2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Rams, Cards

March 25th, 2015 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, Rams coach Jeff Fisher, and Cardinals coach Bruce Arians all offered up a few notable comments today during their morning session with reporters in Phoenix at the owners’ meetings. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights from the breakfast discussions, starting with the reigning NFC champs….

Pete Carroll
(Twitter links via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times and ESPN.com’s Terry Blount)

Carroll reiterated what GM John Schneider said earlier this week, indicating that defensive end Michael Bennett has never said anything to him about wanting to be traded or wanting a new contract.
Carroll is optimistic about a number of the team’s free agents returning to the fold, indicating the club plans to re-sign center Stephen Schilling and defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs. The head coach is also confident that the Seahawks will work something out with backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who remains on the market. Jackson visited the Dolphins, but Miami ultimately brought back QB Matt Moore.
Caroll suggested that the Seahawks and Russell Wilson‘s camp have had “great talks” about a new contract for the young signal-caller. “It’s a long process with extraordinary ramifications,” according to Caroll, but he’s hopeful that the two sides can work something out.

Jeff Fisher
(Twitter links via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, and Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)

According to Fisher, trade discussions with the Browns involving quarterback Sam Bradford happened on the weekend of March 7, before free agency opened. The Rams eventually announced their deal with the Eagles on Tuesday, March 10.
The Browns’ offer for Bradford featured the No. 19 overall pick and never the No. 12 pick. However, Fisher said today that it wouldn’t have made a difference if Cleveland offered the higher first-rounder, since St. Louis still wouldn’t have gotten a QB back in the deal — the Eagles’ willingness to part with Nick Foles gave the Rams a Bradford replacement.
The Rams remain active in their search for offensive linemen, with talks expected to pick up again following this week’s league meetings. Joe Barksdale, who played right tackle for the team last year, is still an option, and the Rams are in talks with him. According to Fisher, Barksdale’s initial asking price was a little surprising, but it’s in a more reasonable range now, and “it makes sense to get Joe back.”
The Rams have added Jeff Imamura to their staff as a defensive assistant, according to Fisher. Imamura previously worked for the Vikings.

Bruce Arians
(Twitter links via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)

The Cardinals cut center Lyle Sendlein earlier in the offseason, but would like to get him back on the roster at a reduced cap number.
Running back figures to be a spot the Cards will address in the draft, perhaps in the fourth or fifth round. The team is looking for a player with both size and speed.
The Cards also figure to look at cornerbacks in the draft. Arians said today that he wants to add a young, speedy corner, but doesn’t see a need to add a veteran to the roster.
Veteran linebacker Larry Foote is currently a member of the Cardinals’ coaching staff, but may still decide to play for the team in 2015. Arians is hopeful that Foote, who is recovering from knee surgery, will make that decision in time for training camp.

Jets Sign Kellen Davis

March 25th, 2015 at 10:57am CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 10:57am: Davis has signed a one-year contract with the Jets, according to Getlin (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 10:08pm: The Jets have been among the most active teams thus far in free agency, and while they’ve focused primarily on defense thus far, it looks as though they’re about to add a player to their offense. According to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), the Jets are “closing in” on a deal with tight end Kellen Davis, and a contract should be finalized within the next few days.

We heard earlier this evening that New York likely wasn’t finished in free agency, and also learned that Davis was visiting the Jets, so it appears that a deal came together rather quickly. The 29-year-old Davis is a veteran of seven NFL seasons — he spent the first five years of his career with the Bears before joining the Seahawks and Lions for the ’13 and ’14 seasons, respectively. He appeared in only six games with Detroit last season, seeing action on just 148 snaps.

Davis was a starter during the latter part of his tenure with the Bears, and had an excellent season in 2011, accruing a +10.9 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). All of that positive grade was due to his prowess in run-blocking, so perhaps that’s the role the Jets have envisioned for him. Indeed, presumptive New York starting tight end Jeff Cumberland was among the league’s worst at the position last year, while second-year player Jace Amaro is probably best-suited as a pass-catcher.

Davis hasn’t had much NFL success lately, nor he has drawn any known free agent interest, so I’d expect him to sign for something close to the minimum.

Saints Notes: Evans, Spencer, Jordan, Draft

March 25th, 2015 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

Although he was the last head coach to arrive at the NFC coaches’ breakfast in Phoenix this morning, Sean Payton of the Saints may have dropped more noteworthy tidbits for reporters in Arizona than any other NFC coach. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights, via Larry Holder, Nick Underhill, Ian Rapoport, and Mike Garafolo (all links go to Twitter)….

The Saints explored the possibility of trading both Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs, since it wasn’t feasible to keep both high-priced guards. With Grubbs having been sent to Kansas City, Evans is poised to stick around, but his contract may still be addressed and modified, per Payton.
There were “four or five teams” talking to the Saints about a potential Jimmy Graham trade, including the Dolphins. Asked about whether last year’s positional battle or contract negotiations involving Graham played a part in the team’s decision to trade the tight end, Payton replied, “Zero. None.” The head coach added that he has spoken to Drew Brees about the deal, and the quarterback handled it fine.
Payton confirmed that free agent DE/OLB Anthony Spencer visited the Saints on Monday, but said there’s nothing to announce at this point.
Payton likes this year’s draft class for wide receivers, and believes the team will take at least one or two defensive linemen or edge defenders in the draft. Adding a tight end, either in free agency or the draft, is also a priority.
General manager Mickey Loomis has begun discussions on a potential long-term contract extension for defensive Cameron Jordan.
Payton believes there’s a good chance Travaris Cadet would have re-signed with the Saints if the club hadn’t added C.J. Spiller in free agency. The head coach added that he had dinner in Los Angeles with Reggie Bush to discuss a potential reunion before signing Spiller, since the team expected Spiller to “end up somewhere else at a higher number.”
Asked about finding a successor for Brees, Payton said he thinks the veteran quarterback has “a lot of good football left,” but he’s open to drafting a QB if there’s value to be had. However, Payton dismissed the idea of trading up for Marcus Mariota, saying that “won’t happen.”
Prior to releasing him, the Saints wanted Curtis Lofton to make some adjustments and improvements to his game, and to take a pay cut, but it didn’t pan out.

East Notes: Bills, Dez, Washington, Jets

March 25th, 2015 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

When Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula were bidding for the Bills last year, one key factor that gave them an advantage of other potential suitors was the Pegulas’ desire to keep the franchise in Buffalo, rather than moving it somewhere like Toronto. However, Terry Pegula told John Kryk of the Toronto Sun at the owners’ meetings this week that he isn’t totally opposed to the idea of an NFL team in Ontario.

“I don’t think I would have a problem with it if they could support the team,” Pegula said. “It’s a big enough market. I don’t know how that works with the CFL, though.”

For now, the NFL is far more focused on getting franchises in Los Angeles and perhaps even London, so nothing is at all imminent for Toronto. But if the possibility arose down the line, it doesn’t sound as if Pegula would be opposed.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

Pegula also discussed the Bills‘ offseason, including the recruitment of Percy Harvin, with Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News.
Speaking to David Helman of DallasCowboys.com, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated he doesn’t believe Dez Bryant would hold out for a long-term deal this year. “There’s no doubt in my mind that – without being presumptuous, without doing anything – that Dez will be on the field and a Dallas Cowboy under either of the circumstances — long-term or franchise agreement,” Jones said. “I’m not worried about [a holdout] at all, and it’s because of how much he loves the game, how much he knows that preparation, practice, all of that improves him.”
Washington general manager Scot McCloughan intends to continue adding pieces to the team’s offensive line, and left the door open to making additions via either free agency or the draft, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
Veteran DE/OLB Jason Trusnik was among the latest free agents to visit the Jets, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Trusnik has spent the last four seasons with the division-rival Dolphins.
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie made the right call in giving Chip Kelly complete decision-making power in Philadelphia, but Lurie’s decision to keep former GM Howie Roseman in the front office “lacked conviction,” says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Extra Points: Carr, Cowboys, Green, Spikes

March 24th, 2015 at 10:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s round up some assorted items from around the NFL…

Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said the club isn’t certain it will ask cornerback Brandon Carr to take a pay cut, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star Telegram (Twitter link). Jones adds that Dallas has accounted for Carr’s salary in its books, and discussions are still ongoing. For his part, Carr has indicated that he is not amenable to a pay reduction.
Florida offensive lineman Chaz Green will have a full schedule, as he has visits set up with the Buccaneers, Panthers, Falcons, Texans, Cowboys, Bills, Saints, and Chargers, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
The Vikings’ signing of Casey Matthews probably signals the end of their interest in Brandon Spikes, says Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). Minnesota was only “lukewarm” on Spikes as it was, and Wolfson hears that Spikes is asking for to much money.
Western Oregon receiver Tyrell Williams already had a workout with the Patriots, and he also has a private workout with the Lions lined up, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
In his review of free agency, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap analyzes the 10 worst contracts handed out during the offseason, listing Ndamukong Suh and Byron Maxwell‘s deals Nos. one and two, respectively.
Also at Over the Cap, Bryce Johnston uses his expected contract value metric to determine which contracts are the most likely to be “one-and-done,” with Tramon Williams (Browns) and Andre Johnson (Colts) topping the list.

North Notes: Greenway, Browns, Bears, Rice

March 24th, 2015 at 9:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that the club is trying to work through a contract restructure with linebacker Chad Greenway, adding that the team wants him to retire as a Viking. As a declining player set to count more than $7MM against the cap, Greenway will probably have to accept a straight pay cut to remain on the roster.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions…

Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings’ vice president of football operations, met with agent Ben Dogra last night, but Dogra’s client Adrian Peterson didn’t come up in conversation, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). Dogra also represents free agent corner Terence Newman, whom the Vikes are rumored to be interested in, leading Wolfson to speculate that he was the topic of the meeting.
As was widely rumored, it was the Browns that offered a first-round pick to the Rams in exchange for Sam Bradford, St. Louis GM Les Snead confirmed to Sal Palantonio of ESPN (Twitter link via John Middlekauf of 95.7 The Game).
Bears chairman George McCaskey initially told GM Ryan Pace that he could not sign embattled defensive end Ray McDonald, noting that the “pattern” and “frequency” of McDonald’s off-the-field trouble worried him, per Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links).
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com wonders why former Raven Ray Rice is still a “pariah” in the eyes of the NFL, especially given that players with similar incidents (such as Greg Hardy) have been signed by other clubs.
Texas A&M-Commerce receiver Ricky Collins has a visit lined up with the Browns, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.

AFC Notes: Pats, Jets, Rivers, Locker, Colts

March 24th, 2015 at 9:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets have filed tampering charges against the Patriots based on owner Robert Kraft‘s comments yesterday concerning New England’s pursuit of Darrelle Revis, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio writes, this is likely the Jets seeking revenge after New England filed similar charges against Gang Green in January (also regarding Revis comments).

It’s unlikely that anything comes of this tit-for-tat scenario, so let’s check out some news from around the AFC…

Chargers sources have not flatly denied that they’ll trade Philip Rivers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Team sources have said they don’t want to move the veteran quarterback, but as Rapoport notes, that’s different than saying they won’t deal him. If a trade were to occur, the price for Rivers would be multiple first-round picks, says Rapoport.
Jake Locker‘s retirement was just as stunning to the Titans as it was to the general public, Tennessee head coach Ken Whisenhunt tells Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Whisenhunt says the club found out about Locker’s decision at the same time as everyone else, adding that the subject of retirement never came up during his year-end talks with Locker.
GM Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano told reporters, including Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link), that the Colts are not finished in free agency, and could look to add pieces to the club’s defense.
Titans interim president Steve Underwood maintains that the team is not for sale, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.

Washington Open To Drafting QB At No. 5?

March 24th, 2015 at 8:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Washington head coach Jay Gruden has already named Robert Griffin III his starting quarterback for the 2015 season, announcing at the combine that despite a disappointing showing last season, RG3 would be the club’s signal-caller going forward. But there continue to be whispers that the club won’t shy away from selecting a quarterback in next month’s draft, and today GM Scot McCloughan didn’t do a lot to dispel those rumors, saying that competition is critical at any position.

“No one will be handed a job from my standpoint,” McCloughan said, according to John Keim of ESPN.com. “You have to earn it. That’s what the NFL is about. I don’t have any ties with any of the players. I didn’t draft them. So I’m coming in — prove it to me. Prove to me you deserve to be on the field. That’s the way it should be in the NFL.”

As Keim alludes to in the above piece, John Clayton of ESPN reported last month that Washington would take Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota if he fell to the No. 5 overall pick. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) agrees, citing a team source when saying that the team will consider Mariota with the fifth pick, but they won’t trade up to get him. Cole adds that Washington is ready to move on from RG3, and that the club’s interest in the Heisman winner is “real.”

Meanwhile, don’t be surprised if Washington is “open for business” when the draft begins, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (link via Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com). If Mariota is off the board, it would certainly make some sense for the club to trade down and acquire more draft picks to patch holes on its roster.

AFC East Notes: J. Graham, Dolphins, Bills, Jets

March 24th, 2015 at 7:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Before the Dolphins signed Jordan Cameron to a two-year deal to replace the departed Charles Clay, Miami had a different target at tight end — former Saint, and current Seahawk, Jimmy Graham, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who says that the Fins came in second in the Graham sweepstakes. Clearly, Miami wanted to upgrade the TE position this offseason, but this news makes it fair to wonder if the Dolphins assumed all along they would lose Clay to free agency (even though they had designated him as their transition player).

Here’s more from the AFC East…

Bills general manager Doug Whaley made it clear to reporters, including Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, that he was displeased that his club didn’t make more additions along the offensive line during the offseason. Buffalo did sign guard Richie Incognito, but Carucci writes that the team also made a bid for Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga, and attempted to trade for Saints guard Jahri Evans.
Another AFC East club — the Jets — might not be done making moves, as GM Mike Maccagnan told reporters, including Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (via Twitter), that New York is still targeting players in free agency, and pointed to running back as a position that could use an upgrade (Twitter link).
One such free agent could be tight end Kellen Davis, who had a visit with the Jets today, tweets Rapoport. The 29-year-old Davis spent last season in Detroit, appearing in six games.
The Dolphins aren’t opposed to retaining free agent running back Knowshon Moreno, Miami GM Dennis Hickey tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The 27-year-old Moreno tore his ACL last October, but Hickey says the RB’s rehab is “going great.”
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines the contract structure employed by the Bills to ensure that the Dolphins wouldn’t match their offer to Clay.

Bills Aiming To Extend Matt Cassel

March 24th, 2015 at 6:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While it’s not set in stone, Matt Cassel is the presumptive favorite to be the Bills’ starting quarterback after the club acquired him from the Vikings in exchange for two draft picks. And while he’s not the QB of the future in Buffalo, the team does hope to work out an extension with the 32-year-old as a means of creating more cap space, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).

The Bills currently have less than $7M in cap space to work with, and with a 2015 draft class still to sign, the club could use a bit more wiggle room if they hope to add any additional free agents. Buffalo doesn’t have a first-round pick this year (as a result of moving up to select Sammy Watkins in ’14), meaning they’ll probably have the cheapest rookie class to sign. But an extension for Cassel, who has one year and $4.75MM left on his contract, could create the room needed to bring in a few street free agents.

In negotiating an extension, the Bills would likely seek to bring down Cassel’s $4.15MM base salary and give him a signing bonus, spreading the cap hit over multiple seasons. But because of Cassel’s age, I’d think Buffalo would be wary of committing any money to him too far down the line. As such, simply adding one more year to his deal and extending him through 2016 might be the best bet.