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Latest On Adrian Peterson Hearing

February 6th, 2015 at 8:24pm CST by Rob DiRe

Adrian Peterson’s hearing began today, with NFL and NFLPA attorneys arguing to U.S. District Jude David Doty over whether the ruling to suspend Peterson – and to extend that suspension through to April – was just.

Union representative Jeffrey Kessler argued that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell acted outside of his power in suspending Peterson under the personal conduct policy put in place in late August. The NFLPA also believes that arbitrator Harold Henderson was biased in his decision to uphold the suspension, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.

NFL attorney Daniel Nash was present to counter the NFLPA’s testimony, and reiterated that the NFL believes that the suspension was warranted.

Peterson was upbeat after the first day of the hearing. “Felt good. Felt like I got a fair hearing,” said Peterson, according to Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press (via Twitter).

The 30-year old running back was asked if he would like to return to the Vikings in 2015, replying simply, “Of course,” writes Murphy (via Twitter). However, Peterson did not address whether he would consider taking a pay cut to remain with the team.

In a video on Bleacher Report, lead NFL writer Jason Cole explains that while Peterson is looking to resolve this matter quickly, the NFL would prefer to drag this along. With free agency beginning on March 10, Peterson would like to be reinstated by that date in order for him to return to the Vikings, be traded, or be released and allowed to sign freely with another franchise.

The NFL wants to have this last past that date, to ensure Peterson does not get the full advantages of free agency, and in part helping the Vikings retain leverage over their face-of-the-franchise running back.

NFL Releases Full List Of Combine Invitees

February 6th, 2015 at 6:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

The NFL has released a full list of players who have been invited to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine. The list, sorted by position, can be found on NFL.com.

The list includes all the expected names, from Heisman-winning quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston to other high-profile players like Leonard Williams, Randy Gregory, Shane Ray, and Amari Cooper.

It has not yet been decided to what extent these players will participate in drills.

The players projected to go at the top of the draft were obvious invitees, but the true questions surrounded the less notable players, marginal talents, and small school prospects. NFLDraftScout.com Senior Analyst Dane Brugler put together a list of snubs and surprises for CBS Sports.

Brugler goes position by position to highlight the players that had deserving cases to be invited to the combine, and one player at each position who he was surprised received an invitation.

Coaching Notes: Steelers, Falcons, Raiders

February 6th, 2015 at 5:42pm CST by Rob DiRe

Former Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler is now the club’s defensive coordinator, so a pair of assistants have received promotions to fill the hole on the staff. The Steelers announced today that Jerry Olsavsky will coach the team’s inside linebackers, while Joey Porter will coach the outside linebackers, according to Steelers.com. Both coaches played linebacker for the Steelers before coming back to coach with the organization.

Here are some other coaching notes from around the NFL:

  • We heard earlier this week that Seahawks assistant Marquand Manuel was expected to follow Dan Quinn to Atlanta, and Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com confirms that news today, tweeting that Manuel signed his two-year deal to join the Falcons. He’ll serve as the club’s defensive backs coach and senior defensive consultant. McClure gives credit to his colleague Josina Anderson for the report.
  • After announcing earlier today that Ken Norton Jr. would be their new defensive coordinator, the Raiders are filling out the defensive staff under Norton. University of Miami defensive line coach Jethro Franklin will be headed to Oakland to accept the same job with the Raiders, reports Thayer Evans of SI.com (via Twitter).
  • Central Michigan University has hired Lions special teams coach John Bonamego to be their new head coach, reports Hondo Carter of SpartanNation.com (via Twitter). It will be Bonamego’s first head coaching opportunity.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Latest On Ndamukong Suh

February 6th, 2015 at 5:25pm CST by Luke Adams

As we noted this morning, Ndamukong Suh‘s contract with the Lions voids today, the fifth day after the 2015 Super Bowl. Of course, that’s just a formality — Suh doesn’t immediately become available, and will still be able to negotiate only with the Lions for the next several weeks. But it’s the first step in the star defensive tackle potentially reaching the open market four and a half weeks from now.

Plenty can happen between now and then to keep Suh off the market, but the rumor mill is already starting to get active, as March 10 inches closer. Here’s the latest on one of the league’s top free-agents-to-be:

  • The Lions have told the agent of at least one potential free agent defensive tackle that they do expect Suh to return, writes Dave Birkett of USA Today Sports. That may be far from a guarantee, but it is good news for those hoping Detroit can retain its top defensive player.

Earlier updates:

  • It’s simply not feasible for the Lions to franchise Suh, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who hears from sources that the 28-year-old is “highly, highly unlikely” to be tagged by the team. As I’ve noted in previous posts, a franchise tag for Suh would come in at nearly $27MM, which doesn’t even take into account the $9MM+ in dead money from his rookie contract that will count against Detroit’s cap.
  • According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Suh – who grew up in the Pacific Northwest – would love to play for the Seahawks. However, that’s a “pipe dream” at this point, given Seattle’s cap situation and the club’s need to extend Russell Wilson soon.
  • If he hits free agency, Suh will likely favor West Coast teams that are expected to be in contention in 2015 and beyond, says Cole. Of course, the teams with the most cap room generally aren’t contenders, but may be the most serious threats for Suh. Cole identifies the Raiders as one team that could “overbid” for the former second overall pick, since Oakland will have to start spending soon to meet the minimum salary cap threshold.
  • Count Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson among those who would like to see Suh wearing silver and black in 2015. “I don’t think there’s a team in the NFL that wouldn’t want to see Ndamukong Suh on their team,” Woodson told Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. “I know I would be no different. That guy is one of the best, overall, period in the NFL. Would I like him on our team? Believe it.”

2015 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates: NFC South

February 6th, 2015 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for assigning a franchise or transition tag on a 2015 free-agent-to-be is less than a month away, and we’re in the process of taking a look at players who are candidates to be tagged this year. Last week, we examined all four AFC divisions, covering the East, North, South, and West. This week, we’ve shifted our focus to the NFC — we kicked things off on Tuesday with the East and tackled the North on Wednesday. Today, we’ll turn to the South. While there are fewer candidates to be tagged in this division than perhaps any other division in the league, here’s a breakdown of the possible franchise and transition tag candidates for the Falcons, Panthers, Saints, and Buccaneers:

Atlanta Falcons:

  • Candidates: Matt Bryant
  • Odds of being used: Possible
  • There are many Falcons regulars eligible for free agency, but the list isn’t particularly inspiring. Among a group that includes Dwight Lowery, Kroy Biermann, Osi Umenyiora, Corey Peters, Josh Wilson, Robert McClain, Antone Smith, and Jacquizz Rodgers, there are no real candidates for the franchise tag, but Bryant could qualify. He currently falls just outside of the league’s top 10 highest-paid kickers, but he has been a model of consistency for Atlanta in recent years. In his past two seasons with the team, he has missed six total field goals, and five of those came from 50+ yards. The Falcons will want him back, so tagging him could be an option if the two sides don’t work anything out before March 3.

Carolina Panthers:

  • Candidates: None
  • Odds of being used: Extremely unlikely
  • When examining other divisions and other teams, I’ve generally listed players as candidates to be tagged if their teams used a tag on them a year ago. But it’s hard to argue the case for Greg Hardy to get the franchise tag again. A domestic violence charge relegated Hardy to the exempt list all season, and the defensive end may be facing an additional suspension for the 2015 season. There’s no question he’s talented, and if he makes it to the open market, Hardy should draw interest from teams willing to look past his off-field troubles. But Carolina certainly shouldn’t need to commit to another eight-digit salary to bring him back. The club’s only other conceivable candidate is Byron Bell, but that’s only because he played an important position in 2014. Bell’s trial run at left tackle wasn’t a real success story — Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him 83rd out of 84 qualified tackles.

New Orleans Saints:

  • Candidates: Shayne Graham
  • Odds of being used: Unlikely
  • Like the Falcons, the Saints’ top candidate for a tag is their kicker. In New Orleans’ case, however, it’s more of a long shot. Graham performed passably for the team in 2014, but it certainly wasn’t the sort of season that warrants paying the 37-year-old like one of the league’s best kickers. Mark Ingram is another intriguing name among the Saints’ list of free-agents-to-be, but given the cost of the franchise tag for running backs compared to what most backs are actually being paid these days, it wouldn’t make much sense to tag him.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

  • Candidates: None
  • Odds of being used: Extremely unlikely
  • Safety Major Wright and linebacker Mason Foster are perhaps the Buccaneers’ most notable prospective free agents, and neither player was a core player — both guys only played about half the team’s defensive snaps. There’s no viable franchise tag candidate in Tampa Bay.

Minor Moves: Friday

February 6th, 2015 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today’s minor moves around football, including multiple back-of-the-roster NFL transactions as well as a one-time starting quarterback heading north to the CFL….

  • Center Darren Keyton, who was cut by the Lions before the team’s Wild Card game, has re-signed with the club, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • Quarterback John Skelton, who started 17 games for the Cardinals from 2010 to 2012, has signed a two-year pact with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Skelton’s stint in Arizona wasn’t particularly effective — he finished with 15 touchdowns to 25 interceptions, completing just 53.2% of his passes and posting a 63.0 QB rating. The 26-year-old spent time most recently with the Bengals in 2013.
  • Former University of Miami center Jared Wheeler signed with the Seahawks today, according to agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). Wheeler, who was cut by the Bills prior to the 2014 regular season, is the latest signee for Seattle, after the team added 11 players on reserve/futures contracts earlier this week.
  • The Patriots also made several reserve/futures signings yesterday, and completed a few more today, according to a team release. Defensive lineman Antonio Johnson, linebacker Rufus Johnson, and running back Dion Lewis have new contracts with the Pats.

NFC East Notes: Bryant, JPP, Eagles, Locker

February 6th, 2015 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com views the Cowboys as one of the four teams likely to use their franchise tag this offseason, identifying Dez Bryant – rather than DeMarco Murray – as the probable recipient. According to La Canfora, there is “trepidation” within the Cowboys’ front office about putting a ton of guaranteed money on the table for the star wideout, given his off-field history.

While La Canfora doesn’t include the Giants among the four clubs likely to use the franchise or transition tag this winter, he thinks the club will at least consider tagging Jason Pierre-Paul. However, he doesn’t see it happening since JPP has been streaky, and hasn’t always been able to stay on the field. The Giants don’t make use of their franchise tag too often, but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com believes it might be the best course of action for their standout defensive end.

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

Raiders Hire Ken Norton Jr. As DC

February 6th, 2015 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raiders’ search for a defensive coordinator has finally come to an end, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, who reports (via Twitter) that Seahawks linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. will be the team’s new DC. The club has confirmed the hiring in a press release.

Although a number of notable coaches, including Mike Smith, Wade Phillips, Mel Tucker, and Todd Grantham, were linked to the defensive coordinator opening in Oakland, the job didn’t appear to generate a ton of enthusiasm. Smith, the Falcons’ former head coach, was considered Jack Del Rio’s top choice throughout the process, but decided he wanted to take a year off, and didn’t budge from that stance. Tucker and Phillips accepted jobs with other teams – Alabama and the Broncos respectively – while Grantham decided to remain at Louisville.

Money and play-calling control were reportedly factors in the apparent lukewarm interest in the Raiders’ defensive coordinator job — the team wasn’t interested in paying big money to an assistant, and Del Rio is expected to have a hand in calling plays. On the other hand, multiple recent reports have downplayed the fact that the Raiders had taken so long to make a hire, suggesting that the new head coach simply prioritized filling out his offensive staff before addressing the defensive side of the ball. According to Norton, Del Rio will play a significant role in preparing the defense, but the DC will call plays on game days (Twitter link via Tafur).

The Seahawks have had the league’s best defense in each of the past two seasons, and now are paying the price for that success. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn headed to Atlanta to coach the Falcons, and now Norton has departed for a promotion of his own. While both Quinn and Richard could bring assistants with them to their new teams, Seattle secondary coach Kris Richard likely won’t be going anywhere — he is expected to become the new defensive coordinator for the Seahawks. Still, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) hears that “more change” could be coming to the club’s defensive staff.

Tafur first noted last Wednesday – after Grantham turned down Oakland’s offer – that Norton might be next up on the team’s list of targets. The Raiders had to wait until after the Super Bowl, but managed to interview Norton yesterday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Patriots To Start Work On Revis Extension

February 6th, 2015 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

While there’s been a little buzz lately suggesting that the Patriots could pick up their second-year option on cornerback Darrelle Revis, that has always been a long shot, given its size ($20MM salary, $25MM cap hit). Today, team president Jonathan Kraft essentially acknowledged as much, suggesting during an appearance on WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan that the Pats’ priority is to work out a longer-term deal with the star corner.

“People understand that [the option]’s a placeholder and we’ll get to work on trying to make [an extension] happen,” Kraft said in the interview, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. For his part, the Pats president has nothing but praise for Revis.

“He’s been everything and more since he’s been here,” Kraft told WEEI. “Patriots fans knew what he was like on the field, but didn’t know what he was like off it. Having worn green all those years and the blind emotion we all have toward the Jets, you have one perception of the man. And the man is very different than that. He’s a great guy and he works hard. There is no over-ego to him and he’s a great teammate. He’s been a real pleasure to have him as part of the organization.”

The Pats will have a little more than four weeks to exclusively negotiate with Revis, and it appears that the team will do everything it can to extend his contract before free agency begins. If New England chooses not to pick up that second-year option on the 29-year-old, the franchise tag won’t be in play, due to the way the contract is structured. The club will have to make its decision on Revis by March 9, so if no deal is reached by that point, the corner could hit free agency on March 10 along with the rest of this year’s class.

Recent reports have indicated that the division-rival Bills and Jets will be among Revis’ top suitors if he makes it to the open market.

AFC Notes: Wilfork, Manning, Colts, Texans

February 6th, 2015 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

At least one recent report has suggested that Vince Wilfork may decide to go out on top and call it a career after the Patriots‘ latest Super Bowl win. However, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, retirement isn’t in Wilfork’s plans, at least for now.

“There’s no way in the world this is my last season,” Wilfork said. “I doubt if this is my last one. I still have a lot of football in me.”

Wilfork certainly seemed to have plenty left in the tank in 2014, as he logged 818 defensive snaps, which was 300+ more than the next-closest Patriots defensive lineman Chris Jones (511). But whether or not Wilfork’s career will continue in New England remains to be seen. The defensive lineman’s cap number jumps to nearly $9MM for 2015, and there’s plenty of non-guaranteed money left on the deal, so the Pats will likely attempt to restructure the contract. If the two sides can’t work something out, Wilfork might be a candidate to be released this winter.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Peyton Manning has yet to announce whether or not he’ll return to the Broncos for another season, but recent reports have suggested he’ll likely be back, and teammate Von Miller is confident the veteran signal-caller will stick around, as Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post details.
  • Although wide receiver Duron Carter was the subject of plenty of fan interest and speculation as he visited potential suitors last month, the deal he signed with the Colts is a modest one. Per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), $25K of Carter’s first-year salary is guaranteed, but he didn’t receive a signing bonus. Indianapolis’ other CFL signee, offensive lineman Ben Heenan, actually received more guaranteed money ($35K) than Carter, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Colts announced several changes to their coaching staff today, hiring Jim Hostler as their wide receivers coach for 2015 and moving a handful of assistants into new roles. According to the club, former running backs coach David Walker will be the only assistant not returning.
  • Addressing his team’s quarterback situation, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien suggested that “it will probably be a competition” for the starting job next season, writes Deepi Sidhu of HoustonTexans.com. While Ryan Fitzpatrick remains under contract with the club, Case Keenum and Ryan Mallett are both eligible for free agency, so Houston could be in the market for a QB next month, or during the draft.
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