INDIANAPOLIS — Colts defensive lineman David Parry used a number of expletives and derogatory words toward Scottsdale, Arizona, police officers who arrested him over the weekend, according to the police report obtained by ESPN.
Parry, 24, was arrested early Saturday morning on charges of auto theft, robbery, resisting arrest, driving under the influence and criminal damage.
He allegedly hit the driver of a golf cart transporting him and two other men from a Scottsdale bar in the head and sped off in the cart. The police found Parry on the sidewalk near where he crashed the cart into the gate of an apartment complex.
Parry, whose eyes were watery and bloodshot and whose speech was slurred, laughed and thought being arrested for robbery and auto theft was comical, according to the police report. Parry antagonized the officers, using gay slurs and calling them “fat f—s,” according to officers.
Parry had a brace on his left wrist from surgery earlier in the offseason that made it difficult for the officers to handcuff him. The police had to remove the brace from Parry’s wrist to put the handcuffs on because he kept “locking his muscles and turning his body in attempts to break free from” police, according to the report.
Parry was not given a breath test because of his lack of stability and because he was “dry heaving,” as if he was going to vomit, when the officers were drawing blood from his arm, according to the police report.
Asked how much he had to drink, Parry told the officers “a lot” and “more than I should have been,” according to the report.
New Colts general manager Chris Ballard will likely address the incident when he talks to the media during the scouting combine Wednesday.
Parry, who was selected in the fifth round in 2015, has started all 32 games of his NFL career and has 78 tackles and four sacks.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings will not pick up their option on Adrian Peterson’s contract for the 2017 season, the team announced Tuesday.
Peterson will become an unrestricted free agent on March 9.
Peterson, who restructured his deal with the team before the 2015 season, had an option for 2017 that would have paid him $18 million, including a $6 million roster bonus had he been on the roster on the third day of the new league year. The Vikings had until the start of the league year on March 9 to inform Peterson whether they would exercise the option.
“It’s been a great 10 years with the Minnesota Vikings,” Peterson said in a statement to ESPN’s Josina Anderson. “They know what I bring to the organization as a player, with my work ethic and dedication. I spoke with [Vikings GM] Rick Spielman this past weekend. The door is still open to find some common ground. I understand addressing the offensive line is one of their main priorities this offseason.
“In the meantime, I will explore my other options and see what path God leads me on. My main goal remains the same: to win a Super Bowl championship with a great team, which I also believe we have in Minnesota.”
Adrian Peterson, who ranks 16th in NFL history with 11,747 rushing yards, will become an unrestricted free agent on March 9 after the Vikings declined to exercise their team option for the 2017 season. AP Photo/Andy Clayton-King
It seemed inevitable the Vikings would not exercise the option on Peterson, who played just three games last season because of a torn meniscus and turns 32 on March 21. The team could still work out a restructured contract with Peterson before the start of the league year or try to re-sign him if he doesn’t find what he’s looking for on the free-agent market.
“Adrian is an important part of the Minnesota Vikings organization,” Spielman said in a statement. “We will continue to have conversations with his representatives and leave our future options open while determining what is best for both parties moving forward.”
He won an MVP in 2012 and ranks 16th all time with 11,747 rushing yards, but he has failed to eclipse 40 carries in two of the past three seasons because of suspension and injuries.
Peterson recently told ESPN’s First Take he would like to remain in Minnesota but would be intrigued by the Houston Texans, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers if he becomes a free agent.
Although it appears seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney wants to be back in Atlanta next season, his possible return shouldn’t keep the Falcons from pursuing pass-rush help through the draft or via free agency.
The 37-year-old Freeney told ESPN’s Jim Trotter on Monday that he “most likely” will return for a 16th NFL season. Freeney went on to say he’d probably come back if the Falcons wanted him.
Freeney’s veteran savvy and leadership certainly are assets to the defense. At the same time, he would be the first to say his legs aren’t what they used to be, as expected of a veteran with 209 regular-season games and 5,056 defensive snaps under his belt. So the Falcons would be wise to find a younger edge rusher to pair with reigning NFL sacks leader Vic Beasley Jr. for years to come.
Dwight Freeney can still get after quarterbacks, but at age 37 he could use some reinforcements in the Falcons pass-rush. AP Photo/David J. Phillip
The draft would be the wise way to go for the Falcons, considering that most of the top pass-rushers heading toward free agency (which begins March 9) are either already locked down by the franchise tag or will be too expensive to pursue anyhow. The Falcons are expected to have between $26 million and $29 million in cap space when the new league year starts, based on a projected salary cap of between $166 million and $168 million. And the priority apparently will be re-signing their own players rather than making a big splash.
The upcoming NFL combine in Indianapolis will give the Falcons a closer look at top draft prospects such as Barnett, Harris and McKinley, among others. McKinley intends to go through the combine testing before having shoulder surgery.
The emergence of nose tackle Grady Jarrett, who tied a Super Bowl record with three sacks, is certain to help bolster the Falcons pass rush. So could the return of versatile defensive lineman Derrick Shelby, who suffered a season-ending Achilles tear after playing in just six games. But in order for Quinn to play the attacking style he favors, finding another strong edge rusher is crucial.
Freeney, with his signature spin move, still could be that guy in spurts. But again, the Falcons have to think well beyond just next season. And Freeney, with 122.5 career sacks, won’t play forever.
• FAQs about the franchise tag • Franchise-tag predictions for all 32 teams • Biggest free-agent decisions for all teams
• A free agent every team should sign
During that span, we’ve seen teams benefit from the arrangement when they preferred not to make a long-term commitment to their best players. The tag has sometimes provided the necessary structure to jump-start negotiations. Occasionally, we’ve seen it work out well for players. (Seattle Seahawks left tackle Walter Jones got to sit out three consecutive training camps, all while earning top dollar as the franchise player, before signing a lucrative long-term deal in 2005.)
So in this momentous year, let’s look back at five of the best and worst franchise-tag decisions of 202 total from 1993 to 2016.
Quality is based on the perspective of the team, rather than the player who was tagged, and are, of course, up for debate.
Best franchise-tag decisions
Sean Gilbert, DT, Washington Redskins | Years: 1997-98
The Redskins paid dearly to acquire Gilbert in 1996, sending the No. 6 overall pick to the Rams, so they wanted to get more than one season for their trouble. But Gilbert was a union-minded veteran who drove a hard bargain, and he sat out the 1997 season rather than play under the franchise tag. Rather than pay him, though, the Redskins used the franchise tag again and waited while the Panthers rescued them. Rather than getting saddled with a weighty deal the Panthers soon regretted, the Redskins turned Gilbert into a pair of future first-round picks.
Peerless Price, WR, Buffalo Bills | Year: 2003
Sometimes, teams use the franchise tag to increase trade return. The Bills capitalized on Price’s career year — 94 receptions, 1,252 yards, nine touchdowns — in 2002 to dangle him with the tag the following offseason. The Falcons were known to regret passing on Price in the 1999 draft and still wanted him as a weapon for quarterback Michael Vick. Atlanta surrendered its first-round pick in 2003, No. 23 overall, for a player the Bills weren’t planning to bring back. In turn, the Bills used the pick on tailback Willis McGahee — who sat out his rookie year while recovering from a knee injury but then produced 3,365 yards and 24 touchdowns from 2004 to 2006.
Albert Haynesworth, DT, Tennessee Titans | Year: 2008
Haynesworth was one of the NFL’s most dynamic and confounding interior disruptors at the time, and the Titans did not meet his demands for a long-term deal. They let him play out the 2008 season under the tag, getting a career-high 8.5 sacks and three forced fumbles from him, and then let him sign a monster free-agent contract with the Redskins in 2009. (By prior agreement, the Titans couldn’t tag him again.) His new deal — which included a then-record $41 million in guarantees — turned out to be one of the worst in free-agent history. Haynesworth was totally disinterested in playing, was traded after appearing in only 20 games and was out of football by the end of the 2011 season. Whether by design or accident, the Titans got out from under him just in time.
The Bears placed the franchise tag on running back Matt Forte in 2012, and in the long term, the team came out on the better end of the deal. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
In part because of their shrewd/ruthless use of the tag, the Bears got eight highly productive years from Forte at an overall average of $4.375 million per season. Between 2008 and 2015, no running back had more combined rushing/receiving yards than Forte (12,718). The Bears made him a low offer in 2011, knowing they could use the tag in 2012 if needed. Forte turned it down, and the following year, the sides agreed on a four-year deal worth $32 million. At the time, Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson was earning more than $14 million per year. Forte’s compensation remains one of the most stark examples of how the franchise tag can suppress the salary of high-end players.
Anthony Spencer, DE/LB, Dallas Cowboys | Years: 2012-13
In truth, this two-year arrangement worked out well (financially) for both sides. In 2012, Spencer delivered the Cowboys a career season. He totaled 11 sacks and 95 total tackles in 14 games, in exchange for about $8.8 million. The Cowboys franchised him for a second consecutive year in 2013, at a cost of $10.6 million. Spencer then suffered a knee injury that required microfracture surgery. He played in only one game that season and was out of football by 2015. So in the end, the Cowboys were able to pay as they went rather than commit to a long-term deal. And Spencer received a total of $19.4 million over two years, at least as much if not more than he would have taken in over two seasons of a multiyear deal.
Worst franchise-tag decisions
Joey Galloway, WR, Seahawks/Cowboys | Year: 2000
Let’s be clear. The Seahawks made a great decision to franchise Galloway, even though he was 29 and had caught only 22 passes in 1999 after an eight-game holdout. The Cowboys made the huge blunder here. They were so infatuated with the idea of adding a playmaking receiver that they sent two first-round picks to acquire Galloway’s rights. He never produced a 1,000-yard season for them and scored only 11 touchdowns in three full seasons before being traded again in 2004. The Seahawks used the picks to select running back Shaun Alexander in 2000 and receiver Koren Robinson in 2001.
Steve Hutchinson, G, Seahawks | Year: 2006
In this case, the Seahawks erred in not using the franchise tag. Hutchinson was an All-Pro player who wanted elite money at a position that rarely got it. The Seahawks used the transition tag, which offered them only the right of first refusal, to let Hutchinson find his true worth on the market. He did, signing a precedent-setting $49 million offer sheet with the Vikings that contained a “poison pill” that made it impossible for the Seahawks to match. In the end, the Seahawks got too cute and received no compensation for losing a Hall of Fame player that they wanted back all along.
Greg Hardy, DE, Carolina Panthers | Year: 2014
To be fair, the Panthers extended the tag three months before Hardy was charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend. He had already signed the tender by the time the incident occurred, preventing the Panthers from rescinding it. But in the end, the Panthers got only one game out of him (and one sack) while still paying the entirety of his $13.4 million salary. Almost no production, and nationwide scorn, proved a double scar for the franchise.
The Dolphins are still looking for a tight end the caliber of Charles Clay, who signed with the Bills in 2015. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
I did my best last season to justify and explain the Panthers’ thinking here. There was absolutely an argument to make for allowing a 29-year-old cornerback to move on, especially by a team that philosophically favors building from the interior, rather than committing to multiple years of eight-digit salaries. But you must have a reasonable plan for replacement, and the 2016 season proved the Panthers did not. They ranked No. 24 in defensive QBR, allowing the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL (4,291), despite a pass rush that recorded 47 sacks — second most in the NFL. If nothing else, the Panthers should have allowed Norman to play out the season on the franchise tag and then parted ways.
Free agency begins on March 9, the start of the NFL’s new league year. The deadline to franchise or transition tag a player is March 1. Here’s more from ESPN.com: