Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III has accepted a plea deal and will serve a prison sentence for his role in a fatal crash in Las Vegas. On the same day that teams had decided whether or not to exercise the fifth-year options on players from the 2020 draft class, one of those players was facing a much more serious decision. That decision came from Justice of the Peace Harmony Letizia in a Clark County courtroom.
- In November 2021, Ruggs, who was a first-round Raiders pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was arrested for driving under the influence in Nevada. He was driving at a speed of 156 miles per hour and rear-ended another vehicle. His blood alcohol concentration was almost double the legal limit. Ruggs had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16% when he struck the vehicle of 23-year-old Tina Tintor, killing Tintor and her pet dog, Max.
- As part of the plea agreement, Ruggs agreed to admit that he drove drunk at speeds up to 156 mph, causing a fiery crash that killed Tina Tintor. The plea deal could send the 24-year-old first-round NFL draft pick to state prison for three to 10 years. Charges for felony reckless driving, driving under the influence causing substantial injury, and a misdemeanor gun charge will be dismissed as part of the deal. However, had Ruggs been convicted of all the original charges in a trial, he could have faced more than 50 years in prison.
- The wide receiver who used to play for the Raiders will be sentenced in Clark County, Nevada, on May 10.
- The NFLPA sent an email to NFL contract advisors on Monday addressing recent gambling violations by NFL players. Additionally, as stated in the email, the sportsbook apps are actively monitoring players’ data, including their location and betting restrictions.
- The email โ obtained by The Athletic โ continued:
โDuring the NFLโs investigations we have learned that these apps (like FanDuel) are highly sensitive and very sophisticated at tracking, among other things, user location to be sure that the people using the app are not โprohibited gamblersโ and/or that the person using the app is in a location where they are allowed to place bets on the app. We have confirmed that some states monitor/audit FanDuel and the other gambling apps to ensure that the companies are in compliance with state law. It was as part of that monitoring that the NFL learned of the players using the apps at work in violation of NFL rules. At no time should players open or use any mobile gambling app while at work.โ
- On April 21, the NFL announced the indefinite suspensions of three players. They also handed out six-game suspensions for two others for violating the league’s gambling policy. The NFL suspended Lions’ receiver Jameson Williams for six games.
- On a recent Bussin’ with the Boys episode, former Titans offensive lineman Taylor Lewan revealed that he is suing the doctor who performed his knee surgery during the 2020 season:
- In a move that will surprise no one at all, Randall Cobb and Aaron Rodgers are reuniting in New York. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the duo will join forces with the Jets after Cobb signs a one-year deal. Randall Cobb caught 34 passes for 417 yards and a touchdown last year. Cobb logged 532 catches for 6,316 yards and 47 touchdowns over 130 total games with Green Bay.
- So, Cobb joins fellow former Packers receiver Allen Lazard and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett with Rodgers in New York.
- I shared a list of my favorite draft pick for every NFL team on Tuesday. These were simply my favorite picks. Thatโs it. No special formula, no grades. Just the player that I like best for that team today. Period. Simple enough?
- Luis wrote up an excellent post on new Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. yesterday:
- Patrick Wisdom is pretty good at baseball. He’s also got a pretty sweet first name, if I do say so myself: