Antonio Cromartie is coming off a one-year contract with the Cardinals, and while fellow cornerback Patrick Peterson would like to see his teammate return to Arizona, Peterson tells Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com that Cromartie will certainly have interest in heading back to the Jets.
“I’m definitely trying to keep him here,” Peterson said. “It’s going to be tough, especially with Todd [Bowles] being in New York and he loves [New York]. That’s all he talks about is freaking New York. I’m definitely trying to get him to stay and we’ll see what happens.”
Cromartie and his representatives won’t be able to talk to the Jets until March 7, so Peterson has a few more weeks to try to recruit the veteran corner back to the Cards. As he works on that, let’s round up a few more items from across the AFC….
- After suspending Trent Richardson at the end of the 2014 season, the Colts could soon have a battle on their hands with the NFLPA over Richardson’s 2015 salary, which may become non-guaranteed based on that suspension. If that issue comes to a head though, it won’t be the first incident between Richardson and the Colts, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com. Wells reports that the relationship between the team and the running back deteriorated over the course of the 2014 season because of weight issues, accessibility, and an unexpected absence.
- The Ravens have mostly avoided restructuring contracts in previous seasons, but may have to rework a couple this season to create some temporary cap relief, according to Aaron Wilson and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. However, the club could also release or extend players to open up cap room. Defensive end Chris Canty, center Gino Gradkowski, and wide receiver Jacoby Jones are among the Ravens veterans whose deals may need to be addressed.
- According to Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter links), Jaguars owner Shad Khan said he wants to extend his team’s London series beyond 2016. Per Khan, Jacksonville’s revenues will rank 22nd in the league this season, an improvement buoyed by the revenue from the franchise’s games in England.
- The Browns‘ uncertain quarterback situation extends to the coaching staff, according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, who points out that Kevin O’Connell, who will be in charge of Cleveland’s QBs, has never coached at any level in football before.
- Vince Wilfork played more than 70% of the Patriots‘ defensive snaps, and the club was a top-10 scoring defense with a lengthy playoff run, meaning the big defensive lineman earned every 2014 incentive in his contract, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). That means Wilfork received the full $8MM salary for which he was eligible.