Page 29 - Florida Sentinel 2-26-16 Edition

Sports
Jose Reyes On Paid Leave Pending
LeSean McCoy Meets
Resolution Of Criminal Case
With Prosecutors Despite
Commissioner Rob Man- fred made the announce- ment Tuesday.
MLB said in its statement that Section III.C.2 of its do- mestic violence policy per- mits the commissioner “to impose a paid suspension pending resolution of the legal proceedings or an in- vestigation.”
Upon completion of Reyes’ criminal case, Man- fred will decide whether to impose discipline. MLB said it will have no further com- ment until Reyes’ case is re- solved.
Reyes will receive the $22 million salary he earns dur- ing the season while on leave. The players’ union has the right to challenge the deci-
Reports Talk Was Off
Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has been placed on paid leave by Major League Baseball pending completion of his domestic violence case in Hawaii.
The meeting, which origi- nally had been scheduled to take place at the district attor- ney’s office, instead took place at the office of McCoy’s attorney, Dennis Cogan. Cogan said McCoy met with assistant city prosecutors.
McCoy and Cogan walked out together after the meeting, and Cogan spoke briefly with reporters.
“He’d love to talk to you, but I’m not letting him talk to you, because there is an ongo- ing investigation,” Cogan said.
“We don’t want to try any of these matters in the press. ... The one quote I have on the public record is, ‘He did noth- ing wrong.”
Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy met with Philadelphia prosecutors Tues- day evening.
The Philadelphia police de- partment confirmed Feb. 9, after turning the case over to the DA’s office, that it did not interview McCoy or the three other suspects in a Feb. 7 bar fight that led to two off-duty police officers being treated for injuries.
sion before an arbitrator and said it will work with Reyes to protect his rights “if fur-
ther discipline is issued’‘ or if the “suspension is not re- solved in a timely fashion.’
Mario Williams Changes Tune, Says He’d Consider Pay Cut
After questioning in De- cember the logic of taking a pay cut from his $19.9 million cap number next season, de- fensive end Mario Williams has changed his tone on the issue.
On Wednesday, he stated that “it’s bigger than just the numbers” and he would be open to listening to the Buf- falo Bills about reducing his pay.
The Bills have the NFL’s tightest salary-cap situation this offseason.
“I would love to have him back, but we’ll see how realis- tic that is,” coach Rex Ryan said on Wednesday.
A source reported in De- cember, citing a person with direct knowledge of discus- sions, that the Bills would re- lease Williams this offseason. The Bills can save
MARIO WILLIAMS
$12.9 million by releasing him.
“Yeah, I mean, it all de- pends on what is happening,” Williams told Anderson. “My thing is this: Obviously, I’ve had big contracts, but once you get on a team and you get around the guys, it becomes family. The guys on defense, we laugh and talk about anything. We do a bunch of stuff together, and off the field, obviously. It’s bigger than just numbers.
Steelers Won’t Assume Le’Veon Bell Will Be Fully Healed For 2016 Opener
INDIANAPOLIS — The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t as- suming anything when it comes to running back Le’Veon Bell’s return from injury — even a full bill of health for the 2016 opener.
General manager Kevin Colbert said Wednesday at the NFL combine that the Steelers are placing no restric- tions on Bell’s rehab from a torn right MCL and will let him return on his time.
“We can’t even say he’ll be ready for the regular season because we won’t know that until he goes through the whole process,” Colbert said. “His health and his ability to return at 100 percent is the most important.” Colbert
LE’VEON BELL
suspects Bell will increase his rehab workload soon.
Bell is arguably the game’s most explosive back but is en- tering the final year of his rookie contract. Playing healthy and playing well is in his best interest financially, unless the team extends him before his final year, which they’ve done in the past with key players.
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