2015 June - Pro Football Rumors

Poll: Will Demaryius Thomas Sign Long-Term Deal?

June 1st, 2015 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Four franchise-tagged players remain unsigned, and last week I asked Pro Football Rumors readers whether Justin Houston, Dez Bryant, and Jason Pierre-Paul would sign long-term contracts with their respective teams this summer. In all three instances, most respondents believed that those stars are more likely to play out the 2015 season on a one-year franchise tender rather than signing a multiyear extension.

We’ll see if we buck that trend today, as we examine the fourth and final franchised player who is still technically a free agent. Demaryius Thomas received a $12.823MM tender from the Broncos, but has yet to sign, as the two sides mull a longer-term agreement.

Thomas has been a candidate for a contract extension for quite some time, and I explored his case for a lucrative multiyear pact last June. At the time, I noted that Peyton Manning‘s uncertain future in Denver muddies the waters on a deal for Thomas. After all, if he were to tack on four or five new seasons to his current franchise tag, Thomas would likely play out the majority of that contract with a quarterback besides Manning at the helm. Considering the bump Thomas’ numbers have received from Manning in recent years, that makes it tricky to ascertain the wideout’s value.

Still, even if the Broncos and Thomas may have a hard time pinpointing an annual salary (and an amount of guaranteed money) that makes sense for both sides, it would surprise me if they didn’t reach an accord at some point, likely before this year’s July 15 deadline. After all, the Broncos have let standout pass catchers like Eric Decker and Julius Thomas leave via free agency during the past two offseasons. Demaryius Thomas is a better all-around receiver than either of those players, and it makes sense that Denver would set aside some money and some cap space to eventually lock him up, rather than giving massive deals to lesser pass-catchers.

The last real update we heard on Thomas came back in April, when GM John Elway expressed some mild annoyance that the wideout wasn’t at Denver’s voluntary offseason workouts. However, Elway also reiterated at that point that extending Thomas is a top priority for the Broncos. I think it’ll happen within the next few weeks. What do you think?

NFC Notes: A. Smith, Hardy, R. Mathis

June 1st, 2015 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

As we turn the calendar to June, let’s check out a few Monday morning items from across the NFC, starting with a contract update out of San Francisco….

After restructuring his contract earlier this offseason, 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith is in line for a $200K roster bonus today, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com.
Greg Hardy had a run-in with fellow defensive lineman Davon Coleman during a Cowboys’ practice in April, but the reviews on the former Panther have all been positive since then, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. With players, coaches, and executives alike all praising Hardy, it doesn’t appear the Cowboys will have the same sort of buyers’ remorse the Bears did with Ray McDonald.
Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis has been telling people that his current two-year contract will likely be his last NFL deal, but that isn’t a sure thing — coaches have told him he could extend his career at safety, notes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links).
With June 1 having arrived, Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com takes a look at whether the time has come for the Cowboys to address Brandon Carr‘s contract.
In his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King of TheMMQB.com addresses the Adrian Peterson/Vikings standoff, the challenge that new Lions defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is facing, and several other topics from around the league.
Panthers wideout and return man Philly Brown will go by his given name, Corey Brown, during his second year in Carolina, as Pat James of the Charlotte Observer writes.

Cam Newton, Panthers Nearing Long-Term Deal

June 1st, 2015 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

10:31am: Newton’s deal won’t be structured like Dalton’s or Kaepernick’s, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, who says (via Twitter) to expect significant guaranteed money.

9:31am: According to Rapoport (Twitter link), the five new years on Newton’s deal are expected to be worth more than $100MM.

8:53am: The Panthers and Cam Newton are closing in a long-term extension that would keep the quarterback locked up through the 2020 season, league sources tell Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). ESPN 730 in Charlotte was the first to tweet that the two sides are nearing an agreement, with both reports suggesting that a deal could be finalized as soon as today.

The Panthers and Newton had been expected to make every effort to work out a long-term arrangement at some point this offseason, but as of last week, negotiations had “barely gotten off the ground,” tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport and Person (Twitter link) both indicate that things happened quickly over the last few days, with talks between the team and agents Bus Cook and Tony Paige intensifying over the weekend.

While Russell Wilson‘s contract talks have dominated the rumor mill in recent weeks, Newton is the other notable young quarterback who would be eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2015 season without a new contract. The former No. 1 overall pick was drafted a year earlier than Wilson – in 2011 rather than 2012 – but the Panthers were able to secure him for an extra season beyond his rookie deal by exercising his fifth-year option for ’15. Newton had been on track to earn a salary of $14.666MM for the coming season.

Newton, 26, has earned a pair of Pro Bowl berths during his first four seasons with the Panthers and is coming off a 2014 campaign in which he threw for 3,127 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 14 regular season contests. Despite finishing the season with a 7-8-1 record, Carolina won the NFC South and defeated the Cardinals on Wild Card weekend, the first postseason victory of Newton’s career.

Although Newton’s career passing numbers are somewhat modest, he has provided plenty of value with his legs as well, rushing for 2,571 yards and 33 touchdowns in his four seasons. Additionally, his passing totals were likely stunted somewhat last year due to his mediocre receiving corps — Greg Olsen stepped up and had a career year at tight end, but the wideouts were headed by rookie Kelvin Benjamin and journeyman Jerricho Cotchery. With Benjamin expected to take a step forward in his second year and 2015 second-rounder Devin Funchess added to the mix, Newton should have a little more help going forward.

It’s not clear yet what the numbers on Newton’s new contract will look like. I’d expect his deal to be more player-friendly extensions signed by Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick, and Ryan Tannehill, but not as lucrative as contracts like Jay Cutler‘s and Joe Flacco‘s. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets, Newton’s pact should feature much more guaranteed money than Tannehill got last month ($21.5MM fully guaranteed, $45MM in overall guarantees). An annual average salary in the neighborhood of $20MM also seems likely.

Outside of Newton and Wilson, other big-name quarterbacks whose contracts are set to expire after the 2015 season include Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Nick Foles. Of that group, Manning and Rivers are coming off veteran deals, so their negotiations will look a little different than Newton’s or Wilson’s. As for Foles, he’s finishing up his rookie contract, but his next deal will hinge significantly on how he adjusts with his new team in 2015.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.