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NFC East Links: Giants, Cowboys, Hankerson

July 8th, 2014 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

As we continue counting down the days until NFL training camps open, let’s check in on a few of the latest items out of the NFC East….

  • The Giants were among the teams that passed on Johnny Manziel in this year’s draft, but even if the club needed a quarterback, it sounds as if its interest in Manziel may have been lukewarm. Co-owner Steve Tisch told TMZ (link via Cleveland.com) that the former Texas A&M star’s lifestyle would concern him if Manziel was a Giant. “I think if you sort of look at the culture and the history of the Giants, he really doesn’t fit the profile of, historically, New York Giants football players,” Tisch said.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap continued his series on the best and worst contracts for each team today with a look at the Giants. In Fitzgerald’s opinion, New York’s offseason signing of cornerback Walter Thurmond gave the club its best contract, while offensive tackle William Beatty has the roster’s least team-friendly deal. Fitzgerald adds that another offseason signee, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, was a close “runner-up” for the Giants’ worst contract.
  • The Cowboys invested a top-10 draft pick in Morris Claiborne and $50MM in Brandon Carr, and will need both cornerbacks to be better than they were last year if they hope to contend in 2014, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. According to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required), Carr ranked 58th and Claiborne placed 88th among 110 qualified corners in 2013.
  • As wide receiver Leonard Hankerson continues to recover from an ACL injury, Mike Jones of the Washington Post wonders if there will be a role on the Redskins‘ offense for him when he gets healthy.

Latest On NFL Supplemental Draft

July 8th, 2014 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of prospects eligible for this month’s NFL supplemental draft recently held Pro Days, which were attended by a handful of teams, according to various reports. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears from agent Louis Bing that the Cowboys, Texans, Packers, Colts, Lions, Giants, Seahawks, Dolphins, and Bears were in attendance to watch SMU running back Traylon Shead work out. Meanwhile, according to NFLDraftDiamonds.com (via PFT), the Bears, Cardinals, Chiefs, Colts, Eagles, Falcons, 49ers, Patriots, Raiders, Rams, and Texans attended the workout for former Virginia-Lynchburg defensive lineman LaKendrick Ross.

As Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report wrote last month when he previewed 2014’s supplemental draft, it doesn’t project to be too exciting an affair, with Shead, Ross, and New Mexico wideout Chase Clayton among the players eligible. A year ago, none of the six players eligible for the 2013 supplemental draft were selected, and it looks like this year’s crop of players won’t warrant more than late-round picks, if they’re taken at all.

The supplemental draft is intended to accommodate players who missed the deadline for May’s NFL draft or were declared ineligible for another reason. In some cases, players eligible for the supplemental draft land there as a result of being declared academically ineligible in the NCAA, or being kicked off of a team — this helps to explain why some of the more notable players selected in recent supplemental drafts – such as Josh Brent and Josh Gordon – have had off-field concerns.

If a team wants to select a player in the supplemental draft, it must let the league know the round in which it’s willing to select that player. The club which submits the highest round will receive the player and forfeit a 2015 draft pick in that same round. For instance, when the Browns used a second-round supplemental choice on Gordon in 2012, it meant that the team lost its second-round pick for the 2013 draft.

Offseason In Review: Buffalo Bills

July 7th, 2014 at 11:06pm CST by David Kipke

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired Mike Williams from the Buccaneers in exchange for a sixth-round pick (No. 185).
  • Acquired a first-round pick (No. 4) from the Browns in exchange for a first-round pick (No. 9), a 2015 first-round pick, and a 2015 fourth-round pick.
  • Acquired a conditional 2015 fourth-round pick from the 49ers in exchange for Stevie Johnson. Pick could become a third-rounder depending on Johnson’s performance.
  • Acquired a second-round pick (No. 44) and a fifth-round pick (No. 153) from the Rams in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 41).
  • Acquired Bryce Brown and a seventh-round pick (No. 237) from the Eagles in exchange for a seventh-round pick (No. 224) and an additional draft pick that will be either a 2015 fourth-rounder, a 2016 third-rounder, or a 2016 fourth-rounder, depending on conditions met by Brown’s and Stevie Johnson‘s performance.
  • Acquired a seventh-round pick (No. 221) and a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Buccaneers in exchange for a fifth-round pick (No. 149).

Draft picks:

  • Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson (1.4): Signed
  • Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama (2.44): Signed
  • Preston Brown, LB, Louisville (3.73): Signed
  • Ross Cockrell, CB, Duke (4.109): Signed
  • Cyril Richardson, G, Baylor (5.153): Signed
  • Randell Johnson, OLB, Florida Atlantic (7.221): Signed
  • Seantrel Henderson, OT, Miami (FL) (7.237): Signed

Other:

  • Had longtime owner Ralph Wilson pass away, prompting the franchise sale process to get underway.
  • Hired Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator.
  • Learned that Kiko Alonso will be sidelined for the 2014 season with an ACL injury.
  • Exercised Marcell Dareus‘ fifth-year option for 2015 ($10.633MM).
  • Signed 10 rookie free agents after the draft.

Heading into the 2014 offseason, Bills fans were still perhaps left wondering what might have been. A once-promising 2013 campaign had sputtered after E.J. Manuel, the first quarterback taken in the 2013 NFL draft, suffered multiple knee injuries. Despite a pleasantly adequate cameo from ex-Duke Blue Devil Thad Lewis under center in Manuel’s absence, the Bills’ passing offense was among the league’s worst. On the ground, however, the Bills had the second-most prolific rushing attack in the NFL on the legs of C.J. Spiller, who provided the lightning to Fred Jackson‘s thunder in the Buffalo backfield.Sammy Watkins

The defense also experienced a considerable resurgence, as a unit led by the $100 million man Mario Williams and PFWA Defensive Rookie of the Year Kiko Alonso recorded a franchise-record 57 sacks. Despite an uninspiring 6-10 finish, the Bills showed some signs of promise, so the question heading into 2014 was whether Buffalo would push to contend in the short term, or whether the front office would believe the club was still multiple successful offseasons away from becoming a serious playoff contender.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Bills’ biggest move undoubtedly occurred in the 2014 draft when they decided to trade their 2014 and 2015 first-round picks to the Browns in order to move up and draft three-time All-American receiver Sammy Watkins out of Clemson with the fourth overall pick. In order to make room in the offense for Watkins, former No. 1 wideout Steve Johnson, who registered at least 75 receptions and 1,000 yards every season from 2010-2012, was dealt within 24 hours of Watkins’ selection to the 49ers for a conditional 2015 fourth-round pick.

Highlighting the Bills’ additional skill position acquisitions were receiver Mike Williams, who arrived via trade from the Buccaneers and played for Bills’ head coach Doug Marrone during their overlapping tenures at Syracuse; and Anthony Dixon, the bruising Pittsburgh product who played in a limited hybrid halfback/fullback role for the 49ers over the past few seasons. In addition to bringing in Dixon, the Bills also traded for former Eagle Bryce Brown, who enjoyed a brief stint in the national spotlight in late 2012 while filling in for an injured LeSean McCoy, to provide further depth at running back.

Arguably the Bills’ most substantial offensive positional turnover this offseason occurred along the offensive line. The team signed Chris Williams, who will look to start at guard after establishing himself as an NFL regular with the Rams over the past four seasons. The Bills drafted former Alabama tackle Cyrus Kouandjio, whose questionable knee health caused him to fail several physicals leading up to the the draft, and added two more lineman in the draft: guard Cyril Richardson out of Baylor and Seantrel Henderson of Miami in the seventh round. Henderson is perhaps the most mercurial boom-or-bust prospect of the 2014 draft class, having failed numerous drug tests, including one at the NFL combine, after coming out of high school in 2010 as the top overall recruit in the country. While the Bills’ new-look line will have a lot to prove on the field, they will enter the 2014 season as the heaviest unit in the entire NFL by a wide margin.

Defensively, any discussion of the Bills’ offseason has to start with the departure of three-time All-Pro safety Jairus Byrd, who signed a six-year deal with the Saints. Byrd left a defense that found itself in a substantial transition period, as the unit’s leadership had been handed over from Mike Pettine, who took the Browns’ head coaching position, to former Lions’ head coach Jim Schwartz.

Much has been written about the fairly substantial tactical change from Pettine’s ‘4-3 under’ base defense to Schwartz’s patented ‘Wide 9’ formation. The transition will not be made any easier by the recent shocking season-ending injury to Alonso, who had become a playmaker and fan favorite in his accoladed rookie season. Luckily for the Bills, GM Doug Whaley decided to add substantial linebacker depth this offseason, signing both Brandon Spikes and former first-round pick Keith Rivers while also selecting Louisville standout Preston Brown in the third round of the draft. Whaley has, however, received significant criticism for making no attempt to fill the void at safety left by Byrd.

Heading into 2014, the one question on Bills’ fans minds, other than whether or not their franchise will be based in Toronto in 10 years, will be whether or not Watkins was worth two first-round picks. He is widely expected to become an NFL star, but one has to wonder whether or not it is viable for a rebuilding franchise to surrender a future first-round pick in any trade, no matter the return. The Buffalo faithful will be hoping that Watkins can help Manuel, who showed flashes of brilliance when healthy last season, continue to develop into one of the NFL’s premier young talents at quarterback. Even if everything breaks right for the Bills, a tough schedule, highlighted by an in-conference divisional pairing with the suddenly daunting AFC West, will likely prevent the team from finishing at .500 or better in 2014.

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

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Collins, Staley, McKinnon

July 7th, 2014 at 7:59pm CST by Matt Feminis

Let’s round up a few Monday odds and ends from around the NFL….

  • Patriots second-year linebacker Jamie Collins‘ arrow is pointing up following a terrific rookie season in which he showcased unique athleticism and versatility. In Collins, “Bill Belichick has found a new sort of prototype,” says NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal, who profiles Collins as a breakout player deserving of 900 snaps this season. For perspective, Dont’a Hightower‘s 870 snaps led Patriots linebackers in 2013.
  • Joe Staley has four years remaining on a six-year, $43.2MM contract with the 49ers, but many consider the outstanding left tackle underpaid, says ESPN’s Bill Williamson, who tweets the team could consider giving Staley a new deal. Either way, Staley isn’t expected to hold out. That’s not the case for Alex Boone, however, tweets Williamson.
  • The Steelers need second-year man Markus Wheaton to step up, says ESPN’s Scott Brown in his preview of the team’s receivers.
  • In a rundown of AFC South depth chart notes, Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuiness says he doesn’t expect Jaguars free-agent acquisition Toby Gerhart to be any better than average.
  • Meanwhile, Vikings rookie Jerick McKinnon is vying to replace Gerhart as Adrian Peterson‘s backup. A third-round pick out of Georgia Southern, McKinnon is making a strong first impression on Peterson: “He’s pretty impressive and there’s not too many guys who impress me like that, especially rookies coming in,” Peterson told Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune.
  • Despite a recent ESPN poll (Insider required) of league executives that ranked Jets quarterback Geno Smith the NFL’s worst starter, NewYorkJets.com editor-in-chief Randy Lange tries to make a case Smith’s rookie season was “better than some observers seem to think.”
  • If the season started today, the Raiders would be the worst team in football, according to Pro Football Talk.

NFC Links: Greenway, Graham, Riddick

July 7th, 2014 at 6:06pm CST by Matt Feminis

Vikings veteran linebacker Chad Greenway, coming off a disappointing 2013 season in which a wrist injury affected his play, is a player with “something to prove,” according to ESPN’s Ben Goessling: “Greenway took a paycut after a disappointing 2013 season with the Vikings, and he has just one year left on his contract after this season. The Vikings would have to count only a $1.7 million bonus proration against their 2015 cap if they cut Greenway after this season, and they’d save $7.1 million, meaning Greenway could be looking at another contract restructure or a release if he doesn’t pick things up at age 31 this season.”

Here’s some more NFC-related reading:

  • ESPN’s Mike Triplett did his best to clarify an arbitrator’s ruling that — for the purpose of the Saints’ franchise tag designation — Jimmy Graham was a tight end, in part, because of the so-called “4-yard benchmark.”
  • Late last month, Tim Twentyman wrote about Lions running back Theo Riddick turning heads with an impressive spring which caught the eye of head coach Jim Caldwell in particular. Now backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky is adding to the hype. Talking on Ross Tucker’s podcast, Orlovsky said, “I’m telling you, if [Riddick] doesn’t 50 catches this year, I’ll be surprised because he’s going to have opportunities and he’s very talented at it. I think he’s going to play that Sproles role, for sure.”
  • Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is rehabbing from back surgery for the second consecutive offseason, writes David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, but Romo says his conditioning is “miles ahead of last year.”
  • Barry Church will hold down one safety spot for the Cowboys, but his running mate is to be determined. Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com thinks it will come down to J.J. Wilcox or Jakar Hamilton. “Wilcox has lost weight and is playing with better movement along with a better understanding of what his responsibilities are,” says Broaddus. Matt Johnson, a 2012 fourth-rounder out of Eastern Washington, is the most talented of the bunch, according to Broaddus, but Johnson hasn’t been able to stay healthy.
  • The Redskins drafted Josh LeRibeus in the third round in 2012 anticipating he would develop into a starter. Two years later, he must prove himself a capable backup just to stick on the roster, writes Mike Jones in the Washington Post.
  • In a rundown of NFC South depth chart notes, Pro Football Focus’ Gordon McGuinness recognized the encouraging play of a pair of 2013 rookies: Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead and Buccaneers running back Mike James, both of whom made the most of limited opportunity.

Latest On Josh Gordon

July 7th, 2014 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Josh Gordon made the wrong kind of headlines once again this weekend when he was arrested early Saturday morning in North Carolina under suspicion of driving while impaired. Our Rory Parks rounded up several links yesterday dealing with the fallout of the Browns wideout’s latest transgression, and we heard this morning that former teammate D’Qwell Jackson and others close to Gordon believe he needs to seek help.

Others have weighed in today on the Gordon saga, debating whether or not the Browns should even keep him on their roster as they await word on his upcoming suspension. Here’s the latest:

  • Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter, who overcame his own issues with alcohol and cocaine, explained to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer why he believes the Browns ought to cut Gordon. “He loves football more than anything, so I would take that away,” Carter said. “When I say they should cut him, I say that because I believe that will be the catalyst to help. When you’re falling in life, at some point you have to make a bottom floor and say ‘This is it for me. I’m going to establish my house on this right here. And I’m going to build up.'”
  • Carter added that GM Ray Farmer should tell Gordon that the team will sign him to a new contract when he gets clean and gets reinstated. “He needs to learn to live substance-free, and the team isn’t going to be able to help him do that now,” Carter said. “If he wants to play football, he’s going to have to show substantial progress in the next year for the NFL to allow him to play ever again. I’m not concerned about the Browns. I’m concerned about the team they put around him now.”
  • Cabot hears from a source that the Browns have reached out to several professionals and are in the process of assembling a support team for Gordon.
  • Former Jets head coach Herm Edwards disagrees with Carter’s assessment, suggesting he wouldn’t cut Gordon because “you’re not trying to shock the guy; you’re trying to help (him)” (Twitter links via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
  • According to Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, now is not the time for the Browns to cut Gordon. In Reed’s view, the team shares culpability in Gordon’s infractions and needs to do what it can to help support him.
  • ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert believes that speculation about Gordon’s NFL career potentially being done is overblown, and says that the wideout’s performance on the field last season “provides enormous incentive” for those around him to do everything they can to make sure he gets straightened out.

Poll: Jordy Nelson Vs. Randall Cobb

July 7th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

During the past two offseasons, the Packers have witnessed the departure of several of Aaron Rodgers‘ longtime pass-catching weapons. In 2013, Donald Driver retired and Greg Jennings signed a lucrative five-year deal to join the division-rival Vikings, and in 2014, James Jones headed west, inking a three-year pact with the Raiders. Additionally, Jermichael Finley, who is coming off spinal surgery, has reportedly not been cleared by the Packers’ team doctor, making a reunion with the free agent tight end unlikely at this point.

Two more veteran Green Bay receivers are on contracts that expire after the 2014 season, but Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb seem less likely to be playing elsewhere in 2015. The Packers reportedly have interest in locking up both players to contract extensions, ensuring that they’ll remain two of Rodgers’ top targets for years to come.

In Rob Demovsky’s latest mailbag at ESPN.com, he writes that the Packers may be inclined to reach an agreement with Nelson “sooner rather than later,” so that the team can subsequently move on to Cobb. While Demovsky doesn’t cite specific sources in his response to the latest Nelson/Cobb inquiry, he’s plugged into what the Packers’ front office is thinking, and his comments suggest that Nelson may be the club’s first priority.

Nelson established himself as the Packers’ No. 1 receiver in 2013, setting new career highs in receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,314), despite Rodgers missing a chunk of the season. So it makes sense that the team would prioritize a new agreement with him. On the other hand, Cobb, who had 80 receptions of his own in 2012, looked poised to take on a bigger role in the offense last season before he was sidelined with an injury of his own. Cobb doesn’t have the sort of size you’d expect for a prototypical top receiver, but he’s five years younger than Nelson, and his versatility allows the Packers to utilize him in a number of different ways — he has averaged an impressive 15 yards per carry over the last two seasons, for instance.

What do you think? When the Packers approach their wideouts about contract extensions, which player should the team be more intent on keeping? Who’s the No. 1 priority?

Hasselbeck Hopes To Play For Colts Beyond ’14

July 7th, 2014 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Matt Hasselbeck is entering the final season of his two-year contract as Andrew Luck‘s backup in Indianapolis, but if it were up to him, his time with the Colts may extend past 2014. As he tells Kevin Bowen of Colts.com, Hasselbeck would love to continue his playing career in Indianapolis in 2015 and beyond.

“Ideally, that would be a dream come true,” Hasselbeck said. “There’s no timetable where I need to make a call on that, but I set a short term goal of finishing my contract. I’m close to accomplishing that and if I do, I’ll have to figure out a new goal.”

One of the NFL’s longest-tenured players, Hasselbeck was a sixth-round pick in 1998, and has played for the Packers, Seahawks, Titans, and Colts during over the course of the last decade and a half. While he has 152 career starts to his name, the 38-year-old has transitioned into a backup role late in his career, and likely will only see the field in blowout wins or losses in ’14, barring an injury to Luck.

Still, at $3.625MM per year, Hasselbeck is one of the league’s highest-paid backups. If the Colts have interest in re-signing the veteran signal-caller when his current contract expires, it would likely be at a slightly more modest rate. We’ll have to wait and see whether Indianapolis wants to move on to a younger option, but the club showed this offseason that it doesn’t mind employing players well into their 40s, re-signing kicker Adam Vinatieri to a two-year contract that will keep him under team control until he turns 43.

AFC Links: Texans, Jets, Ravens, Titans, Bills

July 7th, 2014 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Texans and Jets may have added their starting quarterbacks for 2014 in free agency this offseason, with Houston inking Ryan Fitzpatrick to a two-year deal and New York signing Michael Vick to a one-year pact. Fitzpatrick sits atop the depth chart for the Texans, and Vick figures to push Geno Smith for the starting job in New York. However, both teams made more under-the-radar signings that Lorenzo Reyes praises in his most recent piece for USA Today, with the Texans adding running back Andre Brown and the Jets landing cornerback Dimitri Patterson. According to Reyes, while these moves didn’t receive the same sort of attention that other offseason transactions did in Houston or New York, they could ultimately pay major dividends.

We examined Houston’s offseason activity last night, and will be shifting our focus to the Jets and the rest of the AFC East this week. In the meantime, here are a few more links from across the AFC:

  • Albert Breer of the NFL Network takes an in-depth look at the reasons why players should (or should not) hold out, using J.J. Watt of the Texans and Justin Houston of the Chiefs as a pair of examples. As Breer outlines, Watt may have the leverage this offseason to hold out for a new deal, though there has been no indication that he’ll do so. Meanwhile, Houston’s situation is more tenuous, since he could potentially forfeit an accrued season and a chance at future unrestricted free agency if he misses too much of Kansas City’s training camp.
  • The NFL shouldn’t punish the Ravens along with Ray Rice by continuing to delay its announcement on a suspension for the running back, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, who wonders why the league is taking so long to make its decision.
  • A pair of offensive linemen receive best and worst contract honors in Jason Fitzgerald’s look at the Titans‘ books at OverTheCap.com. In Fitzgerald’s view, Michael Roos is playing on the most team-friendly deal on the roster, while recently-signed tackle Michael Oher has the Titans’ worst contract.
  • As Mike Rodak of ESPN.com details, the Bills are using less than $4MM in cap space on their quarterbacks this season, meaning that even if there are no above-average signal callers on the roster, at least the team isn’t overpaying anyone at the position.

Dolphins Sign Daryn Colledge

July 7th, 2014 at 10:33am CST by Rory Parks

JULY 7: According to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link), Colledge’s one-year pact with the Dolphins can be worth up to $2MM, with $250K guaranteed. The deal has a $1.25MM base, with up to $750K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link).

JUNE 30: The Dolphins have agreed to sign offensive lineman Daryn Colledge, according to the team’s official Twitter account (link). Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald first reported that the two sides were close to a deal. The Dolphins, looking for a center after Mike Pouncey underwent hip surgery last week, brought Colledge in for a workout today and apparently liked what they saw. James Walker of ESPN.com tweets that it is a one-year deal.

Colledge has never missed a game as a professional, playing five years with the Packers before joining the Cardinals for three seasons. He was released by Arizona in March.

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