NFL Notes: PED Investigation, Browns & Seahawks

PED Investigation

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy issued a statement about their plans to interview players named in the Al-Jazeera report, including Peyton Manning, via NFL.com.

The NFL has chosen to initiate an investigation of these players based upon now-recanted statements that appeared in an Al-Jazeera report. The NFLPA requested from the NFL any additional evidence supporting an investigation of the players; the NFL did not provide any such evidence, nor did they inform the NFLPA or the players that any such evidence exists. Instead, the NFL has decided to publicly pressure the players into submission. We will continue to advise our players about their rights and hold the NFL accountable.

The NFLPA and NFL are obligated and have a shared responsibility to look into allegations that could impact the integrity of competition on the field and the health of our players. We have been obtaining and reviewing numerous records, conducting multiple interviews and working with other entities. We have made no conclusions but the report merits a review, including interviews with the players named.

Browns 

Browns seventh-round LB Scooby Wright has impressed the team’s coaching staff enough that he could end up being a late-round steal for Cleveland.

“He’s done an excellent job of trying to learn our defense, working very hard. He’s going to have a bright future,” Browns inside linebackers coach Johnny Holland said a few weeks ago, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “Scooby plays with the effort that we like. He’s a very intense player, and he had a lot of production in college.”

Seahawks

Seahawks OL coach Tom Cable mentioned during an interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio that veteran OT J’Marcus Webb will be key to rebuilding their offensive line.

“And just having J’Marcus here, my whole plan with him — and I told him every day (during offseason workouts — ‘This is going to be the best year of your career if you’ll give yourself to this thing.’ And what I mean by that, he’s kind of been up and down,” Cable said. “…I think, again, it’s about getting someone to believe in him, and that’s my job, and in getting him to believe in himself. And if those two things can marry up right, I think this kid can really, really do something cool for us. And we need him to.”