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Extension Candidate Series

May 27th, 2014 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The bulk of free agency is behind us, but many of 2014’s biggest contracts could still be on the way. There are a number of players who have one or two years left on their contracts whose teams will want to lock them up before they’re eligible for free agency, and many of them will sign extensions over the next few weeks and months.

At Pro Football Rumors, we’ll look to cast a spotlight on several of these players, writing pieces that focus on many of the more notable extension candidates out there. These players won’t necessarily ink new deals before the regular season gets underway, or even before they hit free agency, but their clubs will at least want to discuss the idea, and we’ll examine what sort of contracts they might be in line for.

Our Extension Candidate series is already underway, and we’ll be adding plenty more installments to it in the near future. You can find this index at any time on the right-hand sidebar under “PFR Features” to follow the latest. Here’s our complete list so far:

Cowboys Notes: QBs, Malena, Crawford

May 27th, 2014 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

With Kyle Orton seemingly leaning toward retirement, the Cowboys’ depth chart at quarterback could be awfully thin this season behind Tony Romo. Brandon Weeden would likely to slide into the No. 2 role, with Caleb Hanie in the mix as well. The Cowboys could have provided themselves with another insurance policy for a Romo injury and/or Orton retirement if they’d elected to select a quarterback a signal-caller in the draft, but as Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes, the team’s draft philosophy precluded that possibility at this point. Whereas a team like the Patriots has drafted quarterbacks as potential long-term replacements for Tom Brady, Dallas has been less inclined in recent years to draft a QB only to develop that player for another team.

Here’s more on the Cowboys:

  • Texas A&M running back Ben Malena received offers from more than 10 NFL teams after going undrafted, including the Texans, Bengals, Redskins, Broncos, and Raiders, but ultimately chose to sign with the Cowboys, as he explains to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I looked over their current situation,” Malena said. “They had high interest in me. I feel like I can really make this team. I feel like I can really be a contributing factor to help this team win championships.”
  • In a photo gallery for the Dallas Morning News, Machota examines 10 questions the Cowboys need to answer as OTAs get underway.
  • Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at why many observers – and teammates – believe defensive end Tyrone Crawford could be the Cowboys’ breakout player in 2014.
  • In a piece for Sports on Earth, Mike Tanier explains his “Hope Index,” which evaluates the optimism a team’s fanbase should feel based on its recent success and how sustainable that success looks going forward. The Cowboys didn’t make out so well in Tanier’s calculations, ranking 26th, just one spot ahead of the Jaguars.

AFC North Notes: Clarke, Bengals, Steelers

May 27th, 2014 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

There should be a number of interesting divisional races in the NFL this season, but according to sports betting site Bovada.lv, none are currently as up in the air as the AFC North. It’s the only division in the league without a single favorites, as both the Bengals and Steelers are given equal 2/1 odds at coming out on top, while the Ravens are right behind. Even the Browns, at 5/1, aren’t viewed as as much of a long shot as most other “fourth-place” clubs around the league.

As we look forward to seeing how the AFC North plays out in 2014, let’s check in on a few of the latest updates out of the division…

  • In addition to confirming the signing of second-round running back Jeremy Hill, news which Hill himself broke yesterday, the Bengals also announced that they’ve signed third-round defensive end Will Clarke (Twitter link). Per Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com, the West Virginia defender will be in line for a signing bonus worth about $545K with a four-year base value near $2.8MM.
  • While a number of teams handed out modest signing bonuses to most or all of their undrafted free agent signings, the Bengals weren’t one of those clubs. According to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com, only four of Cincinnati’s 11 UDFA additions receiving signing bonuses, worth just $26K in total. We’ve added the new figures, including an $8K bonus for wideout Colin Lockett, to our own story on the Bengals’ post-draft signings.
  • As Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes in his preview of the Steelers‘ OTAs, one of the questions facing Pittsburgh is whether any additional roster moves are on the way when the team frees up $8.5MM in cap space next week due to the release of LaMarr Woodley. Robinson also examines the receiving corps and the roles that rookies like Dri Archer and Ryan Shazier will play, among other topics.

Bills CEO Denies Ownership Situation Affecting Football Decisions

May 27th, 2014 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

During 2014’s draft, only one NFL team traded away a future first-round pick in order to move up this year, as the Bills sent their 2015 first-rounder to Cleveland as part of a package to move up five spots to snag wideout Sammy Watkins. Buffalo is the also the only franchise known publicly to be available for purchase in the near future, with the sale process expected to begin soon. According to Judy Battista of NFL.com, a new owner is likely to be in place by the end of the year, with as many as eight groups viewed as potential bidders.

Given the uncertainty of the club’s ownership situation, and the fact that we’ve seen many new owners overhaul NFL front offices, many observers wanted to connect the dots on the Bills’ upcoming sale and their decision to mortgage their future to land an immediate playmaker. If Watkins helps the team improve right away, it could make GM Doug Whaley and CEO Russ Brandon look more appealing to new ownership. However, Brandon denies that possibility played a role in the Bills’ decision to move up for the standout receiver.

“It has nothing to do with the future,” Brandon said. “It is everything about the future is now. Doug Whaley and our player personnel department are empowered and have full autonomy to make football decisions. That was a football decision, and it wasn’t tied to the future of the organization. It is business as usual. We’re making football decisions, no matter what. … It has not one iota of an impact on who the future owner may be.”

While Brandon’s comments don’t come as a surprise – if the ownership situation played a role in the decision, he likely wouldn’t admit it – it’s still fair to read them at face value. It’s not as if drafting Watkins provides any guarantees for the Bills — even though the 20-year-old certainly has the talent to make an immediate impact, his ability to contribute will be directly linked to the performance of quarterback E.J. Manuel, and it’s possible the move could backfire, at least in the short term. In that case, Brandon and Whaley would be even more vulnerable when new ownership takes over, having made a risky decision that didn’t pan out.

Extension Candidate: Gerald McCoy

May 26th, 2014 at 10:43pm CST by Rory Parks

Yesterday, we learned that the Buccaneers have reached out to the agent of star defensive tackle Gerald McCoy in hopes of initiating talks on a contract extension, so it only makes sense to continue our series on extension candidates with a more detailed piece on McCoy.

NFL: Buffalo Bills at Tampa Bay BuccaneersMcCoy, taken in the first round of the 2010 draft–just one pick after Lions DT Ndamukong Suh–struggled with injuries in each of his first two seasons in the league, missing three games with a left biceps tear in 2010 and missing 11 games with a right biceps tear in 2011. However, he showed flashes of dominance during those years and then established himself as a bonafide star in 2012, racking up five sacks, 37 quarterback hurries, and, most importantly, anchoring the interior of Tampa Bay’s stifling run defense.

Things only got better for McCoy in 2013, as he piled up 10 sacks and, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), graded out as the top defensive tackle in the game. He will become a free agent at the end of the 2014 season, and, if he has not received an extension by that time, will be hitting the free agent market as a game-changing interior lineman at age 27.

As a top draft pick in the last year of the old CBA, McCoy is already a very wealthy man, having a signed a five-year, $63MM rookie contract in the summer of 2010. So what will his next contract look like? Probably pretty similar to the first one. The Bengals’ Geno Atkins, who is about a month younger than McCoy and who finished right above McCoy as PFF’s best defensive tackle in 2012–Atkins was 11th best in 2013, despite missing seven games with an ACL tear–signed a five-year, $55MM extension with Cincinnati in September of 2013. Two years earlier, a then-27-year-old Haloti Ngata signed a five-year extension with the Ravens worth $61MM. Ngata was reportedly offered a lucrative, long-term extension this offseason, but there is some dispute surrounding that rumor and no concrete financial details were released.

It seems, then, that McCoy can reasonably expect an extension in the five-year, $55-60MM range. ESPN.com’s Pat Yaskinsas suggested something even more lucrative, calling McCoy Tampa Bay’s “best player” and opining that a contract worth $13MM annually would not be unreasonable. For his part, McCoy has expressed excitement about the defense that new head coach Lovie Smith plans to install and has indicated that he has no intentions of holding out if he does not have a new deal by training camp. Judging by yesterday’s report, the Bucs hope that a new deal will, in fact, be reached before the start of the season, which would allow them to continue to reap the benefits of their star tackle as he progresses through his prime physical years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

OTA Previews: Panthers, Bears, Seahawks

May 26th, 2014 at 8:51pm CST by Rory Parks

It’s the calm before the storm tonight, as most teams are set to begin OTAs either tomorrow or Wednesday. Given that, let’s take a quick look at some of the main storylines to follow as we inch ever closer to training camp:

AFC Links: Bills, Jets, Colts, Jaguars

May 26th, 2014 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier, we took a look at what ESPN’s NFC writers had to say on this Memorial Day. Now, let’s focus on ESPN’s AFC writers…

NFC Links: Giants, Buccaneers, Rams

May 26th, 2014 at 7:03pm CST by Ben Levine

A handful of ESPN’s NFC writers were kind enough to give us some reading material on this holiday. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from those articles…

  • “Economics” was the main reason why the Giants didn’t pursue a pass rusher like Michael Johnson in free agency, says ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. The team already has some depth at defensive end, and Graziano thinks the Giants were wise to use their resources elsewhere.
  • Graziano also thinks it makes sense for the Giants to start Adrien Robinson at tight end. Instead of bringing in a veteran, the writer says they might as well roll with the player they’ve been developing.
  • ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas thinks it’s a good idea for the Buccaneers to extend defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. The writer suggests a contract worth about $13MM annually and says the steep price is worth it for the team’s best player.
  • Rams running backs Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham and Tre Mason are set to hold their respect jobs “for the foreseeable future,” writes ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. This means running backs Isaiah Pead and Chase Reynolds are likely competing for one job. Wagoner says undrafted rookies Kadeem Jones and Trey Watts could also join that competition.

Redskins Notes: Allen, Moss, Helu

May 26th, 2014 at 5:05pm CST by Ben Levine

The Redskins have promoted general manager Bruce Allen to the role of team president, the team announced today (via Twitter). Allen will remain in his previous role, as well.

The 57-year-old was hired in late 2009 after spending 13 years with the Buccaneers and Raiders. According to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times, it is unclear how much his role will change, but a team spokesman said that he “oversees the organization.”

Let’s take a look at some more Redskins notes…

The 49ers’ Offensive Line Situation

May 26th, 2014 at 4:02pm CST by David Kipke

The reigning NFC runners-up have developed an elite offensive line over the past few years, as evidenced by the remarkably consistent success of Frank Gore, as well as the fact that the unit allowed the fourth fewest quarterback pressures in 2013. It’s worth considering how the unit will look heading forward into 2014 and beyond.

The 49ers finished 2013 with nine offensive lineman on their active roster. Although San Francisco chose not to re-sign returning starting center Jonathan Goodwin, the team added USC center Marcus Martin via the draft. While the rookie will likely provide quality depth at both center and guard, three-year veteran Daniel Kilgore figures to slide into Goodwin’s vacated starting role. In fact, Kilgore’s February three-year extension, which was covered by our own Luke Adams, would suggest that the 49ers perhaps have similar intentions to groom Martin for multiple seasons before bumping him up to a starting role when Kilgore’s contract expires.

Former first-rounder Jonathan Martin was another significant offseason acquisition for the 49ers, when the team sent the Dolphins a 2015 seventh-round draft pick for him. Although Martin does not figure to start away with elite tackles Joe Staley and Anthony Davis already on the roster, the Stanford product immediately becomes one of the league’s best backup tackles.

One interesting subplot to watch after next season will be the 49ers’ treatment of former All-Pro left guard Mike Iupati, who will become a free agent next March after establishing himself as one of the predominant guards in the NFL. Should the 49ers decide to cut ties with Iupati, one could reasonably expect Marcus Martin, Kilgore, or 2014 draft pick Brandon Thomas to fill his vacated spot. Meanwhile, Jonathan Martin has no experience at guard, but suggested he has heard that making a transition toward the interior of the line is easier than moving from guard to tackle. So while the team may lose an elite lineman next offseason, they have four high-upside, talented replacements waiting in the wings — or in Kilgore’s case, about six inches to Iupati’s right on Sundays.

It is undeniable that the 49ers have learned how to cultivate homegrown superstar lineman, a reality exemplified chiefly by perennial All-Pros Staley and Iupati. As good as the last few years have been on the San Francisco offensive line, the future looks just as bright.

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