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Month: November 2024

Kaepernick Faces Uncertain Future

February 9th, 2015 at 3:40pm CST by Rory Parks

When Colin Kaepernick exploded onto the scene midway through the 2012 season, which culminated in a narrow defeat in Super Bowl XLVII, it was difficult to find anyone who doubted his long-term future with the club. Even the most ardent critics of the read-option seemed to believe that Kaepernick possessed enough arm talent to overcome the inevitable adjustments opposing defenses would make to his running abilities. In short, there was little doubt that he and Jim Harbaugh had firmly established themselves as one of the top quarterback-head coach combos in the league, the West Coast equivalent of Belichick and Brady.

Although 2013 did not bring with it the same explosive success for Kaepernick, the 49ers still came devastatingly close to having another crack at the Lombardi Trophy, with Kaepernick throwing an endzone interception in the waning seconds of the NFC Championship Game to seal a 23-17 win for the eventual-champion Seahawks. Kaepernick finished the regular season with 21 touchdown passes to just eight interceptions, and he added 524 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.

But then 2014 happened. Amid reports that Harbaugh was on his way out at the end of the year, Kaepernick saw his performance slip, throwing 19 TDs to 10 picks and ranking as the 28th-best quarterback in the league per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), behind the likes of Mark Sanchez, Shaun Hill, and Kirk Cousins.

Now, as Tim Kawakawi of the San Jose Mercury News writes, 2015 has essentially become a lame-duck year for Kaepernick, as the seven-year, $126MM extension he signed last summer was for all practical purposes a $13MM signing bonus accompanied by seven one-year contracts. That means that the 49ers could, if they wanted, release Kaepernick without blinking an eye and without paying him another dime. Combine that reality with Kaepernick’s cap number, which will be $15.3MM in 2015 and will only go up from there, and throw in the fact that none of the current San Francisco coaches have the same personal investment in Kaepernick as Harbaugh did, and the quarterback’s status with the team becomes more than a little unclear.

And then there is the 2015 season itself, which could see the offense further regress with the possible departures of Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree and a potential schematic overhaul with the promotion of Geep Chryst to offensive coordinator. If that happens, or if the revamped coaching staff and Kaepernick do not mesh, next offseason will bring with it a great deal of uncertainty under center. With the way Kaepernick’s contract is structured, his margin for error is pretty slim, and each season will essentially serve as a new audition for an organization that has proven it is willing to prematurely cut ties with even its most successful personnel.

Free Agent Market For Quarterbacks

February 9th, 2015 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Our list of 2015 free agents provides a comprehensive position-by-position breakdown of which players are eligible to hit the open market this year. However, that list of names doesn’t include much context or additional information about those players. So, with March’s free agent period fast approaching, we’ll be taking a closer look this month at the free agent market for each position, starting today with quarterbacks. Let’s dive in….

Top unrestricted FAs:

Outside of Moore and Ponder – who have combined for more than 60 career NFL starts in past seasons – everyone in this group saw at least a little time in a starting lineup during the 2014 season. Of course, many of them didn’t finish the season as starters, or were only forced into duty due to injuries.

Nonetheless, if a club is looking to the free agent market for a veteran to compete for a starting job with its incumbent QB, this is probably the first group of players that team will consider. Sanchez and Hoyer are perhaps the top available options here, as both players showed several flashes of effectiveness as they led their respective teams to records of .500 or better during their starts.

Other intriguing names on this list include Mallett, who backed up Tom Brady for several seasons before getting a brief look in Houston; Locker and Ponder, 2011 first-rounders who were relegated to backup roles during the final year of their rookie contracts; and Moore, who has been one of the league’s most highly-paid No. 2 QBs for the last two seasons.

Other unrestricted options:

Whether you’re looking for a veteran who can play in a pinch (Campbell, Hasselbeck) or a younger option with some upside (Taylor, Tolzien), there’s something for everyone in this group — albeit not many names that inspire excitement.

McCoy and Clausen had some good moments during their limited playing time in 2014, and Jackson hasn’t been terrible during his stints as a starter. Still, none of those three players should be more than backups at this point in their playing careers, and the same goes for virtually everyone else on this list as well. In some cases, these guys were listed third on their respective teams’ depth charts.

I’d expect a good percentage of these players to return to their current teams, or to follow an old coach or coordinator to his new club. When it comes to backup quarterbacks, familiarity with an offensive system is crucial, and would certainly be a tiebreaker if the gap in talent between two players is marginal. Flynn might be the best example of this, as he hasn’t had much success anywhere besides Green Bay.

Restricted FAs:

Davis and Lindley saw some action in 2014, but neither player was overly effective — Lindley, in particular, had a ton of trouble moving the Cardinals’ offense when he was forced into action after injuries knocked out Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton. Generally, if a team wants to keep a restricted free agent, that team has most of the leverage, so if one of these players is wearing a different uniform in 2015, I expect it’ll be because his club had little to no interest in re-signing him.

AFC Notes: Cromartie, Richardson, Ravens

February 9th, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

NFC Notes: Rams, Sam, Packers, Washington

February 9th, 2015 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

It has been a little over a month since Rams owner Stan Kroenke announced his plan to build a new NFL stadium in Los Angeles, and it’s inching a little closer to becoming a reality, writes David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. According to Hunn, developers have begun to clear land and lay water lines at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, and the stadium still looks like a go, regardless of whether an NFL team like the Rams is lined up to play in it.

“If you have the most modern, the most beautiful NFL stadium in the world, you’re not going to have any problem populating it,” Inglewood mayor James T. Butts said. “If the NFL wants to migrate here, we would welcome it. But that’s not what this is about. This is ‘Field of Dreams’ stuff. Build it and they will come.”

Here are a few more Monday notes from around the NFC:

  • Former Rams seventh-rounder Michael Sam has applied for one of approximately 100 spots in the NFL’s inaugural veteran combine later this month, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. While the former Missouri standout is hoping that leads to an NFL contract offer, Pelissero says Sam has a one-year contract offer from the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes on the table as a fallback option. The 25-year-old spent some time on the Cowboys‘ practice squad last season, but wasn’t active for any regular season games.
  • Veteran 49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari will be leaving San Francisco to join the Packers, reports Alex Marvez of Fox Sports. While it’s not immediately clear what Solari’s role will be in Green Bay, his hiring appears to be part of a larger shake-up to the team’s offensive staff, as we heard yesterday.
  • The Packers will have to make a decision at quarterback this offseason, with backup signal-callers Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn both eligible for free agency. As Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com writes, the team’s coaching staff likes Tolzien’s potential, but Flynn gives the club a “security-blanket feel.” For his part, Aaron Rodgers would like to see both backups re-signed.
  • Free agency may offer more problems than solutions for Washington, but the team may still need to dip into the open market to find stopgap options for certain positions, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com.
  • Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer takes a look at some key issues facing the Panthers this winter, including a possible long-term deal for Cam Newton, finding a solution at left tackle, and adding immediate contributors in the draft.

Charges Against Greg Hardy Dismissed

February 9th, 2015 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

Superior Court Judge Robert Sumner has dismissed the two domestic violence charges against Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter links). According to Person (Twitter links), the state had been unable to locate alleged victim Nicole Holder, despite multiple and repeated attempts. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report reported earlier this morning (via Twitter) that a settlement had been reached between Hardy and Holder.

While the dismissal of the case clears Hardy legally, the NFL’s new personal conduct policy calls for an independent investigation by the league, and there’s no guarantee that Roger Goodell will abstain from penalizing Hardy just because the charges were dropped. Hardy missed all but one game in the 2014 season, but it wasn’t technically a suspension. He landed on the commissioner’s exempt list, and still received his full salary for the season, in a situation similar to Adrian Peterson‘s in Minnesota. The standout pass rusher would’ve been facing a lengthy suspension had he been convicted — now, the discipline he receives from the league figures to be more modest.

Hardy’s stock heading into free agency remains a little cloudy, at least until the NFL announces what penalty, if any, will be levied against him. But he’s certainly in better shape now than he would’ve been if his trial had dragged out and perhaps resulted in a conviction. I’d assume that the Panthers are still unlikely to assign the franchise tag to Hardy. In spite of his talent and his past production for the club, a franchise salary would cost more than $15MM, and would send a questionable message, especially after a portion of the $13MM+ that the team paid the 26-year-old in 2014 presumably went toward his settlement with Holder.

Assuming Hardy does reach the open market, he figures to draw significant interest from teams in the market for a pass rusher. Not many players in the NFL are better at getting to the quarterback than the former sixth-round pick, who racked up 26 total sacks in 2012 and 2013.

2015 Free Agent Stock Watch Series

February 9th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

2015’s NFL free agent period is just a few weeks away, as this year’s free-agents-to-be will be eligible to speak to other teams starting on March 7, and can sign contracts with rival suitors as of March 10 at 3:00pm central time.

Over the next few weeks, Pro Football Rumors will be heavily focused on free agency, and that means taking a closer look at several of the higher-profile players who could hit the open market next month. Our Free Agent Stock Watch pieces will explore what a player brings to a club, what sort of earnings he can expect on his next contract, teams that could be in the market for the player, and where the player might want to end up, along with any other relevant factors.

The list of players we’ve profiled so far is below, and will grow exponentially over the next several weeks. This post, which can be found on the right sidebar under “PFR Features,” will be updated each time we publish a new Free Agent Stock Watch piece, so be sure to check back to read up on the latest additions. The players below are listed in alphabetical order.

Packers, Broncos Face Offseason Dilemmas

February 8th, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys’ and Broncos‘ respective approaches with their All-Pro wide receivers following statement contract years will draw the most headlines this offseason, but not far off that radar will be the Packers‘ decision on slot target Randall Cobb.

Not possessing the traditional build of a No. 1 target Demaryius Thomas or Dez Bryant have, Cobb put together a consistent campaign — 106 catches, 1,465 yards, 13 touchdown receptions in 18 games — but the Packers have a history of allowing their receivers to walk and restocking the position with home-grown talent: see Greg Jennings in 2013 or James Jones last March. But Cobb’s case may be unique, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Packers hall of fame receiver James Lofton weighed in on this issue, via Dunne.

“Which free-agent wide receiver has left a team and gone on to become a Pro Bowler on a new team?” Lofton said. “Vincent Jackson did in his first year at Tampa. … Emmanuel Sanders was (an alternate), when he went to Denver, but that’s an extenuating circumstance when you have Peyton Manning throwing the ball. So where can these guys find a home that was better than where they were? We saw Greg Jennings leave Green Bay — who was a good player — and now he’s an average player at best.”

Jennings exceeded 1,100 yards for three straight seasons in Green Bay — 2008-10 — but hasn’t topped 805 in two years with the Vikings. Jones scored 14 touchdowns in Green Bay in 2012 and set a career high in receptions with 73 in Oakland last year, but the 30-year-old averaged just 9.1 yards per catch as primarily a wide receiver. Almost exclusively a slot man when not stationed in the backfield, Cobb, only 24, averaged 14.1 per grab last season in a position not known for over-the-top proficiency, a statistic which increases his case to be paid like a top wide receiver. The franchise tag for wideouts is expected to be around $12.7MM, and the Packers have just more than $23MM in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.

Meanwhile, the Broncos made a rather controversial shift from their three-wide receiver, no-huddle-based attack to a power-running approach midway through last season, and while free agents-to-be Orlando Franklin and Will Montgomery posted top-15 finishes at guard and center, respectively, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), new coach Gary Kubiak is likely to reshape the front based on his zone-blocking past, writes ESPN’s Jeff Legwold.

The Broncos entered the season with two first-team All-Pros on their front in left tackle Ryan Clady and right guard Louis Vasquez, but both regressed — Clady graded negatively on Pro Football Focus’ overall rating for the second time in four years after returning from the foot injury that ended his 2013 campaign after two games; Vasquez was marginalized when moved to right tackle to compensate for others’ struggles at that spot — and weakened the line. While Clady, the only lineman who played for the Broncos when they deployed Mike Shanahan‘s zone-blocking scheme, and Vasquez are expected back, Franklin and Montgomery are free agents, Manuel Ramirez slipped after a solid 2013, and the team is still without a viable right tackle option.

“Yes, that’s absolutely, 100 percent correct, three new starters minimum,” said ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth, a former Broncos zone-blocking bastion, via Legwold. “… Athletically speaking, they’re not good enough at left guard, center, and they need to find a right tackle.”

Solutions for both Cobb and Denver‘s offensive line don’t have to come from free agency, however, and may not require a No. 1 draft choice. From 2012-14, 37% of the Pro Bowlers came into the league in the third round or later, including 21 undrafted talents, ClevelandBrowns.com’s Kevin Jones measured. Cornerbacks from Denver (Chris Harris Jr.) and Green Bay (Sam Shields) contributed to that total as 2014 Pro Bowlers.

Minor Notes: Tomsula, Rivera, Ravens

February 8th, 2015 at 8:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

New 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula will bring Adam Henry back to the Bay Area after he mentored two of the NFL’s most explosive rookies while at LSU the past three seasons, reports Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area. Henry will coach the 49ers’ wide receivers alongside Ronald Curry after coaching Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry in 2012 and 2013 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Beckham earned offensive rookie of the year honors last season, and Landry came on strong late last season in Miami. Prior to re-entering the college ranks — Henry coached at Division I-FCS McNeese State for 10 years — Henry worked as a Raiders assistant from 2007-11, the last three as the tight ends coach. Curry, who the 49ers recently denied permission to follow former offensive coordinator Greg Roman to the Buffalo Bills, served as an offensive assistant the past two years under Jim Harbaugh. A former Raiders wide receiver, Curry’s final two years as an active player overlapped with Henry’s initial two seasons on the Raiders’ staff.

In other NFC coaching news…

  • The Panthers made a legacy choice as their latest assistant-coaching hire, bringing in Cam Turner as assistant wide receivers coach, the Charlotte Observer’s Joseph Person notes. The nephew of Norv Turner, Cam Turner spent the past two seasons coaching at Florida International under his father, Ron Turner. Cam Turner will assist Ricky Proehl on Ron Rivera‘s staff.
  • The Ravens have formed an extensive pipeline into the small-school ranks and may continue to do so, writes Bo Smolka of CSN Baltimore. In addition to selecting Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco out of Division I-FCS Delaware in 2008, the Ravens drafted four small-school prospects in the 2013 draft — including defensive tackle Brandon Williams (Division II Missouri Southern, Round 3) and fullback Kyle Juszczyk (Harvard, Round 4). Last year, they nabbed backup running back Lorenzo Taliaferro in the fourth round from Delaware. Both Williams and Juszczyk played extensively in 2014.

    “We’ve tried to find value by more closely looking at small-school players,” assistant general manager Eric DeCosta said to Smolka.

Packers To Make OC Change

February 8th, 2015 at 7:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

7:20pm: The Packers have decided to shake up their offensive staff, elevating Clements to associate head coach and moving Bennett to replace him at offensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.

The most notable change from this reshuffling: Clements will accept the play-calling reins from McCarthy. These increased roles could make it easier for Packers assistants to receive head-coaching interviews, Rapoport tweeted  Sunday after McCarthy questioned why his top staffers were never the “hot candidates,” in a January Rapoport account.

A former running back in Green Bay, Bennett coached the receivers the past four years after presiding over the running backs in the previous six seasons. The Packers have continued to produce top-flight receiving corps despite losses of key homegrown cogs Donald Driver (retirement), Greg Jennings (signed with the Vikings in 2013) and James Jones (UFA-Vikings in 2014).

Homegrown talents Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb combined for 25 receiving scores this season, and both landed on Pro Bowl rosters.

4:36 pm: The Packers 2014 season was a successful one by most standards, as the club won 12 games and finished first in the NFC North. A devastating loss to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game looms over Green Bay, however, and the team is now reportedly considering changes to its coaching staff. Sources tell Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com that head coach Mike McCarthy is “looking at different possibilities” with regards to altering his staff’s responsibilities, with once such scenario entailing him relinquishing play-calling duties.

Radio station 104.5 The Fan in Green Bay reported (Twitter link) that offensive coordinator Tom Clements is set to be promoted to associate head coach and will be handed the job of calling plays, while current receivers coach Edgar Bennett would shift to OC. Demovsky couldn’t confirm that exact structural change, and added that nothing has been finalized yet. Still, sources tell the ESPN scribe that McCarthy has privately noted the difficulty of managing the day-to-day operations of the team while also tending to play-calling, so the staff changes shouldn’t come as a surprise.

McCarthy, the Packers’ HC since 2006, has called the offensive plays for the duration of his reign in Green Bay. The offensive unit has been consistently above-average, finishing no lower than 11th in DVOA since 2007, including two No. 1 finishes (2011 and 2014). Clements has been on the Packers’ coaching staff since 2006, as well, acting as the QB coach from ’06-’12, then taking over as OC in 2013 following the departure of Joe Philbin. He was the play-caller for the Bills from 2004-05.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report.

Cowboys’ Jones Talks Murray, Bryant

February 8th, 2015 at 6:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Entering his 27th offseason in charge of the Cowboys, Jerry Jones faces one of his career’s biggest challenges in the coming weeks: finding a way to keep Tony Romo‘s two biggest weapons, DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant.

The Cowboys’ owner, president and general manager addressed this glaring issue Sunday with the Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota. Dallas operates with a scant $7.4MM of cap room as of Sunday, per OverTheCap.com, and Bryant’s likely franchise tag will hover around the $13MM-per-year figure. As Pro Football Rumors mentioned in January, Murray already balked at Dallas’ four-year offer worth around $16MM — a pay increase from the $1.4MM Murray earned in his dominant fourth season in 2014 but one not on par with the highest-paid running backs in the league.

So as of now, the math is stacked against the Cowboys retaining two of the NFL’s top unrestricted free agents, and Jones knows it after seeing his team go through salary cap turmoil in recent years.

“You remember when that cap makes you poor and you wake up and have those days when you don’t have the money and don’t have the flexibility,” Jones said to Machota. “… If you can revisit how you felt, that will make you a little more prudent about this cap when you have had a lot of years when you really paid the piper.”

Although the mercurial Bryant’s future with the team appears secure after a no-nonsense 16-touchdown campaign in his contract year, a future without Murray, the NFL’s rushing leader with 1,845 yards and new holder of the all-time-touches-in-a-season standard with 499 in 18 games, appears likely for the Cowboys — even with the latest trouble surrounding primary backup Joseph Randle — barring some cap wizardry in the coming weeks.

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