HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

NFL Notes: Smith, Vick, Jones-Drew

March 22nd, 2014 at 8:44pm CST by Peter Sowards

In his first public comments since the team signed Michael Vick, Jets quarterback and second-year pro Geno Smith was unabashed in his praise of the move and the man himself.

“Awesome, man. Vick’s my guy,” Smith said Saturday, according to the Associated Press. “We needed to find a guy that was legitimately a guy that could come in and play. I think that’s what we did.”

Signing just a one-year deal for $5MM, Vick figures to compete with Smith for the starting job.

Check the notes below for more NFL-related content…

Teams Inquiring On DeSean Jackson

March 22nd, 2014 at 7:42pm CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 7:42pm:  The Jets have had internal discussions about adding Jackson and will consider trading for him, a source told Brian Costello of the New York Post.

TUESDAY, 6:57pm: A source close to Jackson tells Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (on Twitter) that the Eagles have not contacted the receiver about the trade talks and rumors.

6:10pm: Albert Breer of the NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that the 49ers aren’t interested in Jackson. Right now, they have just $4.22MM in cap space and they have to budget for quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

4:29pm: Rumblings and rumors of potential unease between wide receiver DeSean Jackson and the Eagles have resulted in some trade speculation this month, and according to Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.com, those reports have prompted NFL teams to call the Eagles to inquire about Jackson’s availability.

Gunn reports that while the Eagles aren’t shopping Jackson, they’re not hanging up on teams calling to ask about him either. The Patriots and 49ers are among the clubs that have inquired, according to Gunn, who adds that Philadelphia would be seeking at least a third-round pick and potentially more than that for the standout receiver.

I’d be a little surprised if a deal happens, but there are plenty of reasons it might make sense. Jackson has an annual cap hit of $12MM+ for the next three seasons, and with Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin having been locked up this offseason, the Eagles have two cheaper receivers capable of starting, even if neither Cooper and Maclin is a true No. 1. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer also suggested that Jason Avant often acted as the go-between for Jackson and wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell, and Avant has since been released.

ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (video link) also reported earlier today that the Eagles weren’t actively trying to trade Jackson, but would be willing to listen to offers.

Blount’s Visit To Steelers Pushed Back

March 22nd, 2014 at 7:13pm CST by Peter Sowards

LeGarrette Blount‘s visit to the Steelers won’t happen until after the league meetings, sources told Aaron Wilson of National Football Post.

Blount was scheduled to visit the Steelers tonight and Monday. The annual meeting in Orlando runs from March 23-26.

The rescheduling will allow the former Patriots running back to meet with coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert, Wilson reports.

Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review opined via Twitter that this indicates the team is more interested in Blount than they were in Maurice Jones-Drew, who visited the Steelers on Wednesday.

Extra Points: 49ers, Sanchez, Saints

March 22nd, 2014 at 6:01pm CST by Peter Sowards

The other side of the coin to being a team that drafts talent well is that all that talent must be compensated appropriately. This is the conundrum examined by CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco, responding to a reader who questioned the 49ers‘ cap situation. “Teams that do a good job of acquiring talent will always have a difficult time holding onto that talent for future contracts,” Maiocco writes, citing Michael Crabtree and Mike Iupati as players in line for blockbuster deals after their contracts expire next offseason.

Rounding up some more links from today in the NFL…

  • ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini looks at what’s next for former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, including a top-five list of potential landing spots: the Rams, Bears, Browns, Bills and Seahawks.
  • Sanchez deserved better from the Jets, writes Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. Cannizzaro contends that the Jets knew their plans for Sanchez — releasing him — long ago, but waited only until right before his $2MM roster bonus was due, and thus decreased the amount of potential landing spots for 2009 fifth overall pick.
  • Mike Triplett of ESPN.com expects Saints head coach Sean Payton to be “more committed than ever to running the ball successfully” next season, Triplett writes in his latest mailbag. But he still takes the “over” on 4,800 passing yards.
  • Can Brian Hoyer be “The Guy” for the Browns? ESPNCleveland.com’s Tony Grossi doesn’t know, but he wants to find out.
  • With electrifying wide receiver DeSean Jackson potentially on his way out of Philadelphia, he could potentially find a home with Andy Reid and the Chiefs, but don’t expect Kansas City to trade for him, writes Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star. As Paylor notes, the Chiefs don’t have the necessary cap space to make the move — just $4.8MM — and the team is light on draft picks after the Alex Smith trade.

NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Vikings

March 22nd, 2014 at 4:34pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bears added three safeties during free agency, but aren’t yet finished at the position, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. While Ryan Mundy could be in a position to compete for a starting job, M.D. Jennings and Danny McCray are more likely depth signings who will see time on special teams. The team could still look to add another safety in the draft, or in free agency closer to the season.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC North:

  • The Lions will likely be looking to draft the best player available in the first round, which likely means they will not be drafting an offensive lineman, writes Mike Rothstein of ESPN.com. With the top two offensive linemen in Greg Robinson of Auburn and Jake Matthews of Texas A&M likely off the board, Rothstein does not see the team reaching for the next tackle at that pick.
  • Rothstein also writes that he does not expect the Lions to rely on the draft to fill all the needs in the secondary. Specifically, he envisions the team signing one of the three safeties who recently visited, in James Ihedigbo, Chris Clemons, and Thomas DeCoud. Signing one of those players would not preclude the team from using the first-round pick on a defensive back.
  • The Vikings are in the market for a quarterback in this draft, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, but may not get a chance to draft one early in the first round. The team is exploring other options, appearing at Fresno State’s pro day to watch Derek Carr, and to heading to San Jose State’s pro day to scout David Fales.

AFC South Notes: Texans, Titans, Colts

March 22nd, 2014 at 3:28pm CST by Rob DiRe

By trading Matt Schaub to the Raiders, the Texans have even more incentive to take a quarterback with the top pick in the draft, writes Marc Sessler of NFL.com. Ryan Fitzpatrick is not expected to be the answer at quarterback for the team, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Bryan Fischer of NFL.com writes that NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft has the Texans taking Blake Bortles out of UCF with the first-overall pick.

Here are some more notes from around the AFC South:

  • The Titans still have two areas of need on their roster, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. The team needs to find a pass rusher and a running back, assuming Chris Johnson is traded or released.
  • Even with the release of Rob Bironas, Kuharsky does not expect the Titans to target a kicker in the draft. It is more likely the team brings in an undrafted free agent or a veteran to compete with Maikon Bonani for the job.
  • The Colts will most likely target the best player available in the draft, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. However, general manager Ryan Grigson does tend to prefer certain positions. “You want to continue to infuse the team with draft picks and young players that can grow together and be great together,” Grigson said. “With that being said, yes, you can never have enough corners, you can never have enough pass-rushers and you can never have enough linemen.

DeSean Jackson Could Be Released

March 22nd, 2014 at 1:46pm CST by Rob DiRe

While it has been widely reported that the Eagles are trying to trade receiver DeSean Jackson, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the team will release Jackson if no deal is struck.

In the piece, Mehta credits his source with saying “Philly is trading him or cutting him. That’s a fact. They don’t want him.”

Mehta writes that Jackson seems uninterested in taking a pay cut, but believes that the 27-year-old playmaker will have to restructure his contract in order to get a deal done. Fresh off the NFC Championship game, both the 49ers and the Seahawks have expressed interest in acquiring Jackson, although neither team would be able to squeeze his salary ($12MM per year for three years) into their books.

The Jets and Raiders both have the cap room to absorb Jackson’s salary, but he is still very highly paid. The Raiders may be unwilling to part with a valuable draft pick, and even though the Jets have some extra picks, the report that Jackson will be released hurts the Eagles leverage in trade talks.

The Patriots and Panthers have also been thought of as potential landing spots, but would seem to be equally unwilling to trade a valuable asset for such an expensive player.

Umenyiora, Biermann To Stay With Falcons

March 22nd, 2014 at 12:19pm CST by Matt Feminis

Falcons defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Kroy Biermann will be back with the team in 2014 without having to restructure their contracts, reports Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

There had been speculation that Umenyiora, scheduled to count $4.75MM against the cap in 2014, would have to take a pay cut or be released, but Ledbetter says the team was pleased with the 32-year-old veteran’s mentoring of young players. Umenyiora became more of a situational pass rusher down the stretch, finishing the season with 47 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three batted passes and three forced fumbles.

Biermann, 28, is coming off Achilles tendon surgery which ended his season in Week Two. Primarily a situational player with the exception of 2010 when he started 14 games, Biermann has notched 16.5 sacks in 82 career games. He will count $5.1MM against the cap.

Backup QB Notes: Browns, Eagles, Raiders, Ravens

March 22nd, 2014 at 11:20am CST by Matt Feminis

Browns veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer, rehabbing his torn ACL injury suffered in October, says his goal is to be the starter, writes Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal. Hoyer’s role remains to be seen, as the team is expected to draft its quarterback of the future, but who that is and when he’s drafted could dictate Hoyer’s place on the depth chart. If the Browns spend the fourth overall pick on a passer, Hoyer is likely relegated to a backup role, but if the team drafts a quarterback not quite pro-ready, Hoyer could have an opportunity as a bridge starter. Meanwhile, Ulrich speculates the Browns could sign 33-year-old Rex Grossman to serve as a No. 3 and mentor.

In other backup signal caller news:

  • With trade acquisition Matt Schaub in the fold, the Raiders are content with backup Matt McGloin, tweeted Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Writing about the Eagles’ quarterback depth, CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher says the team is “thinner at the position than they’ve been in more than a decade.” Second-year man Matt Barkley, whom the Eagles traded up to draft in the fourth round, is in line to be the backup, and Mosher notes, “Chip Kelly touted Barkley’s progress throughout the season and seemed very enthused about the former USC star’s future.” Should the team decide to add a veteran competitor for the No. 2 job, Terrelle Pryor, expected to be squeezed out of Oakland, could be the best system fit.
  • The Ravens should be in the market for another quarterback, believes CSN Baltimore’s Ray Frager. The Ravens spoke with Brandon Weeden before he signed with the Cowboys, indicating the team is looking for a backup capable of running new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s play-action passing game for an extended stretch of games in the event starter Joe Flacco goes down. Current backup Tyrod Taylor‘s inexpensive contract is up next season, and his style of play and inaccuracy make him more suited for a No. 3 job.

AFC Notes: Ravens, Pats, Chargers, Moreno

March 22nd, 2014 at 10:25am CST by Matt Feminis

The Ravens’ free agent activity has been characterized by value signings, writes ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. The team was able to sign four starters and their top kick returner without breaking the bank. Additionally, the Ravens will actually be paying Steve Smith less ($4.5MM) than the Panthers ($5MM) are on the hook for this season.

Other AFC news and notes:

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