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Month: November 2024

AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Colts, Jags, Bengals

July 18th, 2015 at 10:48am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from the AFC…

  • Adam Teicher points to wideouts Reggie Wayne and James Jones as potential targets for the Chiefs. He also adds that offensive lineman Evan Mathis is still available, but notes that coach Andy Reid previously said the team has no interest in the 33-year-old.
  • Mike Wells says Colts fans shouldn’t be upset or concerned where Reggie Wayne lands, even if it’s with the rival Patriots. The writer refers to New England’s interest in the wideout back in 2012.
  • The Jaguars could have waited a year and tried to draft Jameis Winston, but Mike DiRocco believes that would have been too much of a risk. The team believed Blake Bortles could be the future of the franchise, so the writer doesn’t blame the front office’s strategy.
  • Coley Harvey opines that it’d be “hard to justify” the Bengals signing A.J. Green to a Dez Bryant/Demaryius Thomas-type contract. Green has certainly established himself as one of the top wideouts in the league, but Harvey believes the receiver’s injury history may have hurt his value. Ultimately, Harvey thinks both sides will wait to negotiate until after this season, and he’d be shocked if Green received more than $43 million in guaranteed money.
  • Harvey also believes there is zero chance Jermaine Gresham will be returning to the Bengals next season.

John Elway Discusses Thomas, Dez, Miller

July 18th, 2015 at 9:39am CST by Ben Levine

It’s been a busy couple of days for John Elway and the Broncos. The team managed to ignore a number of collusion allegations, and they ultimately re-signed star wideout Demaryius Thomas to a five-year extension.

With the hectic negotiations behind them, Denver’s General Manager and Executive Vice President of Football Operations sat down with DenverBroncos.com to discuss the entire ordeal. We’ve compiled some of the more interesting quotes, which you can find below…

On the timing of negotiations:

“It really started this morning (July 15th). I think that we had met with [Thomas’ agent] Todd France back in end of May—first of June—and both got our offers on the table. At that point in time, there wasn’t any movement until this morning. Once again, things got going this morning. That’s really when we had get a deal done.”

On how the contract will effect the team’s future cap space:

“We prepare for all of those [scenarios]. We look at what the value is to the Broncos, what we can afford, how that fits into the structure and how that fits into our football team. All of those things are going into consideration when we determine what we’re going to pay somebody. We’re well aware of the people that we have coming up. We have a lot of good football players coming up. But with Demaryius—he’s obviously a big part of that and he’s the first part of trying to keep this football team together. I think it was a very fair deal for both sides.”

On whether they referred to the Dez Bryant extension during negotiations:

“We had our numbers set up and picked out. We tried to figure out what we believed was the correct value for us and for the Broncos as well as Demaryius. I think it just took a while to get to that point. Any time you have two special football players at the same position that are going into a franchise year, there is always caution that no one jumps the gun. I think it went as long as it went to be able to make sure that everybody—especially from the agent side—that they were where they needed to be.”

On how the Thomas extension will impact talks with Von Miller:

“We are always planning for the future. Everyone talks about us winning now, and my point is that we want to win from now on. When we go through our budget meetings year in and year out, that is what we look at. We have a three-year plan and a four-year plan, and we try to look into the future to see where we are in order to budget everybody to keep all of our great football players. That is what we want to do—draft well, keep our own and fill in with free agency where we can. D.T. was the first step. We will have a plan for Von next year as well as with other players. We have several other really good football players coming into their last year. We’ll monitor as many as we can. It’s impossible to hold on to everybody in the salary cap era, but we’re going to do the very best we can to keep them all.”

Latest On St. Louis Stadium Effort

July 17th, 2015 at 8:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, the task force spearheading the charge to keep the NFL in eastern Missouri, will request $50MM in state tax credits in an effort to fund its open-air stadium project, the Associated Press reports, as new details emerged on an updated plan.

The $50MM, which will go to fund a now-$998MM project that will attempt to persuade the Rams or another franchise to play football in St. Louis, will be spread over a three-year period. This authority will request these funds to the Missouri Department Finance Board on Tuesday, according to Tim Bryant of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. The $998MM represents a new figure, a $13MM hike from the previous estimate in January, reports Bryant.

This updated proposal calls for construction on a 62,500-seat venue to begin next year and be ready for an inhabitant by August 2019, Bryant reports.

Since the $50MM exceeds the Finance Board’s limit by $40MM, it will require special approval from Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s cabinet. For these funds to be approved, the latest application states “tax-related contributions” and “tax credit issuances” would be contingent on an NFL team playing in this facility, notes Bryant.

NFL executive vice president Eric Grubman met with Nixon and additional stadium task force officials Thursday, with stadium financing, land acquisition and the proposed 88-acre north riverfront structure’s design headlining the issues, Bernie Miklasz of the Post Dispatch reports.

Construction costs will occupy the lion’s share of this project, currently tabbed for $820MM, with another $60MM going toward securing the land.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who’s had a plan for an Inglewood, Calif.-housed stadium in the works for months, has not met with Nixon or this task force, showing no interest in this riverfront project, according to Miklasz. Just one of many moving parts to this high-stakes Los Angeles derby, this project has been encouraged by Grubman and Roger Goodell, as the league’s backing of a St. Louis plan depends on this stadium project.

Miklasz notes this expedited stadium push in St. Louis could prevent the Rams from moving or induce another franchise to base itself there. Conversely, the the longtime columnist offers that this plan’s failure could accelerate Kroenke’s request for a move and torpedo St. Louis football.

Goodell has said the league will select only one of the two L.A.-based stadium projects — with the Raiders/Chargers joint venture in Carson, Calif., representing the other option in this fluid process.

West Notes: Thomas, Green, Wilson

July 17th, 2015 at 7:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Demaryius Thomas was holding out for a contract that would exceed the value of Calvin Johnson‘s historic deal, the Broncos‘ newly extended wideout now acknowledges it was a negotiating tactic and that no receiver will hit that threshold. At least not for a while.

But the sixth-year target did want to make sure he inked a deal that assured him of greater financial earnings than contemporaries Mike Wallace and Percy Harvin, according to Mike Klis of 9News.

“It wasn’t about asking for more than Calvin because I knew I wasn’t going to get that,” Thomas told media Friday. “It was trying to make a new slot for guys because the second receiver was Mike Wallace and Percy Harvin. I think I’ve outplayed them, so I tried to set a new mark. But nobody is going to get Calvin money.”

The former first-round pick out of Georgia Tech also told Klis turning down the Broncos’ seven-year, $100MM offer was difficult, but with the uncertainty that could arise in the final two non-guaranteed years of that proposed deal, Thomas figured it was best to accept a five-year contract that could still enable him to sign a lucrative third accord by the time his second expires after his age-31 season.

Here is some more news from the Thomas fallout and from the Broncos’ Western brethren.

  • Training in Atlanta while slapped with the franchise tag, Thomas intends to play this season with a slimmer frame, dropping down to 222 pounds from his usual 228, per Klis.
  • Regardless of what weight Thomas plays at this season, A.J. Green was sure to thank his Pro Bowl wideout compatriot via text message shortly after word leaked of Thomas’ deal, according to Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com. The Bengals‘ contract-year receiver said he will play this season under his fifth-year option of $10.76MM and wait until the offseason for a potential new deal. But with two receivers on his tier attached to values, Green now has a benchmark at which to aim. Although the Bengals’ four-time Pro Bowler doesn’t quite have Thomas or Bryant’s stats, the soon-to-be 27-year-old is just as valuable to his team’s offense, and those numbers come with an inferior quarterback than the ones throwing to Thomas and Bryant.
  • Mark Rodgers and top client Russell Wilson speak each day, with those conversations often including discussions about the fourth-year Seahawks quarterback’s contract negotiation, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports. In a profile of the baseball-first agent’s relationship with Wilson, Condotta notes Wilson sought Rodgers due to his experience with two-sport athletes.

Giants Sign Jeromy Miles

July 17th, 2015 at 6:17pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 6:17pm: Miles’ deal is for one year and worth $745K, Jordan Raanan of the New York Daily News reports. There is no guaranteed money in this team-friendly agreement, and should Miles head to injured reserve, IR salary language that would pay Miles a $413K split or a smaller lower settlement exists in the contract.

WEDNESDAY, 1:35pm: The Giants have officially announced the signing of Miles, waiving wide receiver Marcus Harris and safety Justin Currie. Harris received an injured designation.

WEDNESDAY, 9:56am: Miles will sign a one-year contract with the Giants later today, a source confirms to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 9:10am: Having lost their top three safeties from the 2014 season, the Giants continue to explore ways to replace that production, and their search has led them to a former Raven, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Caplan reports (via Twitter) that New York is expected to sign ex-Baltimore safety Jeromy Miles to a contract.

Miles, who turns 28 next week, began his career with the Bengals before joining the Ravens in 2013. Having played mostly on special teams during his first few seasons in the league, Miles saw 365 defensive snaps in 2014 and held his own, making 34 tackles, grabbing an interception, and forcing a pair of fumbles.

Antrel Rolle, Stevie Brown, Quintin Demps all left the Giants in free agency this offseason, leaving a significant hole at the safety position. The team opted not to address that hole in free agency, using a second-round pick on Landon Collins and experimenting with cornerbacks at the safety spot. Assuming Miles officially puts pen to paper and joins the Giants, he should provide the club more depth at the position, and will likely have the opportunity to earn regular playing time.

Important Remaining 2015 NFL Dates

July 17th, 2015 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Way back in December, with the 2014 NFL season winding down, we took a look ahead at many of the important offseason dates on the league’s calendar, including the opening of free agency and draft weekend. However, the last of those key dates came will come and go by the end of July, so with training camps and the preseason nearing, it’s time to revisit the NFL calendar and check out the most crucial remaining dates in 2015.

Via an official announcement from the league, here’s a breakdown of several of the key dates we’ll be keeping an eye on at PFR in the coming weeks and months:

August 11: Summer league meeting in Schaumburg, Illinois to discuss Los Angeles situation.

September 1: Teams must reduce their 90-man rosters to 75 players by 3:00pm central time.
September 5: Teams must reduce their 75-man rosters to 53 players by 3:00pm central time. Any players on the active/PUP or active/non-football injury or illness lists may be moved to the reserve versions of those lists.
September 6: Claiming period for players waived during final roster cuts ends at 11:00am central time. After that time, teams may establish a practice squad of 10 players. After 3:00pm central time, teams are permitted to place one player on the injured reserve list with the designation to return.
September 9: After 3:00pm central time, all contracts for each team must fit under the salary cap (top-51 rule expires at 11:00pm central time).
September 29: Waiver priority order adjusted to become based on the reverse order of 2014’s standings.

October 6-7: Fall league meetings in New York City.
October 16: Players who are on the reserve/PUP and reserve/NFI lists are allowed to begin practicing for a period not to exceed 21 days. Players must be activated or placed on injured reserve by 3:00pm central time on the day following the expiration of that 21-day window.

November 3: Trade deadline at 3:00pm central time.
November 4: All released players subject to waivers for rest of regular season and postseason.
November 17: Unsigned franchise players and draft picks must sign with their respective teams by 3:00pm central time in order to play in the NFL in 2015.
November 24: Players who are on the reserve/PUP and reserve/NFI lists who have not begun practicing are no longer eligible to be activated after 3:00pm central time.

AFC West Notes: Thomas, Broncos, Houston

July 17th, 2015 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

While the NFL Player’s Association appeared ready to drop its collusion investigation into the Cowboys and Broncos after Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas signed new contracts on Wednesday, the union is still considering filing a complaint, a source tells Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today Sports. Both the Cowboys and Broncos have been informed that the NFLPA has not yet lifted its request that front office officials preserve writen and digital correspondence that could be used as evidence of collusion, writes Jones.

Even if the Cowboys and Broncos did discuss Bryant’s and Thomas’ contract situations, it seems unlikely that there’s a smoking gun, and now that both wideouts have long-term deals – perhaps with the help of legal collusion by their agents – it seems unnecessary for the NFLPA to pursue another drawn-out legal battle with the league. As such, I’d guess that the union will eventually drop its investigation, but it sounds like we’ll have to wait until at least next week to know for sure.

As we await word from the NFLPA, let’s check out some more updates from out of the AFC West, with a focus on Thomas’ and Justin Houston‘s extensions….

  • A report earlier this week suggested that Thomas was prepared to skip training camp and the preseason if he didn’t get a new contract this week, but earlier today the wideout admitted, “I wasn’t going to sit out games” (Twitter link via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com). Thomas also suggested that he “kind of knew the whole morning” on Wednesday that he and the Broncos would get something done (Twitter link via Legwold).
  • During the negotiations with Thomas, GM John Elway was mindful of how other extension-eligible players – particularly Von Miller – will fit into the team’s budget down the road, writes Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.
  • At OverTheCap.com, Zack Moore dives deep into Houston’s new six-year contract with the Chiefs to determine its value, while Jason Fitzgerald lays out the year-by-year figures for the deal in chart form.
  • In explaining why he felt like it was “very important” to remain in Kansas City long-term, Houston credited Andy Reid, explaining that the Chiefs head coach pushed him to become a better player. Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star has the details and quotes from the star pass rusher.

Community Tailgate: Will Chris Johnson Sign?

July 17th, 2015 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re still more than a month and a half away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Today, our Community Tailgate feature focuses on a report from Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who wrote today that veteran running back Chris Johnson, having survived a drive-by shooting earlier this year, hopes to land with an NFL team after training camps get underway.

“Right now is kind of a dead period,” Johnson told La Canfora on CBS Radio. “But things should pick back up when (camps start). I’ve just been working hard, getting back healthy, getting in shape. Now it’s just waiting and working out and seeing what my next situation is going to be.”

Johnson, who was shot during that aforementioned drive-by, has since been medically cleared for all football activities, and La Canfora spoke to some NFL executives who believe the former Titan showed more burst last year in New York than he had in some previous seasons.

It may take an injury or two for Johnson to draw any serious interest, but a few execs who spoke to La Canfora cited the Cowboys as a possible suitor. La Canfora also identifies the Ravens, Chiefs, Broncos, and Patriots as possibilities, particularly if any of those teams have injury problems in their respective backfields.

What do you think? Will we see Johnson on a regular season roster this year, or is his time as an NFL contributor behind him? If he does continue his playing career, which team do you think he’ll be playing for this fall? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

NFC South Notes: J. Jones, McKay, Kuechly

July 17th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

After checking in on the AFC East earlier this afternoon, let’s shift our focus to the NFC South and pass along a few items from out of the division….

  • Falcons receiver Roddy White tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter links) that if he were the team’s GM, he’d get fellow wideout Julio Jones locked up now. “The more they wait, the more it’s going to cost them,” White said. “It’s important that he feels comfortable.” There’s a sense that Atlanta could get something done with Jones this summer, but the club will have the franchise tag available to use on the 26-year-old in 2016, if necessary.
  • Falcons president Rich McKay is now eligible to apply for reinstatement, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. McKay was suspended from the NFL competition committee as part of the team’s penalty for pumping fake noise into the Georgia Dome during the 2013 and 2014 seasons — the NFL also fined the Falcons $350K and took away its fifth-round pick in the 2016 as part of the punishment. At this time, it’s unknown whether McKay has applied for reinstatement.
  • Justin Houston’s new deal with the Chiefs deal likely won’t impact Panthers Pro Bowler Luke Kuechly, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Unfortunately for Kuechly, there hasn’t been enough advancement in the inside linebacker market to really give him momentum. “The problem is the market’s been stagnant,” former agent Joel Corry said. “There’s no one to advance the ball. So Kuechly’s the one’s who’s going to be setting new standards.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC East Notes: Gostkowski, Marshall, Jets

July 17th, 2015 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

When he announced his decision to retire this week, veteran offensive lineman Dan Connolly was a free agent, no longer under contract with the Patriots. However, that didn’t stop New England head coach Bill Belichick from issuing a statement on Connolly’s retirement through the Patriots’ website today.

“Dan Connolly exemplified everything our program requires of players,” Belichick said in that statement. “He was tough and dependable, smart and team oriented and his work ethic ensured he improved on an annual basis to reach his potential. From where his career began as a developmental player to where it finished as a team leader and champion, Dan Connolly was a player I was proud to coach.”

Let’s round up a few more Friday notes on the Patriots and one of their AFC East division rivals….

  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links) provides the exact details on Stephen Gostkowski‘s four-year, $17.2MM contract with the Patriots. The extension includes a $6MM signing bonus and fully guaranteed salaries of $1.8MM in 2015 and $2.3MM in 2016, for a total of $10.1MM in guarantees. There are also annual $100K workout bonuses and per-game roster bonuses worth up to $200K per season.
  • Brandon Marshall‘s new team will be his last team, according to a tweet from the veteran receiver himself. In a Q&A session on Twitter on Thursday night, Marshall was asked what team he would eventually retire with, and the ex-Bear answered, “If I’m cut tomorrow. I’ll retire. This will be my last team.” Of course, considering the Jets traded for Marshall and gave him a slight pay bump earlier this offseason, the club doesn’t intend to release him anytime soon. When the time comes for the two sides to part ways, we’ll see if Marshall does indeed call it a career.
  • The Jets are already weighing a possible extension for Muhammad Wilkerson, with Sheldon Richardson nearing extension eligibility as well. As Brian Costello of the New York Post, nose tackle Damon Harrison is also entering a contract year, and the Jets will have some tough financial decisions to make if he gets any better.
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