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Eagles Rumors: Mathis, Jackson, QBs, Draft

March 26th, 2014 at 7:36am CST by Luke Adams

DeSean Jackson has been the subject of trade rumors for several weeks now, but he’ll have some company going forward. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported this morning (via Twitter) that the Eagles have “made it known” All Pro guard Evan Mathis is available via trade. According to Rapoport (via Twitter) and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), Mathis would like a new contract after a breakout year, and the Eagles aren’t inclined to give the 32-year-old a raise on his $5.15MM salary ($6.15MM cap number).

Eagles head coach Chip Kelly spoke to reporters this morning in Orlando and was asked about Mathis, Jackson, and several other topics related to the team. Here are a few highlights from the conversation (all links go to Twitter):

  • Kelly confirmed that he has spoken to Jackson and said it was a good conversation, but added that the Eagles will “always do what’s best for the organization,” according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Kelly didn’t say at any point that the standout wide receiver wouldn’t be traded, though he did say Jackson hasn’t asked for a new contract, according to Bowen.
  • Asked why it took so long for him to talk to Jackson, Kelly said he hadn’t been following all the trade rumors and reports, says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com notes, that explanation doesn’t really add up, but after being pressed on the issue, Kelly simply said, “I don’t have an answer for you.”
  • “I don’t think our offense has ever been predicated on one player,” Kelly said, when asked about how the offense could possibly be better off without Jackson.
  • Kelly hasn’t spoken to Mathis about the possibility of a new deal, but is very skeptical that the veteran guard would cause any problems for the team, says Mosher.
  • After losing Michael Vick in free agency, backup quarterback is a “position of need” for the Eagles, according to Kelly. Asked about Mark Sanchez, the head coach didn’t confirm the team’s interest, but said the ex-Jet is a “very good athlete” and has plenty of experience. As for starter Nick Foles, Kelly was adamant that Foles is Philadelphia’s franchise quarterback.
  • The Eagles will focus on taking the best player available in the draft, with Kelly stressing today that he doesn’t think the roster is necessarily set at any position.

AFC Notes: Browns, Veldheer, Manziel

March 25th, 2014 at 10:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns coach Mike Pettine stops short of saying that the club has to draft a starting-caliber cornerback in this year’s draft, but he admits it’s something he badly wants, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. Buster Skrine started opposite Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden last season and did a decent job, but still struggled at times.

  • Raiders General Manager Reggie McKenzie told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle that he’s quite upset about losing left tackle Jared Veldheer to the Cardinals. “Losing Veldheer was a blow to me. He didn’t want to come back. It wasn’t about finances. The kid didn’t want to play for the Raiders anymore, and I struggled with that,” the GM said.
  • The Raiders‘ traveling trio of Dennis Allen, Greg Olson, and John DeFilippo will visit Johnny Manziel‘s pro day on Thursday, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Both GM Dennis Hickey and Joe Philbin stressed that the Dolphins continue to view Mike Pouncey as a good player, teammate, and leader despite his involvement in the harassment that motivated Jonathan Martin to leave the team in October, writes Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel. Meanwhile, no one has offered assurances that Pouncey will be with Miami beyond 2014.
  • The Dolphins are eager to turn the page on a traumatic 2013 season, writes Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel.

NFC Notes: Ware, Jordan, Eagles, Packers

March 25th, 2014 at 9:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys had to let veteran DeMarcus Ware go this offseason, but head coach Jason Garrett says it was far from an easy decision to make.

“DeMarcus Ware is one of the best players the franchise has ever had,” Garrett told Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. “He played his position over the past eight or nine years as well as anybody has in the National Football League. Those are very difficult and challenging decisions. There’s a lot of different factors that go into making a decision like that and we just felt like at this time, the best thing for us to do was to not compete to the extent that we would have had to to keep him in a Cowboys uniform. A great player, a great human being, one of the cornerstones of our franchise. But you have to make some of these hard decisions and you have to be disciplined to do that.”

Here are a few more NFC links:

  • Coach Andy Reid says Akeem Jordan’s versatility and reliability will help the Redskins, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Reid coached Jordan for six seasons in Philadelphia, and then brought him with him to Kansas City last season. Now, Jordan has traveled east to join him in Washington D.C.
  • The Eagles are going to have to make several difficult and most likely unpopular decisions in the next year to get under the 2015 salary cap, explains Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. 13 players have a combined 2015 cap hit of $68,025,140, or 47 percent of the Eagles’ current 2015 total cap figure. Aside from LeSean McCoy and Jason Peters, any of those players could wind up as cap casualties after the 2014 season.
  • Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters, including Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, that they shouldn’t put a label on newly-acquired veteran Julius Peppers. Peppers will play a combination of outside linebacker and defensive lineman that Green Bay will refer to as an “elephant.” This means means Peppers will not work directly under defensive line coach Mike Trgovac, who was Peppers’ defensive line coach and defensive coordinator with the Panthers from 2002-08.
  • McCarthy wants to have unrestricted free agent Matt Flynn back in the fold, but he’s realistic and knows it might not be in the cards. “I’d like to have Matt back,” the Packers coach said, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. “I thought Matt was a good addition to our football team. I have great respect and admiration for him, just being around him a lot on a positional basis. Yeah, I’m hoping financially it works out.”

Michael Vick On Jets, Smith, Jackson

March 25th, 2014 at 8:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have never been shy when it comes to media attention and they’ve already ensured that they’ll be dominating the back pages of the New York tabloids for the next several months. Last week, the Jets signed Michael Vick to a one-year, $5MM deal, putting him in direct competition with rising sophomore Geno Smith. The former Falcons and Eagles signal caller spoke with SNY’s Daily News Live earlier tonight and Manish Mehta of the Daily News has the goods. Let’s take a look at the highlights..

Vick on where he is at this point in his career:

“I feel like I’m a legitimate starting quarterback in this league,” Vick said. “I feel like I can compete with the best of them. I feel like I can win football games. Yes, I’m not saying it out of arrogance, just with some mojo. I’m confident in my abilities and I could lead a football team.”

Are you concerned about a quarterback controversy with Smith?

“I don’t think I should try to prevent that situation from happening because there’s going to be bigger situations in Geno’s career that’s going to have to manifest,” Vick said. “Being in a quarterback competition with a guy that as he said ‘looked up to’ and would enjoy competing with every day, it’s not a pressure situation. The pressure comes when you have to go out there and win football games.”

Vick on former Eagles teammate DeSean Jackson, who has been subject to recent trade talk:

“I think sometimes it takes a change in your life to understand really what needs to happen, and the course that needs to be set,” Vick said. “Maybe it’s time for a change for DeSean to help him understand the maturation process of his young NFL life and his personal life. Whatever happens, I will continue to be a great friend to him and try to help him as much as I can mentor-wise so he doesn’t have to go through any situations that may be detrimental to his life.”

49ers Notes: Harbaugh, Cox, Jackson

March 25th, 2014 at 7:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we learned that the 49ers hope to lock Colin Kaepernick up to a brand new deal before he throws his next pass in an NFL game. “We’re going to work extremely hard, very diligently in trying to get something done prior to training camp,” GM Trent Baalke said. “That’s the objective right now, as it stands.” However, with Kaepernick reportedly seeking in the neighborhood of $20MM+ annually on his next deal, the Niners may have to get creative as they consider how to keep the Nevada-Reno alum around long-term. More out of SF..

  • 49ers owner Jed York doesn’t deny that there can be tension between coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Trent Baalke, but he says it’s not necessarily a bad thing, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “We’ve been competing for the Super Bowl – realistically competing for the Super Bowl – for the last three years,” York said. “They get along. They’re just grinding. They want a ring. And they’re trying to battle and fight to get a ring. And sometimes it wears on people. But I like that tension,” he continued. “I think they like that tension. And I think both of them compete better when there’s something to compete against.”
  • Re-signing Perrish Cox will help to build the 49ers’ depth at cornerback, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Two weeks ago, San Francisco also brought back Eric Wright on a new contract. Cox beat out Wright for playing time in the postseason, but the fact that Wright signed first probably indicates that he’s the bigger priority.
  • It would be quite a challenge given their salary cap constraints, but Williamson looks at how the 49ers could possibly find room for DeSean Jackson. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick tells Williamson that it could work from an Xs and Os standpoint, but it doesn’t sound all that feasible from a financial standpoint.

DeSean Jackson Rumors: Tuesday

March 25th, 2014 at 5:34pm CST by Luke Adams

There were plenty of DeSean Jackson rumors swirling yesterday as another busy NFL week kicked off, but we didn’t exactly move any closer to a resolution of the situation. As we wait to see whether the Eagles decide to trade, release, or keep their standout receiver, we’ll monitor today’s Jackson updates right here, with the newest items added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie had no interest in discussing Jackson in a press conference with reporters today, writes Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine.
  • Late last night, Jackson posted an old photo of himself and Chip Kelly on Instagram, accompanied by the following caption: “Good to Talk to Big Chip today !! Say or hear what ya want !! The Picture speaks for itself !!”
  • While Jackson’s post hints that Kelly reassured the receiver that he wasn’t going anywhere, that’s not quite the case, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. A source close to Jackson tells Bowen that Kelly’s message was “don’t worry about anything and keep working hard and be ready for camp.”
  • Early this morning, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a piece suggesting Jackson’s days in Philadelphia are “all but over,” pointing to GM Howie Roseman‘s non-denials yesterday as the latest hint. However, McLane has since heard from a source close to the situation that Jackson, following his conversation with Kelly, has called a few teammates to tell them he’s staying.

Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

March 25th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve detailed how you can follow Pro Football Rumors on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or using an RSS reader to ensure that you receive all of our updates, 365 days a year. If you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NFL team, PFR has you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 32 teams.

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AFC Notes: Titans, Browner, Clowney, Chiefs

March 25th, 2014 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles are considered the favorites to land Mark Sanchez, and it’s hard to determine which other teams may be a threat to Philadelphia for the signal-caller. The Seahawks have been ruled out as a destination, and reported interest from the Rams and Giants has been significantly downplayed. Now, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com suggests that another rumored suitor isn’t seriously in the mix, tweeting that the Titans don’t have interest in bringing Sanchez aboard. As we wait to see where the former Jet lands, let’s check out a few more notes from around the AFC….

  • Chris Johnson‘s future with the Titans remains in limbo, as Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean writes.
  • In a series of four tweets, Tom Pelissero of USA Today explains how Brandon Browner‘s contract with the Patriots works, complete with financial specifics.
  • Field Yates of ESPN Boston (Twitter link) has the details on the playing-time incentives in Michael Vick‘s new deal with the Jets. As Yates outlines, Vick can earn bonuses up to $1MM depending on whether he appears in 50% ($100K), 60% ($300K), 70% ($550K), 80% ($900K), or 90% ($1MM) of the Jets’ snaps.
  • Texans head coach Bill O’Brien plans to attend Jadeveon Clowney‘s Pro Day next week, and is looking forward to continuing the “good talk” he had with Clowney at the combine, tweets James Palmer of CSNHouston.com.
  • Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed that he spoke to free agent receiver Jason Avant, but suggested there’s nothing there when it comes to the team’s interest in the former Eagle. Reid instead hinted that he and Avant may work together down the road, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links).
  • Chris Owens‘ one-year contract with the Chiefs is worth $800K, which includes a $730K base salary and a $70K workout bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. $80K of Owens’ base salary is guaranteed.
  • Fullback Jamize Olawale has signed his exclusive rights tender to remain with the Raiders, the team announced today (Twitter link).

Jaguars Claim Bradie Ewing Off Waivers

March 25th, 2014 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jaguars have been awarded fullback Bradie Ewing off waivers, according to Brian McIntyre (Twitter link). Ewing had been cut by the Falcons.

A fifth-round pick in 2012 out of Wisconsin, Ewing has been limited by injuries in his two NFL seasons, most recently suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in September 2013. The 24-year-old appeared in just 14 offensive snaps for the Falcons last season before the injury, though he made the most of his limited action, catching a couple passes for 29 yards.

Rams Favorites To Sign Kenny Britt?

March 25th, 2014 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent wide receiver Kenny Britt appears to be narrowing down his options, and Rams GM Les Snead believes Britt will ultimately decide on St. Louis. In an interview with Pro Football Talk, Snead pegged his team’s chances of signing Britt at “better than 50%.”

Although a number of Titans players have been linked to St. Louis, where former Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher is now working, the Rams aren’t the only team in the mix for Britt. The wide receiver has also visited the Redskins, Bills, and Patriots, and has drawn interest from the Seahawks and Panthers, as we heard earlier this week.

Pats owner Robert Kraft said New England won’t be signing Britt, and Titans GM Ruston Webster confirmed to PFT’s Mike Florio that the 25-year-old won’t be back in Tennessee. However, that still leaves the Redskins and Bills as potential threats to the Rams. It’s not clear whether there’s serious mutual interest between Britt and the Seahawks or Panthers.

Britt, a former first-round pick, has seen his first few NFL seasons frequently derailed by injuries and off-field issues, but still has plenty of upside. In 2010, arguably his best season, he racked up 775 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in just 12 contests.

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