Defensive Lineman Brace Dies, Manziel Indicted By Grand Jury

Defensive lineman Ron Brace, a 2009 second-round draft choice of the New England Patriots, has died at the age of 29.

Brace's death was confirmed by the Springfield (Massachusetts) Police Department, which said an investigation is ongoing.

The cause of death is not suspicious, Springfield Police Captain Robert Strzempek told MassLive.com.

"We were deeply saddened to hear the news this morning of Ron Brace's death," the Patriots said in a statement. "Seven years ago tomorrow, we drafted Ron after his standout career at Boston College. During his Patriots career, the Springfield native was always eager to volunteer and give back in our communities, especially when those community initiatives were held in Western Mass. It is difficult to believe that someone so young and in the prime of his life is no longer with us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ron's family, friends and the many former teammates who will mourn Ron's passing."

Boston College special teams coordinator/defensive line coach Al Washington, who played on the Eagles' defensive line with Brace, said on Twitter earlier Sunday that he had spoken with Brace two weeks ago to discuss coaching with his former teammate.

The 6-foot-3, 330-pound Brace played in 39 games (seven starts) for the Patriots from 2009 to 2012. He had signed with the Washington Redskins in 2013 but didn't play a regular-season game again.

Johnny Manziel Indicted by Grand Jury

Embattled quarterback Johnny Manziel has been indicted by a Dallas County grand jury on a misdemeanor assault charge, Dallas' ABC News 8 and CBS Dallas/Fort Worth reported, citing sources.

The formal announcement is expected to come Monday. Manziel's case was heard by a grand jury on Thursday.

Manziel, a former Cleveland Browns quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner at Texas A&M, is accused of hitting his ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, so hard that she temporarily lost hearing in one ear.

Crowley requested and was granted a protective order against the 23-year-old quarterback that prevents him from seeing her for two years.

Crowley said she and Manziel had a confrontation in a Dallas hotel room, and it continued downstairs at the valet station. She said he forced her into a car, and a valet ignored her pleas for help. The two drove to where her car was parked in front of a Dallas bar, she said in an affidavit. She accused Manziel of getting into the driver's seat and beginning to drive. She said that when she tried to jump out of the car, Manziel stopped, dragged her back into the car and hit her.

Police said they have spoken to Crowley, interviewed several other witnesses and reviewed medical records. But they did not arrest Manziel and instead took the unusual step of asking the district attorney's office to present the case to a grand jury. Typically, the local grand jury hears only felony cases, according to ABC News 8.

A misdemeanor assault case carries a maximum punishment of one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Manziel was cut by the Browns in March after two tumultuous seasons marked by inconsistent play and off-the-field headlines about his partying and drinking, including one stint in rehab. His future in the NFL is uncertain and might be nonexistent without the second stint in treatment that two agents demanded before cutting ties with him.