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NFC Notes: Panthers, Allen, Rams, Bucs, Lions

March 26th, 2014 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters today, including ESPN.com’s David Newton, head coach Ron Rivera attempted to clear the air when it came to the Panthers‘ decision to release Steve Smith. While there had been a belief that Smith was viewed as a locker-room distraction, that wasn’t the case, according to Rivera, who said the decision was purely a football one.

“This is not a fly-by-night decision,” Rivera said. “This was not a personal decision…. There was nothing personal about it. I’m a little disappointed that so many people reacted the way they did without truly understanding there was a lot of things that go into this. This was not a willy-nilly, fly-by-night vengeful thing. This was a very calculated [decision].”

Here’s more from around the NFC, with a focus on head coaches’ comments from Orlando….

  • Rivera also made it clear this morning that the Panthers will be drafting at least one receiver, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
  • Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who originally reported that Jared Allen was expected to sign with the Seahawks, hears from the defensive end that the Bears entered the mix for him at the last minute.
  • Rams head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters today, including Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link), that his team hasn’t had trade talks involving the No. 2 pick at this point. Of course, that’s not to say discussions won’t occur at some point.
  • The Rams will host Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews for a private workout, according to Fisher (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
  • Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links) passes along a couple highlights from Lovie Smith‘s conversation with the media today. According to the Buccaneers head coach, the team feels good about Josh McCown and Mike Glennon but could add another quarterback in the draft. Smith also said that extending Gerald McCoy‘s contract is a priority: “We want him around for a long time.”
  • Before tight end Jim Dray signed with the Browns, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians was very interested in bringing Dray back to the Cardinals, tweets Nate Ulrich.
  • Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said today that the club would like to add a pass-rushing outside linebacker, and are looking for “a little bit different flavor” rusher to pair with Ezekiel Ansah, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
  • Caldwell and Lions GM Martin Mayhew will both attend Texas A&M’s Pro Day tomorrow to check out wide receiver Mike Evans, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).

Saints To Re-Sign Luke McCown

March 26th, 2014 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with backup quarterback Luke McCown, according to agent Mike McCartney (via Twitter). The announcements comes on the heels of head coach Sean Payton expressing this morning that he’d like the club to re-sign the veteran signal-caller.

McCown, who has also played for the Browns, Bucs, Jaguars, and Falcons, will be returning to New Orleans for a second season. In 2013, the 32-year-old didn’t see much action behind a healthy Drew Brees, appearing in just three games for the Saints. McCown misfired on his only pass attempt of the season.

The Saints also have youngster Ryan Griffin under contract, and Payton had high praise for him this morning as well (Twitter link via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com). Still, McCown will probably enter the summer as the favorite to be Brees’ primary backup.

Terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but McCown undoubtedly won’t make out as well as his older brother Josh McCown, who signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Bucs earlier this month. Luke’s contract is more likely to be a minimum salary benefit deal, which is what he played on in 2013.

Complete 2014 NFL Draft Order

March 26th, 2014 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

The NFL officially announced the 32 compensatory picks for the 2014 draft earlier this week, which means the order for May’s draft has been set. We’re still a few weeks away from the draft getting underway on May 8, so picks could still change hands in trades right up until that date. If they do, we’ll be sure to update this list, which can be found anytime on the right-hand sidebar under “PFR Features.”

Here’s the complete 2014 NFL draft order:

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  1. Houston Texans
  2. St. Louis Rams (from Washington)
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars
  4. Cleveland Browns
  5. Oakland Raiders
  6. Atlanta Falcons
  7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  8. Minnesota Vikings
  9. Buffalo Bills
  10. Detroit Lions
  11. Tennessee Titans
  12. New York Giants
  13. St. Louis Rams
  14. Chicago Bears
  15. Pittsburgh Steelers
  16. Dallas Cowboys
  17. Baltimore Ravens
  18. New York Jets
  19. Miami Dolphins
  20. Arizona Cardinals
  21. Green Bay Packers
  22. Philadelphia Eagles
  23. Kansas City Chiefs
  24. Cincinnati Bengals
  25. San Diego Chargers
  26. Cleveland Browns (from Indianapolis)
  27. New Orleans Saints
  28. Carolina Panthers
  29. New England Patriots
  30. San Francisco 49ers
  31. Denver Broncos
  32. Seattle Seahawks

Round 2

  1. Houston Texans
  2. Washington Redskins
  3. Cleveland Browns
  4. Oakland Raiders
  5. Atlanta Falcons
  6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  7. Jacksonville Jaguars
  8. Minnesota Vikings
  9. Buffalo Bills
  10. Tennessee Titans
  11. New York Giants
  12. St. Louis Rams
  13. Detroit Lions
  14. Pittsburgh Steelers
  15. Dallas Cowboys
  16. Baltimore Ravens
  17. New York Jets
  18. Miami Dolphins
  19. Chicago Bears
  20. Arizona Cardinals
  21. Green Bay Packers
  22. Philadelphia Eagles
  23. Cincinnati Bengals
  24. San Francisco 49ers (from Kansas City)
  25. San Diego Chargers
  26. New Orleans Saints
  27. Indianapolis Colts
  28. Carolina Panthers
  29. San Francisco 49ers
  30. New England Patriots
  31. Denver Broncos
  32. Seattle Seahawks

Round 3

  1. Houston Texans
  2. Washington Redskins
  3. Oakland Raiders
  4. Atlanta Falcons
  5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  6. Jacksonville Jaguars
  7. Cleveland Browns
  8. Minnesota Vikings
  9. Buffalo Bills
  10. New York Giants
  11. St. Louis Rams
  12. Detroit Lions
  13. San Francisco 49ers (from Tennessee)
  14. Dallas Cowboys
  15. Baltimore Ravens
  16. New York Jets
  17. Miami Dolphins
  18. Chicago Bears
  19. Cleveland Browns (from Pittsburgh)
  20. Arizona Cardinals
  21. Green Bay Packers
  22. Philadelphia Eagles
  23. Kansas City Chiefs
  24. Cincinnati Bengals
  25. San Diego Chargers
  26. Indianapolis Colts
  27. New Orleans Saints
  28. Carolina Panthers
  29. New England Patriots
  30. San Francisco 49ers
  31. Denver Broncos
  32. Minnesota Vikings (from Seattle)
  33. Pittsburgh Steelers (compensatory)
  34. Green Bay Packers (compensatory)
  35. Baltimore Ravens (compensatory)
  36. San Francisco 49ers (compensatory)

Round 4

  1. Houston Texans
  2. Washington Redskins
  3. Atlanta Falcons
  4. New York Jets (from Tampa Bay)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars
  6. Cleveland Browns
  7. Oakland Raiders
  8. Minnesota Vikings
  9. Buffalo Bills
  10. St. Louis Rams
  11. Detroit Lions
  12. Tennessee Titans
  13. New York Giants
  14. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Baltimore)
  15. New York Jets
  16. Miami Dolphins
  17. Chicago Bears
  18. Pittsburgh Steelers
  19. Dallas Cowboys
  20. Arizona Cardinals
  21. Green Bay Packers
  22. Philadelphia Eagles
  23. Cincinnati Bengals
  24. Kansas City Chiefs
  25. San Diego Chargers
  26. New Orleans Saints
  27. Cleveland Browns (from Indianapolis)
  28. Carolina Panthers
  29. San Francisco 49ers
  30. New England Patriots
  31. Denver Broncos
  32. Seattle Seahawks
  33. Detroit Lions (compensatory)
  34. Baltimore Ravens (compensatory)
  35. Houston Texans (compensatory)
  36. Detroit Lions (compensatory)
  37. New York Jets (compensatory)
  38. Baltimore Ravens (compensatory)
  39. Atlanta Falcons (compensatory)
  40. New England Patriots (compensatory)

Round 5

  1. Houston Texans
  2. Washington Redskins
  3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars
  5. Cleveland Browns
  6. Seattle Seahawks (from Oakland)
  7. Atlanta Falcons
  8. Minnesota Vikings
  9. Buffalo Bills
  10. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Detroit)
  11. Tennessee Titans
  12. New York Giants
  13. St. Louis Rams
  14. New York Jets
  15. Miami Dolphins
  16. Chicago Bears
  17. Pittsburgh Steelers
  18. Dallas Cowboys
  19. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Baltimore)
  20. Arizona Cardinals
  21. Green Bay Packers
  22. Philadelphia Eagles
  23. Kansas City Chiefs
  24. Cincinnati Bengals
  25. San Diego Chargers
  26. Indianapolis Colts
  27. New Orleans Saints
  28. Carolina Panthers
  29. New Orleans Saints (from New England via Philadelphia)
  30. San Francisco 49ers
  31. Denver Broncos
  32. Seattle Seahawks
  33. Pittsburgh Steelers (compensatory)
  34. New York Giants (compensatory)
  35. Baltimore Ravens (compensatory)
  36. Green Bay Packers (compensatory)

Round 6

  1. Houston Texans
  2. Washington Redskins
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars
  4. Cleveland Browns
  5. Houston Texans (from Oakland)
  6. Atlanta Falcons
  7. Chicago Bears (from Tampa Bay)
  8. Minnesota Vikings
  9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Buffalo)
  10. Tennessee Titans
  11. New York Giants
  12. St. Louis Rams
  13. Detroit Lions
  14. Miami Dolphins
  15. Chicago Bears
  16. Pittsburgh Steelers
  17. Kansas City Chiefs (from Dallas)
  18. Baltimore Ravens
  19. New York Jets
  20. Arizona Cardinals
  21. Green Bay Packers
  22. New England Patriots (from Philadelphia)
  23. Cincinnati Bengals
  24. Kansas City Chiefs
  25. San Diego Chargers
  26. New Orleans Saints
  27. Indianapolis Colts
  28. Carolina Panthers
  29. Jacksonville Jaguars (from San Francisco)
  30. New England Patriots
  31. Denver Broncos
  32. Seattle Seahawks
  33. New York Jets (compensatory)
  34. New York Jets (compensatory)
  35. Houston Texans (compensatory)
  36. Cincinnati Bengals (compensatory)
  37. New York Jets (compensatory)
  38. St. Louis Rams (compensatory)
  39. Pittsburgh Steelers (compensatory)

Round 7

  1. Houston Texans
  2. Washington Redskins
  3. Cleveland Browns
  4. Oakland Raiders
  5. Atlanta Falcons
  6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  7. Jacksonville Jaguars
  8. Minnesota Vikings
  9. Buffalo Bills
  10. Carolina Panthers (from New York Giants)
  11. St. Louis Rams
  12. Detroit Lions
  13. Tennessee Titans
  14. Dallas Cowboys (from Chicago)
  15. Pittsburgh Steelers
  16. Dallas Cowboys
  17. Indianapolis Colts (from Baltimore)
  18. New York Jets
  19. Miami Dolphins
  20. Oakland Raiders (from Arizona)
  21. Green Bay Packers
  22. Philadelphia Eagles
  23. Dallas Cowboys (from Kansas City)
  24. Cincinnati Bengals
  25. San Diego Chargers
  26. St. Louis Rams (from Indianapolis)
  27. San Francisco 49ers (from New Orleans)
  28. San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina)
  29. New England Patriots
  30. San Francisco 49ers
  31. Denver Broncos
  32. Oakland Raiders (from Seattle)
  33. Dallas Cowboys (compensatory)
  34. St. Louis Rams (compensatory)
  35. St. Louis Rams (compensatory)
  36. Dallas Cowboys (compensatory)
  37. Cincinnati Bengals (compensatory)
  38. Atlanta Falcons (compensatory)
  39. Dallas Cowboys (compensatory)
  40. Atlanta Falcons (compensatory)
  41. Houston Texans (compensatory)

NFL.com was used in the creation of this post.

Mike Wallace On Trade Block?

March 26th, 2014 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

11:14am: As expected, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who cited a Dolphins source in shooting down La Canfora’s initial report, has done the same today, tweeting that the Dolphins haven’t spoken to anyone about Wallace, before or during this week’s league meetings. La Canfora clearly has at least one source who says otherwise, but as I noted below, Wallace’s contract makes a trade virtually impossible for now, so I doubt he’s going anywhere anytime soon.

10:45am: About a month ago, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that the Dolphins were gauging the trade value of a few notable players, including wide receiver Mike Wallace. The report was quickly and unequivocally shot down by the team, but La Canfora has doubled down today, tweeting that Miami has “renewed attempts” to trade Wallace during this week’s league meetings.

Considering the Dolphins moved quickly to deny the first round of trade rumors involving Wallace, Cameron Wake, and Dion Jordan, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team did so again this time around — after last month’s strong denials, not responding to this report might essentially confirm that the club has interest in trading Wallace.

Either way, there are some reasons why the Dolphins could have interest in a deal. A new decision-making group is in place this offseason, led by GM Dennis Hickey, and with several holes still to fill on the roster even after adding a few free agents, the team might be better off using the cap space and/or draft picks created in a Wallace deal on multiple players.

Still, the Dolphins are just one year removed from signing Wallace to a huge long-term deal, and the club’s receiving corps would be pretty thin without him. According to La Canfora, teams are “doing homework” on Wallace, whose contract would make him a tough piece to move. The 27-year-old has a base salary of $15MM for 2014, and there aren’t many clubs who would still be able to take on that amount, even if they had interest. Considering the apparent lack of trade interest in DeSean Jackson, who has a base salary of $10.5MM, I’d be pretty surprised if there was a taker out there this offseason for Wallace, whether or not the Dolphins are actively looking for one.

Saints Rumors: Graham, Lorig, McCown

March 26th, 2014 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

There was speculation after Jimmy Graham received the franchise tag from the Saints a few weeks ago that the standout pass catcher could draw interest from a team willing to part with two first-round picks to sign him, but so far nothing has materialized. Instead, Saints head coach Sean Payton believes Graham will eventually reach a long-term agreement with the club, suggesting that “a lot of us feel it’s not a matter of if, but when” (Twitter link). Here are a few Wednesday updates related to Graham and more Saints-related issues:

  • Payton tells Pro Football Talk that he believes a deal with Graham before the grievance deadline of April 22 is likely. However, the head coach believes the franchise tag system is “antiquated” and said this morning that it was only a matter of time before a player like Graham battled his position designation (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
  • The Saints didn’t go into free agency intending to sign a fullback, but jumped at the opportunity to sign a “very good” football player in Erik Lorig, said Payton (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett).
  • According to Payton, New Orleans will always pay attention to quarterbacks in the draft, but the club would like to re-sign veteran backup Luke McCown (Twitter links via Triplett).
  • Tim Lelito will be in the mix at center for the Saints, according to Payton, but the situation is still unfolding and the club could bring in a veteran (Twitter link via Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune).
  • Payton also said today that there’s always a premium on cornerbacks and pass-rushers, and teams always have interest in adding another one (Twitter link via Holder).

Evan Mathis Rumors: Wednesday

March 26th, 2014 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that the Eagles have “made it known” that Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis is available in trade talks. According to multiple reports, Mathis is seeking a raise following a career year, and the Eagles don’t seem inclined to give it to him before the 2014 season begins. A few more details have trickled in on Mathis and a potential trade since then, so let’s dive in….

  • According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), Mathis and agent Drew Rosenhaus broached the subject of a new contract to the Eagles prior to the combine, at which point the team countered with the idea of a trade. Mathis was subsequently shopped around in Indianapolis and since then, but there haven’t been many nibbles, tweets McLane.
  • The Eagles are seeking a third-round pick for Mathis, but may settle for a fourth, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). La Canfora adds that if the Eagles can’t get that sort of return, the club may just hang onto the veteran offensive lineman.
  • Alex Marvez of FOX Sports also tweets that Mathis could very well return next season, and notes that Philadelphia has given Mathis permission to pursue a trade. In that case, it may be Rosenhaus exploring his client’s value more than the Eagles doing so.
  • A source tells Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link) that Mathis has yet to consider the possibility of a holdout.

Terrelle Pryor Likely To Be Traded Or Cut

March 26th, 2014 at 10:07am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 10:07am: The Raiders have received some trade feelers for Pryor, a source tells Alex Marvez (Twitter link). If no deal is reached, the team will likely cut the quarterback at some point in April, says Marvez.

MONDAY, 1:52pm: According to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (via Twitter), Pryor’s trade request dates back to the Senior Bowl in January, well before the Raiders acquired Schaub.

12:19pm: The Raiders’ quarterback situation got a little more crowded last week when the team acquired Matt Schaub from the Texans. With Schaub expected to be the starter and Matt McGloin backing him up, there isn’t much room left for 2013’s part-time starter Terrelle Pryor. As such, the club appears likely to part ways with Pryor sooner or later.

According to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link), GM Reggie McKenzie said today that Pryor could be traded or released. Pryor’s agent has conveyed to the Raiders that his client would like a chance to earn a starting job, which won’t happen in Oakland, tweets Kawakami. There’s a little confusion about whether Pryor would prefer to be released or traded, but the Raiders GM intends to speak with the young quarterback within the next week or so to plan a course of action, tweets Kawakami.

As for the Raiders’ new top quarterback, McKenzie indicated that the team’s decision to restructure Schaub’s contract shows that Oakland wants more than a one-year relationship with the ex-Texan. However, the GM also didn’t rule out the possibility of drafting a QB early in May, telling Kawakami that the club is open to any position with its first pick (Twitter links).

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Schaub’s 2014 cap number for the Raiders is now in the neighborhood of $7.5MM.

NFC East Notes: Garrett, Redskins, Giants

March 26th, 2014 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said last month that he’s not thinking about his contract situation, despite entering the last year of his deal. Following those comments, owner Jerry Jones stressed that 2014 is not necessarily a make-or-break season for Garrett, and he expressed that sentiment in stronger terms yesterday. Asked if the head coach must lead the Cowboys to the postseason this year in order to keep his job, Jones said he doesn’t look at it that way “at all,” according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

  • According to head coach Jay Gruden, no teams have contacted the Redskins about acquiring Kirk Cousins. Gruden indicated today he’s excited to have Cousins backing up Robert Griffin III , tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
  • Discussing Brian Orakpo, Gruden said he wouldn’t mind the linebacker playing out the 2014 season on his one-year franchise tag to see what he can do before the Redskins lock him up to a long-term deal (Twitter link via Jones).
  • The Giants added Rashad Jennings and re-signed Peyton Hillis in free agency, but with Andre Brown likely to sign elsewhere and David Wilson still recovering from neck surgery, head coach Tom Coughlin suggested today that the team will likely need to add another running back to be safe (Twitter link via Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post).
  • Coughlin, the NFL’s oldest current head coach, also said today that he feels great health-wise and feels like he can keep coaching beyond this season, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.

49ers Notes: Harbaugh, Gerhart, WR, Gore

March 26th, 2014 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

Jim Harbaugh was one of 16 NFC head coaches to meet with reporters in Orlando this morning, and few have had more eventful offseasons so far than the 49ers coach, who was linked to the Browns’ coaching job in February. Today, Harbaugh made it clear “that opportunity existed in someone else’s mind, not mine,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter). The Niners head coach added that he wants to be in San Francisco for a “very long time,” and that the Browns had “zero opportunity” to acquire him, in his view (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).

After discussing his own future, Harbaugh also touched on a handful of Niners-related topics, so let’s round up a few of his comments….

  • Harbaugh confirmed that the Niners spoke to free agent running back Toby Gerhart before he signed with the Jaguars, tweets Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com.
  • The Niners like Quinton Patton, but still would like to add a potential No. 3 receiver, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who says Harbaugh made it clear the team is looking to augment the position. San Francisco has been linked to Julian Edelman and Emmanuel Sanders this offseason, among others.
  • Frank Gore is entering the final year of his contract, and the running back’s future with the Niners beyond that is uncertain. Said Harbaugh: “I really think Frank has three more good years. I truly believe that. But we’re in a game of taking it one year at a time, so…”
  • Harbaugh is checking out a few quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, says Barrows. The Niners coach has already looked at Eastern Illinois’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas, and also wants to get a chance to see San Jose State’s David Fales and Fresno State’s Derek Carr.

Bears, Jared Allen Agree To Four-Year Deal

March 26th, 2014 at 7:54am CST by Luke Adams

7:54am: Allen’s four-year deal is worth $32MM, but voids down to $24MM over three years, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), who adds that the contract includes $15.5MM in guaranteed money. The base salaries for the first two seasons are guaranteed, and the pact also includes a guaranteed roster bonus next March, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Those figures suggest the deal essentially amounts to two years and $15.5MM, giving the Bears some options after that point.

7:38am: The Super Bowl champions won’t be adding another veteran pass rusher to their roster after all. After initially appearing as if he was on the verge of an agreement with the Seahawks, Jared Allen will instead join an old division rival. The free agent defensive end has agreed to terms on a four-year contract to join the Bears, the club announced today (Twitter link).Jared Allen

For the Bears, it’s their second major free agent splash at defensive end so far this offseason — the club already added former Raider Lamarr Houston on a five-year, $35MM contract. In Houston, the Bears added an end more known for his run-stopping ability, but Allen will give the team an elite pass rusher to help replace Julius Peppers, who was released by Chicago earlier this month.

Allen, 31, remained productive and durable in 2013, recording 11.5 sacks in his last season with the Vikings. It was the sixth straight year in which Allen had started all 16 regular season contests for the team, and the seventh consecutive season he’d notched 11 or more sacks. The former fourth-round pick played well against the run as well, according to Pro Football Focus, whose metrics ranked him fifth overall among 4-3 defensive ends in ’13 (subscription required). Allen also appeared in 1,044 defensive snaps last season and wants to continue to play full time, which may have played a role in his choosing Chicago over Seattle. It’ll be interesting to see how the Bears manage Allen’s playing time in 2014 and beyond, as he enters his age-32 season.

In addition to the Seahawks, the Cowboys were also interested in Allen, though those two teams had limited cap flexibility to offer the veteran defensive end the sort of contract he was seeking. A report from a week ago suggested that Allen was looking for an annual salary close to $10MM, in the neighborhood of what DeMarcus Ware and Peppers received. As I noted at the time, the guaranteed money on Ware’s and Pepper’s deals varied significantly, so we’ll have to see what Allen’s new deal with the Bears looks like.

The Bears hadn’t had a ton of cap flexibility themselves before the team restructured Jay Cutler‘s contract this week to create an extra $4MM in 2014 space. As we’ve seen with plenty of other signings this month, including Jairus Byrd‘s $54MM deal with the Saints, $4MM+ is more than enough room to fit in the first year of a long-term contract if the team structures it creatively. Chicago’s preexisting cap space, plus the new $4MM, should be more than enough to fit in Allen and the club’s draft picks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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