Lawrence Taylor, Jon Bon Jovi, Matthew Stafford
Jon Bon Jovi is apparently itching for a chance to be involved with owning an NFL franchise, and the rock legend reportedly has his sights set on the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills have reportedly been on a fast track to be sold in the wake of the recent passing of their original owner, Ralph Wilson. His widow, Mary Wilson, now owns the club.
According to the Toronto Sun, Bon Jovi, a New Jersey native, is the face of a Toronto-based investment group. Bon Jovi, who has had a stake in the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League, came close to purchasing a minority portion of the Atlanta Falcons from Arthur Blank in 2011.
Last November, Bon Jovi's name surfaced as a possible buyer of the Bills before Wilson's passing, but the singer shot down those reports.
Now, he seems to be gearing up to make a full run at the team, which reportedly has other interested suitors, including Jeremy Jacobs, a Buffalo native and owner of the NHL's Boston Bruins.
"Jon remains passionate in his pursuit of an NFL franchise," Bon Jovi's publicist, Ken Sunshine, told the Sun via email.
According to the Sun, Bon Jovi, alone, might not have the financial capacity to meet the NFL's minimum requirement for ownership, but he has the backing of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and NBA's Toronto Raptors. Whether Bon Jovi's group would keep the Bills in Buffalo or try to move them to Toronto is unclear.
Bon Jovi has close ties with two of the league's most influential owners, New England's Robert Kraft and Dallas' Jerry Jones, as well as with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. In addition, he is a friend of Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
BANKS DOESN'T AGREE WITH CLOWNEY-TAYLOR COMPARISONS
Some NFL Draft analysts have compared South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with Pro-Football-Hall-of-Fame outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor.
But former New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and Cleveland Browns linebacker Carl Banks – who was Taylor's teammate in New York – said the comparison is invalid based on questions concerning Clowney's work ethic.
"L.T. was the guy that would always set the tempo for practice, whether he hated every drill," Banks told ESPN. "He would complain after the fact, but he would give 100 percent. …He never took a play off, never wanted to take a play off and resented players who took plays off. He'd talk about you if you wouldn't finish."
Work ethic aside, in Banks' view, Clowney won't equal Taylor's level of achievement because Taylor is a one-of-a-kind talent.
"No. 1, you're stepping over a lot of great defensive ends," Banks said. "They should hope he's as good as a Richard Dent, Neil Smith, Bruce Smith or Charles Haley. If he can get to that level, he's a dominant player. But you want to jump over those players and say he's the next Lawrence Taylor? It's ridiculous."
MATTHEW STAFFORD: 'NOBODY PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON ME THAN I DO'
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford understands that he can't afford to have the collapse he did in the second half of last season, and the multiple fourth-quarter meltdowns he experienced.
The Lions hope to remedy those issues with the hiring of their new coach, Jim Caldwell – who has experience working with great quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning – and with the signing of talented wide receiver Golden Tate to complement Calvin Johnson.
"In the NFL, if your quarterback plays really well, your team plays pretty well, and I understand that," Stafford told DetroitLions.com. "We're no different than any team, so the better I play, the better we're going to play as a team. Common theory says that.
"Nobody puts more pressure on me than I do. I want to be as good as I can possibly be and not for myself, but to help this team win. That's the number one goal."
REPORT SAYS EAGLES LOOKED TO ACQUIRE DION JORDAN FROM DOLPHINS
A report in the Delaware County Times says the Philadelphia Eagles made an attempt to acquire second-year Miami Dolphins pass rusher Dion Jordan, who played for Eagles coach Chip Kelly at Oregon.
The report said the Eagles offered the Dolphins a second-round pick and linebacker-defensive end Brandon Graham in exchange for Jordan. The Dolphins, according to the report, rejected the deal, presumably because it wasn't enough for a player they acquired with the third overall pick they obtained by giving up their first-round choice and second-round selection last year. The Dolphins reportedly felt the urgency to get to the third spot because they anticipated the Eagles would choose Jordan at No. 4.
The man who orchestrated the Dolphins' maneuvering was Jeff Ireland, but he no longer is their general manager. Dennis Hickey has that job now, and he would likely be less inclined to be patient with Jordan after his poor rookie season.
Could Jordan still be in play for the right offer?
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