HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

NFC Links: White, Packers, Cowboys, Giants

July 15th, 2014 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

After watching the division-rival Saints lock up one of their longtime pass catchers earlier today, the Falcons would be wise to do the same with one of their own veterans, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, who suggests the time is right for a Roddy White extension. White is coming off a down year in which he battled injuries for much of the season, but he hopes to play three or four more years and wants to retire as a Falcon, so signing him to a new deal with $8-10MM in guaranteed money seems reasonable, says McClure.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Johnathan Franklin‘s unexpected retirement due to injury could open up a spot in the Packers‘ backfield for a handful of roster hopefuls, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
  • Former Cowboys second-round pick Bruce Carter isn’t necessarily viewed as the core piece he once was, but he could regain value with a big contract year, writes Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
  • In a separate ESPN.com piece, Archer examines the Cowboys‘ depth chart at safety, suggesting that adding a veteran to what appears to be a thin group is a possibility for the team.
  • Several jobs should be up for grabs for the Giants in training camp over the next few weeks, says Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News, identifying tight end, left tackle, fullback, and second receiver as some spots where competitions could play out.

Tight End Notes: Finley, Keller, Davis, Jags

July 15th, 2014 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

The league’s most productive tight end became the league’s highest-paid tight end earlier today, with Jimmy Graham agreeing to terms on a four-year deal with the Saints. Although we’re still waiting on all the specifics, the contract reportedly has an average annual value of $10MM, which would be the highest per-year amount ever for the position.

While Graham’s contract saga appears to be over, there are a handful of other players looking to sign or restructure contracts of their own. Let’s round up the latest on a few tight ends around the NFL….

  • Tom Pelissero of USA Today reported last night that Jermichael Finley would undergo a series of medical tests this week and would send those results to all 32 NFL teams in hopes of generating interest. Today, Pelissero passes along a series of quotes from the former Packer explaining why he wants to continue his playing career rather than trying to collect a $10MM insurance policy and retiring.
  • Finley’s explanation: “It’s a pride issue now. I’ve got a lot of pride. I’ve been playing this game for free for 20 years when I was a kid, so it ain’t about the money. It ain’t about how much I can get and how much my agent can get and whatnot. It’s all about the love of the game. We all know the money’s going to come and it’s going to go. I just want to go out there and be able to showcase these skills that I’ve been working on for months now, since I got hurt in October.”
  • Dustin Keller, who is coming off a serious knee injury, is still making progress in his recovery, according to Pelissero (via Twitter). Keller hopes to play this season, but isn’t in a rush to sign with a team.
  • It’s safe to assume that Graham’s new annual value of $10MM becomes a target for Vernon Davis as he attempts to negotiate a new deal with the 49ers, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. In my opinion, it’s probably also safe to assume the Niners won’t pay him that much. Davis is currently in line for base salaries of just $4.7MM in 2014 and $4.35MM in 2015, though his cap hit is more sizable due to bonus money.
  • A pair of tight ends who are eligible for extensions weighed in via Twitter on Graham’s new contract, with Jordan Cameron of the Browns and Julius Thomas of the Broncos passing along their congratulations. Presumably, both players will also have Graham’s deal in mind when they negotiate their own extensions.
  • Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union examines the tight end situation for the Jaguars, who will need to figure out their third player at the position behind Marcedes Lewis and Clay Harbor.

Latest On Chris Kluwe, Vikings

July 15th, 2014 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

11:07am: The Vikings have issued a statement denying Kluwe’s claim that the team is withholding the findings of the investigation. According to the statement, the team has engaged a law firm to evaluate the findings and make recommendations to the Vikings, and the club’s attorneys are scheduled to meet with Kluwe’s attorney this Thursday to discuss next steps.

“The Vikings will have further comment when the investigation is entirely complete and the team has made determinations on next steps,” the statement concludes.

At Kluwe’s press conference, meanwhile, it was announced that the punter plans to file suit against the Vikings for not releasing the report, as he had suggested to KFAN earlier today. Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets that Kluwe will sue the Vikings for religious discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, defamation, and tortuous interference. According to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (via Twitter), Kluwe says he’ll consider dropping that lawsuit if the team releases the report — indeed, according to Pelissero (via Twitter), the punter and his attorney are painting the suit as a means for getting the club to release the report.

9:45am: Based on what he has heard, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com would be skeptical about the idea that the Vikings are really refusing to release the report on the Kluwe investigation. Goessling suspects that the NFL may be working with the club to determine how to release the findings, and speculates that the Vikings may want to wait until after MLB’s All-Star Game, which is taking place in Minnesota tonight, to make an announcement (all Twitter links).

8:31am: Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report reported early this morning (via Twitter) that the independent investigation into Chris Kluwe‘s allegations about the Vikings organization was complete, with a press conference expected for today. However, according to Kluwe, that presser won’t be the kind he anticipated — the former Minnesota punter tweeted today that the Vikings have refused to provide a copy of the report to either Kluwe or the public.

Kluwe, 32, alleged in a January article on Deadspin.com that his release by the Vikings came as a result of his outspoken support of gay marriage. According to Kluwe, special teams coordinator Mike Priefer “openly and privately made homophobic comments and slurs intended to intimidate” the punter while he remained on the roster.

Following Kluwe’s allegations, the Vikings hired two “highly respected Minnesota legal figures to conduct an independent investigation.” While the team initially promised to provide the findings of that investigation to Kluwe and his attorney, the Vikings have now reneged on that promise, according to the punter.

We’ve yet to hear from the Vikings, and today’s press conference, which is scheduled for 11:00am central time, could provide more clarity. For now though, it’s not a good look for the club that it appears unwilling to release the report to Kluwe or the public. After all, if the investigation cleared the franchise and its coaches of any wrongdoing, it seems there’d be no reason not to announce that publicly.

Long-Term Deal Unlikely For Orakpo, Redskins

July 15th, 2014 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

Today is 2014’s deadline for players who received the franchise tag to work out multiyear contracts with their respective clubs, and it appears unlikely that the Redskins and linebacker Brian Orakpo will reach an agreement, according to Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Orakpo will play the 2014 season on a one-year, $11.455MM deal if he doesn’t sign a longer-term pact by 3:00pm central time today.

Orakpo, who turns 28 later this month, was one of four players to be franchised back in March. Nick Folk and the Jets soon agreed to a multiyear extension, and Jimmy Graham and the Saints did so today. Unlike those players though, Orakpo and Greg Hardy accepted and signed their one-year franchise tenders several months ago, so it has seemed likely for some time that they’ll play on one-year deals in 2014.

Orakpo started 15 games for the Redskins last season, recording 60 tackles, 10 sacks, and returning an interception for a touchdown. The 27-year-old ranked fourth among 3-4 outside linebackers according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required), recording positive grades not only as a pass rusher, but also against the run and as a coverage man.

Washington drafted Trent Murphy with their first pick in this year’s draft and already have Ryan Kerrigan at the other outside linebacker spot — given their depth at the position, the Redskins may want to see further improvement from Orakpo this season before committing to him on a lucrative long-term contract. John Keim of ESPN.com notes that there was a difference in opinions within the organization about whether or not to franchise Orakpo this offseason, but Keim expects the team to find a way to keep the pass rusher if he has a big year in 2014.

Monday Roundup: Finley, Young, Big Ben

July 14th, 2014 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Free agent tight end Jermichael Finley, who has been medically cleared to play by his own doctor, said he will undergo another series of medical tests on Wednesday and will send the results of those tests to all 32 clubs in an effort to convince them that he is fully healthy, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Finley has stated that he would like to return to the Packers, and that he certainly wants to continue playing rather than collect the $10MM insurance policy he would receive if he retired from the game.

However, he has also demonstrated that he will be patient as he waits for the right deal. The Steelers‘ team neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph Maroon, performed Finley’s vertebrae fusion in November and declared him fit to play a few months later. Pittsburgh subsequently made several contract offers, according to Finley, but none of those offers were financially appealing enough for him. Pelissero believes that Finley ultimately will re-sign with Green Bay (Twitter link).

Now for some links from around the league to wind up this Monday evening:

  • In an increasingly sad and troubling narrative, former Lions receiver Titus Young was arrested in Los Angeles on July 9 for battery with serious bodily injury–a felony–and associated charges, writes David Leon Moore of The Detroit Free Press. The arrest took place one day before Young was to appear for a pre-trial conference in Newport Beach, California, where he faces 11 charges, four of which are felonies.
  • Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News writes that, on the heels of his strong finish to the 2013 campaign, Cowboys linebacker Kyle Wilber should find himself in a starting role and could be on the verge of a breakout season.
  • In a video clip, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News looks at a few under-the-radar players on the Cowboys roster to keep an eye on, including undrafted finds Ben Malena and L’Damian Washington.
  • Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes that the Seahawks‘ backup quarterback competition is wide open, and Terrelle Pryor and Tarvaris Jackson will each get an extended opportunity to prove themselves in the preseason. However, both players could end up making the club, as Seattle carried three quarterbacks on its roster for a few weeks last season.
  • Time is running out for the Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to reach an agreement on a contract extension, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Roethlisberger has two years left on his current deal, but Florio believes he is underpaid by current standards. However, no progress has been reported on a possible extension–though that does not mean that progress has not been made–and the Steelers do not negotiate new contracts once the regular season begins.
  • Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson has limited leverage in trying to force a trade, as Adam Schefter, Louis Riddick, and Mark Brunell of ESPN explain (video link).
  • Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com. Scherff, a 280-pound quarterback in high school, has blossomed into a strong 6’4″, 320-pound force with Ndamukong Suh-type strength.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Santonio Holmes

July 14th, 2014 at 10:04pm CST by Rory Parks

Veteran wide receiver Santonio Holmes is perhaps the biggest name left on the free agent market at the moment. Holmes was released by the Jets in March, but it is unclear if any team has made contact with him since then. In May, we learned that Holmes has interest in returning to his first club, the Steelers, but it does not appear as though the interest is mutual at this point.

Santonio Holmes

Holmes, who established himself as an electrifying playmaker and Super Bowl hero with Pittsburgh, saw very little success after signing a lucrative free agent deal with the Jets. During his four seasons in New York, Holmes totaled a meager 2,128 total yards. Of course, not all of that was entirely his fault. The Jets’ quarterback play has been shaky at best in recent years, and Holmes suffered through injury as well, appearing in just 15 games over the past two seasons.

Nonetheless, Holmes’ attitude has also negatively impacted his value as he searches for a new team and a fresh start. As one unnamed front office executive said last month, “We’d have to look more closely at what happened in New York with him in the locker room.” And Holmes’ trainer, Tom Shaw, recently said that Holmes would find a team this season–if he can find one that doesn’t think he would be a distraction.

There is no doubt that Holmes still offers some intriguing upside. Even though injuries and age–he turned 30 in March–have combined to take away some of his explosiveness, he could still be effectively utilized as a playmaking threat out of the slot, and getting a fresh start after his disastrous stint in the Meadowlands can only help. Improved maturity, which Shaw believes Holmes has demonstrated, would also go a long way.

He will probably have to wait until someone suffers a training camp injury to demonstrate that he has, in fact, matured, and that he still has some of the ability that once made him a favorite target of Ben Roethlisberger. Anticipating Holmes’ release in February, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested the Cardinals, Rams, and Steelers as potential destinations for Holmes, but that was based more upon speculation than anything else. Assuming an injury does indeed claim a wideout in training camp, Holmes will begin to look a lot more appealing to the afflicted club. At that point, he will look like a low-cost, high-upside risk that might just pay off in a big way in 2014.

Jimmy Haslam’s Company Avoids Criminal Charges

July 14th, 2014 at 8:54pm CST by Rory Parks

Pilot Flying J, the Knoxville-based chain of truck stops chaired by Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, reached a deal with federal prosecutors to avoid criminal charges against the company, writes Josh Flory of KnoxNews.com. In exchange, Pilot must pay a $92MM penalty over the course of the next two years and must also cooperate with the ongoing criminal investigation into diesel fuel rebate fraud.

However, while the company itself might have avoided criminal sanctions, Haslam and other company employees might not be out of the woods just yet. As Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal points out, the deal does not exempt any individual from prosecution. Indeed, after the government’s investigation of Pilot’s alleged diesel rebate fraud became public last year, 10 former company employees pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the investigation (Pilot also reached civil settlements totaling $85MM with trucking customers who claimed to have been victimized by the company’s fraudulent activities). As far as Haslam and his associates are concerned, Ridenour writes, “There is still time for the government to find proof that Haslam had knowledge of the fraud. There is still time for the 10 former Pilot employees who have pleaded guilty to turn against him. There is still time for more people to be charged.”

On the other hand, as Flory observes, former assistant United States Attorney Tom Withers has stated that he would be surprised if the company would have resolved the charges against it without some indication from the government that Haslam himself would not be criminally charged. So, despite the government’s assertion that the agreement “demonstrate[s] quite clearly that no corporation, no matter how big, influential, or wealthy, is above the law,” there might have been another, unpublicized portion of the deal that made it more palatable for Haslam.

How does all of this affect the Browns? It probably won’t. Ridenour writes that Pilot has opened several locations recently and business is apparently doing quite well. And, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets, the NFL has stated that “there are no allegations that apply to [the league’s] personal conduct policy.” Therefore, the Browns might yet achieve some front office stability, something they hoped they were getting from Haslam all along.

Offseason In Review: Green Bay Packers

July 14th, 2014 at 8:41pm CST by David Kipke

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Draft picks:

  • Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama (1.21): Signed
  • Davante Adams, WR, Fresno State (2.53): Signed
  • Khyri Thornton, DT, Southern Miss (3.85): Signed
  • Richard Rodgers, TE, California (3.98): Signed
  • Carl Bradford, OLB, Arizona State (4.121): Signed
  • Corey Linsley, C, Ohio State (5.161): Signed
  • Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin (5.176): Signed
  • Demetri Goodson, CB, Baylor (6.197): Signed
  • Jeff Janis, WR, Saginaw Valley State (7.236): Signed

Other:

The Packers’ 2013 season was going smoothly until Week 9, when Aaron Rodgers sustained a broken collarbone. Including the ensuing loss to the Bears, the Packers proceeded to utterly collapse, going on a 2-5-1 stretch that featured a tie with a cellar-dwelling Vikings team. During the slide, Rodgers was replaced by the likes of Seneca Wallace, practice squad call-up Scott Tolzien, and Matt Flynn, whose career with the Packers had been interrupted by quick, subsequent stints with the Seahawks, Raiders, and Bills. A triumphant return from Rodgers in the team’s Week 17 matchup against the Bears culminated with the former MVP’s touchdown pass to Randall Cobb in the last minute of the game, which not only provided one of the most iconic plays of the 2013 season — it also sent the 8-7-1 Packers to the playoffs. A hard-luck Wild Card qualifier, the 12-4 49ers, traveled to Green Bay and narrowly defeated the Packers, sending them into the offseason with bright prospects for 2014.

On offense, Rodgers continued to solidify himself as one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL while one of his receivers – Cobb – stepped into Greg Jennings‘ vacated spotlight and emerged as one of the league’s most special talents. Jordy Nelson, James Jones, and late-season revelation Jarrett Boykin rounded out one of the best receiving corps in the NFC. On the ground, rookie running back Eddie Lacy proved to be more than worth the second-round pick that the Packers spent on him last Spring. To add to the rushing attack, Lacy was effectively spelled by veteran James Starks.

Defensively, the team struggled after GM Ted Thompson had failed to address what many considered to be the team’s primary need during the 2013 offseason: a new safety. The unit performed poorly across the board, finishing 24th in pass defense and 25th in rush defense. The team’s once-feared multi-level tandem of B.J. Raji and A.J. Hawk were shadows of their former selves in Dom Capers‘ 3-4 base defense. Clearly, most of Green Bay’s needs heading into the 2014 offseason were on the defensive side of the ball.

Thompson’s defensive moves this offeason started with his decision to stand by Capers, instead making changes at the player level. Substantial help arrived for Capers’ unit via both free agency and the draft. Thompson went out and signed superstar defensive end Julius Peppers, who, despite being past his peak, still presents a significant threat along the line. As talented as he is, Peppers’ fit into the 3-4 – a formation he’s yet to encounter in the NFL – will be something to watch during the 2014 season.

In the draft, the Packers’ were delighted to have Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the consensus All-American safety from Alabama, fall to them at 21st overall in the first round. Clinton-Dix will look to step in and start immediately in a secondary that badly needed the help. The club also managed to re-sign by far the most valuable member of that secondary, cornerback Sam Shields, and added depth to the interior of the defensive line, retaining the fast-fading Raji and bringing Letroy Guion to back up Raji at nose tackle.

Offensively, the Packers made up ground in some areas and appeared to take steps backward in others. Although they lost Jones via free agency, the receiving corps was refurbished in the draft with wide receivers Davante Adams, Jared Abbrederis, and Jeff Janis, along with tight end Richard Rogers. This receiving-heavy rookie class has the potential to blossom into the next great generation of Packers’ pass catchers, who have benefited from the signal-calling of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

Up front, Thompson raised several eyebrows by not re-signing center Evan Dietrich-Smith, who had been publicly endorsed by Rodgers heading into the offseason. Second-year center J.C. Tretter, who once played tight end at Cornell, will look to fill the void left by Dietrich-Smith. The Packers also received some big help along the o-line with the return of tackle Bryan Bulaga, who tore his ACL last August.

The Packers will head into the season as favorites to make the playoffs out of the NFC North. Any competent team led by Rodgers has the potential to win a Super Bowl. Throw in a potential juggernaut offensive cast around Rodgers and an improved, passable defense, and it’s easy to see why many consider the Packers to be one of the best teams in the NFC heading into the 2014 season. Because they must play the AFC East and NFC South, two relatively top-heavy divisions that will likely produce a few particularly tough match-ups, 12 wins and another NFC North title seems a fair prediction for the Packers.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

Hardy, Panthers Unlikely To Reach Long-Term Deal

July 14th, 2014 at 5:53pm CST by David Kipke

A long-term deal between All-Pro defensive end Greg Hardy and the Panthers is unlikely to materialize before tomorrow afternoon’s deadline, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network (via Twitter). Like Jimmy Graham, Hardy must reach a multiyear agreement with his team by tomorrow, or play the 2014 season on a one-year deal. Unlike Graham, Hardy has already signed his franchise tender, so playing on that one-year contract has appeared to be the likely scenario for some time.

The team’s lack of interest in pursuing a long-term deal with Hardy has two main causes. The first is the Panthers’ capability to absorb Hardy’s large $13.1MM franchise tag cap hit given their their existing payroll. The second is a pending domestic violence lawsuit between Hardy and his ex-girlfriend, the trial for which is also set to occur tomorrow afternoon. Upon his arrest in May, Hardy surrendered 10 guns. The former Ole Miss Black Bear has refused to give any interviews since the arrest.

The Panthers and NFL have stated that they will wait until the legal process has taken its course before deciding on any possible punishment for Hardy. The former sixth-round pick recorded 15 sacks last season, a tie for the single Panthers’ franchise record and more than Julius Peppers ever had in one season. Hardy’s potential absence would deal a large blow to Carolina’s defense heading into the 2014 season.

 

NFC Notes: Lipford, Nwaneri, Tate, Packers

July 14th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Former UNC linebacker Darius Lipford, who went undrafted in last week’s supplemental draft, will work out for the 49ers this week, tweets Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. So far, four teams have expressed interest in bringing Lipford in for a visit since he has the most upside of the four players not selected in the supplemental draft, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).

Let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC….

  • Caplan also passes along contract details for new Cowboys offensive lineman Uche Nwaneri, who signed a minimum salary benefit contract which includes a $65K signing bonus (Twitter link).
  • Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today examines the players who may hold out when training camps begin and discusses what teams may have to do to ensure those players are in the fold. The list of potential holdouts includes a handful of NFC West players — Vernon Davis and Alex Boone of the 49ers and Marshawn Lynch of the Seahawks.
  • In an interview with ESPN’s First Take today, Lions wide receiver Golden Tate softened earlier comments and explained that his decision to leave the Seahawks was driven by more than money. “If you have an opportunity to earn way more money in another city, you’ll leave in a second. Every single person in the world would have done what I did,” Tate said, according to MLive.com’s Gillian Van Stratt.
  • Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com looks at the Packers‘ backup quarterback battle. The incumbent Scott Tolzien is going up against the once-heralded Matt Flynn for the No. 2 role and some have wondered what might happen if both perform well during training camp. The Packers could, in theory, roll with three QBs, but they haven’t done that since 2008 and doing so would come at the expense of depth elsewhere on the field.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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