This is the closest the NFL has come to issuing the equivalent of the death penalty handed to the SMU football team in 1987 for repeated violations of NCAA rules and regulations. The program has never returned to prominence.

 

Lofton, who joined the Saints as a free agent last month from the Atlanta Falcons, also spun positive.

“Everyone else seems to have such a negative view of the Saints, and that’s awesome, because it just brings us together,” said Lofton, who said he was very impressed by the attitude of his new teammates, describing them as “a big family.”

 

 The report is short on specifics, saying only that Benson saw “a pattern of behavior that needed to be corrected” from his granddaughter. Among the issues raised are a “lack of focus and abrasive management style,” evidenced by, among other things, going through an estimated 30 assistants in her six years of working full-time with the team. She’s also reportedly “developed a reputation for stalling projects,” and Benson (who made his own money) is concerned that his granddaughter (who was born rich) has developed a sense of entitlement.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, not offensive coordinator Mike Sherman or general manager Jeff Ireland, is the driving force behind the team’s interest in selecting Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill with the No. 8 overall pick in this week’s NFL draft, a league source told ProFootballTalk.com on Sunday.