HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Birkett On Lions’ Roster

June 22nd, 2014 at 7:39pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Lions are still working to sign star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to an extension, and by doing so the team will gain some immediate cap relief, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). He also notes that the team was in a similar situation when they freed up $3MM after signing quarterback Matthew Stafford last offseason.

Here are some other notes from Birkett from around the Lions (all links via Twitter):

NFC Links: Eagles, Murphy, Robinson

June 22nd, 2014 at 6:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Eagles depth chart is still in flux, but the receivers are already beginning to fall into different roles, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin have been constants as the top two outside receivers on the first team, but both Brad Smith and rookie Jordan Matthews have spent time in the slot with the first team. Matthews has also moved to the outside on the second team. Mosher does expect Maclin to play in the slot in the first team in three-receiver sets.

Here are some other links from around the NFC:

  • Redskins’ rookie linebacker Trent Murphy is using his flexibility to contribute to the defense in more ways than one, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Head coach Jay Gruden was impressed with his ability to line up at multiple positions in different situations, and outside linebackers coach Brian Baker was impressed with his literal flexibility as a taller player who can bend rushing off the edge.
  • Rams‘ first-round pick Greg Robinson was moved from tackle to guard in order to help transition to the NFL game, and he is still getting used to the transition according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “It’s just everything happens faster inside,” Robinson said. “Outside you have a little more time to kick. The guys are faster but these guys are just quick and trained to rush the passer. It’s just about keeping my feet working and knowing when to pull.”
  • 49ers‘ cornerback Chris Cook is working on his ball skills, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Despite the team’s need at the position, Cook needs to erase the perception that he plays the ball poorly in the air if he wants to impact the defense in 2014.

AFC Notes: Flowers, Fitzpatrick, Ravens, ‘Fins

June 22nd, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent cornerback Brandon Flowers, released by the Chiefs on June 13, is expected to sign with a new team by the middle of the week, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). We heard similar news a few days ago, so it appears that Flowers, whom La Canfora notes has “plenty of suitors,” has at least narrowed down his possible destinations. Our own Luke Adams mentioned the Lions as a landing spot for Flowers, given that Detroit has not downplayed its interest in the 2013 Pro Bowler. I would posit that the Chargers, who are in desperate need of secondary help, and the Ravens, who have a history of signing high-level players who have been cut, could also be options for the 28-year-old Flowers.

More from around the AFC:

  • Yesterday, we passed along several tweets from the Houston Chronicle’s Brian T. Smith regarding Ryan Fitzpatrick, with some analysts opining that the quarterback is “too much of a gunslinger with not enough of an arm.” In a new article, Smith fleshes out more opinions on Fitzpatrick, and wonders if he is capable of leading the Texans in the right direction. For his part, head coach Bill O’Brien has expressed confidence in his starter. “Ryan has come in here and learned well,” said O’Brien. “He’s a good guy. He’s a fun guy to coach. He works extremely hard. He’s thrown the ball accurately in these practices that we’ve had. He’s picked up the system well.”
  • Jacoby Jones and Gary Kubiak worked together with the Texans, and now that two are reunited on the Ravens, Jones is excited about the prospects of working in a Kubiak-run offense again, writes Ray Frager of CSNBaltimore.com. “Don’t sleep on [the deep pass], but the way he is, he’s going to take what you give us,” said Jones. “If you’re going to sit there and play that all game — you’re going to give it to us — why not? Just chip away and throw it down the field. It’s football. It’s a chess match.”
  • Some executives thought Dolphins first-rounder Ju’Waun James, who signed his rookie contract on Thursday, was a reach at pick No. 19, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “We had James as a late-first rounder,” said an NFC scout. “He has first-round talent but you want more of a finisher, more production for a player with his size and skill level. He’s a quiet country kid. I’m not sure he wants to lead a unit.”
  • Within the same piece, Jackson spoke with an NFC executive who said that veteran cornerback Cortland Finnegan could rebound with the Dolphins this season, and pointed to the failures of ex-Rams defensive coordinator Tim Walton as the reason for Finnegan’s 2013 struggles. Finnegan overwhelmingly agreed with that assessment, saying Walton’s scheme was “atrocious. From the game plan to technique to fundamentals, they weren’t in line with a defensive coordinator who knew what he was doing. He was a great defensive backs coach, but when you’re in over your head, it’s kind of tough.”

Broncos Notes: Franklin, Knighton, Gase

June 22nd, 2014 at 4:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos have done some reshuffling along their offensive line this offseason — Ryan Clady will return from injury to protect Peyton Manning‘s blindside at left tackle, meaning his replacement last season, Chris Clark, will move to right tackle to compete with Winston Justice. In turn, Orlando Franklin, the 2013 starter on the right side, will find a new home at left guard, taking over for the departed Zane Beadles. As Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes, Franklin initially perceived the position switch as a slight, before deciding to embrace the move for the good of the team. The 6’7″, 320-pound Franklin is larger than a typical guard, and he admits he still has some work to do in order to master the position. “I’m definitely not a finished product, but I’m more comfortable today than what I was nine weeks ago at the position,” said Franklin. “It’s like learning all over again. Offensive tackle is a little different. They’ve got a lot more moves and there’s a lot more space. Being inside, yeah, they’re a lot bigger in there, but it’s like fighting in a phone booth.”

  • In a separate piece, Klis expounds on the confidence of defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, who excelled last season after signing a two-year contract with Denver. “…I think I’m in the prime of my career. I honestly don’t feel like there’s a center that can block me,” said the 27-year-old. “I’ll just keep working at it. I’ve watched film from last year, and I’ve watched future opponents. Right now, I’m just trying to go out there and dominate and continue where I left off.” Knighton, who will earn a base salary of $1.5MM in 2014, could be in line for a sizeable deal next offseason if he continues to perform well.
  • Offensive coordinator Adam Gase was the hot name among head coaching candidates this offseason, and was atop the Browns’ wishlist, writes Woody Paige of the Denver Post. However, Gase admits he made some poor play-calls in the Super Bowl, and feels the Broncos can accomplish even more on offense in 2014. Of course, that would lead to his being even more in demand next offseason, but Paige thinks Gase might stick around in Denver for the remainder of Manning’s tenure, and even posits that the 36-year-old could become the Broncos’ head coach at some point in the future.
  • Fielding an imposing pass rush shouldn’t be a problem for the Broncos given the presence of Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, but ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold thinks 2013 fifth-rounder Quanterus Smith could be a wild card next season. Smith was leading the nation in sacks while at Western Kentucky in 2012 before he tore his ACL; he then spent all of last season on injured reserve.
  • In a separate piece focusing on OTA highlights, Legwold opines that receiver Emmanuel Sanders, signed to a three-year deal in the offseason, has exhibited versatility and put in extra work with Manning, leading Legwold to believe that rapport could continue into the regular season.

NFC South Notes: Bucs, Falcons, Panthers

June 22nd, 2014 at 3:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers revamped both their front office and their coaching staff this offseason, but that doesn’t mean the situation in Tampa Bay is entirely negative. The team is actually in decent shape with regards to the salary cap, thanks in no small part to several players whose performance far exceeds their compensation. With that in mind, Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com examines the top five bargains on the Bucs roster, with linebacker Lavonte David taking the top spot. David, a 2013 All-Pro, graded out as Pro Football Focus’ second-best 4-3 outside linebacker (subscription required), but his base salary is just $705K. Likewise, running back Doug Martin, who has shown flashes of brilliance when not impaired by injuries, will make only $1MM in 2014 and count just $1.8MM against the cap. Of course, both of these players are on their rookie contracts, and hefty extensions for both would certainly repeal each’s “bargain” label.

More from the NFC South:

  • Change is definitely afoot in Tampa, as Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune notes (on Twitter) that the Buccaneers could have 11 new starters in 2014, including eight on offense alone.
  • Kaufman also tweets that the primary goal for the Buccaneers should be to avoid last place in the NFC South; Tampa Bay has finished in the basement six times in the past 12 years, while the other teams in the division have only done so twice each.
  • The Falcons bolstered their offensive line this offseason, adding Jon Asamoah in free agency and Jake Matthews in the draft, and quarterback Matt Ryan is hopeful that the changes will be a step towards Atlanta improving upon its 2013 4-12 record (per Daniel Cox of AtlantaFalcons.com). “I think our offensive line has done a really nice job during the OTA period as well as during minicamp,” said Ryan, who was sacked 44 times last year (third-most in the NFL). “From a communication standpoint, we’ve got a few changes from what we’ve done around here in the past and those guys are working through those changes. I think one of the big things that [head coach] Mike [Smith] preaches is communication at the line of scrimmage. You can hear those guys talking a bunch and making sure they’re on the same page.“
  • Smith, who was notably unhappy with the presence of HBO’s Hard Knocks series in Baltimore when he was a position coach with the Ravens, has embraced the cameras this time around because he believes the show will handle sensitive Falcons issues, such as cuts, with tact, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  • In his latest mailbag, ESPN.com’s David Newton writes that rookie Kelvin Benjamin is the Panthers’ nominal No. 1 receiver, adding that his size (6’5″, 240 pounds) will make him an ideal red zone target.

PFR Originals: 6/15/14 – 6/22/14

June 22nd, 2014 at 2:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

  • We continued our Extension Candidate series, as I examined Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (link), Rory Parks looked at Steelers right tackle Marcus Gilbert (link), Luke Adams wrote about Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas (link), and Rob DiRe profiled Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant (link).
  • In a poll, Luke asked where you think free agent cornerback Brandon Flowers will sign; the Chargers, Patriots, and a “mystery team” were the most popular answers. Thanks for voting!
  • As always, you can follow PFR on a variety of social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and more.

Browns Sign Second-Rounder Joel Bitonio

June 22nd, 2014 at 1:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns announced they have agreed to terms with their second-round pick, offensive lineman Joel Bitonio (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). According to our draft tracker, Bitonio’s signing means there are only six draft picks who remain unsigned, including one of Cleveland’s first-rounders, cornerback Justin Gilbert.

Bitonio, 22, was selected with the No. 35 overall pick out of Nevada. Though he started 38 games at tackle while in college, he is expected to serve as the left guard on the Browns’ offensive front, where he will line up between All-Pros Joe Thomas and Alex Mack. In this scenario, John Greco, who played the majority of snaps at left guard for Cleveland in 2013, will likely shift to the right side, replacing the departed Shawn Lauvao.

According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, Bitonio is in line for a four-year deal with a total value of ~$5.462MM, with a signing bonus of approximately $2.292MM, and a 2014 cap hit of about $993K.

Week In Review: 6/15/14 – 6/22/14

June 22nd, 2014 at 1:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Signed:

Traded:

First-Round Pick Signings:

  • Cowboys – G Zack Martin (link)
  • Browns – QB Johnny Manziel (link)
  • Jaguars – QB Blake Bortles (link)
  • Dolphins – OT Ja’Waun James (link)

Extensions:

Released:

Retired:

Minicamp Attendance:

Other:

  • Jimmy Graham franchise tag positional designation hearing begins (link)
  • U.S. Patent Office cancels Redskins’ trademark (link)
  • New developmental league will launch in October (link)
  • Appeals court reopens NFL collusion case (link)

Sunday Roundup: Jags, Colts, Graham

June 22nd, 2014 at 12:51pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up some of today’s links from around the league:

  • As our Luke Adams noted earlier this month, the Jaguars do not know when Justin Blackmon will be reinstated by the league. The team does not expect Blackmon to contribute in 2014, and they are distancing themselves from even talking about the troubled wideout, writes Gene Frenette of The Florida Times-Union. Even friends, teammates, and ex-coaches are finding it difficult to get a read on where Blackmon is and how his recovery is progressing.
  • Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida-Times Union writes that the ulnar nerve damage that Jaguars‘ jack-of-all-trades Denard Robinson suffered through last season is behind him, so he hopes to put his full skill-set on display in 2014.
  • In the same piece, O’Halloran adds that the Jaguars are likely to keep three tight ends on their roster, and with Marcedes Lewis and Clay Harbor as locks to make the team, the competition between Brandon Barden, Marcel Jensen, Reggie Jordan and D.J. Tialavea will be a fascinating one to watch.
  • John Keim of ESPN.com explains why he is impressed with Redskins‘ outside linebackers coach Brian Baker.
  • Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com wonders if Ravens‘ wide receiver Jeremy Butler can become this year’s Marlon Brown: an undrafted gem that unexpectedly turns into a legitimate threat in the passing game.
  • Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com gives a list of five Ravens that will be “feeling the heat” this summer.
  • In a photo gallery, The Detroit Free Press projects the Lions‘ starters on both sides of the ball.
  • Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer believes the Browns will try to add another receiver or two, and she writes that if quarterback Connor Shaw impresses in training camp as he did in OTAs and minicamp, the team may have to keep him on the 53-man roster rather than put him on the practice squad and risk his being signed by another club.
  • George Thomas of The Akron Beacon-Journal describes the battle for playing time that Browns‘ cornerback Leon McFadden–who was projected to be a starter in his rookie season in 2013–now faces after the influx of talent in the team’s secondary.
  • In a two-part mailbag, Mike Wells of ESPN.com looks at a number of Colts-related items. He writes that, although the team will not hand a starting job to Mike Adams, he would not be surprised to see Adams starting alongside LaRon Landry at safety. Wells also notes that GM Ryan Grigson does not plan on using all of the team’s $13.7MM in salary cap space because he wants to have room to pay Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton down the road.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that the league wants the Saints to settle Jimmy Graham‘s grievance case, and Florio believes the team would be wise to do so.

AFC East Notes: Wilkerson, Tuel, Moreno

June 22nd, 2014 at 11:34am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a swing around the AFC East on this Sunday afternoon:

  • There are a number of Patriots items today. Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that, with all the attention being directed towards Dominique Easley and Jimmy Garoppolo, fourth-round running back James White–whom coach Bill Belichick has compared to Shane Vereen–has quietly put together a very impressive spring.
  • Christopher Price of WEEI.com writes that the Patriots made eight personnel moves between the end of minicamp and the beginning of training camp last year, and similar roster tweaks could be on the way this season. For instance, a veteran tight end like Jermichael Finley or Dustin Keller might be added to the roster, and there has been some speculation as to the team’s interest in recently-released players like Jason Babin and Brandon Flowers (though Price sees New England as something of an unlikely destination for Babin and Flowers).
  • Eric Frenz of Boston.com looks at a number of Patriots-related topics, including his opinion on what he believes to be the team’s strongest position (cornerback), and weakest (tight end).
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com expects the Jets to make a run at signing Muhammad Wilkerson to an extension before training camp, and he advises fans to keep an eye on the J.J. Watt situation in Houston as a measuring stick for Wilkerson negotiations.
  • In the same piece, Cimini adds that the Jets are unlikely to add a veteran corner, and that Jalen Saunders was the rookie wideout that most impressed in minicamp.
  • Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com writes that Bills‘ quarterback Jeff Tuel has made significant strides and will push Thaddeus Lewis for the backup quarterback spot.
  • Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post writes that Dolphins‘ running back Knowshon Moreno has a knee injury that could require arthroscopic surgery, but he would be expected to heal in time for the regular season, if not training camp.
  • Christopher L. Shelton of The Sun-Sentinel describes the path that undrafted defensive tackle Anthony Johnson has taken to the Dolphins’ roster. Shelton believes Johnson, who has impressed this spring, could make the club as a reserve behind Randy Starks, Jared Odrick, and Earl Mitchell.
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