other things, but when you decide to do something like that, you are having a mini press conference. We make sure the players understand that."

On not having RB Pierre Thomas or OT Jammal Brown at camp and how it affects what the team does in practice

"No, there's no update, and I wouldn't say it caught us off guard just because we didn't have them in the last OTAs. WE work really with the guys that are here and certainly you'd like to have everyone in your mini-camp and yet I'm sure there are a number of teams with the same issue with different positions and it is what it is."

On Malcolm Jenkins lining up at safety in place of Darren Sharper

"He's doing well. He's an intelligent player, so a position move for someone like him who's a thinker on the field can become mentally easier and I think he's handling it, handling the snaps that he's getting, he's getting a lot of them right now. Usama Young is getting a lot of snaps and I think it's a good thing. The one thing that we know is that he's a pretty good football player. He's working hard and handling the adjustment."

On keeping the team in the proper mind set and keeping their championship in perspective

"I think it's a great opportunity for the fans number one. It's really their first time. When you look at the access that they typically get it's during training camp, it's the season, gameday. There's a stretch of football where you go through the offseason, the draft, there's really no practice and it's a great time for them to come back out. A lot of these people wait for these opportunity to take their children to practice. I can recall as a kid going to watch the Eagles or the Bears when they were in their camps and my father taking me. I think it's a great opportunity for our fans to see the whole roster. They've heard and read a lot of what's been written, but they haven't had the chance to put their eyes on the team in a while. From that standpoint, each year it seems that the bleachers get bigger and the crowds get bigger. I think that's a good thing. I think that you should be a lot more concerned when nobody is coming to practice."

On the health of S Chip Vaughn and LB Stanley Arnoux, who missed last year with injuries

"Well there a lot further ahead mentally as to what we're doing, how we practice, our routine. Physically, they're both coming off of injuries, and both are anxious I'm sure to get acclimated and prove themselves with the opportunities. It's a little hard to do that right now without the pads on, but both those players are going to have plenty of snaps in training camp, and they'll use this time period to get the rust off, if you will, and get ready. Both of them are players that we look at like a redshirt player. Where Robert Meachem didn't really get quite the look his first year. Hopefully those two guys can stay healthy and do some things."

On the play of his backup QBs Chase Daniel and Sean Canfield

"Well, both Chase and Sean are picking things up. It's a little bit of a growing process for them. In Sean's case, it's all new. Chase's case, he spent most of the snaps last year just running the scout team reps. Because of the numbers, they're getting a lot of work. They're getting 5 or 6 snaps per period depending on the amount that we run in these team drills. You can watch film, you can open a playbook and study, but until you get out there and really work with the live bodies going, it's hard, especially at that position. They're picking it up, and they're doing a great job."

On rookie TE Jimmy Graham and his development

"He's getting a lot of work. Today and tomorrow we're doing a lot of base personnel groupings so that means we're in '21' and some '12' – two-tight end work. For us the key is finding a handful of packages that we think suit him, packages that would suit David Thomas or Jeremy Shockey. Jeremy got walk-through snaps today and went back in. He's feeling better. I was encouraged just seeing him out here getting the walk-through. But I do think that (Graham) is a guy that we're giving some snaps to and the timing with he and Drew is important. Just like you're seeing Patrick (Robinson) get some snaps. Some of these guys that we've had for the better part of three weeks now; the rookie camp, the OTAs and they've been quickly being brought up to speed."

Peyton Manning just had neck surgery a couple of months ago, back in March. He said it has relieved his symptoms and he feels good after it. He went through up to three treatment sessions. He also had time to do some other workouts and weight-lifting.

“I feel good out there throwing, I feel good in my lifting, I feel like everything went according to plan,” he said on the opening day of mini-camp. “I’m very relieved of that and I no longer have to get the treatment that I was having to get for the past four years.

“Treatment was time as much as anything, manual traction trying to relieve some things. Three times a day about 25 minutes apiece just got to be tough, very time consuming.”

Manning has had a pinched nerve in his neck that has been bothering him for four straight years. This is why he had to go to Chicago to get his surgery on his neck. Manning told the press about his neck problems after the Indianapolis Colts suffered a 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl back in February.

We’ve seen the recent history of the teams that have lost the Super Bowl. They tend to not make the playoffs and struggle often. Manning says he isn’t buying it and doesn’t believe in it at all.

“I don’t really get into the tendencies,” he said. “I think it’s all about how you handle it as a team. I think we’ve had another outstanding off-season. Come training camp time we expect everybody to be here.”

Jim Caldwell is giving players a lot of time for the team activites. He doesn’t want to put too much on their shoulders for the upcoming 2010-11 NFL season after what has just happened for the 2009.

Manning has shown once again that he is an unselfish player. He never talked about his contract issues once to the press or anybody. But I think it will happen before the regular season starts. Jim Irsay said he will give the 34-year-old, four-time MVP quarterback a contract so big, it would make him the highest-paid player in the National Football League.

Manning is working often to prepare his receivers, something he really didn’t have time to do last year; instead, progressing through the season with his new receiving targets in Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Tom Santi, and others.

Manning has been working with his new receiving targets this year. He’s working with new tight end Brody Eldridge, Sam Giguere (who is believed to be the next Wes Welker), and re-working and progressing with Anthony Gonzalez, who was injured for the whole season last year.

Manning will be unable to work with Reggie Wayne, though. It was reported just a few days ago that Wayne will be missing mini-camp. It was due to contract issues. Wayne will be making close to $6M for this year and next year. He says all he wants is a new contract. But though Wayne isn’t training with the team, he issued in a statement that he will practice at his home in Florida.

“I have tremendous respect for [owner] Jim Irsay, [president] Bill Polian and the entire Indianapolis Colts organization, but at this time, we are in disagreement concerning my contract situation,” Wayne said. “Therefore, I will not be attending this week’s mini-camp.

“I hope that a fair resolution can be reached in the not-too-distant future that allows me to achieve my goal of playing my entire career with the Colts.”

This makes things questionable. Jim Irsay is working on a contract to Peyton Manning, in which he said he would do in a statement even before the Super Bowl against the Saints. Now Reggie Wayne will be holding out because of his contract issues. Not only that, but Robert Mathis and Antoine Bethea also have contract issues as well. Mathis has been longing for one and Bethea has not yet agreed on a one-year tender offer. He can’t play until he has signed a contract. The Colts have a major problem there, because all these guys are important to the Colts success.

Jim Caldwell said he will coach anybody that will show up and he won’t be intimidated by the veterans with their contract issues. Manning says he hopes all the contract issues resolve by August 1st, when training camp begins. Manning hopes to be healthier, which he has been for the past twelve years, and beat every team this season. He wants to make every other team suffer and feel miserable.

“You’ve still got to go out there and do it,” Manning said. “I’m excited about the potential for this team and hopefully we can put it to good use.”

The Colts hope to improve soon. Dwight Freeney is rehabbing from his injury problem during the time of the Super Bowl. Bob Sanders is finally back, as he barely played for the past two seasons. He hopes to become an important part of the Colts’ defense for next year. A lot of players are recovering from some injuries, some not that big, though.

Right now, there’s one mission before training camp.

Stay healthy.

I can still remember the crowd screaming. October 12, 2008. Week 6. Dolphins at Houston. Texans are 0-4. Texans down 28-22 with 3 seconds left on the clock and with the game coming to a fast conclusion after Andre made the grab of the century…Matt Schaub hikes the ball…He takes off with it! TOUCHDOWN!!! Brown kicks and the Texans win 29-28!!! That was 2008…

Attributing several games where he and the Texans failed to finish in the fourth quarter, Matt Schaub told the press that he needs to finish better in games. However, it was not always Schaub who lost the games in the fourth; in fact, he had a career year last year putting up the most pass attempts and passing yards in the league with also the fifth most passing touchdowns and second most first downs. So here’s an analysis of the Texans’ close losses in 2009 and Schaub’s part in them:

1. At home versus Jacksonville in Week 3, it was Texans RB Chris Brown who fumbled on the one-yard line and failed to score a touchdown who was to blame for the loss turnover that led to the 31-27 loss. Schuab put up 300 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception in the game.
2. At Arizona in Week 5, the Texans were dealt a loss due to their dismal start on offense and special teams, but both sides did put up momentous numbers in the fourth. Schaub for 371, two touchdowns and one interception. The interception by Cardinal CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with 2:26 left in the game was returned for a touchdown to seal the game putting Arizona on top for the 28-21 win.
3. At Lucas Oil Stadium against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9, it was Kris Brown who left the Texans in disappointment, missing a 42-yard field goal attempt to tie the game for a possible overtime duel. The Texans lost 17-20.
4. At the Titans in Week 11, the Texans did all they could to beat the Titans but they came up short losing 20-17. Titans RB Chris Johnson put up 151-yards rushing, and hometown Titans’ QB Vince Young showed his Houston spirit. Schaub had 305 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and 16 first downs passing, but the Texans only had 1 first down rushing. Here, the defense failed to stop the speedy and shifty Titans, and Texans K Kris Brown’s failed 49-yard kick attempt to send the game to overtime couldn’t match Titans K Rob Bironas’ 53-yard minutes that occurred minutes earlier.
5. In Week 12 at home versus the Colts, the Texans’ spectacular first half died with penalties and a stuttering offense. I sat on the fifty-yard line watching the Texans go from adreniline pumped offensive powerhouses to surprised, antsy and almost-sugar-rushed lazy pinheads after quickly going up 14-0 in the first half. Schaub’s first incompletion didn’t come till the second half, but he and the Texans didn’t put together a good fourth quarter. The Texans had one touchdown in the fourth compared to the Colts’ offensive, special teams and defensive-interception touchdowns. Schaub threw for 282 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
6. Week 12 at Jacksonville, Schaub managed 207 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The game was a rough and exciting one, including a fourth down goal line stop of Jags RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Schaub dislocating his shoulder and returning later in the second half, a Zach Diles tackle on Garrard for a Jax safety, and the late one-yard touchdown to Andre Johnson in the fourth with four minutes left on the clock. Schaub’s interception came off a David Anderson drop caused by being immediately hit upon touching the ball; something Schaub still has to work on: getting balls to receivers who will not end up on the injured reserve if they catch it.

Big problems could be coming for a member of the Green Bay Packers, as word has hit that a member of the team has been hit with a sexual assault case. Now PFT is reporting that the player has said he did have sexual contact with two women, but that’s not what the women are claiming.

The still-unnamed member of the Green Bay Packers who is under investigation for sexual assault reportedly has admitted having sexual contact with the alleged victims. (Yes, victims.) However, the player claims that the contact with the two women was consensual, according to Charles Davis of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

The women claim there was no consent. The women also initially claimed that more than one player was involved. Police interviewed seven Packers; six of them are not suspected of criminal misconduct.

The unnamed player becomes the third NFL player accused of sexual assault in less than a year. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has faced two such claims. A civil suit filed earlier this year alleges that Colts defensive tackle Eric Foster sexually assaulted a hotel worker on the morning of the AFC Championship in January.

Though the six-game suspension imposed on Roethlisberger likely will trigger speculation that the unnamed Packer will face similar treatment even without an arrest, keep in mind that the league looks to pounce preemptively only on repeat offenders.

“If somebody’s showing a pattern of behavior and a series of misjudgments, we should find out what that is and try to deal with the problem,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told me during an interview that will appear in the upcoming PFT Season Preview magazine. “I’m not going to wait for somebody to get thrown into jail.”

In this case, the unnamed Packer could get thrown in jail. But the league most likely won’t intervene until the matter is resolved, unless the player in question has prior issues under the Personal Conduct Policy.