HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Extra Points: NFLPA, Houston, Lions, Saints

February 12th, 2015 at 10:17pm CST by Zachary Links

We have yet another candidate entering the field to become the NFLPA’s executive director. According to Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter links), NFLPA president Eric Winston sent an email to player reps today presenting five candidates for the job with Andrew Smith being added to the previous group of DeMaurice Smith, Sean Gilbert, James Acho, and John Stufflebeem. Andrew Smith took to Twitter earlier today to boast his credentials: “Next Exec Dir of the NFLPA? They had a former player, then a lawyer NOW they need the Players’ lawyer!!!” Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..

  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a closer look at this year’s crop of free agent pass rushers in a piece for The Sporting News, placing four players in his top tier: Justin Houston, Greg Hardy, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Jerry Hughes.
  • The Lions still haven’t revealed what they plan to do with Reggie Bush and the rest of their running back rotation this fall, but Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press wonders if Justin Forsett could be the answer for them. Forsett, who finished sixth in the NFL in rushing yards last year, will become an unrestricted free agent in March. The Lions are unlikely to splurge on a tailback, but coach Jim Caldwell pointed to the running game as an area that needs to improve in 2015. Forsett could be a quality addition for Detroit that won’t break the bank.
  • Kicker Shayne Graham is far from standing on solid footing with the Saints despite his new deal, Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune writes. Graham will still have to duke it out with Dustin Hopkins, who was added to the taxi squad late season. Graham was pretty solid through week 13 of the 2014 campaign, nailing 17 of 18 attempts. However, he missed a kick in each of the next two games, prompting the signing of Hopkins.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Steelers, Manning, Forsett

February 12th, 2015 at 10:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonders if time is running out for third-string Steelers quarterback Landry Jones. Jones has been inactive for every game since being drafted in 2013 and hasn’t advanced enough to beat out veteran Bruce Gradkowski as Roethlisberger’s backup. Meanwhile, GM Kevin Colbert isn’t sure Jones ever will. “Has he progressed to the point where he beat out Bruce as the No. 2? No,” Colbert said. “Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. I think when you have young guys, at least they have that chance to grow.” More from the AFC..

  • Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning met with GM John Elway at the team’s Dove Valley headquarters Thursday afternoon, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. Broncos president Joe Ellis boarded owner Pat Bowlen’s plane Thursday morning and flew to New Orleans to pick up Manning, who had been spending time in his hometown. Still, the soon-to-be 39-year-old is not ready to announce whether he’ll play in 2015.
  • Free agent running back Justin Forsett told SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link) that he definitely wants to be back with the Ravens, but he’s also looking for a significant commitment. Forsett, 29, had a breakout year in 2014, rushing for 1,266 yards.
  • In his chat on Thursday afternoon with local reporters, new Raiders coach Jack Del Rio was non-committal when discussing Maurice Jones-Drew, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Del Rio obviously goes way back with MJD, but Del Rio sounded skeptical when discussing the veteran’s explosiveness, or lack thereof.
  • It’ll be interesting to see how Del Rio and Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie‘s approaches mesh and what they agree and disagree on, Jerry McDonald of Bay Area Newspaper Group tweets. Del Rio is known for having a strong personality so it’s not a given that he can click with just anyone.

NFC East Notes: Mariota, Giants, Orakpo

February 12th, 2015 at 9:42pm CST by Zachary Links

On one hand, trading up from No. 20 to land Marcus Mariota would be a crazy idea for the Eagles given their holes. On the other hand, doing whatever it takes to get the Oregon star makes perfect sense for head coach Chip Kelly and the Eagles, writes Mike Slelski of The Inquirer. If Kelly considers the draft a complete crapshoot, as he has suggested before, then making Mariota his top priority would make all the sense in the world. While you ponder what figures to be the biggest sports story in Philadelphia this spring, here’s more out of the NFC East..

  • Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News looked at the Giants‘ cap situation and their biggest needs to address. Recently, Pro Football Rumors detailed the Giants as a part of our Offseason Outlook series.
  • In today’s chat, a reader asked Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News if Brian Orakpo could be a fit for the Cowboys if he becomes a free agent. Orakpo could potentially be had on a one-year deal, but as a 3-4 outside linebacker, he probably couldn’t be a great fit for Dallas’ scheme. He could be a Sam linebacker, possibly, but he probably wouldn’t be worthwhile unless he was unsigned after the draft and the Cowboys had some cash laying around.
  • More from Sturm, who writes that he would be fine with paying Dez Bryant $70MM over five years or maybe even $84MM over six years, giving him an average annual value of $14MM. That yearly figure would put Bryant just below the likes of Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, but above the other wide receivers. Still, Sturm isn’t sure that the Cowboys are willing to go that far right now.

Jack Del Rio On MJD, Carr, Draft

February 12th, 2015 at 8:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, new Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio sat down with local beat writers to discuss a number of topics. Here’s a look at some of the highlights, courtesy of Raiders.com:

What’s your biggest need right now?

I think the biggest thing is for us as a football team to develop the mentality. I don’t know if I would get into a specific position that you would say, ‘Hey we need to address this position.’ We’ll clearly increase the talent level, look to add to the talent level, but I think it’s important we develop the players that are here. We want to create a competitive environment where guys enjoy coming to work, coming to work with great energy and compete their tails off every day. I think with that, the mentality that we’re looking for will be developed and built and this football team will change, will transform.

On whether old friend Maurice Jones-Drew still has something left in the tank:

He thinks he does. We talked about it. We need to find that out. It’s something we need to find out. If he feels healthy – I think the first thing would be to make sure that he keeps his weight where it needs to be. He understands that, so he can be explosive again. We need to find out if he can be explosive again.

On getting a veteran quarterback to mentor Derek Carr:

It’s ideal to have that, and if works and that is the case then that would be good. It’s not something that has to be. It’s something that would be ideal for a young player to have, to have a veteran guy there that can help him as he prepares as a younger player, and really it’s good to have a room that’s strong and understands what it is to prepare every day. Everyone in the room approaches it like they’re the guy and everybody works really hard at the process.

On the idea of having to go out-of-house to get a No.1 receiver for Carr:

I quit trying to ‘number’ the receivers quite a while ago. We’re going to have good players. I talked about when I was in Dallas in ’89, Kenny [Norton] and I were together, and the offensive line was just ridiculed all the time. They can’t block anybody, this and that, and then when you look at who won the Super Bowl a couple of years later, a lot of those same guys were playing on the offensive line, so we’ll see. We’re going to work to develop our guys, the receivers, everybody that we have here, we’re going to work to develop them to their fullest. We will add talent. We will create competition and we’ll see, there might be a surprise or two where somebody becomes maybe more than people outside of our building feel he could be.

Offseason Outlook: Dallas Cowboys

February 12th, 2015 at 6:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Pending free agents:

Top 10 2015 cap hits:

  1. Tony Romo, QB: $27,773,000
  2. Tyron Smith, T: $13,039,000
  3. Brandon Carr, CB: $12,717,000
  4. Henry Melton, DT: $9,250,250
  5. Jason Witten, TE: $8,512,000
  6. Sean Lee, LB: $5,450,000
  7. Morris Claiborne, CB: $5,175,069
  8. Orlando Scandrick, CB: $4,351,250
  9. Barry Church, S: $3,250,000
  10. Mackenzy Bernadeau, G: $2,824,168

Notable coaching moves:

Draft:

Other:

Overview

As a youngster, did you grow up dreaming of becoming a right tackle? Is there a Fathead replica of your team’s starting left guard overlooking your couch? No, offensive lineman aren’t celebrated as much as the players at skill positions, but we all know how vital the o-line really is. After years of building the unit, the Cowboys’ offensive line helped propel them to the top of the NFC East.

Tony Romo, who has had his ups and downs in recent years, finished the year as the No. 6 quarterback in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). DeMarco Murray took advantage of those truck-sized holes created by the o-line and rushed his way to a career year. Dez Bryant cemented himself as one of the very best (if not the best) receivers in the NFL, lighting up opposing cornerbacks on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, the defense went from last in the league in 2013 to 19th overall in 2014 – not exactly the 1985 Bears, but a step up from being the “-Allas” Cowboys.

The Cowboys have reason to believe in 2015, but their electric offensive duo is eligible for free agency and there are numerous holes to address.

Positions Of Need

The Cowboys’ needs will depend heavily on what happens with Bryant and Murray and, by all accounts, the wide receiver is far more likely to return to the Cowboys than the running back. If Murray is not retained (we’ll discuss his situation in depth in a bit), there are a number of options that Dallas can turn to. It’s been long rumored that Jerry Jones would love to land Texas native Adrian Peterson. In fact, the two chatted over the summer and reportedly discussed the possibility.

“Well, I understand, Adrian,” Jones said. “I’d like that, too … Well, I love your story. I love your daddy’s story. I’ve always respected what you’ve been about. I’ve always been a fan of yours.”

Peterson would later downplay the sweet nothings whispered between the two but the mutual interest is abundantly clear. The Vikings, meanwhile, hold the cards and they could still push for 100 cents on the dollar in spite of AD’s off-field troubles from last year. Or, they might not be willing to discuss Peterson at all with Dallas. The last time these two franchises consummated a deal involving a franchise running back, the Cowboys came out ahead by a mile.

Alternatively, the Cowboys could turn to the draft for their next starting tailback. Georgia star Todd Gurley once seemed destined to be a top pick, but his 2014 ACL injury could put him within range for Dallas later in the first round. Beyond Gurley, Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Indiana’s Tevin Coleman are among the best backs on the board and both have drawn comparisons to Murray for their running style. In free agency, Dallas will find notables like Mark Ingram and the oft-injured Ryan Mathews. Ingram, of course, had a breakout season with the Saints in 2014 that was derailed a bit in the middle by a broken hand.

It sure doesn’t sound like the Cowboys will have to replace Bryant, but if they do, guys like Randall Cobb, Jeremy Maclin, Percy Harvin, Brandon Marshall, Michael Crabtree, Mike Wallace, and more could be available on the open market. At this point, if Dallas does anything at wide receiver, it seems more likely that they would look into supporting players with Cole Beasley (restricted) and Dwayne Harris (unrestricted) in limbo.

On the other side of the ball, Dallas could have a ton of work to do with defensive linemen Nick Hayden, Anthony Spencer, and George Selvie all out-of-contract. Meanwhile, if Henry Melton remains on the roster through the first day of the 2015 league year, a three-year extension worth $8MM annually and $9MM guaranteed will kick in. Melton appeared to be a mortal lock to remain under that contract at one point last season, but finishing the season on IR has thrown that in flux.

Bruce Carter, Justin Durant, and Rolando McClain are all headed towards free agency, which could lead the Cowboys to go shopping for linebackers. Cornerback could also be a need for the Cowboys if Brandon Carr isn’t willing to restructure his deal.

Key Free Agents

Re-signing Bryant will be the Cowboys’ No. 1 priority this offseason. While there was a good amount of dialogue between the wide receiver and owner Jerry Jones, Bryant ultimately didn’t get an offer he liked enough during the season as he opted to gamble on himself. That bet paid off big time as Bryant turned in a career year with 88 receptions, 1,320 yards, and 16 touchdowns. Needless to say, keeping Bryant for the long-term won’t be cheap, and that means that the franchise tag is a distinct possibility. At an estimated $13MM, the franchise tag isn’t a drop in the bucket either, but Jones won’t hesitate to do it if the two sides can’t come to an agreement on a new deal. Of course, the very threat of the franchise tag could light a fire underneath Bryant’s camp.

Jerry loves his stars, but he’s apparently gun-shy about giving Bryant a big long-term deal because of his off-field issues. Bryant’s reps will likely seek a deal worth $12-14MM in average annual value, making the franchise tag something of a no-brainer. The Cowboys could be persuaded into making a multiyear pact happen if they get a break in guaranteed dollars, but I don’t think they’ll mind Bryant playing for his money once again.

Unfortunately, the game of football isn’t as fair to running backs. Murray also turned in a career year, but at this time it doesn’t sound like the Cowboys are willing to shell out big bucks to keep him. Recently, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report heard from sources that the reigning offensive player of the year should command between $7-10MM annually on a new deal. Meanwhile, a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicated that Dallas’ latest offer came in at about $4MM per season. There’s one heck of a bridge to gap between Murray and Dallas and the Cowboys might not be willing to meet him halfway. Still, Murray put on a ton of miles in 2014 and his fumbling issues were troubling and it’s possible that his market won’t be as hot as he expects.

On the offensive line, Dallas will have to figure out what to do at right tackle with both Doug Free and Jermey Parnell eligible for free agency. Free was ticketed to be the starter in 2014, but injuries mucked with those plans, opening the door for Parnell. The Cowboys would love to keep both, but that might not make budgetary sense for the team. If Free’s foot and ankle troubles appear to be behind him, it wouldn’t surprising to see him return while Parnell gets signed to be someone else’s starter.

Even though Dallas has serious uncertainty when it comes to its linebacking troupe, the club at least has the flexibility of Anthony Hitchens and can plug him in at any spot necessary. Still, in a perfect world, Dallas would retain McClain and put him in the middle, allowing Hitchens and the returning Sean Lee to take care of the outside spots. It seemed unlikely at the time he was acquired from the Ravens, but McClain turned out to be a rock for the Cowboys in the face of Lee’s season-ending injury. Keeping both Durant and Carter would be a solid play by the Cowboys but with Carter’s measurables, it’s not hard to see another team swooping in and paying more than Dallas would be comfortable with.

Possible Cap Casualties

With a cap hit north of $12.7MM, Carr will be out of Dallas unless he is willing to take a pay cut. Back in January, Jones made it clear that he’s not interested in a restructuring and instead wants a salary reduction.

“There’s an issue of going and borrowing some money, borrowing it in the sense of hedging, taking money from future years,” Jones said. “There’s an issue there. Carr played well this year and I’m not as critical of Carr as others. But that’s a lot of money. One thing that we just got to do is we’ve got to make sure that every way we can, we get the value for the money.”

Releasing Carr outright would save the Cowboys $8MM against the cap in 2015 but it would leave them with a $7.4MM burden the following year. Moving on from Carr would be doubly difficult since Morris Claiborne, another underachiever, is not guaranteed to be ready for the start of the 2015 season thanks to his torn patella tendon. It seems like a pay cut, even if it’s a modest one, would be in the best interest of both parties.

The Cowboys would probably like to welcome Melton back for another season but they’ll probably look to work out a new deal. A new contract for the 28-year-old defensive tackle would probably call for a big drop in guaranteed money with a reduced average annual value as well. Melton finished the year as the 14th ranked defensive tackle in the entire NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

Extension Candidates/Contract Issues

Romo’s contract calls for a $27.77MM cap hit in 2015, before dipping to $17.64MM in 2016. Jones, as we mentioned when talking about Carr, is wary of shifting financial burden into future years to clear up the current cap situation. However, it’s hard to see Dallas really sticking to that plan considering the work that needs to be done this offseason. The Cowboys have a limited window to win with Romo under center and there’s no real succession plan in place for the 34-year-old (35 in April). Of course, at Romo’s age, an extension is probably off the table.

Recently, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looked at the Cowboys options when it comes to a possible restructuring for Romo and he found that there were two viable solutions. The first would be a restructuring where $7MM is converted into a signing bonus, rather than the maximum allowable figure of $16.03MM. That would create $5.6MM in cap space with a workable $14.2MM in dead money in 2017. Alternatively, Fitzgerald suggests that Dallas could take away from Romo’s massive 2015 base salary and shift that money over to the following year, where his current base is just $8.5MM.

Overall Outlook

After capturing their first NFC East title since 2009, it finally appears that things are falling into place for the Cowboys. In order to repeat, however, they’ll have to find a way to keep their needle-movers without compromising too much for future seasons.

Information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: AP, Bynes, McCown, 49ers, Eagles

February 12th, 2015 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Vikings announced today that they’ve promoted Kevin Warren to chiefs operating officer of the franchise, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wondered this morning if that could mean the end of Adrian Peterson‘s time in Minnesota. After all, when Peterson said during the 2014 season that someone in the organization was working against him, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the running back was referring to Warren.

However, on a conference call this afternoon, Warren told reporters, including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (all Twitter links), that he’d welcome back Peterson with open arms. Although Warren didn’t deny Schefter’s report, he did say, “I can tell you my feelings about Adrian are very positive. I hope he finishes his career here in Minnesota.”

As Goessling observes in his latest ESPN.com article on Peterson, the tone from the Vikings’ front office when discussing the running back seems to have shifted. Whether that signals an increased willingness from the Vikings to bring back the former MVP, or perhaps a desire to improve their trade leverage, things should get interesting as his reinstatement nears, writes Goessling.

Here’s more from across the NFC:

  • Linebacker Josh Bynes, who had been eligible for restricted free agency, won’t receive a contract tender from the Lions, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Nonetheless, the Lions have informed Bynes that they’d still like to re-sign him, presumably at a rate closer to the minimum salary. The 25-year-old will have a chance to speak to other suitors next month.
  • There’s no truth to rumors that Josh McCown could’ve remained with the Buccaneers if he had been willing to accept a pay cut, according to the quarterback (link via Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune). McCown also indicated that at least a half-dozen teams have already expressed interest in signing him (Twitter link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
  • The 49ers have key free agents in Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, and Mike Iupati, but the franchise tag isn’t a viable option to keep any of those three players, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. I reached the same conclusion last weekend when I looked at the NFC West’s franchise tag candidates.
  • Examining the inside linebacker position for the Eagles, Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com says he thinks the team should try to extend Mychal Kendricks this offseason. Kapadia also admits he has “no clue” which direction the Eagles will go with DeMeco Ryans, who is generally productive when healthy, but has a pricey cap hit ($6.9MM) that includes no guaranteed money.

Brandon Graham Seeking $20MM Guarantee?

February 12th, 2015 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Eagles edge defender Brandon Graham, who is eligible for free agency next month, will be seeking a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $30MM, with $20MM in guaranteed money, reports Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Mosher tucks away this nugget in the middle of a larger look at the team’s key free agents and doesn’t cite a specific source, but states it definitively enough that it certainly appears to be more than just idle speculation.

On the surface, that might seem like an unrealistic asking price for Graham, who has been a backup for the Eagles for nearly his entire rookie contract. However, even though the former first-round pick hasn’t put up huge traditional stats, Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) have loved his production. In 2014, Graham graded as the league’s third-best 3-4 outside linebacker, despite appearing in just 524 defensive snaps; in 2013, he saw even less playing time (331 snaps), but still ranked 15th among 42 qualified players at his position. Graham had his best season in 2012, per PFF, placing second among 4-3 defensive ends with a +30.1 grade in only 435 snaps.

Despite potentially being an underrated asset, landing a contract that features $20MM in guaranteed money still looks a little too ambitious for Graham. By comparison, only one player in last year’s free agent class (Branden Albert) signed a deal that included $20MM in fully guaranteed money. Perhaps Graham could achieve that goal of a $20MM guarantee if we also take into account salary guaranteed for injury only, but I don’t expect him to score a massive payday. This is the time of year when players’ asking prices often greatly exceed the actual prices on which they’ll eventually settle.

Still, as Mosher notes, Graham could be a player whose value will be “discovered” during next week’s scouting combine in Indianapolis, as team executives and agents come together for the first time this offseason. It’ll be interesting to see whether Graham draws significant interest from teams that view him as an every-down player, or if other clubs will also view him as a pass-rushing specialist, like the Eagles did — that would limit his overall stock. Considering he did his best work as a 4-3 defensive end before Philadelphia changed schemes a couple years ago, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 26-year-old pursued primarily by teams running a 4-3 defense.

Rams Promote Frank Cignetti To OC

February 12th, 2015 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

FEBRUARY 12: The Rams have finally made it official, announcing today in a press release that Cignetti will be the team’s new offensive coordinator and play-caller. Boras will lead the running game, in addition to coaching the tight ends, and receives a new assistant head coach title.

FEBRUARY 5: The Rams are expected to promote quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti to offensive coordinator, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). A formal announcement should come sometime next week.

The Rams have been searching for a new offensive coordinator ever since Brian Schottenheimer left the team to work at the University of Georgia. The Rams looked at out-of-house candidates for some time, but they ultimately circled back to Cignetti. St. Louis had interest in candidates such as Adam Gase and Rob Chudzinski and they appeared to be closing in on former Bills OC Nathaniel Hackett before he landed with the Jaguars.

Cignetti’s first NFL experience came in 1999 when he served as a quality control coach for the Chiefs. Since then, he has held several offensive coordinator positions at the collegiate level and jobs as a quarterbacks coach in the NFL. The Rams officially hired Cignetti to be their quarterbacks coach almost three years ago to this date.

The Rams also considered tight ends coach Rob Boras as an internal candidate for the opening.

AFC North Links: Steelers, Bengals, Ravens

February 12th, 2015 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL has announced the introduction of a new veteran combine this year, set for March 22 in Phoenix. The event, scheduled for nearly two weeks after the start of 2015’s free agent period, will allow about 100 veteran free agents to audition for interested teams. However, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert doesn’t have much interest in the combine as an evaluation tool, as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review details.

“Most of these guys that go to the veteran combine have been in at camp,” Colbert said. “They’ve been veterans. They’ve been practice squad players or they’ve been active players. So what they do in a workout I’m not really interested in. I just want to see what they did when they did have their chance to be NFL players.”

As we wait to see whether the event will pique the interest of other GMs and teams around the NFL, let’s check in on a few notes from around the AFC North….

  • The Bengals may have a fairly uneventful offseason ahead of them, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, who notes that this should be a good time for the team to try to work out a contract with star receiver A.J. Green.
  • One reason we shouldn’t expect much action from the Bengals this offseason is that the club typically doesn’t pursue free agents at the top of the market, and Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer explains why.
  • While the cornerback position could be a priority for the Ravens this offseason, the club should also make sure to address the safety spot, since only Matt Elam and 2014 third-rounder Terrence Brooks have contracts for next season at the moment, says Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Restricted free-agent-to-be Will Hill will likely return to the Ravens, and he’s out there recruiting for other potential free agent safeties to join him in Baltimore. As Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes, Hill is campaigning for his former Giants teammate Antrel Rolle to sign with the Ravens.

Jets, Raiders Expected To Target Top WRs

February 12th, 2015 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

As I noted this morning when I examined the free agent market for wide receivers, the players at the very top of this year’s board likely won’t be available when free agency begins on March 10. Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas are both strong candidates for the franchise tag, and Jeremy Maclin and Randall Cobb could get tagged as well, if they don’t work out long-term extensions with their current teams.

However, that doesn’t mean that this year’s receiver market will be weak. Even without those four wideouts on the board, players like Torrey Smith, Michael Crabtree, Cecil Shorts, and Kenny Britt may be available, and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) suggests that a handful of players currently under contract could join them. Cole identifies Percy Harvin (Jets), Mike Wallace (Dolphins), Vincent Jackson (Buccaneers), and Brandon Marshall (Bears) as a few veteran receivers who could hit the open market if they decline to take pay cuts or rework their contracts.

While the top-tier free agent receivers figure to draw interest from around the NFL, Cole suggests that the Jets and Raiders will be the most aggressive teams in trying to secure one of those top options. As Over The Cap’s data shows, Oakland and New York should both rank among the top five clubs in terms of available cap room this offseason, with approximately $50MM in flexibility.

That cap space will increase for the Jets if they release Harvin, and such a move would probably have them in the market for two new receivers, either in free agency or the draft. The Raiders, meanwhile, have Denarius Moore, Vincent Brown, Rod Streater, and Andre Holmes all eligible for either unrestricted or restricted free agency, and will be looking for an impact wideout to complement James Jones in order to help advance Derek Carr‘s development.

Although it will become irrelevant if the Broncos use their franchise tag on Thomas, it’s worth noting that Decker has been pushing hard to try to convince his former teammate to join him in New York.

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