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La Canfora’s Latest: Wilson, Peterson, Titans

March 23rd, 2015 at 4:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has been busy today at the NFL’s March meetings in Arizona, publishing three pieces — one on Russell Wilson‘s contract, one on the Titans‘ ownership situation, and one that addresses a few other items of note from around the league. Here are a few highlights from all three of La Canfora’s Monday articles:

  • La Canfora continues to hear that no new deal is imminent for Wilson and the Seahawks, and while both sides would like to get something done, there’s no sense that real progress has been made. The two sides figure to keep negotiating throughout the spring and the summer, but Wilson is prepared to play the 2015 season without an extension in place if need be, knowing that even without a new contract, he’d likely be in line for $20MM+ if Seattle franchises him next winter.
  • Adrian Peterson doesn’t want to play for the Vikings, but there may not be much trade interest in him at his current salary, and Minnesota doesn’t appear willing to cut him either. That may end up essentially creating a game of chicken between the star running back and the team — the Vikes could probably find a trade partner if Peterson were open to significantly reworking his deal, but it’s not clear how much he’d be willing to sacrifice to get out of Minnesota. La Canfora believes the Cowboys, Cardinals, and Washington would have interest at the right price, but that price likely isn’t $45MM over three years.
  • Some team executives around the NFL are growing frustrated with the league for dragging out investigations into the Patriots (Deflategate), Browns (Textgate), and Falcons (Noisegate), questioning why there’s still no resolution on any of those issues.
  • “Lot of people like [Marcus] Mariota a lot more than what you are seeing in the media,” said a high-ranking official for one NFL team. La Canfora believes Mariota will be the second overall pick, or at least a top-five selection.
  • Currently, veteran free agents signed after June 1 don’t factor into the following year’s compensatory picks. According to La Canfora, the league may change that date to May 1 to help benefit players (who could find a home a few weeks earlier) and teams (who could get those players to their facilities sooner).
  • Rumblings about a potential Titans sale have only increased since Tommy Smith left the franchise. La Canfora writes that billionaire Dave Tepper, who currently owns 5% of the Steelers, is considered by some league insiders as the favorite to land the Titans. However, the CBSSports.com scribe warns not to count out current Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who is a Tennessee native and would love to own the Titans. While a “swap” of franchises between owners is unlikely, it’s worth keeping an eye on Haslam just in case, says La Canfora.

AFC Notes: Browns, Housler, Titans, Jags, Pats

March 23rd, 2015 at 3:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Having lost Jordan Cameron to the Dolphins and missed out on Charles Clay, who signed with the Bills, the Browns are considering tight end Rob Housler, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. According to Fowler, the Browns have had discussions with Housler, and there’s mutual interest between the two sides, but no visit has been planned and no deal is imminent. Housler, who turned 27 last week, caught just nine balls for the Cardinals last season after recording 84 combined receptions in 2012 and 2013.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean takes a closer look at Tommy Smith‘s decision to retire as CEO of the Titans, reporting that the decision was made in part because of a shift in thinking within the club’s ownership group. According to Wyatt, there was no longer a consensus among ownership that Smith’s wife, Susie Adams Smith, daughter of the late Bud Adams, should be the franchise’s controlling owner. The Titans are currently on the lookout for a new president and CEO.
  • Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley discussed one running back his team landed and one that got away, telling reporters today, including Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links) that GM David Caldwell has done “a lot of research” on Bernard Pierce, and that the team “held [its] stance” in pursuit of DeMarco Murray.
  • Patriots owner Robert Kraft pointed to upcoming free agencies for players like Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower in explaining why the team couldn’t offer Darrelle Revis a massive contract, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
  • Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Darian Stewart‘s two-year contract with the Broncos is worth $4.25MM, with a $1.5MM signing bonus and a 2016 escalator.

Dolphins Extend Joe Philbin Through 2016

March 23rd, 2015 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins have extended the contract of head coach Joe Philbin by a year, keeping him locked up through 2016, owner Stephen Ross confirmed today to reporters, including Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Philbin’s deal has previously been set to expire after the 2015 season.

After the Dolphins made the decision to bring back Philbin for 2015, a short-term extension had been expected, to avoid having him enter the season as a lame-duck coach. Explaining the decision, Ross noted that “you don’t get the best from someone when operating with a gun to their head,” tweets Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post.

Still, there’s no guarantee that Philbin will still be in Miami for that 2016 season. Ross said today that “there has to be improvement,” but wouldn’t clarify whether that means Miami must have a better record or make the playoffs in 2015 (Twitter link). I’d expect that, after adding Ndamukong Suh in free agency, Philbin and the Dolphins will be in postseason-or-bust mode in ’15.

In his three seasons with the Dolphins so far, Philbin has failed to get the team a single playoff berth or a record above .500. Miami has a 23-25 record during his stint with the club, including back-to-back 8-8 seasons.

AFC East Notes: Fins, Tannehill, Bradham, Jets

March 23rd, 2015 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins will work this spring on attempting to finalize a long-term contract extension for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but if the two sides don’t reach an agreement, Miami will be comfortable exercising Tannehill’s fifth-year option for the 2016 season, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

That option would pay Tannehill $16.155MM, and would give the Dolphins a little more time to work something out with the signal-caller. However, the team may prefer to get a deal done sooner rather than later in order to ensure that Tannehill’s 2016 cap number isn’t quite so high.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC East, including a couple more Dolphins notes….

  • The Dolphins don’t have plans to add a guard in free agency or in the first couple rounds of the draft, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who passes along some quotes from executive VP of football operations Mike Tannenbaum on the subject. The club currently plans to have Billy Turner at one guard spot, with Dallas Thomas getting the opportunity to win the other starting job.
  • Tannenbaum also spoke to Salguero about why the Dolphins were comfortable swapping out Mike Wallace for Kenny Stills, even though it meant essentially giving up a third-round pick in exchange for a fifth-rounder.
  • The Bills are expected to discuss a potential contract extension for linebacker Nigel Bradham this week, sources tell Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bradham, who established new career highs with 104 tackles, a pair of forced fumbles, and seven passes defended, is eligible for an extension on his rookie deal for the first time this offseason, and hired Drew Rosenhaus as his new agent back in January. Both Rosenhaus and Bills negotiator Jim Overdorf are in attendance at the annual league meetings in Arizona.
  • Former Giants linebacker Spencer Paysinger could become the latest free agent to make the move from one New York team to the other. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter links), Paysinger is scheduled to visit the Jets tomorrow.

49ers Eyeing Free Agent Linebackers

March 23rd, 2015 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

12:52pm: The 49ers are also considering longtime Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, who says the team has discussed the possibility of signing the veteran free agent. Barrows also notes that the club is looking at another FA linebacker, former Buccaneer Mason Foster.

10:04am: Earlier this offseason, the 49ers brought in one former Viking who has run into off-field legal troubles, when they signed wide receiver Jerome Simpson. Now, the team appears to be eyeing another player who fits that bill.

Former Vikings linebacker Erin Henderson had a private workout in Arizona this weekend separate from the veterans combine, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (all Twitter links). According to Anderson, representatives from a number of teams attended Henderson’s workout — one of those teams was San Francisco, and Henderson has lined up a visit with the 49ers later this week. Henderson’s meeting with the Niners was first reported by NFL Draft Diamonds.

The Niners are in need of linebacker help, particularly on the inside, after both Patrick Willis and Chris Borland unexpectedly announced this month that they’d be retiring from the NFL. A report in early March indicated that San Francisco was shopping Michael Wilhoite, who stepped in last year as a starter when Willis and NaVorro Bowman went down with injuries, but now it appears the team may keep Wilhoite around. The Niners figure to add some depth to complement Wilhoite and Bowman.

Henderson, 28, is a talented player, having racked up 112 tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions for the Vikings in just 14 games in 2013. However, he has been arrested multiple times for DUI-related incidents, and has been suspended by the league for his off-field behavior. The Maryland product didn’t play in the NFL in 2014 following his latest legal issues.

Saints GM: Drew Brees Not Going Anywhere

March 23rd, 2015 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have parted ways with several veteran players this offseason, trading away former All-Pros like Jimmy Graham and Ben Grubbs, sending young, inexpensive wideout Kenny Stills to Miami, and releasing top tackler Curtis Lofton. As the team overhauls its roster though, general manager Mickey Loomis insists that former Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees isn’t on the trade block, as he tells Jim Corbett of USA Today.

“Anybody who thinks we’re trading Drew Brees, that’s just not true,” Loomis said.

Despite a cap hit of $26.4MM for the coming season, the second-highest cap number in the NFL, Brees was never considered a real trade candidate within the last weeks, even as Loomis and the Saints significantly retooled the roster. In fact, around the time news of the Stills trade broke, one report indicated that Brees and young receiver Brandin Cooks were the only players on the New Orleans roster who were untouchable.

Still, Brees only has one year remaining on his contract after the 2015 season (featuring a $27.4MM cap hit for 2016), and turned 36 in January. There’s been some speculation that the Saints could use their excess of 2015 draft picks to make a play for Marcus Mariota, eyeing him as Brees’ long-term replacement. That always looked like a long shot though, and Loomis’ comments suggest it’s not in the Saints’ plans.

The more realistic and likely scenario has the team using those extra draft picks to stock up on defensive talent, perhaps using one or two selections to give Brees a little more help on the offensive side of the ball. Although Graham and Stills are gone, the Saints re-signed Mark Ingram, brought in C.J. Spiller and Pro Bowl center Max Unger, and wideouts Cooks and Marques Colston are still around, so the veteran signal-caller should have no shortage of weapons.

Extra Points: RFAs, Goodell, Bush, Taylor, Colts

March 23rd, 2015 at 11:35am CST by Luke Adams

As Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk observes, while most of 2015’s top unrestricted free agents are off the board, there are still plenty of intriguing restricted free agents available. 20 of this year’s RFAs remain unsigned and received the low-end tender from their respective clubs, meaning a rival suitor wouldn’t have to give up a draft pick to sign them away.

Often, restricted free agents won’t draw a ton of interest and will simply return to their previous teams, but that’s not always the case. A year ago, RFAs like Andrew Hawkins and Rafael Bush signed offer sheets with other teams — Bush’s sheet was matched by the Saints, but the Bengals didn’t match Hawkins’ offer from the Browns.

This year, low-end RFAs like Ravens safety Will Hill, Eagles running back Chris Polk, Raiders wideout Andre Holmes, and Washington kicker Kai Forbath remain on the market. A handful of players – such as Browns safety Tashaun Gipson and Ravens kicker Justin Tucker – also received second-round tenders, but rival teams aren’t likely to give those players big contracts and surrender a second-round pick for them.

As we wait to see whether any restricted free agents change teams, let’s check in on a few more notes from around the NFL….

  • Roger Goodell didn’t reveal much to Peter King of TheMMQB.com during his sitdown with him, but the commissioner did strongly suggest the extra point will undergo some changes before next season, and added that the DeflateGate investigation is nearing an end.
  • As King hinted at in his column, Goodell informed owners at this week’s league meetings in Phoenix that Todd Jones, former Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, is joining the NFL as as special counsel for conduct, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Jones will pair with Lisa Friel as the league’s new personal conduct czars.
  • After running the 40-yard dash in 4.91 seconds at this weekend’s veteran combine in Arizona, Michael Bush admitted that his NFL career is probably over, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk details.
  • Free agent cornerback Ike Taylor isn’t seeking out offers from teams to continue his playing career, and while he hasn’t made the decision to retire quite yet, the longtime Steeler is exploring potential television opportunities, writes Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • Michael Silver of NFL.com takes a look at the roster-building approach employed by Colts GM Ryan Grigson, as Indianapolis enters win-now mode by signing several veteran free agents like Andre Johnson, Frank Gore, Trent Cole, and Todd Herremans.

Latest On Los Angeles Relocation

March 23rd, 2015 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

At the league meetings this week in Phoenix, the subject of Los Angeles is expected to come to the forefront, with NFL executive vice president Eric Grubman set to report the league’s findings on relocation possibilities to owners this morning.

“This will be the first time that I’ll have the opportunity to give specific answers,” Grubman said on Sunday evening, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “Up until now, I’ve had to walk a tight rope of giving a briefing without parting with any information that was confidential. No teams were out in the open. No sites were out in the open. Now we have a lot more to work with.”

As we wait to hear what Grubman and the league have to say, here are a few notes on the possibility of L.A. relocation, via the Twitter account of Albert Breer of the NFL Network (unless otherwise indicated):

  • The Rams, Chargers, and Raiders will be free to answer questions today about their potential Los Angeles plans, but it’s more likely that those clubs will address questions about their current home markets, with the league handling L.A. inquiries.
  • The Rams appear to have the strongest plan for relocation to L.A., but by the league’s criteria they’re the least qualified of the three teams to move there, which complicates the issue.
  • The likely outcome when the dust settles is two teams in Southern California, whether that means two in Los Angeles, or one in L.A. and one in San Diego. While there are many scenarios in play, one interesting one is the Rams moving to L.A. and the Raiders moving to St. Louis, with the Chargers staying put. That would leave Oakland out in the cold, and as Grubman noted in Bair previously-linked piece, Oakland has yet to get “specific” or “aggressive” in its plan to keep the Raiders.
  • The NFL is doing its own market assessment on San Diego, Oakland, and St. Louis, and is planning on making April visits to each city.
  • Giants co-owner John Mara predicted that at least one team will be in Los Angeles in 2016, and Breer agrees with that assessment, noting that the three-team competition makes for better projects. However, we likely won’t get any concrete answers this week — we should know more by October or November.

Bengals’ Brown Talks Green, Lewis, Contracts

March 22nd, 2015 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals and A.J. Green could be heading toward a franchise tag arrangement next March, according to Paul Dehner Jr., of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

“Our problem is what you just said, the money is so big,” Bengals owner Mike Brown told Dehner Jr. “We are going to have a finite cap room with a handful of players who are going to be eligible for free agency. We are going to have to see what we can get done with that. We don’t know yet where we are going to end up but we have tried to prepare ourselves for it some by holding back on cap expenditures this year which can be rolled over into next year.”

A four-time Pro Bowler who has offered four-digit receiving-yardage totals in each of his four seasons, Green may not have a clear market as of now, with top-five wideout peers Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas being tagged this month.

Brown expressed obvious desire to strike a long-term accord with the Bengals’ top 2016 free agent priority, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, but Green’s deal will affect the team’s ability to pay other ’16 free agents. Starters Andrew Whitworth, Leon Hall, Andre Smith and Reggie Nelson are among the lineup bastions with expiring contracts this season, and Andy Dalton‘s cap number vaults from $9M+ this season to more than $13MM in 2016. Excluding Smith, however, each of those will-be free agents are over 30.

Green will make $10.17MM this season on his fifth-year option and will almost certainly play in Cincinnati in 2016 on either a long-term deal or tag.

Brown hasn’t shown any urgency to give Marvin Lewis another one-year extension which would keep the coach out of lame-duck status this season, with Lewis joining the aforementioned contingent with expiring contracts. Lewis, who signed a one-year extension last March to avoid this expiring-deal scenario, is the second-longest-tenured coach in the league behind Bill Belichick.

“We have a good relationship. I hope that relationship goes forward into the future. But we aren’t at the future yet,” Brown told Dehrer Jr. “We don’t have to make this decision until after this year. He doesn’t have to make this decision until next year. Right now he’s under contract, and he’s fulfilling it as we would expect and he knows he should.”

The Bengals’ much-publicized playoff win drought extended to four straight years under Lewis, which may explain the owner’s reluctance to commit to giving him a potential 14th season (via Dehner Jr., on Twitter).

Other iteams from Brown, via Hobson: they haven’t made a decision on offering fifth-year options to 2012 first-rounders Dre Kirkpatrick and Kevin Zeitler; A.J. McCarron will get the chance to become Dalton’s understudy with the third quarterback likely coming through the draft, and Brown won’t vote for replay expansion (Twitter link) this week at the owners’ meetings.

Giants To Let Eli Manning Finish Deal?

March 22nd, 2015 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants are willing to wait on a potential Eli Manning extension until after his contract expires following the 2015 campaign, two sources told ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

Manning and the Giants are not making much progress on what would be his second contract extension, per Graziano. The team kept a close eye on the Steelers’ re-signing of Ben Roethlisberger, who’s on the same timeline with Manning as a member of the loaded 2004 quarterback class, but believe Manning will ask for more than the $99MM Roethlisberger received over five years.

The Giants want the 34-year-old Manning to finish his career in New Jersey but aren’t willing to make that kind of commitment right now, according to Graziano. They could save more than $10MM on this year’s salary cap by doing a Manning extension, but most of the noteworthy free agents are already off the market, diminishing the impact of such a maneuver.

After signing a six-year, $97MM deal in 2009, Manning made Pro Bowls in 2011 and 2012 and rebounded from a down 2013 with a career-high 63% completion rate last season under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. Manning’s cap number is $19.75MM this season, which exceeds all other Giants by more than $5MM.

Graziano does not believe Manning and the Giants will come to an agreement this offseason, considering the current sides’ stances but adds the Giants, with two 21st-century Super Bowls in tow in large part due to Manning’s playoff performances, won’t have an issue paying Manning on par with the league’s elite QBs despite the former No. 1 overall pick not having the individual accolades that group does.

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