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CAA To Acquire Todd France’s Agency

July 10th, 2015 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

Two major player agencies will be consolidated in the near future, according to Liz Mullin of SportsBusiness Journal, who hears from sources that CAA Sports is finalizing a deal to acquire Five Star Athlete Management. Todd France, who runs the Five Star agency, has been telling player clients and others in the industry that he expects to become a part of CAA Sports as early as August, reports Mullin.

Five Star Athlete Management, which was formerly run by current Bills owner Terry Pegula, represents about 50 NFL players. Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas, Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib, Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara, and Jets receiver Eric Decker are among the firm’s most notable NFL clients, with Thomas and Dareus among those who could get lucrative new contracts this summer.

France, who initially sold his agency to Pegula in 2011 before re-acquiring it after Pegula bought the Bills, currently owns 100% of Five Star, an Atlanta-based firm. I expect France will continue to represent most or all of his current roster of players after the deal with CAA is completed, with the power of a larger agency behind him.

JPP Won’t Sign Franchise Tender Until Healthy

July 10th, 2015 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Jason Pierre-Paul‘s fireworks accident, the Giants had been expected to place their standout defensive end on the non-football injury list until he gets healthy. However, the team can’t make that move until JPP is under contract, and that isn’t the case for now. According to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Pierre-Paul doesn’t intend to sign his franchise tender until he’s confident that he can pass a physical, which would prevent the team from placing him on the NFI list.

The move isn’t a surprising one, since it gives Pierre-Paul and his camp some control over the process, rather than handing the reins over to the Giants. In his examination of the situation yesterday, Jason Fitzgerald of The Sporting News observed that JPP would likely hold out until the last possible moment. After all, if he were to sign his franchise tender tomorrow, the Giants would be able to place him on the non-football injury list for the start of the season, ensuring he’d miss at least six weeks and wouldn’t be paid during his absence.

On the other hand, if he waits until after the regular season gets underway to sign the tender, JPP will miss out on game checks, but he’d have the opportunity to return prior to that six-week mark. Franchised players have until after Week 10 to sign their tenders — if they haven’t signed by then, they’re not eligible to play in the NFL for that season.

Of course, this game of tug-of-war between Pierre-Paul and the Giants depends significantly on what the 26-year-old’s recovery timetable will look like. If it turns out he’ll have a chance to be ready by the time the regular season begins, New York may not even need or want to place him on the NFI list. On the other hand, if his recovery extends well into the regular season, the Giants could ultimately decide to rescind the franchise tender, recognizing that JPP won’t contribute much this year and likely won’t be re-signed.

In other words, we’re still in wait-and-see mode when it comes to Pierre-Paul’s health and his contract. However, both sides have certain cards they can play to gain leverage in the situation. As Fitzgerald noted in his piece linked above, a prolonged holdout could fracture the relationship between JPP and the Giants, but for now it seems like the best possible approach for the defensive end.

Offseason In Review: New England Patriots

July 9th, 2015 at 9:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots made headlines all winter and spring long thanks to the DeflateGate scandal. Their actual football moves, however, didn’t garner as much ink. It remains to be seen how the Pats will actually fare in 2015, but right now this offseason appears to be more about what they lost than what they gained.

Notable signings:

The Patriots were always said to be in the driver’s seat when it came to safety Devin McCourty and they struck agreement with the Pro Bowler days before the opening of free agency. The new pact is worth $47.5MM over five years and McCourty reportedy turned down more lucrative offers to stay in New England. It also doesn’t hurt that the deal includes $28.5MM in guaranteed cash for the Rutgers product. The Jaguars, Eagles, and Giants all made hard pushes to sign the play making free safety, but it sounds like McCourty didn’t have much interest in signing elsewhere.

Jabaal Sheard saw his sack count decrease in each of his NFL seasons, from 8.5 in 2011 to just 2.0 in 2014. The Browns also took him out of the starting lineup this past season, reducing his snap count to 690. However, Sheard played very well in the new role — out of all the league’s 3-4 outside linebackers, only Terrell Suggs had a better grade against the run, per PFF. If the Patriots can keep him off the field in passing situations, Sheard can do some serious damage for them either as a linebacker or a defensive end.

Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski signed his one-year franchise contract tender in early March, giving him a salary of $4.6MM for the upcoming season. The 31-year-old has led the NFL in field goals in each of the last two seasons, making 73 of his 78 total attempts during that stretch, for a 93.6% mark. Gostkowski has also made all 95 of his extra point tries over the last two years. That success prompted the Pats to designate him as their franchise player, rather than using the tag on McCourty.

In January, the Pats signed safety Patrick Chung to a three-year extension worth up to $8.2MM, with $3.4MM guaranteed. The advanced statistics suggest that Chung was one of the best safeties in the league in 2014, as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the 12th-best at his position. Chung will now be sticking with the organization that selected him in the second round of the 2009 draft. Chung signed a one-year deal with the Eagles two years ago, but a mediocre 2013 season prompted his release.

Shortly after extending Chung, the Pats reached agreement on a new pact with cornerback Brandon Bolden. Bolden was set to hit restricted free agency this offseason, but the 24-year-old is now signed to be a part of the Pats’ backfield through 2016. Bolden joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2012, and the former Mississippi standout quickly made a name for himself. In only his third career game, the running back rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown against the Bills. Since then, he hasn’t produced much on the ground, and he only compiled 28 carries for 98 yards and a score in 2014.

Tight end Scott Chandler was released by the Bills in March but quickly found a new home in the AFC East. The 6’7″ athlete hauled in 47 catches for 497 yards and three touchdowns in 2014. Chandler was something of a late bloomer in the league, as he did not see any time on an NFL field between his debut in 2007 with the Chargers and his return in 2010 with the Bills. In Buffalo, he asserted himself as a real NFL talent and not just a taxi squad filler.

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Bradley Fletcher as the 92nd best cornerback last season out of 108 qualified players at the position. He was much better in 2013, however, having been ranked 44th out of 110 players at the position. The Pats are hoping that they can get Fletcher to revert to his old form and they weren’t the only team with that idea in mind. The veteran also drew interest from the Vikings before the official start of free agency.

After losing Shane Vereen, the Patriots signed former Saints back Travaris Cadet to fill a similar role. Cadet, 26, saw his first significant action for the Saints in 2014, hauling in 38 passes on 51 targets, totaling 296 yards and a touchdown on those receptions. Although he was listed as a running back and generally lined up in the backfield, the Appalachian State product only had 10 carries for 32 yards.

Notable losses:

The Patriots decided not to pick up the 2015 option on star cornerback Darrelle Revis, not because they didn’t want him, but because the $25MM cap hit would have been too much to bear. Now, the Pats will have to deal with seeing him multiple times each season now that he’s back with the Jets, but they’re probably not envious of the price Gang Green paid to get him. The 29-year-old appeared in all 19 of the Patriots’ games in 2014 (playoffs included) and ranked as the fourth-best cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus’ grading system (subscription required). He also earned his sixth Pro Bowl nod and fourth First-Team All-Pro selection.

Revis’ secondary partner Brandon Browner was also shown the door. The veteran corner, who turns 31 in August, appeared in nine regular season games for New England in his suspension-shortened season. He recorded 32 total tackles, seven pass deflections, and one interception during that time. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) wasn’t wowed by Browner’s performance in 2014, ranking him No. 79 out of 108 qualified cornerbacks.

In May, the Pats decided that they might as well get rid of all of their top CBs when they released Kyle Arrington. Arrington had two years left on his deal at non-guaranteed salaries of $3MM in 2015 and $3.5MM in 2016 and while a reunion at a reduced rate was thought to be possible, he wound up signing with the Ravens.

Two notable running backs – Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley – made their exit from New England this offseason. Vereen joined up with the Giants on a deal with an AAV of ~$4MM. The 26-year-old ran for 391 yards off of 96 carries in 2014, good for an average of 4.1 yards per attempt. He was also heavily involved in the Pats’ passing game for the second year in a row, recording 52 catches for 447 yards. Pro Football Focus (sub. req’d) placed him as the 28th best tailback out of 57 qualified players last season with a slightly below average grade of -1.0. Ridley, meanwhile, has joined the rival Jets. Ridley was once one of the brightest young running backs in the league, but he couldn’t hang on to the ball in 2013 and his season was cut short by injury in 2014.

The Pats elected not to exercise their option on Vince Wilfork in early March, making him a free agent. The veteran spent all 11 years of his career with the Patriots, playing 158 regular season games for the club, and starting 148 of those. An anchor in the middle of the defensive line in New England for the last decade, Wilfork looked like he may be leaving the team a year ago, before the two sides worked out a new deal to keep him around for the club’s Super Bowl 2014 season. This time, he’s gone for real.

Tim Wright, who came to the Patriots last year as a part of the Logan Mankins deal with the Buccaneers, was released in June. The move was somewhat surprising, but the Pats likely felt that Wright’s role on the team can be filled by offseason pickup Scott Chandler.

Extensions and restructures:

Jerod Mayo’s previous contract with the Pats called for a $6.25MM base salary in 2015, and cap numbers averaging about $10MM for the next three years, through 2017. Now, the new pact is a one-year contract that includes $4.5MM in guaranteed money. That amount is equivalent to the injury guarantee New England would have owed the 29-year-old if the club had cut him before he was deemed healthy.

Danny Amendola‘s new deal is a bit more reasonable for the Pats given his production and overall health. Last year, Amendola caught 27 passes for 200 yards with one touchdown. The advanced stats at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave Amendola an overall grade of -7.0, ranking him 93rd out of 110 qualified wide receivers.

 

Trades:

  • Acquired a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 111; G Tre Jackson), a fifth-round pick (No. 147), and a sixth-round pick (No. 202; TE A.J. Derby) from the Browns in exchange for a 2015 third-round pick (No. 96; DT Xavier Cooper) and a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 219; ILB Hayes Pullard).
  • Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 166; LS Joe Cardona) and a 2015 seventh-round pick (No. 247; CB Darryl Roberts) from the Packers in exchange for a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 147; QB Brett Hundley).

Draft picks:

  • 1-32: Malcom Brown, DT (Texas): Signed
  • 2-64: Jordan Richards, DB (Stanford): Signed
  • 3-97: Geneo Grissom, DE (Oklahoma): Signed
  • 4-101: Trey Flowers, DE (Arkansas): Signed
  • 4-111: Tre’ Jackson, G (Florida State): Signed
  • 4-131: Shaq Mason, OL (Georgia Tech): Signed
  • 5-166: Joe Cardona, LS (Navy): Signed
  • 6-178: Matthew Wells, OLB (Mississippi State): Signed
  • 6-202: A.J. Derby, TE (Arkansas): Signed
  • 7-247: Darryl Roberts, CB (Marshall): Signed
  • 7-253: Xzavier Dickson, DE (Alabama): Signed

With their first-round pick, the Pats plucked Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown, ostensibly as a replacement for Vince Wilfork. Brown broke out in 2014 with 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss and he became the first defensive tackle to lead Texas in both categories in 30 years. If Brown can attract double teams the way that Wilfork did, the Pats might not miss the veteran all that much in 2015.

Other:

Brady is still awaiting word on his appeal but as we learned Thursday, we could be getting closer to a ruling.

Top 10 cap hits for 2015:

  1. Tom Brady, QB: $14,000,000
  2. Rob Gronkowski, TE: $8,650,000
  3. Nate Solder, LT: $7,438,000
  4. Sebastian Vollmer, RT: $7,020,833
  5. Jerod Mayo, LB: $6,100,000
  6. Devin McCourty, S: $6,000,000
  7. Darrelle Revis, CB: $5,000,000 (dead money)
  8. Rob Ninkovich, DE: $4,750,000
  9. Julian Edelman, WR: $4,656,250
  10. Stephen Gostkowski, K: $4,590,000

The Patriots had enough question marks this offseason with so many familiar faces out of the picture. Now, the prospect of being without Brady for the first month of the season looms over them. You can never count the Patriots out, but the AFC East now seems more wide open than ever.

Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Ray McDonald Charged With Felony

July 9th, 2015 at 7:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Former 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald has been charged with felony false imprisonment stemming from a May 25th domestic violence incident, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. McDonald has also been charged with misdemeanor domestic violence, child endangerment, and violating a court order mandating that he stay away from the victim (Twitter links). If convicted, McDonald could face up to three years in prison.

McDonald signed a one-year contract with the Bears earlier this offseason, with team ownership expressing confidence in the defensive lineman’s character after some initial apprehension. The NFL cleared McDonald of any violation of the league’s personal conduct policy relating to an August, but had yet to make a decision on a December sexual assault accusation. When the 30-year-old was arrested yet again in May, the Bears acted swiftly and released him. Not long after that, McDonald was arrested again for violating a restraining order.

“We believe in second chances, but when we signed Ray we were very clear what our expectations were if he was to remain a Bear. He was not able to meet the standard and the decision was made to release him,” GM Ryan Pace said.

Chicago’s agreement with McDonald was a modest $1.05MM deal that didn’t include any guaranteed money, so they were able to drop him without financial penalty. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), McDonald was the league’s 12th-best 3-4 defensive end in 2014, grading well both against the run and as a pass rusher. Over the last four regular seasons as the 49ers’ starting left defensive end, McDonald racked up 14.5 sacks, 153 tackles, five forced fumbles, and a safety. As of today, McDonald’s football future is very much in doubt.

Giants Will Keep JPP Despite Amputated Finger

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

The Giants fully intend to have Jason Pierre-Paul on their roster for the 2015 season, a person with knowledge of the situation told Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. Pierre-Paul currently has a one-year, $14.8MM offer on the table as the Giants’ franchise player and the report seems to infer that the team will honor that offer.

Barring some unforeseen medical issues moving forward, the Giants are still committed to their 2010 first-round pick. However, one NFL executive that spoke with Raanan believes that the Giants are making a mistake.

“Send a message. Save the money,” the exec said of what he would do in this situation. “But it’s a typical case of long-term interest of team versus short-term interest of [general manager Jerry Reese and coach Tom Coughlin], who need to win games now.”

One salary cap expert echoed that sentiment, saying that he would pull the franchise tag from JPP and either replace him with someone else or use that cash to re-sign core players. Giants quarterback Eli Manning and cornerback Prince Amukamara are both entering their walk years and stand as extension candidates, particularly Manning.

Will the Giants rescind Pierre-Paul’s franchise tender? Joel Corry of CBSSports.com sees that as a very unlikely outcome if the defensive end is able to play most of the season. There is some precedent as franchise tenders have been revoked on three occasions, but JPP is the team’s only impact defensive player and they can’t really afford to be without him. If JPP’s tender is pulled off the table and he is deemed to be healthy, he could sign a lucrative deal elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent.

Community Tailgate: 7/9/15

July 9th, 2015 at 5:27pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re still more than two months 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, we’ll be gauging your gut feeling on the Tom Brady appeal. The appeal hearing for Brady’s four-game suspension took place more than two weeks ago and, finally, it sounds like we’re on the verge of a ruling. Commissioner Roger Goodell, who also acted as the arbitrator in Tom Brady‘s appeal hearing last month, said today that he expects to announce a decision on the case soon, perhaps as early as next week.

Even weeks later, the NFL’s decision to suspend the Patriots QB for four games comes as something of a shock, not necessarily because he didn’t deserve it, but because he has become the NFL’s foremost star. Now that the league office has had some additional time to cool off, it’s conceivable that Goodell will be a little bit more lax this time around. There is also precedent for the lowering of suspensions following major scandals. Saints defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove was one example – he was suspended eight games for his obstruction in Bountygate, but he later had that penalty reduced to two games. Then again – despite the league’s claims that Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent was the one who handed down the penalty – Goodell unquestionably had a major role in the suspension. Would he be willing to essentially admit to a wrong judgement in the DeflateGate scandal?

In a May poll, more than 62% of you said that Brady would get his suspension slashed from four games to something less harsh. Now that we’re (potentially) days away from a verdict, where do you stand? Will Brady have his suspension reduced, or will he serve the full four games? Let us know in the comment section below!

Largest 2015 Cap Hits By Team: NFC West

July 9th, 2015 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Before NFL training camps get underway later this month, we’ll be taking a closer look at the top 2015 cap hits for teams around the league. We began our series in June by focusing on the NFC East and AFC East divisions, before looking at the NFC North, AFC North, and NFC South last week. Earlier this week, we recapped the AFC South, and today we’ll head back to the NFC to examine the West division.

Listed below are the top 10 cap hits for the coming season for each of the four NFC West franchises, accompanied by some observations on the spending habits of those clubs. Let’s dive in….

Arizona Cardinals:

  1. Patrick Peterson, CB: $14,791,491
  2. Calais Campbell, DL: $14,750,000
  3. Larry Fitzgerald, WR: $10,850,000
  4. Jared Veldheer, LT: $8,500,000
  5. Carson Palmer, QB: $7,375,000
  6. Mike Iupati, G: $6,700,000
  7. Daryl Washington, LB: $6,500,000
  8. Jerraud Powers, CB: $5,350,000
  9. Jonathan Cooper, G: $3,967,909
  10. Drew Stanton, QB: $3,866,668
    Total: $82,651,068

Nearly every team in the NFL has one quarterback amongst their top 10 cap hits, but not many have two. The fact that Stanton sneaks into the top 10 shows how much the Cardinals value Palmer’s backup, who held his own when forced into action last season. Of course, by season’s end, neither Palmer nor Stanton was healthy.

While Arizona hopes to get more bang from its buck from its top quarterback in 2015, the team is also waiting to see if it will get anything from Washington, who has yet to be reinstated after being suspended for the entire 2014 season. At $6.5MM, Washington’s cap number is substantial, but it’s not clear yet whether he remains in the club’s plans.

One longtime Cardinal had his contract restructured this season to stay with the team — had he not reworked his deal, Fitzgerald would’ve easily had the highest cap charge on this list, since he initially counted for more than $23MM against the cap. The new figure, less than half that, is much more manageable for Arizona.

San Francisco 49ers:

  1. Colin Kaepernick, QB: $15,265,753
  2. NaVorro Bowman, LB: $7,654,000
  3. Joe Staley, LT: $7,600,000
  4. Ahmad Brooks, OLB: $7,055,000
  5. Vernon Davis, TE: $6,967,920
  6. Anquan Boldin, WR: $6,909,000
  7. Aldon Smith, OLB: $4,854,875
  8. Antoine Bethea, S: $4,750,000
  9. Ray McDonald, DT: $4,609,971 (dead money)
  10. Phil Dawson, K: $4,134,000
    Total: $69,800,519

The one silver lining of all the unexpected retirements that dominated the Niners’ offseason? Many of those players were very well-compensated, so the team’s books look a little cleaner without significant cap charges for veterans like Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, and Anthony Davis.

While those players were removed from San Francisco’s cap, Kaepernick shot up to the top of the list, with his cap hit jumping from $3.767MM in 2014 to $15.266MM this year. The 49ers quarterback has a contract that’s considered very team-friendly, but as long as he remains on the roster, those charges will continue to increase — he’ll be up over $19MM by 2017.

Meanwhile, most teams around the NFL didn’t touch the contracts for players with fifth-year options in 2015, but the Niners took advantage of the fact that those fifth-year salaries weren’t guaranteed by reworking Aldon Smith’s deal. Smith can still earn up to the $9.754MM he was initially set to make, but to maximize his payday he’ll have to stay on the field, earning roster bonuses and incentives.

Seattle Seahawks:

  1. Richard Sherman, CB: $12,200,000
  2. Marshawn Lynch, RB: $8,500,000
  3. Cliff Avril, DE: $8,000,000
  4. Michael Bennett, DE: $8,000,000
  5. Jimmy Graham, TE: $8,000,000
  6. Earl Thomas, S: $7,400,000
  7. Russell Okung, LT: $7,280,000
  8. Percy Harvin, WR: $7,200,000 (dead money)
  9. Brandon Mebane, DT: $5,700,000
  10. Kam Chancellor, S: $5,650,000
    Total: $77,930,000

A look at the names on the Seahawks’ top-10 list shows why the franchise has been one of the league’s most successful in recent years. Many of the players here are Pro Bowlers, while virtually all of them are above-average contributors at their respective positions. And, with a cap hit under $1.7MM, the team’s two-time Pro Bowl quarterback – Russell Wilson – doesn’t even come close to making the cut here.

Even the Seahawks make mistakes though, as the presence of Harvin on this list suggests. The extension he got from the club after being acquired from Minnesota was one of GM John Schneider‘s few missteps, and even after sending the injury-plagued wideout to the Jets, the Seahawks still have to stomach his leftover cap charges for one more year.

As well as the Seahawks have managed their cap, it’s also easy to see why a huge deal for Wilson would upset the balance. With so many players in the $7-8MM range, adding a cap number in the neighborhood of $20MM would make the club’s cap very top-heavy and compromise its flexibility, which makes those extension negotiations even more fascinating.

St. Louis Rams:

  1. Robert Quinn, DE: $16,744,110
  2. Chris Long, DE: $12,500,000
  3. Jared Cook, TE: $8,300,441
  4. Rodger Saffold, G: $8,250,000
  5. Lance Kendricks, TE: $5,600,000
  6. Greg Robinson, LT: $4,837,295
  7. Nick Fairley, DT: $4,750,000
  8. William Hayes, DE: $4,480,000
  9. Kenny Britt, WR: $4,300,000
  10. James Laurinaitis, LB: $4,275,000
    Total: $74,036,846

When discussing the Cardinals above, I noted that Arizona is the rare team with two quarterbacks amongst its top 10 cap hits. The Rams achieve a feat that may be even more unusual, with a pair of tight ends in their top five cap charges. Kendricks’ deal is frontloaded, but it’s still an odd usage of cap room — the guaranteed money on Cook’s deal runs out this year, so I wonder if 2015 will be his last season in St. Louis.

Elsewhere, the Rams’ dedication to their defensive line is obvious here. Besides Quinn and Long at the top, Fairley and Hayes also earn spots on this list, and it’s only a matter of time until Defensive Rookie of the Year Aaron Donald earns a massive deal of his own — of course, by that point, Long, Fairley, and Hayes may no longer be in the picture.

The other name here that jumps out at me is Saffold. When the Rams signed him to a lucrative five-year contract last year, I expected him to be used at tackle, but he’s settled in at left guard instead. An $8.25MM cap charge is extravagant for a guard, especially one like Saffold, who probably won’t be earning a Pro Bowl spot anytime soon. But since St. Louis has opted not to spend heavily elsewhere on the line, turning to young, inexpensive players instead, it’s a hit the team can afford.

Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.

Jason Pierre-Paul Updates: Thursday

July 9th, 2015 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

After initial reports suggested that Jason Pierre-Paul‘s injury wasn’t serious, word broke last night that the standout pass rusher was having his right index finger amputated. The shocking development not only complicates JPP’s expected recovery and his contract situation, but has also resulted in speculation about how confidential medical information was leaked – possibly violating HIPAA laws – to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who then published that info on Twitter.

Here are Thursday’s updates on JPP’s situation:

  • It’s not clear why Pierre-Paul’s camp has kept the Giants in the dark about his health status, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Vacchiano hears from a team source that the club never discussed the possibility of withdrawing JPP’s franchise tag, and simply wanted to assist with his recovery. “We really don’t understand why they won’t let us help him,” one club source said. “What are they trying to do?”
  • Referring to Pierre-Paul’s decision to have his finger amputated, a person close to the defensive end tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com that “it has nothing to do against the Giants.” As that source points out, JPP isn’t under contract with the team at this point, since he hasn’t signed his franchise tender. Still, it appears likely that the 26-year-old will rejoin the Giants at some point, and Raanan wonder how the relationship between the player and team will be affected going forward.
  • In a separate piece at NJ.com, Raanan passes along word that Jackson Memorial Hospital has begun an “aggressive” investigation into the release of Pierre-Paul’s medical chart. “If we confirm Jackson employees or physicians violated a patient’s legal right to privacy, they will be held accountable, up to and including possible termination,” said Carlos A. Migoya, president and CEO of Jackson Health System. “We do not tolerate violations of this kind.”
  • As Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) points out, the Giants will want Pierre-Paul to attend the team’s training camp to monitor his recovery progress, whereas JPP likely won’t want to sign his tender and report to camp until he’s fully healthy. According to Cole, if New York wants to get its top pass rusher to camp, the club may have to agree not to place him on the non-football injury list.

Ravens, Sam Koch Agree To Extension

July 9th, 2015 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens and punter Sam Koch have reached a verbal agreement on a five-year contract extension, the team announced today (via Twitter). Prior to agreeing to new deal with the team, Koch had been set to become a free agent after the 2015 season.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, Koch’s new five-year extension is worth $18.75MM, including a $4MM signing bonus, $7.3MM in guarantees, and $16.25MM in new money. That overall figure includes the 32-year-old’s $2.5MM base salary for 2015, so it looks like the deal will be worth $18.75MM over six total years, keeping the veteran punter under team control through the 2020 season.

Koch, a sixth-round pick out of Nebraska back in 2006, has been the Ravens’ regular punter since joining the team, with over 700 regular season attempts for the franchise. He set a career high in 2014 by averaging 47.4 yards per attempt, and his 42.9 net yards average tied for the NFL lead.

Under his old deal, Koch had been in line for a $3.1MM cap charge in 2015 — his $2.5MM base salary, along with a $600K portion of his prorated signing bonus. The new deal will add $800K in prorated bonus money, but I’d expect the team to reduce the punter’s base salary for the year, perhaps slightly lowering his cap hit.

Rams Pick Isaiah Battle, Lose ’16 Fifth-Rounder

July 9th, 2015 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

1:13pm: The NFL has confirmed that Battle was the only player selected in the supplemental draft, meaning the other six eligible players are now free agents (Twitter link).

12:56pm: As expected, former Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle has come off the board during today’s supplemental draft. According to the NFL (Twitter link), the Rams used their fifth-round pick to snag Battle after no players were drafted in the first four rounds. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the pick St. Louis used on Battle was No. 8 in the fifth round.

By using a fifth-round supplemental pick on Battle, the Rams will give up their 2016 fifth-round pick. The team also makes the young lineman the first player selected in a supplemental draft since the Browns used a second-round pick on wide receiver Josh Gordon back in 2012.

Battle, who had been penciled in as Clemson’s starting left tackle for the coming season, decided to enter the supplemental draft instead, citing “family” reasons, including a child due this summer. Earlier in the year, Mike Huguenin of NFL.com had identified Battle as a candidate to play in next year’s Senior Bowl, writing that the Clemson lineman “remains somewhat raw, [but] is a good athlete who plays with some nastiness.”

Of the seven prospects eligible for the supplemental draft, Battle was considered the one most likely to be picked, with some pundits suggesting that a team could go as high as a third-rounder for the lineman. However, teams were reportedly wary of Battle due to possible off-the-field concerns, so he ultimately cost the Rams only a fifth-rounder.

The offensive line was viewed as one area the Rams figured to address this offseason, and while they were perhaps not as active on the free agent market as expected, the club has added several young players to its group up front. Battle represents the fifth offensive lineman St. Louis has picked in a draft this year — the Rams were the only one team in the NFL to add as many as four offensive lineman during back in May, selecting one in the second round (Rob Havenstein), third round (Jamon Brown), fourth round (Andrew Donnal), and sixth round (Cody Wichmann).

Last year’s No. 2 overall pick, Greg Robinson, projects as the Rams’ long-term left tackle, but Battle figures to provide depth on both the left and right sides, and could challenge the team’s other young players, including Havenstein, for playing time at the right tackle spot.

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