2016 March - Pro Football Rumors

Month: September 2024

Josh Norman Aiming For $16MM Per Year

March 27th, 2016 at 3:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Since the Panthers officially placed the franchise tag on cornerback Josh Norman on March 1, any signs of progression towards a long-term deal have been essentially non-existent. A report last week indicated that Norman and Carolina remained far apart in contract talks, and one reason could be Norman’s asking price, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reports that Norman is seeking a salary “in the neighborhood of $16MM a year.”

A $16MM annual salary would make Norman the highest-paid corner in the league by a wide margin — Darrelle Revis currently tops the list at just over $14MM per season. But as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (Twitter link), Norman’s ask isn’t all that surprising, as Revis’ frontloaded deal calls for him to earn $48MM over his first three seasons with the Jets.

Still, the $16MM figure is probably just a starting point in negotiations, and it’s unlikely that Norman will reach that target for several reasons. Norman doesn’t have the track record needed to redefine the market at a position, and he’ll be 29 years old in December, so his age is working against him. The franchise tag for corners is worth $13.95MM, so the Panthers have no reason to entertain a significantly higher figure. I examined Norman’s case for an extension back in November, pegging him for a $14MM annual salary.

General manager Dave Gettleman has downplayed the notion that Norman would cause any distraction in an effort to land a long-term contract, and Norman himself has previously said that while he won’t accept a hometown discount, he doesn’t anticipate missing any portion of training camp. But speaking to the NFL Network, Norman did seem to indicate that he could skip offseason workouts and/or OTAs. “I can’t report if I haven’t signed anything so I don’t feel as if I’m at the point where I’m ready to get back to working right now,” said Norman.

Norman isn’t the only franchise-tagged player who is gunning for a significant contract, as a report on Friday indicated the Bronco linebacker Von Miller is targeting $22MM per year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dolphins Notes: Morris, Shelby, Moore, Jordan

March 27th, 2016 at 1:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins expressed interest in free agent running back Alfred Morris before he signed with the Cowboys, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Miami, of course, signed Broncos restricted free agent C.J. Anderson to a four-year, $18MM offer sheet, only to see Denver eventually match the deal. The club has also eyed free agent options such as James Starks and Chris Johnson, and is now said to be exploring the trade market as its search for a back continues.

Let’s take a look at a few more items out of South Beach…

Morris wasn’t the only free agent whom the Dolphins initially targeted, per Jackson, who reports that Miami also showed interest in cornerback Patrick Robinson before he joined the Colts. Additionally, the Dolphins might have more strongly gone after fellow corner Josh Robinson had they known they’d have cap space available once Denver matched the offer to Anderson.
Among their own free agents, Miami reportedly did not contact defensive end Derrick Shelby “for months,” according to Jackson, before calling him at the last minute to ask if he’d accept $3MM. Shelby ultimately signed a $21MM deal with the Falcons.
Like Shelby, quarterback Matt Moore received the cold shoulder from the Dolphins as the club met with Brandon Weeden and, per Jackson, showed interest in Luke McCown before he re-signed with the Saints. Moore eventually re-signed with Miami after being endorsed by head coach Adam Gase, reports Jackson.
The Dolphins weren’t fans of this year’s class of free agent corners, which explains why they didn’t target any of the top-rated players on the board at that position.
Miami does still need secondary help, however, and as Jackson explains in a separate article, the Dolphins are studying the top cornerbacks available in the draft.
Jackson believes that former third overall pick Dion Jordan would make the Dolphins’ roster if he’s reinstated from his yearlong suspension.

Extra Points: Texans, Seahawks, Killebrew

March 27th, 2016 at 12:09pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL on this Easter Sunday…

Texans coach Bill O’Brien had Brock Osweiler atop his free agent list since January, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. O’Brien and general manager Rick Smith agreed that they’d pursue the quarterback in free agency, and owner Bob McNair made it clear that he’d pay whatever it took to sign the former Broncos signal-caller.
Besides Russell Wilson, Phillip Sims is the Seahawks’ only other quarterback. As a result, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times guesses that the team will add at least another quarterback for training camp, and he believes last year’s backup, Tarvaris Jackson, is a strong candidate to return.
For what it’s worth, Condotta notes that Pete Carroll prefers to have a veteran backup quarterback, and the Seahawks coach previously commended Jackson for his leadership. “We really liked his contributions and he’s been a big factor for us and we would like to have him back if we could,’’ Carroll said.
Southern Utah safety Miles Killebrew is generating plenty of interest around the league, tweets Bleacher Report’s Luke Easterling. The defensive back is set to meet with the Buccaneers, Panthers, Titans, Cardinals, Patriots, and Falcons.

Jets Notes: Fitzpatrick, Wilkerson, Front Office

March 27th, 2016 at 11:07am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets seem to be in the news every offseason, and this year is certainly no exception. The team’s attempting to bring back quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, and they’re also trying to figure out what they should do with defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, who was slapped with the franchise tag.

ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini compiled several Jets-related notes yesterday, and we’ve gathered some of the more interesting tidbits below…

Count Bills coach (and former Jets coach) Rex Ryan among those who hope Fitzpatrick doesn’t ultimately resign with New York. “I hope he goes somewhere else, I do,” Ryan said. “He’s tougher than hell. What’s lost in it is, he might have played poorly against us — it might have been a bad day (in Week 17) — but I think they won five straight with him and he was lighting it up, probably the most yards in the history of that franchise. We’ll see. Like I said, I hope they lose him.”
There’s little chance that the Jets will “tag-and-trade” Wilkerson. Acquiring teams wouldn’t only have to give up assets to acquire the defensive end, but they’d presumably have to re-sign him to a pricey contract.
While Wilkerson and the Jets attempt to negotiate a long-term deal, some officials wouldn’t be shocked if the Pro Bowler ends up holding out. In fact, some sources guessed Wilkerson could sit out the first several games of next season.
The Jets will certainly be eyeing the quarterback situation in San Francisco, as 49ers signal-caller Colin Kaepernick will see his $11.9MM salary become guaranteed later this week. If the quarterback ends up with the Broncos, the Jets may find themselves with leverage while negotiating with Fitzpatrick.
Coach Todd Bowles claimed that he and general manager Mike Maccagnan have mostly been on the same page this offseason. “We like certain players better than others, but we’re talking eggs and bacon or bacon and sausage,” he said. “We’re not talking big disagreements.”

Saints Expected To Extend Sean Payton Through 2020

March 27th, 2016 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

SUNDAY, 9:30am: John DeShazier of NewOrleansSaints.com is passing along news of the extension, as well as several quotes from Payton.

“We kind of knew that it was going to happen. Honestly, we’re in the middle of free agency and working on a few of these defensive players and at some point, (Saints General Manager) Mickey (Loomis) said, ‘Hey, I’ve got to get this to you.’

“I wasn’t, like, waiting every day like, ‘Where’s the paperwork?’ because there’s a protocol with the attorneys. I think, for us, it was a formality after that last week at the end of the season. It would get done.

“That stability, I don’t take for granted. I very much appreciate the opportunities we have to coach, and to work with players and to work within the framework of a good group, a good organization. We’re all fortunate to be doing something we love.”

When asked when the extension would be officially signed, Payton said, “I think soon. I just got it. I don’t walk around and carry it.”

WEDNESDAY, 7:42am: Payton’s new five-year deal will be worth a little more than $45MM, exceeding $9MM per year, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com.

7:34am: Although he arrived nearly a half-hour late at Wednesday morning’s NFC coaches breakfast in Boca Raton, Florida, Saints head coach Sean Payton found time to break some news. As Bob Glauber of Newsday tweets, Payton said he has agreed to a five-year contract through the 2020 season with the Saints. While he has yet to actually put pen to paper to make the extension official, he plans to do so soon.

News of an extension for Payton doesn’t come as a huge surprise. The veteran head coach indicated last month that he and the Saints were getting close to a new deal. At the time, I observed that Payton’s current deal is set to expire after the 2017 season, meaning he still has two years left on it. That contract is believed to be worth $8MM+ per year, which makes him one of the league’s highest-paid coaches. It’s unlikely that the new extension would pay him any less than that.

During Payton’s nine seasons with the Saints, the team has an 87-57 record during the regular season. Payton has also led the club to a 6-4 record in five playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl win following the 2009 season. New Orleans has now gone 7-9 in consecutive years after averaging 12 victories per season in Payton’s previous four years.

Rumors about Payton’s potential departure from New Orleans have swirled repeatedly in recent years, but even this winter, when it seemed as if the two sides may be set to part ways, they ultimately agreed to continue the relationship. Payton’s new extension doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be with the Saints through the 2020 season (or beyond), but at this point it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere anytime soon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Seahawks GM Discusses Offseason, Re-Signings, Keys to Success

March 27th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Ben Levine

It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Seahawks. The organization has added lineman on both sides of the ball, and they also signed Jermaine Kearse to a new contract. Of course, it hasn’t solely been positive in Seattle, as former first-rounder Bruce Irvin left for the Raiders.

General manager John Schneider touched on several of these topics while talking with reporters (including John Boyle of Seahawks.com) at the NFL Annual Meetings earlier this week. We’ve compiled some of the notable quotes below…

On the team’s strategy for the rest of the offseason:

“All throughout free agency, every position, we’re going to keep tinkering and working our way through certain deals and see if we can be involved or if we can’t. Where we’re at right now, we just have to be very responsible.”

On Frank Clark being forced to replace some of Irvin’s production:

“When we drafted Frank—you have to prepare for the possibility of not having some players. Obviously we wanted to have Bruce back and if the two of them were on the same team again, that would have been great, but to a certain extent you have to look towards the future.”

On switching focus to re-signing current players:

“We have several guys who have one year left on their contracts, so that’s always something we look at. For planning purposes moving forward we have to know what’s down the road. We have several key players who have one year left on their deals, so we’ll try to address that at the appropriate time.”

On the key to the Seahawks success:

“There’s no ego. Ego is the enemy, really. Being able to communicate in clear, concise fashion and make decisions as quickly as you possibly can. Knowing that first and foremost, we’re looking out for what’s best in the organization.

“We talk about no walls at our place. We include our coaches in the draft and in free agency, and they have buy-in.”

Brandon Boykin To Visit Panthers

March 26th, 2016 at 8:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

8:26pm: The Panthers will have competition for Boykin’s services, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Three other teams hope to visit with the corner, Rapoport tweets.

5:04pm: Former Eagles and Steelers cornerback Brandon Boykin will take a visit outside of Pennsylvania on Monday, with the Panthers set to host the fifth-year man, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

A former fourth-round pick of the Eagles’ in 2012, Boykin played in Philadelphia for three seasons before being shipped to Pittsburgh in 2015. Boykin played in each of the Steelers’ 18 games last season but started just two.

The Panthers, however, had a patchwork secondary functioning opposite breakout sensation Josh Norman. After injuries to Bene Benwikere and Charles Tillman, Carolina had to deploy street free agents Robert McClain and Cortland Finnegan during its NFC title run.

Boykin was a key slot presence for the Eagles, notching a career-best six interceptions primarily from that position in 2013. The 25-year-old Boykin graded as the Steelers’ second-best corner, behind Ross Cockrell — according to Pro Football Focus, which rated the former Georgia corner as its No. 38 player at the position in 2015 –in his 407 snaps during the 2015 regular season and would be an upgrade outside for the Panthers.

Norman received the franchise tag but has not signed his tender and Tillman looms as a UFA and potential retirement candidate.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

NFC Notes: Bears, Galette, Cards, Hester

March 26th, 2016 at 8:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bears’ excellent cap situation (nearly $24MM in space) and the importance of having quality edge rushers are two reasons the team won’t release either Lamarr Houston or Willie Young, as Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times writes.

On Houston, who had a career-high eight sacks in 2015, general manager Ryan Pace said, ‘‘He came on strong. Luckily, we’re in a healthy cap situation, so we can [keep him on the roster].”

Houston’s $6.99MM cap hold is the Bears’ fourth-highest total for 2016, while the $3.17MM hit for Young (6.5 sacks last season) is more modest. One anonymous AFC executive opined last month that Houston was a candidate for the chopping block, but it now appears he’s safe.

Regarding Houston and Young, who combined for 12.5 sacks over the final nine games last season, head coach John Fox stated, “Obviously, I like those guys.”

The fact that Houston and Young seem to have the approval of Bears brass doesn’t mean the club will eschew pursuing more pass rushers via the draft, per Jahns. On the contrary, they’d like to add speed off the edge. Speed isn’t the strongest suit of Houston, Young or Pernell McPhee, Jahns notes.

In other NFC news…

Washington re-signed Junior Galette to a one-year deal because of the uncertainty surrounding Galette’s ability to re-emerge from the torn Achilles’ tendon that shelved him for the 2015 season, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “Well, we’ve got to see, coming off an injury at any part of your body,” GM Scot McCloughan said. “But the Achilles for a guy’s explosion? It’s going to be interesting. That’s why the one-year deal from our standpoint made sense because, you know, does he still have the same twitch? Does he still have the same ability to get up field? I believe he does.” Galette’s contract doesn’t contain any guaranteed money. The 28-year-old pass-rusher notched 10 sacks for the Saints when last healthy in 2014, with current Washington edge-rushing counterpart Ryan Kerrigan registering a career-high 13.5 the same season.
Before agreeing to a deal with Tennessee on Friday, safety Rashad Johnson spent the first seven years of his NFL career in Arizona. If the 30-year-old had it his way, he’d still be a member of the Cardinals. Johnson told Zig Fracassi of Sirius-XM NFL Radio that he wanted to re-sign with the Cards, but they didn’t make him an offer (Twitter link).
The NFL’s decision to move touchbacks from the 20-yard line to the 25 next season should have an adverse effect on return men. Devin Hester, one of the all-time great returners, could be an exception. The Falcons might continue to turn him loose, according to head coach Dan Quinn. “There are special players like Dev and other returners around the league, they’ll still get green-lighted. Here’s a guy who is on the club for this unique reason,” Quinn told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 33-year-old Hester missed all but five games last season because of a toe injury, but he has since had surgery on it and is currently rehabbing.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Jags Notes: Beachum, Joeckel, Cyprien, Sample

March 26th, 2016 at 6:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jaguars won’t have a competition at left tackle between Luke Joeckel and free agent pickup Kelvin Beachum, according to Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com. Instead, the job will belong to Beachum if he’s able to return successfully from a torn ACL. Beachum – who signed a unique deal earlier this month that could be worth either $4.5MM for one year or $44.5MM over five years – said Friday that he does indeed expect to start when Week 1 rolls around in September. That’s bad news for Joeckel, who has started in all 35 career appearances since the Jaguars drafted him second overall in 2013. The 24-year-old hasn’t lived up to his draft status, though, and could end up in a reserve role in 2016.

Here are more notes on the Jaguars, all of which come courtesy of O’Halloran:

Jacksonville must decide by early May whether to exercise Joeckel’s fifth-year option for 2017, but O’Halloran expects the club to decline it because doing otherwise would kill the lineman’s trade value. If the Jags pick up the option, it would guarantee Joeckel upward of $11MM in 2017, though only in the event of a serious injury. Teams wouldn’t want to risk acquiring Joeckel and being stuck with that kind of financial commitment in the event of a nightmare scenario like, say, a torn Achilles. On the other hand, a version of Joeckel who doesn’t come with a 2017 option attached might appeal to clubs looking for help at left tackle next season.
Like Joeckel, safety Jonathan Cyprien could go from No. 1 to backup in 2016. Cyprien, a second-rounder in 2012, has started all 44 of his appearances, but he seems in danger of losing his job to James Sample. Cyprien had a team-high 21 missed tackles last season and hasn’t established himself as a playmaker, O’Halloran notes. As a fourth-rounder last year, Sample doesn’t have Cyprien’s draft pedigree, and he only appeared in four games (two starts) as a rookie because of a shoulder injury. Nonetheless, he has an important fan in head coach Gus Bradley. “We’ve seen flashes of Sample,” Bradley said. “His instincts — he’s a very good football player. In similar ways to Dante [Fowler], Sample is like another draft pick coming in.”
Denard Robinson was second to T.J. Yeldon among Jags running backs with 88 touches (67 rushes, 21 receptions) and 430 total yards last season, but the acquisition of Chris Ivory could make playing time scarce. Bradley insists the team isn’t going to phase Robinson out of its offense, though. “He’ll get in there, too,” Bradley said. “He’s our speed back. Again, a different style of running back.”

Extra Points: Cowboys, Rams, Bills, Henry, Ford

March 26th, 2016 at 4:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s the latest from around the league, beginning with two Southern California training camp teams who aren’t jumping at the chance to reconvene for joint practices.

Despite the teams now training near Los Angeles, Cowboys and Rams aren’t planning to partake in another training camp scrimmage due to the brawl that occurred last year when the teams had joint practices in Oxnard, Calif., Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. The Rams will be training at UC-Irvine this year, but Jason Garrett hasn’t engaged in any discussions on bringing the teams together again.
The Bills expect clarity on Percy Harvin‘s health status in the ensuing two weeks, Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News reports. Doug Whaley and Rex Ryan are open to the UFA returning despite Buffalo’s $6.9MM left in cap space. Harvin, whose troublesome hip issues ended up sidelining him for the season last November, would have to compete with newly signed Leonard Hankerson and players like Olympic long jump hopeful Marquise Goodwin for the Bills’ No. 3 receiver spot, however, and do so having missed 36 games over the past four seasons.
An NFC personnel man rates Arkansas’ Hunter Henry as the most complete tight end to be available in the draft in a long time, Mark Eckel of NJ.com reports. The unidentified evaluator sees Henry as a fit with the Jets, whose tight ends caught just eight passes last season after Jace Amaro missed the year with an injury. “I never liked Amaro,” the personnel man told Eckel. “(Hunter) is tons better than Amaro. Where do I see him going? That’s a tough question. (No. 20) might be a little soon, but he’s a first rounder. He’s definitely a first-rounder.”
Dee Ford figures to have a bigger role with the Chiefs in his third season. How much bigger will likely be determined by Justin Houston‘s health. John Dorsey and Andy Reid saw flashes of brilliance, per Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star, with Reid saying one of last season’s takeaways was finding out that Ford was “a pretty good football player.” The player who would be opposite Ford in a Houston-less look, Tamba Hali, believes the third-year player — who has been mostly buried behind Houston and Hali in his two seasons — needs to develop further mentally. “If I had to speak for him, I would like for him to take the next step in being a professional … basically (the reason) why they drafted him here is to take over the (starting) role. The season’s too long for me to focus on being a starter or a backup,” Hali said. “I think he’s in the position where he can kind of take the torch and go forward. That’s really mental; physically, the kid is gifted and he has it. But mentally we have to just make sure that he understands why we’re in this building and what needs to be done while we’re here.”
Former Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody has been handed a nine-month sentence in his animal cruelty case, as Pat Warren of CBS Baltimore writes. Cody was found guilty of negligence in the death of his canary mastiff who was starved to death. However, he was not found guilty of felony animal abuse because the court did not find his actions intentional, according to his lawyer. PETA issued a statement following the sentencing and implored the NFL to do more to combat animal abuse amongst its players.

Zach Links contributed to this report

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