HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Sunday Roundup: Big Ben, Bradford, Borland

March 22nd, 2015 at 12:49pm CST by Rory Parks

As most of the sports world is fixated on the third round of the NCAA tournament, let’s take a look at a few notes from around the NFL:

  • Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that Ben Roethlisberger‘s new contract will not prevent the Steelers from making necessary signings over the life of the deal.
  • Bears head coach John Fox is enthusiastic about the team’s recent signings, but he admits that his club has a lot of needs to address. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes, Fox prefers to be more active in the second wave of free agency rather than the first wave, when teams frequently overpay for a splash acquisition. Biggs expects the team to add at least one wide receiver, but that addition could come via the draft rather than the dwindling free agent market.
  • Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com looks at where the Lions stand vis-a-vis their own free agents two weeks into the free agency period.
  • Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes Sam Bradford will be the Eagles‘ quarterback in 2015, and possibly beyond.
  • The Dolphins lead the league in dead money, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. The team has $23.7MM of this year’s cap allocated to players who will not help them this season.
  • Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at a few of the names the Chargers could target in the draft as they look to bolster their pass rush.
  • The NFL is hosting the inaugural Veteran Combine today, which is “designated to showcase players who have already left college and many who have already played in the NFL to teams in an effort to be signed as free agents.” Although a number of prominent front office executives, like Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, are skeptical of the Combine’s value, all 32 teams are nonetheless doing their due diligence at the event. Kevin Bowen of Colts.com writes that the Combine has the Colts‘ interest, and Conor Orr of NFL.com tweets that Rick Spielman, Reggie McKenzie, and John Dorsey are among the top executives on hand.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at the true value of all of the contracts signed in the second week of free agency.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Michael Crabtree

March 22nd, 2015 at 10:59am CST by Rory Parks

Two weeks ago, we compiled our top 50 free agent list. Since that time, almost all of the players on that list have either signed with a new club, re-signed with their original team, or retired. The most intriguing name remaining is Michael Crabtree, who checked in at No. 29 and who is still looking for a new home.

Last July, our Luke Adams examined Crabtree as an extension candidate. In that piece, Adams described Crabtree’s breakout 2012 campaign, in which he established career highs in receptions (85), receiving yards (1,105), and touchdowns (9). Crabtree was just as dynamic in the postseason that year, compiling 285 yards and three touchdowns through the air and helping San Francisco reach the Super Bowl, where he nearly hauled in a game-winning touchdown on the team’s final drive.

Michael Crabtree

But it has all been downhill from there for Crabtree. In the spring of 2013, the former Texas Tech star–who famously held out until October of his rookie season, thereby becoming the longest rookie holdout in 49ers history–underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, and he did not get back on the field until December. He ultimately played just five games in the 2013 season, catching 19 balls for 284 yards and a score.

2014 was a season that most 49ers fans and players would sooner forget, and Crabtree is no exception. He managed to stay on the field for all 16 games, but he caught just 68 passes for 698 yards and four touchdowns. Those are not especially poor numbers, especially in an offense that largely struggled, but they are not the sort of statistics befitting someone of Crabtree’s talents.

As a result, Crabtree, like a number of his fellow veteran wide receivers, has had difficulty generating much interest on the open market this offseason. He visited the Dolphins several days ago, and the Chargers and Washington have also been rumored as potential landing spots. The Dolphins, who recently traded Mike Wallace and who released Brian Hartline earlier this year, would appear to be a strong fit. At this point, though, it does not appear that anything is imminent.

Age, at least, is on Crabtree’s side. He just turned 27 in December, and he has proven that he can be a capable downfield threat when healthy. But it could be that teams simply do not believe Crabtree can ever be healthy enough to replicate his 2012 form. Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com opined (via Twitter) this morning that Crabtree is a descending wideout since the Achilles injury. Although that may be something of a harsh assessment, it is not a stretch to say that Crabtree was just as much a cause of the 49ers’ anemic offense last year as he was a victim of it.

As a result, he may have to settle for a one-year deal to prove himself. A team with an established quarterback and another quality receiving option or two may provide the ideal platform for Crabtree to showcase his talents, but at this point, it is uncertain whether a suitor like that is out there. So Crabtree, like Hakeem Nicks, will continue to hope for an opportunity to show that he has put his injury history behind him and can be the dynamic player of a few seasons ago.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Kroenke’s Inglewood Proposal

March 22nd, 2015 at 9:57am CST by Rory Parks

The March NFL owners meetings begin tomorrow in Phoenix, and as Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times writes, Rams owner Stan Kroenke is bringing finished schematic plans for his proposed Inglewood stadium with him. Kroenke’s proposal would put a futuristic, highly-interactive and highly-integrated stadium in Los Angeles, which has not hosted an NFL franchise in 21 years.

Of course, the assumption is that Kroenke, if he were able to build his $1.86 billion palace, would bring the Rams to LA. But there are complications. For one, as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, there are some in the league who want to “make returning football to Los Angeles a California solution — involving the Chargers and/or Raiders. Not the Rams.” The Chargers and Raiders joined forces last month and announced their plan to share a stadium in Carson.

Meanwhile, there has been progress in the efforts to build a new stadium on the riverfront in St. Louis, but as Thomas notes, the land acquisition and financing necessary for those plans to come to fruition are yet to be done. Kroenke, on the other hand, has already purchased the land in Inglewood, and while he is not quite ready to put a shovel in the ground, Farmer writes that the major pieces of the project are now fully drawn. It would take less than three years to build the stadium, and any team that relocates to Los Angeles could play in the Coliseum or Rose Bowl in the meantime.

One of the more interesting aspects about Kroenke’s proposal is that it is “two-team compliant.” Although Kroenke has enough money to fund the project on his own and does not need to partner with another franchise, the NFL believes Los Angeles is a two-team market and would like any stadium built in the area to be capable of hosting two clubs. Kroenke undoubtedly does not wish to share the wealth generated by a project for which he is assuming the risk by himself, but it is nonetheless an interesting twist in an already fascinating saga.

The league has said that no team would be allowed to relocate before the 2016 season, and it is unlikely that any vote to move a franchise–such a move would require support from three-quarters of the league’s 32 owners–would take place before the fall. But this week, what we have known for months will become even more clear: Los Angeles is primed to get an NFL team for the first time in over two decades, and while San Diego, Oakland, and St. Louis have all made progress in their efforts to keep the Rams out of Hollywood, Kroenke continues to lead the race.

East Notes: Hardy, Washington, Pats

March 22nd, 2015 at 8:39am CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys‘ signing of Greg Hardy understandably raised a few eyebrows in this era of heightened scrutiny of players with histories of domestic violence. Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings called the signing a “shot to the gut,” and Dan Lebowitz, executive director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University, wonders if the decision to allow someone like Hardy a path to redemption is compassionate or irresponsible.

Nonetheless, as Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News writes, even the most ardent critics of the Hardy decision realize that if the Cowboys did not believe Hardy could contribute on the field, he would not be there. Josh Brent and Joseph Randle would not be there. The Cowboys, who also signed Michael Sam to their practice squad last season, are not trying to be a vehicle for social dialogue, they are simply trying to build a better football team. And since Dallas is well-acquainted with the type of controversy that Hardy brings, their latest high-profile acquisition has a good chance to do just that.

Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Washington‘s free agent acquisitions this offseason were generally greeted with more enthusiasm than last year’s class, and John Keim of ESPN.com looks at how the major signings of 2014 panned out and what to expect from them moving forward.
  • Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com believes Washington, just like last year, will bring in a kicker to compete with incumbent Kai Forbath. But despite Forbath’s relative lack of leg strength, which manifests itself in opposing teams’ starting field position, Tandler does not see anyone unseating Forbath at this point.
  • Given the departure of Vince Wilfork, the fact that Chris Jones and Sealver Siliga both underwent offseason surgery, and Dominique Easley‘s appearance on the injured reserve list in December, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com expects the Patriots to further solidify their defensive tackle corps this offseason.
  • Echoing sentiments that have been widely shared across the league, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News writes that this offseason has narrowed the gap between the perennial class of the AFC East, the Patriots, and the rest of the division.

Extra Points: Vikings, Bears, Jags

March 21st, 2015 at 10:40pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Vikings have been no strangers to talented but mercurial wide receivers throughout their history. Mike Wallace, whom they acquired from the Dolphins via trade last week, will be the latest in a recent line that includes the likes of Randy Moss, Koren Robinson and Percy Harvin, to name a few. In the wake of the Wallace acquisition, Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune revisited the tenures of some of the Vikings’ past wideouts. Compared to a couple of them, Wallace’s previous transgressions – a sideline argument with coaches last season, for example – seem tame.

Here’s more on the Vikings and the rest of the NFL:

  • Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is hoping second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater bulks up this offseason, according to Sid Hartman, also of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “The big thing with Teddy is he needs to add a little bit more strength, a little more weight on him,” said Zimmer. “He’s about 210 pounds, we’re trying to get him around 218, somewhere in that range.”
  • The staff at CSN Chicago took a look at a couple of mid- to late-round prospects who might be on the Bears’ radar entering the upcoming draft. Louisville safety James Sample and Iowa defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat could both be potential fits for a Bears defense that’s in need of help after finishing 30th overall last year.
  • The Jaguars’ linebacking corps was among many problem areas that beset them during their three-win 2014 campaign. But, with the signing of ex-49er Dan Skuta, the return of Paul Posluszny from injury and the potential of second-year man Telvin Smith, linebackers coach Robert Saleh is hopeful better days are ahead, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Saleh seems particularly excited about Skuta, saying that the 28-year-old “has a tremendous sense of urgency to his play.”

Greg Jennings Visited Panthers

March 21st, 2015 at 10:28pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent wide receiver Greg Jennings visited the Panthers on Saturday, according to Bill Voth of the Black and Blue Review.

Jennings, whom the Vikings released last week, hauled in 59 passes and six touchdowns last season – his ninth in the NFL. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him a respectable 48th out of 110 qualifying wideouts in 2014.

Jennings, 31, has 552 receptions and 63 scores during his career – most of which has been spent with the Packers – and would give Panthers quarterback Cam Newton another accomplished target to team with fellow receiver Kelvin Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen. The Panthers are a fit for more offensive weaponry after finishing last season 19th in both passing and points per game.

Seahawks, Russell Wilson Nearing New Deal?

March 21st, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine

9:12pm: Contrary to Blount’s earlier report, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that an agreement on a new contract is not imminent between the Seahawks and Wilson.

9:10am: After months of speculation, it’s sounding like the Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson are approaching a new deal. According to ESPN.com’s Terry Blount (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com), the two sides are “very close” to agreeing on a new contract.

“From what I’ve been told they’re very close, they’re just trying to make sure every single thing is in place before they go forward with this,” Blount said while appearing on 710 ESPN Radio in Seattle. “I think it’s going to be bigger and crazier and different from what any contract has ever been.”

We heard in January that Wilson was expected to become one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. This would be a significant raise, as Wilson is set to make less than $800K in 2015. For comparison, Aaron Rodgers, the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, makes an average of $22MM a season.

Of course, there’s no denying that Wilson would be worth a lucrative extension. The 26-year-old has already made two Super Bowl appearances since entering the league in 2012, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down. Wilson finished 2014 with 3,475 yards passing, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The speedster also ran for 849 yards on 118 carries, collecting six additional touchdowns. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Wilson 11th among 39 quarterback candidates, and the website particularly valued his running skills, as he earned the distinction of being the top rushing quarterback.

The Seahawks have been particularly busy this offseason. The team extended Marshawn Lynch, handing the running back a new two-year, $24MM contract. The team also acquired tight end Jimmy Graham, who is less than a year removed from signing a four-year, $40MM extension.

Bills Rework Kyle Williams’ Contract

March 21st, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 21: Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has released the full details of Williams’ contract (Twitter link). Williams will get $4.5MM in bonus money and a $4.5MM base salary in 2015, per Wilson. His base salaries in 2016 and 2017 will be $6MM and $6.3MM, respectively. He’ll also receive a $500,000 bonus on the fifth day of the league year in both ’16 and ’17. 

MARCH 17: According to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the new year added to Williams’ contract is a “dummy” year for cap purposes and is voidable, so it was more of a restructuring than an extension by the Bills.

MARCH 11: Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams wasn’t scheduled to hit the open market until after the 2016 season, but that didn’t stop the team from working out a contract extension with him today. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Bills reached an agreement with Williams on a one-year, $10.5MM extension, ensuring that the standout defensive lineman remains under contract through the 2017 season.

While the club will still eventually need to work out a deal with its other star defensive tackle, Marcell Dareus, Williams’ new contract ensures that he, Mario Williams, and Jerry Hughes are all locked up through at least 2017. Hughes re-signed with the Bills earlier this week, agreeing to a five-year deal that keeps him under contract through 2019, and ensuring that one of the league’s most dangerous defensive lines remains intact.

Given the lack of urgency for a new deal for Williams, the Bills may have ulterior motives for working something out with the veteran defensive tackle. While we’ll have to wait for the specifics, the extension could help lower Williams’ $6.4MM cap hit for 2015, which would create additional flexibility for the team to pursue other players.

Buffalo is said to be making a push to sign pass catchers Charles Clay and Percy Harvin.

C.J. Wilson To Visit Seahawks

March 21st, 2015 at 6:36pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent defensive end C.J. Wilson will visit the Seahawks in the upcoming week, reports Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).

This isn’t the first time the defensive end position has made news this week for the Seahawks. The reigning NFC champions were previously connected to a pair of free agent ends – Greg Hardy, who ultimately signed with the Cowboys, and Chris Canty, who re-signed with Baltimore. Further, there was talk that one of the Seahawks’ own, Michael Bennett, wanted out of Seattle. The Seahawks subsequently shot down the notion that Bennett was seeking a trade, but that isn’t precluding them from trying to beef up their D-line.

Wilson, who will turn 28 later this month, spent 2014 with the Raiders and accrued 23 tackles and two sacks in 16 games (seven starts). Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Wilson 27th out of 57 qualifying 4-3 defensive ends for his work. The five-year veteran entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Packers in 2010 and spent his first four seasons in Green Bay, with which he appeared in 50 games and made 11 starts.

North Notes: Jennings, Bears, Browns

March 21st, 2015 at 5:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Some Saturday evening notes from the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Wide receiver Greg Jennings, whom the Vikings released last week after two seasons in Minnesota, thrived during the first seven years of his career as a member of the Packers. Nevertheless, according to Jason Wilde of ESPN, don’t expect the 31-year-old to return to Green Bay. Although the Packers – who already have high-paid wideouts Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb – previously expressed interest this offseason in veteran free agents Andre Johnson and Percy Harvin, both of whom have since signed elsewhere, Wilde doesn’t see Jennings as a fit for the team because of the ugly way he left in 2013. Jennings took shots at the Packers after signing with the Vikings, as ESPN’s Rob Demovsky detailed earlier this week, and Wilde doesn’t expect Packers management to forgive and forget in Jennings’ case. That’s despite Jennings saying Tuesday that he’d be “open” to a reunion with Green Bay.
  • The Bears have a number of needs to address entering the upcoming NFL draft, with wide receiver and pass rusher chief among them. Luckily for general manager Ryan Pace, those areas happen to be two of the strongest and deepest in the draft class, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears could target a wideout or pass rusher with the seventh overall pick, where receivers Amari Cooper (Alabama) and Kevin White (West Virginia) and defenders Randy Gregory (Nebraska), Dante Fowler (Florida) and Shane Ray (Missouri) are likely to be available. If not, they still might be able to find second- and third-round receivers and pass rushers capable of coming in and making an immediate impact.
  • As of now, the Browns’ starting quarterback in 2015 is probably either going to be Josh McCown or Johnny Manziel. Understandably, their fans aren’t content with either option, and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com answered some of their QB-related inquiries in a mailbag. According to Cabot, the Browns could land Baylor’s Bryce Petty with the 19th overall pick in the draft. Their new quarterbacks coach, Kevin O’Connell, has trained Petty in the past – which means O’Connell has plenty of info on Petty and might be in position to steer Browns management either toward the 23-year-old or away from him.
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