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NFL notebook: Carruth apologizes for murder, wants custody of son

[February 20, 2018] Former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth, convicted in 2001 for conspiracy in the 1999 murder of the woman pregnant with his child, has penned a letter to the woman's mother in which he accepted responsibility for the crime and expressed his desire for custody of his son.

The 15-page letter was published Monday by CBS Charlotte affiliate WBTV, to whom Carruth sent the letter. According to the outlet, Carruth had previously written letters to the woman, Saundra Adams, but had never received a response.

Carruth was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison after he was found guilty on three charges related to the shooting death of Cherica Adams in November 1999. Adams was eight months pregnant at the time. During trial, prosecutors explained that Carruth did not want to pay child support and hired a hitman to kill Adams. Adams, however, lived for a month after the shooting and delivered the child. The boy, Chancellor Lee Adams, was born with cerebral palsy as a result of his mother's gunshot injuries.

Carruth is scheduled to be released from prison in October and in the letter said he believes he should get custody of Chancellor Adams, who is now 18 but in need of care. Cherica's mother Saundra Adams, who has raised Chancellor his whole life, responded on Twitter saying she has forgiven Rae but adding, "I can say definitively he's not ever going to have custody of Chancellor."

--There was no Super Bowl surprise for the New England Patriots when cornerback Malcolm Butler did not start the game.

Safety Devin McCourty, a defensive captain since his second season in the league, said Butler was aware he would not start against the Philadelphia Eagles. Eric Rowe got the nod, despite Butler playing 97.8 percent of defensive snaps in the regular season.

"As far as I know, all of that is the furthest thing from the truth," McCourty said. "We all knew he wasn't starting all week. That wasn't a secret to the guys on the team."

--In-house candidates Duce Staley and Mike Groh will reportedly interview with Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson for the team's vacant offensive coordinator position Monday.

ESPN reported Pederson will interview Staley, who played for the team and serves as running backs coach, and Groh, wide receivers coach and the son of Al Groh, for the post vacated by new Colts head coach Frank Reich.

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Staley, 42, joined the coaching staff in Philadelphia in 2011 under head coach Andy Reid and remained with the franchise under Chip Kelly and Pederson. Groh, 46, joined the Eagles in 2017 and previously held the same title coaching receivers with the Chicago Bears (2013-15) and Los Angeles Rams (2016). Pederson will remain the team's playcaller.

--Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater calls 2017 "my favorite season" in the NFL despite playing no meaningful snaps last year.

Of course, you have to put Bridgewater's comments in context after he missed the entire 2016 season recovering from a career-threatening knee injury.

"It was probably my favorite season by far, even though I didn't play much," Bridgewater said, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. "This season challenged my mindset because as bad as I wanted to be out there playing -- being the competitor that I am, I wanted to go to war and go to battle with my guys -- I had to be out there in a different aspect. I had to be there for the guys mentally.

"It gave me a different role and I accepted it. It was one that was hard to accept because I'm a competitor, but I wouldn't trade this year for nothing."

--The Minnesota Vikings officially hired former Oakland Raiders offensive coordinator Todd Downing as senior offensive assistant, the team announced Monday.

Downing, who is entering his 18th NFL season, rejoins the Vikings in 2018 after last coaching with the club in 2005. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native held multiple posts during his five-year stint with Minnesota from 2001-05.

Downing, 37, served as the Raiders' offensive coordinator last season after spending two years as quarterbacks coach. He was not retained by the Raiders when the team hired Jon Gruden as head coach in January.

--Field Level Media

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