NFL News:

• It sounds like the Raiders are pushing hard for Antonio Brown.
  • Lord knows they’ve got spare first-round picks.
  • John Gruden got off his knees long enough to say, “He’s the hardest working man, I think, in football,” Gruden said. “Hardest working player I’ve ever seen practice, and I’ve seen Jerry Rice, I’ve seen a lot of good ones.”

• Robert Kraft has been ordered to attend his next court hearing on March 28.
  • His lawyer is trying to have the order waived, but it appears the judge in the case wants all defendants to appear before the court in person.
  • In capital letters, the document says, “THE DEFENDANT MUST BE PRESENT AT THIS HEARING.” The document adds that a failure to appear will result in a” bond forfeiture, or revocation of own recognizance (O.R.) and a Capias/Warrant being issued for your arrest.”
  • SI’s Extra Mustard made the interesting link to the date:

Robert Kraft's arraignment is set for March 28.

3/28.

Of course. pic.twitter.com/Y9eSlQEEPg

— Out of Bounds (@SI_outofbounds) March 7, 2019

• LATE UPDATE: Case Keenum will be traded to the [Redacteds] once the new league year starts March 13.
  • Washington will get Keenum, a seventh-round pick in 2020, and the Broncos paying him a $500,000 restructure bonus as well as $3.5 million of his $7 million guaranteed salary. The Broncos get Washington’s 2020 6th-round pick.
    • So the [Redacteds] will only have to pay the other half of the $3.5 million guaranteed salary owed Keenum for 2019.
  • If he beats Colt McCoy for the starting job, his base salary will be $18 million, which includes the $7 million guaranteed.

Finally, there’s a bit of kerfuffle about nfl.com’s Charley Casserly and his comments about Kyler Murray.

• None of which you will find on nfl.com any more. It’s still on the Twitter, though.

Full comments from @CharleyCasserly on Kyler Murray here: pic.twitter.com/tcUIckfGRU

— NFL Media (@NFLMedia) March 5, 2019

• Apparently, Casserly came out on Monday quoting “sources” that Kyler Murray wasn’t the #1 pick in the draft. Here’s the money quote:
  • “He better hope Kingsbury takes him No. 1 because this was not good,” Casserly said. “These were worst comments I ever got on a high-rated quarterback and I’ve been doing this a long time. . . . Leadership — not good. Study habits — not good. The board work — below not good. Not good at all in any of those areas, raising major concerns about what this guy is going to do.”
• I don’t know – it’s hard to trust a football guy with Gene Keady’s haircut.

• Since then, it’s been on like Donkey Kong as people come forward to challenge the accuracy of his statements:
  • Florio took a run at him, including this gem:
    • Remember when NFL Network had to remind Warren Sapp that he isn’t a reporter, after he outed Jeremy Shockey as the Saints’ bounty snitch? What Casserly did today is the same thing.
  • Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley stood up for his QB: 
    • “I’ve personally spoken with the majority of teams that he met with [at the Combine} and everyone was glowing about their conversations with Kyler,” Riley told Dan Patrick. “Basically the complete opposite of what Charley said.”
  • Murray’s agent Erik Burkhardt had some fire in his belly yesterday:
    • “So what do I think about an agenda-driven ‘analyst’ who’s never once even talked to Kyler or any of his coaches or teammates?” Burkhardt said. “I think it’s disgusting and embarrassing and Casserly should be ashamed of himself.”
    • “But when you slander the character and work ethic of a young man who’s worked his ass off his entire life and done everything right to put himself in his current position, you’d better cite your sources and come with a better record than 18-46 as a G.M. of the Texans.”
  • And numerous people brought up the old Bill Belichick gem from nine years ago:
    • “Who’s been wrong more than Charley Casserly since he left the [*Redacted] s? His percentage is like a meteorologist.”

It all sounds like that old 1983 deal with Dan Marino, where “sources” talked up his “drug issues” until he dropped to the Dolphins. Indeed, “sources” are already making the same allegations, and that Casserly is that team’s unwitting puppet.

Stay tuned.

Tonight’s sports:

• NHL: (all Canadian teams are regional broadcasts only)
  • Blue Jackets at Penguins – 7:00PM | NBCSN
  • Panthers at Bruins – 7:00PM | Sportsnet

• NBA:
  • Pacers at Bucks – 8:00PM | TNT / Sportsnet1
  • Thunder at Trail Blazers – 10:30PM | TNT / Sportsnet1

• NCAA:
  • Iowa at Wisconsin – 7:00PM | ESPN
  • Cincinnati at UCF – 7:00PM | ESPN2
  • Indiana at Illinois – 8:00PM | FS1
  • SMU at Houston – 9:00PM | ESPN
  • UCLA at Colorado – 9:00PM | ESPN2
  • Southern California at Utah – 10:00PM | FS1

That’s it for me during the workweek. Seamus has your sexy tomorrow night, and I’ll have my weekend ramblings up per usual. KEEP IT BETWEEN THE DITCHES!