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NFC West Notes: Wilson, Dockett, Keenum

June 10th, 2015 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The best roster in football belongs to the Seahawks, according to Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus (Insider-only link via ESPN.com), who ranks Seattle No. 1 on his list all 32 NFL rosters. As Monson details, the offensive line is a weak area, with perhaps three starters who should be upgraded, but the team has several above-average offensive skill players, and one of the league’s best defenses. The Seahawks “aren’t going anywhere for a while” with the talent they have all over their roster, in Monson’s view. No other NFC West team places in the top half of PFF’s roster rankings, with the 49ers coming in 17th, the Rams 22nd, and the Cardinals 24th.

Here’s more from around the NFC West:

  • Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com offers some specifics on what he thinks Russell Wilson‘s next contract should look like, suggesting a four-year, $89MM deal that includes $62.5MM in guaranteed money ($41MM+ fully guaranteed). After explaining why the structure of his proposed extension makes sense for Wilson and the Seahawks, Corry plays devil’s advocate and offers some reasons why it might not work.
  • The Seahawks should try to get a deal done as soon as possible with Wilson, even if it means making him the highest-paid player in the NFL, says Terry Blount of ESPN.com.
  • Despite a parade of departures via free agency and retirement since he joined the team, defensive lineman Darnell Dockett doesn’t regret his decision to sign with the 49ers this offseason, writes Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. “My decision was easy. I wouldn’t change it,” Dockett said.
  • Case Keenum has shuffled back and forth between Houston and St. Louis in recent years, and is hoping his latest stint with the Rams is “a little more permanent,” as he tells Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Keenum and Austin Davis are competing for the No. 2 job behind Nick Foles, and the loser of that battle may not make the roster, since third-round rookie Sean Mannion is also in the mix.
  • Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders if the city of St. Louis could get another team if it loses the Rams, like Cleveland did with the Browns.

25 NFL Draft Picks Remain Unsigned

June 10th, 2015 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

With training camps still a few weeks away, it should just be a matter of time until all 256 of this year’s draft picks have signed rookie contracts with their respective teams. The 2015 draft concluded a little over five weeks ago, and so far, 231 of those draftees have signed their deals, leaving just 25 picks unsigned, less than 10% of 2015’s draft class.

Of those unsigned picks, most are first- or third-rounders. Salaries and bonus amounts for draft picks under the current CBA are fairly rigid, so only a few details in a contract can really be negotiated, including guarantees and offsets. The first and third round – particularly the end of the first round and the start of the third round – are two spots where those specifics are a little more negotiable than usual.

While 17 of the 25 unsigned picks are first- or third-rounders, the other eight are mostly Rams players, since St. Louis typically announces all of its draft signings at once. The one exception this year for the team was sixth-round wide receiver Bud Sasser, who wasn’t physically cleared, due to a heart condition — he signed his rookie contract and was subsequently waived from St. Louis’ roster. Besides the Rams, no team has more than two unsigned picks.

Here’s the full list of 2015 draftees who have yet to sign their rookie contracts:

First Round:

  1. Marcus Mariota, QB (Tennessee Titans)
  2. Vic Beasley, DE/OLB (Atlanta Falcons)
  3. Ereck Flowers, T (New York Giants)
  4. Todd Gurley, RB (St. Louis Rams)
  5. Cedric Ogbuehi, OL (Cincinnati Bengals)
  6. Byron Jones, CB (Dallas Cowboys)
  7. Laken Tomlinson, G (Detroit Lions)
  8. Damarious Randall, S (Green Bay Packers)
  9. Malcom Brown, DT (New England Patriots)

Second Round:

  1. Landon Collins, S (New York Giants)
  2. Mario Edwards, DL (Oakland Raiders)
  3. Rob Havenstein, T (St. Louis Rams)
  4. Ali Marpet, OL (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Third Round:

  1. D’Joun Smith, CB (Indianapolis Colts)
  2. Jeremiah Poutasi, OL (Tennessee Titans)
  3. A.J. Cann, OL (Jacksonville Jaguars)
  4. Clive Walford, TE (Oakland Raiders)
  5. Jamon Brown, T (St. Louis Rams)
  6. Duke Johnson, RB (Cleveland Browns)
  7. Sean Mannion, QB (St. Louis Rams)
  8. Henry Anderson, DE (Indianapolis Colts)

Fourth Round:

  1. Andrew Donnal, T (St. Louis Rams)

Sixth Round:

  1. Cody Wichmann, G (St. Louis Rams)

Seventh Round:

  1. Bryce Hager, LB (St. Louis Rams)
  2. Martin Ifedi, DE (St. Louis Rams)

East Notes: Wilkerson, Mosley, Eagles

June 10th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

While Muhammad Wilkerson isn’t saying much publicly about extension negotiations with the Jets, fellow defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson was happy to discuss Wilkerson’s contract situation on Tuesday, telling Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News that his teammate should be the NFL’s next $100MM man.

“He’s worth that penny,” Richardson said of Wilkerson. “And you know what penny I’m talking about. … We don’t just want J.J. Watt money. We want it all. We want [Ndamukong] Suh money. Hopefully everybody wants that type of bread in this league.”

If Wilkerson gets a $100MM contract, it won’t come from the Jets this year, according to Mehta, who points out that the team has the leverage at this point. The addition of first-round pick Leonard Williams to the defensive line somewhat weakened Wilkerson’s negotiating position, per Mehta.

Here’s more on Wilkerson, along with a couple more items out of the NFL’s East divisions:

  • More Richardson on Wilkerson, via Mehta: “If Gerald McCoy can get $100MM, I’m pretty sure my guy Mo Wilkerson can get $100MM.”
  • During his visit to Miami this week, defensive tackle C.J. Mosley received a contract offer from the Dolphins, who “made clear they would love to add him as soon as possible,” agent Harold Lewis tells Adam Beasley and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The Lions and one other unknown team also have interest in adding Mosley, who has yet to make a decision.
  • Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and safety Earl Wolff appear to be at odds over the defensive back’s recovery from microfracture surgery, writes Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As Bowen notes, Wolff is more upbeat about his recovery than Kelly, who instead emphasized how well Walter Thurmond is adapting to the safety position.

Extra Points: Gordon, D. Thomas, Vick

June 9th, 2015 at 9:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that he believes Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, suspended for the 2015 season, “still has a very bright future in the NFL.” Pointing to another one of his clients that signed with the Patriots this offseason after a lengthy suspension, Rosenhaus said that Gordon is “just as determined to make it back as Fred [Davis] was.” Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • The Broncos have been in “win-now” mode for the last couple years, but they need to be conscious about their long-term future when making contract decisions, says Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, writing for The Sporting News. Fitzgerald’s breakdown of Denver’s cap outlook includes a discussion of Demaryius Thomas, whose contract situation we examined earlier today.
  • Michael Vick is still looking for work, and has said that he wants to play in the NFL for another three years or so, but he believes he’ll have to wait for a quarterback to suffer an injury in order to get an opportunity, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio notes, there may be some skepticism around the league that Vick is ready to accept a backup role and to put in the work necessary even when he doesn’t expect to play.
  • The Chargers have been aware of Malcom Floyd‘s intentions for some time, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. The wide receiver said last year he planned to play out his contract and retire, and that remains the plan today. Floyd indicated last week that this could be his final season in the NFL.
  • Representatives from the Chargers, Rams, and Raiders are in New York to update owners on developments on their respective projects, Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego tweets. The reps from the three teams will meet with owners on Wednesday.


Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Reid, 49ers, Lions, Rodgers

June 9th, 2015 at 8:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a quick look at the NFC..

  • 49ers safety Eric Reid is getting ready to play this season, but he told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle that he’s given some thought to leaving the NFL because of the three concussions he’s sustained. “Everybody evaluates their own situation as far as playing this game,” the 23-year-old said. “I’ve evaluated mine and I’ve decided I still want to play.” The former 2013 first-round pick said he might seek more medical advice, but he intends to play in 2015.
  • Former Lions guard Rodney Austin was found guilty today in a North Carolina court of four misdemeanor charges stemming from an April accusation of domestic violence, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Austin was found guilty of assault on a female, assault on a child under age 12, interference with an emergency communication, and larceny. Mark Magazu, Austin’s agent, said in a statement that Austin “maintains his innocence” but does not plan to appeal the judge’s findings. Austin has been a practice-squad player for most of the last three years with Detroit.
  • With his entire entire starting offense back from last year, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers feels that his team has what it takes to win the Super Bowl this year. “I think the talent is definitely there,” Rodgers said, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “But just like last year, you’ve got to see how the team comes together.”

South Notes: Bucs, Glennon, Martin

June 9th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Titans receivers coach Shawn Jefferson sees big things in rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota‘s future, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com writes.

“He is deadly accurate,” Jefferson said. “I am just giddy about his future going forward …He’s the real deal. A couple years ago I was back in Detroit and when Matthew Stafford stepped into the huddle the first time, once I heard his voice and the way he called a play, I said, ‘OK, that’s a real one right there.’ Same way with this one. He’s real. He’s got the goods.”

Here’s tonight’s look at the South divisions..

  • The Buccaneers gave some thought to trading Mike Glennon this offseason, but GM Jason Licht pulled back when he found how many teams were interested in the young QB, Scott Reynolds of PewterReport.com writes. Ultimately, the Bucs felt they were better off with Glennon for at least one more season in case of injury or ineffectiveness from No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston.
  • More from Reynolds, who writes that the hire of offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter extended Doug Martin‘s stay with the Buccaneers. “Dirk Koetter, once he started watching tape of all our players, he came away impressed with Doug,” Licht said. “You saw the tape when he’s healthy, he’s still a very effective runner.” The Muscle Hamster is in Tampa Bay for 2015, but they declined his fifth-year option, putting Martin in a “prove it” situation. In his rookie year, Martin made a heck of an impact by running for 1,454 yards off of 319 carries with 11 touchdowns while catching 49 passes for 472 yards and a TD.
  • Eighth overall pick Vic Beasley is expected to sign his rookie contract with the Falcons “soon,” tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Beasley is in line for a signing bonus worth $8.8MM+, with an overall four-year contract value of about $14.495MM.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

East Notes: Mathis, Hardy, Eagles, Pats

June 9th, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles coach Chip Kelly says that he has yet to speak with offensive guard Evan Mathis, who has not reported for OTAs, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

“We’ll take it as it comes,” Kelly said.

Mandatory minicamp starts on June 16th, but he could wind up in camp with another club as the Eagles have given him permission to look for a viable trade. The Eagles have said that they’re not shopping the 33-year-old, but Kelly has admitted that he is willing to listen on anyone. Earlier today, we learned that Mathis contends that the Eagles offered to boost his salary by $1MM per season but later pulled that proposal off the table. Here’s more from the East divisions..

  • A ruling on Greg Hardy‘s appeal is expected to come this week, and Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News suspects the 10-game suspension for the Cowboys defensive end may not be reduced.
  • Kelly says that so far, Eagles offseason acquisition Sam Bradford has done a “great job” so far in his recovery from a torn ACL in his left knee, Berman writes. Kelly also reiterated that Bradford is still on track to return in a reasonable timeframe. There is no date for that return just yet, however.
  • Following the release of UDFA cornerback Eric Patterson, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reset the Patriots‘ depth chart at cornerback. Logan Ryan, Bradley Fletcher, and Malcolm Butler are the top three cornerbacks on the chart, but Reiss notes that safety Devin McCourty came into the NFL as a corner and could concievably move back depending on how things unfold.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

June 9th, 2015 at 6:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

  • The Colts cut kicker Taylor Pontius, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Pontius was a member of the Colts’ rookie minicamp as a tryout player in May and signed a contract soon after.
  • The Patriots announced that they have released rookie defensive back Eric Patterson. Patterson, 22, was signed by the Pats as a UDFA back in May. The Ball State product started in 28 of 41 games during his collegiate career and finished with 135 total tackles and six interceptions.
  • The Vikings announced that they have signed free agent defensive tackle Chrishon Rose. Rose, who comes out of East Carolina, played in 13 games as a senior, posting 41 total tackles including 14 solo stops. Rose’s defensive unit held 18 opponents to 100 or less rushing yards in his four seasons at ECU.
  • The Packers have signed tackle Vince Kowalski, a UDFA from Villanova, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The signing brings Green Bay to the full 90-man roster limit. Kowalski started all four seasons at Villanova and was named first-team in his conference last season.
  • Rams sixth-round pick Bud Sasser went unclaimed off waivers and is now a free agent, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • Washington has signed tackle Bryce Quigley and cut quarterback Hutson Mason, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (on Twitter). Mason was serving as an extra arm behind Robert Griffin III, Colt McCoy, and Kirk Cousins in camp.
  • Former Northern Arizona punter Andy Wilder, who went undrafted last spring, has been cut by the Buccaneers, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
  • The Panthers will sign former Raiders tight end Scott Simonson to a one-year deal, a source tells Wilson (on Twitter).

Latest On Eagles, Evan Mathis

June 9th, 2015 at 5:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Evan Mathis contends that the Eagles previously offered to adjust his contract and later reneged, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears from a source with knowledge of the situation.

The Eagles, he says, offered to increase his salary by roughly $1MM per year from 2014 to 2016. Mathis declined the offer in 2014, but he was interested in accepting in 2015. The Eagles, per the source, told Mathis that the offer was no longer good. The reason? Howie Roseman, the man that made the offer, was no longer GM.

So, it now appears that Mathis’ beef with the Eagles runs deeper than simply salary. The two-time Pro Bowl guard believes that he had something promised to him that was later pulled off the table.

There was interest from teams to trade for Mathis, a source tells Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). One team engaged in pre-draft talks with Philly but changed course after the first round. The Bills, Vikings, Dolphins, Rams, and Patriots are among the many teams that have been connected to Mathis in recent months. However, it’s not clear how serious things got between the Eagles and any of those clubs.

Even though he only saw time in nine games, Mathis’ overall score of 25.8 (per Pro Football Focus, subscription required) ranked him as the second-best offensive guard in the NFL in 2014. The year prior, Mathis graded out as the very best guard in the NFL. Mathis’ deal calls for him to earn a $5.5MM base with $1MM prorated in 2015, good for a total of $6.5MM. With an extra $500K in his base salary in 2016, that number jumps slightly to $7MM.

Jets Notes: Wilkerson, Brown, Green

June 9th, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Muhammad Wilkerson‘s agent, Chad Wiestling, issued a statement regarding his client, who reported to the Jets today. Here is that statement, courtesy of CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (via Twitter links):

“Mo is and always had been a team-first player and is willing to put the team ahead of his own contractual status. Mo loves being a member of the Jets and would prefer to finish his career in New York,” the statement read.

Wilkerson reported to camp today and it sounds like all eyes will be on him over the next several weeks, unless the two sides come to terms on a new pact. Here’s more on the story that has managed to take some of the heat off of Geno Smith in New York, plus more on the Jets..

  • Wilkerson said he was told by his agent that contract talks will start to pick up, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. Wilkerson, of course, is looking for a long-term pact from Gang Green.
  • When asked whether he’ll entertain holding out of Jets training camp, Wilkerson said, “I’m not going to answer that question,” according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
  • Wilkerson, who sounded somewhat positive about contract talks earlier in the year, said he’s “frustrated” about his contract situation, Mehta tweets. Wilkerson explained that he thought there would be a deal by this point in the offseason.
  • The Jets are trying out four players today, according to Dom Cosentino of The Star-Ledger (on Twitter). Those players are tackle Charles Brown, wide receiver Christian Green, wide receiver Mark Harrison, and cornerback Jonte Green.
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