HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Extension Candidate: Brandon Marshall

May 22nd, 2016 at 3:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Even if the Broncos can come to an agreement with Von Miller on a massive multi-year deal, the team could see some major changes on defense after 2016.

Four members of the Super Bowl champions’ historically elite unit will hit the open market after this season, and even though the Broncos will have more breathing room in 2017 than they have in recent years, more tough choices are coming.

Those impending decisions include talents like DeMarcus Ware, Darian Stewart and Sylvester Williams. However, Denver’s top defensive priority will likely be Brandon Marshall.

Denver hasn’t invested much at the inside linebacker position as of late, but Marshall has been one of the league’s best non-rush linebackers since joining the Broncos’ starting lineup in 2014. The 26-year-old ‘backer — who has yet to sign his RFA tender — presents an interesting case for long-term employment despite Denver’s ILB stinginess.

The Broncos didn’t try very hard to retain Danny Trevathan this offseason, as they had higher-priority players to address. In previous years, the Broncos allowed Wesley Woodyard and Nate Irving to join up with AFC South teams on mid-level deals rather than retain them. Trevathan scored a four-year, $24.5MM deal to place him in the upper echelon of inside linebacker deals in terms of AAV. With another strong season and with the salary cap set to rise, Marshall seems likely to surpass that.

Trevathan serves as a good comparison for Marshall since they functioned in similar capacities for the Broncos last season and entered the league in 2012 as Day 3 picks. One key difference between the two players, however, is that Marshall split time between the Jaguars’ 53-man roster and taxi squad in his rookie year. That vacillation delayed his service-time clock, meaning the Broncos avoided both of their starting inside linebackers becoming UFAs in the same year.

Trevathan’s free agency arrived when Miller, Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe were set to hit the market. Denver’s next set of notable expiring deals — the aforementioned defenders and Emmanuel Sanders — don’t present quite the financial matrix that 2016’s contingent did.

The previous year’s logjam featuring Julius Thomas, Orlando Franklin and several others probably appeared more daunting as well. As of this writing, the Broncos stand to possess the NFL’s most cap space in 2017 at $66.25MM. While this number will plummet should Miller sign by July 15, Denver’s brass will likely give more consideration to keeping Marshall than they did to retaining Trevathan.

Like Trevathan, Marshall successfully relocated to the inside after undergoing offseason surgery. Denver’s shift to a 3-4 featured a smooth transition thanks in part to Marshall’s quick adjustment. Already a well-reviewed player as a 4-3 outside ‘backer in 2014, Marshall showed no ill-effects from his foot surgery. In 2015, Marshall racked up 101 tackles and nine stops behind the line of scrimmage, tying him for the team lead with Miller and Wolfe.

While we’re on the subject of comps, it should be noted that Marshall finished with 11 tackles for loss in 2014, placing him third among non-rush ‘backers that season behind Lavonte David and DeAndre Levy. Both David and Levy received top-market extensions last summer. Pro Football Focus tabbed Marshall as a top-12 non-rush linebacker in 2014 and ’15, and a repeat could put him in line for a big payday.

Marshall separated himself somewhat from Trevathan in terms of functionality last season, serving as a three-down linebacker more often. The Broncos deployed their former practice squad talent on 1,120 snaps during 16 regular-season games in 2015, with the slightly smaller Trevathan lining up on 913 in 15 contests.

While the Broncos’ successful 2011 and 2012 draft classes created a glut of UFAs that mostly defected to other teams the past two years, 2013’s draft did not go as well. That stands to provide some additional upcoming flexibility. Only Williams and Kayvon Webster remain on the team from that class, but with Marshall’s free agency being postponed a year, he serves as a de facto ’13 pick.

The Broncos stand a better chance of signing him to an extension as a result.

Denver hasn’t paid notable money for an inside linebacker since re-signing Joe Mays in 2012 on a three-year, $12MM deal. The Broncos benched Mays for an aging Keith Brooking midway into that season and released him before 2013, a campaign that featured XFL survivor Paris Lenon starting at middle linebacker in Super Bowl XLVIII.

The John Elway era has generated the most consistently dominant play from the Broncos in their 56-year history, but it hasn’t involved significant payouts to the linebackers who are not responsible for harassing quarterbacks.

Beyond Marshall, the team’s current landscape at inside linebacker is pretty thin. The Broncos did not draft an ILB last month and are counting on special-teamer Todd Davis to succeed Trevathan. A 2014 waiver claim, Davis logged 139 snaps last season and could profile as the Broncos’ next bargain-bin success story at this position. Needless to say, Marshall will be pivotal to stabilizing this corps.

It could cost as much as $8MM per season for the Broncos to keep their top inside linebacker.

The experience chasm between Marshall and his cohorts could enhance his leverage, should the Broncos not reach an extension before his contract expires. With a monstrous Miller payout likely coming and just $6.01MM in cap space available currently, Marshall may have to wait a bit for his payday.

Marshall’s age won’t be a big factor in his next deal; he’s set to turn 27 in September. Although he is not going to reside on the Luke Kuechly/Bobby Wagner financial tier even with another standout season, his versatility to excel as a 3-4 inside presence or on the outside in a 4-3 scheme makes a $7MM-plus deal per year (the Mychal Kendricks/Sean Lee/K.J. Wright tier) look reasonable.

Levy’s four-year, $33.7MM Lions extension could be Marshall’s target, but he may fall short of that, even if he hits free agency. However, the salary cap rose from $143MM in 2015 to $155MM in advance of the 2016 league year, with the next elevation set to aid the ensuing crop of UFAs’ cause. So, it’s not impossible he rises to the Levy level — no one exactly predicted Malik Jackson would become a $14MM-AAV player going into his contract year — but it’s merely improbable right now.

Trevathan’s $6MM-plus AAV salary probably won’t be sufficient for the Broncos to keep Marshall off the market, but Elway and Co. have excelled at convincing cogs to sign team-friendly deals as the recent in-season extensions for Wolfe and Chris Harris showed. Marshall, though, may be a bit harder to sway, especially after seeing so many of his draft-class peers become UFA-eligible before him.

Hoping for a new deal before the season, Marshall hasn’t signed his $2.55MM second-round tender. He’ll almost certainly sign soon, considering the Broncos hold the leverage with the ability to rescind the tender after June 15 and pay him 110 percent of his 2015 salary, which was $585K.

With the 29-year-old Sanders residing as a key component of the Broncos’ passing game, he looks to be the highest free agent priority, should Denver lock up Miller. But with so many expiring defenders, it might be wise to re-sign a front-seven piece that’s proven to excel in Wade Phillips‘ system.

As the Broncos transition to a new quarterback, keeping as many of their young, established starters from the best defense in team history will be paramount. Such a task will be more easily attained without a franchise-quarterback salary anchoring the payroll.

With Wolfe and Harris having already signed, Marshall meets this criteria as well as anyone.

Photos courtesy USA Today Sports Images.

Week In Review: 5/15/16 – 5/22/16

May 22nd, 2016 at 2:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Headlines:

Injuries:

Extended:

Signed:

Released:

Free Agent Visits:

Retired:

East Notes: Giants, J. Marshall, Patriots

May 22nd, 2016 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a quick swing around the league’s east divisions:

  • Jordan Raanan of NJ.com believes the Giants will bring in a veteran wide receiver at some point over the next couple of months, though there is no rush for the team to do so right now, as there is currently not much of a market for the remaining free agent wideouts. Raanan sees Anquan Boldin and Andre Johnson as potential fits, as both bring the size and physicality that would complement the speed of diminutive receivers Odell Beckham, Jr., Sterling Shepard, and Victor Cruz while giving Eli Manning another credible redzone threat.
  • 13 of the Jets’ crop of 14 undrafted free agents received signing bonuses, and three of those players–Jalin Marshall, Doug Middleton, and Lawrence Thomas–received bonuses higher than $10K, suggesting that they were “priority” free agents. Of that trio, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com sees Marshall, the former Ohio State wideout, as the player with the best chance to make the club, as he has the kick return ability to contribute right away while he develops his fledgling receiver skills. Gang Green, of course, struggled mightily in the return game last year.
  • Former NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissett, one of the Patriots‘ three third-round draft choices this year, is the only New England draftee who has not yet signed his rookie contract, as Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com observes. Brissett is the league’s only draft pick to not hire a traditional sports agent, instead relying on former NFL safety Abram Elam, whom Brissett is consulting as an adviser, and NFLPA director of salary cap and agent administration, Mark Levin. Although rookie contracts under the new CBA are fairly straightforward as a result of the rookie wage scale–Brissett himself has said that the deal will get done, and he will get a four-year contract worth roughly $3MM with a $680K signing bonus–the Brissett situation serves as a reminder that there is still some back-and-forth between teams and rookies, especially third-round draftees. As Reiss points out, while nearly 75% of this year’s draft class has signed, only 15 of 35 third-round picks have inked their rookie deals. First- and second-round picks can receive a maximum of 25% allocation of a team’s rookie salary cap, but because the third round does not max out at 25%, there is often debate over what the correct percentage should be, and therefore more room for negotiation and the inclusion of incentives like workout bonuses.
  • In the same piece linked above, Reiss observes that Patriots’ fourth-round draft pick Malcolm Mitchell was one of 41 rookies invited to the NFL Players Association Premiere in Los Angeles from May 19-22, and he was the only one that did not attend the event. Mitchell reportedly felt traveling cross country before arriving back in town at midnight tonight or early tomorrow morning would have put him in a position where he wouldn’t be at his best for tomorrow’s start of voluntary organized team activities. Although the NFLPA might not be in love with Mitchell’s decision, New England will certainly appreciate Mitchell’s concern for his new club.

Florio: Mike Shanahan Has “Given Up” On Coaching

May 22nd, 2016 at 11:24am CST by Rory Parks

Several days ago, Jason Reid of TheUndefeated.com shed some light on the beginning of the end of Mike Shanahan‘s tenure as head coach of the Redskins. In 2012, Robert Griffin III‘s rookie campaign, Washington grabbed the NFC East title behind it’s dynamic young quarterback before succumbing to the Seahawks on Wild Card Weekend.

Mike Shanahan

Despite the loss, and despite the fact that RGIII would need surgery to repair the damage to his knee that he sustained during that matchup with Seattle, the 2012 campaign was widely regarded as a harbinger of good things to come for the Redskins. But about a month after Washington was bounced from the playoffs, Griffin held a summit with Shanahan, then-OC Kyle Shanahan (Mike’s son), and then-QBs coach Matt LaFleur to discuss changes he wanted to make to the offense. Mike Shanahan, who was very candid and expansive in his interview with Reid, knew from the language that Griffin used during his audience with the coaching staff and the substance of the concerns that Griffin voiced that the young signal-caller was either acting on the orders of team owner Dan Snyder, or at least had ownership’s blessing to call the meeting. All that did was further strain the relationship between head coach and owner, and both Shanahans were fired after the 2013 season, which saw the Redskins stumble to a 3-13 record.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Shanahan’s openness with Reid suggests that his career as an NFL head coach is officially over. Per Florio:

“Shanahan’s decision to speak so openly and candidly—and critically—regarding one of his former NFL bosses reflects an acknowledgment that the two-time Super Bowl winner[‘]s chances of getting another NFL head-coaching job are slim and none. Whatever they were before his comments were published, his prospects are dimmer now, because owners don’t want to have to worry about a former coach putting the organization on blast after walking out the door, voluntarily or otherwise.”

Florio’s conclusion is a logical one, but it is noteworthy because Shanahan was recently a finalist for the 49ers’ head coaching job before San Francisco hired Chip Kelly to fill the vacancy. Shanahan did say at the beginning of April that, if he were to return to the NFL as a head coach, it would have to be a perfect situation, and he conceded that he may be better suited to a consultant position at this stage of his life. Nonetheless, the fact that he was apparently a viable head coaching candidate just a couple of months ago do render his remarks to Reid somewhat surprising, but if Shanahan simply does not want to coach anymore, he really does not have anything to lose. And, as Florio observes, he may have something to gain, because his comments help to absolve Kyle Shanahan of responsibility for much of went wrong in Washington during the early RGIII era. As such, Mike Shanahan may be attempting to help get his son, once predicted to be a head coach himself sooner rather than later, reestablish his head coaching candidacy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jaguars Sign Jalen Ramsey

May 22nd, 2016 at 9:45am CST by Rory Parks

The Jaguars have signed first-round draft pick Jalen Ramsey, according to John Oesher of Jaguars.com, and Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports that it is a four-year, $23.5MM deal, with a $15.1MM signing bonus. Ramsey, one of the most dynamic defensive players in this year’s class, is the sixth Jacksonville draft choice to put pen to paper, leaving third-round pick Yannick Ngakoue as the team’s only unsigned selection. There are now just 11 first-round picks who have yet to sign their rookie contracts, as our tracker shows.

Jalen Ramsey (vertical)

Ramsey received considerable hype prior to the draft after a standout collegiate career with Florida State, with the only real knock on his game being a general lack of playmaking statistics (he mustered just three interceptions during his tenure with the Seminoles, although that could be explained by the fact that opposing quarterbacks simply did not throw in his direction that often, as Ramsey allowed a completion rate of just 38.5%). Ramsey is remarkably athletic, and he has the ability to play either safety or cornerback at the next level. The Ravens, who held the No. 6 overall selection in the draft, tried to nab Ramsey by swapping picks with the Cowboys, who held the No. 4 overall selection, but the two sides could not agree on a deal. As a result, Jacksonville was able to land the heralded defensive back with the No. 5 pick. At least one team, the Dolphins, had Ramsey rated as the best player in the draft.

However, Ramsey suffered a right knee injury earlier this week, a disturbing bit of deja vu for a team that lost last year’s first-round pick, Dante Fowler, for his entire rookie season after Fowler tore his left ACL on the first day of minicamp. Ramsey’s injury is being characterized as a small meniscus tear, and as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, Ramsey will visit Dr. James Andrews this week for a second opinion. Ramsey is expected to require surgery, but as of now, Schefter says, the team plans to have him back prior to the beginning of the regular season. However, even a player with Ramsey’s ability and upside will need some time to adjust to the professional game, so he will be at a disadvantage if he is forced to miss a significant portion of training camp.

Jacksonville’s second-round selection, Myles Jack, has major knee concerns of his own, which caused him to plummet from a surefire top-10 pick to the No. 36 overall pick. All the Jaguars can do at this point is remain optimistic about the prognosis of their prized young defenders, and as of now, there is no reason for them not to be.

Extra Points: Harrison, Replay, Bucs, Beasley

May 21st, 2016 at 8:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

James Harrison‘s recent drug-testing mixup may have triggered more dissent between the NFL and NFLPA. The Steelers linebacker informed DeMaurice Smith of a drug-testing agent categorizing the taping of a test as an act that could ensure a positive result. The NFL’s explanation of the ban on taping drug tests was to maintain the process’ integrity, however, Smith’s response to Harrison — which he posted on his Instagram account (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk) — refutes that.

“Despite what the player was told, and what has been reported, our drug policy regarding specimen collection rules does not specifically prohibit the video taping of a drug test,” Smith wrote. “There are rules in place, however, that prohibit a player from carrying any item other than his collection cup into the restroom when providing a specimen. Additionally, some states may have rules limiting a person’s ability to videotape another person without their consent. If drug collectors desire to change the collection rules, they may not do so on their own as happened in this case. They need to obtain approval from both the NFL and the NFLPA before making any such changes.”

The veteran linebacker appears to be at the center of another controversy and the latest source of conflict between the league and its players’ union.

  • The competition committee will consider a proposal that will expand the use of replay, Jarrett Bell of USA Today reports. Although penalties won’t be up for review, referees under this concept would be permitted to speak with league representatives in New York similar to last season’s playoffs format. The rule will need 24 approval votes at the owners’ meetings Tuesday in Charlotte.
  • Another proposal on the table for the most recent set of meetings comes from the Redskins, who would prefer a late-summer format where teams did not have to perform two stages of roster cuts. Washington’s proposal would allow all 90 players to stay on the roster until the early-September cutdown to 53 is required instead of the initial trim to 75, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer reports. That passing would flood the waiver wire and free agent market with more than 1,200 players in one weekend.
  • Although Vic Beasley will play a Bruce Irvin-like role with the Falcons after relocating from defensive end to linebacker, he’s still expected to return to a three-point stance on passing downs, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Atlanta’s coaches left the decision up to the 2015 first-rounder, though if it was their preference Beasley move to linebacker, this may have been a choice in name only.
  • Buccaneers offensive line coach George Warhop did not consider the team to have deployed a good offensive line last season. Although the Bucs employed now-retired Logan Mankins and potentially promising Day 2 pick Ali Marpet, the team allowed an NFL-high 124 quarterback hits. “Too many quarterback hits, regardless. I don’t care whose fault it is,” Warhop said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “We all have a hand in that. It’s one of our points of emphasis this year. First meeting, ‘Hey, listen, guys. Everybody’s telling me what a great job you did. I thought we were just average, really.” Pro Football Focus graded tackles Donovan Smith and Gosder Cherilus as two bottom-tier performers at the position, but now-healthy Demar Dotson and newly signed J.R. Sweezy should bring some much-needed reinforcements to the group.
  • Robert Mathis‘ Colts contract expires after this season, but Colts.com’s Kevin Bowen expects that if the former All-Pro can perform like he did during his age-34 slate in 2015 and is willing to work with the Colts financially, there’s a path for another Mathis contract for 2017. Mathis, Trent Cole and Erik Walden‘s contracts expire after this season, leaving Indianapolis bereft of pass-rushers after 2016. As part of an extension signed during Mathis’ PED suspension in Sept. 2014, the 35-year-old outside linebacker is due a non-guaranteed $5MM this season.

East Notes: Eagles, Redskins, Dolphins, Jets

May 21st, 2016 at 5:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s the latest coming out of the Eastern divisions.

  • Despite questions about Ryan Mathews‘ durability and viability as a starting back, the Eagles waited until the fifth round to add to the position in Wendell Smallwood. And the current mix — which also houses Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner — looks like Philadelphia’s backfield battalion for 2016 as opposed to bringing in another veteran, Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com writes. Rumors of a potential Sproles trade surfaced earlier this week, but Doug Pederson did his best to refute them. Although effective in 13 games on a per-carry basis at a career-best 5.0 figure, Mathews hasn’t started more than six games in a season since 2013.
  • Logan Paulsen could be on the Redskins‘ roster bubble after the addition of Vernon Davis, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. A starter in 36 games the past three seasons as the team’s blocking tight end, Paulsen missed 2015 with a toe malady. Washington also has Niles Paul and Derek Carrier returning from injuries, though El-Bashir estimates the latter to begin the season on the PUP list after suffering a season-ending knee injury last year.
  • Although Duke Ihenacho started over David Bruton during the Broncos’ AFC championship season of 2013, Bruton was the more consistent player. Now that the former Broncos are reunited with the Redskins, John Keim of ESPN.com expects Bruton to start. Ihenacho signed his $1.67MM low-end tender in March, and despite winning a starting job in training camp, the 26-year-old ex-UDFA broke his wrist in Week 1 and missed the rest of the season. Regarded as one of the Broncos’ top special-teamers the past several years, Bruton filled in well for T.J. Ward when called upon the past two years but has made just eight starts in seven seasons. The 29-year-old Bruton is signed to a three-year, $9MM deal.
  • Recently claimed cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu has been cleared to practice with the Dolphins after missing his entire rookie season with the Browns, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports. The Browns waived the former Oregon seventh-rounder in April. Miami sports a revamped cornerback contingent that could benefit from a success story after the Fins moved on from Brent Grimes, Brice McCain and Jamar Taylor.
  • In a scenario where the Jets don’t re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith would be the obvious Week 1 starter despite the chance he’s not on the team in a Fitzpatrick-is-back world, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. With Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg potentially serving as Fitz’s backups if he returns, they wouldn’t be ready to handle a start in Cimini’s mind, giving Smith a high-variance offseason.
  • In likely faux-serious comments regarding an attempt to trade for Odell Beckham Jr. while he was with the Jets, Rex Ryan could have been second-guessing current Bills boss Doug Whaley‘s decision to trade up for Sammy Watkins rather than stay at No. 9 and selected Beckham, whom the Giants took at No. 12, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk offers. Although regarded as the No. 1 receiver prospect in the 2014 draft, Watkins is now battling another injury after struggling in that area the past two seasons during which Beckham has become a superstar.

West Rumors: Bennett, Bosa, Broncos

May 21st, 2016 at 3:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Already announcing he won’t be a threat for a training camp holdout, Michael Bennett is not operating in a contentious manner toward his employer this offseason. The dynamic Seahawks defensive end, though, remains in pursuit of a redone contract as he enters his third season on the four-year, $28MM deal he signed in 2014.

The 30-year-old Bennett also acknowledges he does not reside atop the Seahawks’ figurative contract-extension queue, with contract-year receiver Doug Baldwin occupying that spot.

“I think [the lines of communication] definitely are [open]. I think John [Schneider is] definitely open to it,” Bennett told media, including ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia, of a contract extension. “Pete [Carroll‘s] waiting. Obviously, Doug’s up before me, and I understand that, and I want that to happen. I think Doug Baldwin deserves a new contract. So do I. So does Kam [Chancellor]. So it’s just all about waiting in line and not pushing it too far and understanding what’s up next.”

Seattle still has two of the best players at their respective positions on below-market-value deals, with Chancellor set to make $6.1MM this season. But while the team has multiple standouts longing for new deals for a while, this displays the Seahawks’ acumen for identifying talent. Baldwin, who could be one of the most coveted free agent receivers in 2017 if not extended, is entering the last season of a three-year, $13MM deal but expects to discuss an extension with the Seahawks soon.

Bennett has been one of the league’s best defensive ends for a few years now, yet his $7.13MM AAV ranks just ninth in the league. Olivier Vernon now more than doubles Bennett’s per-year wages, which would seemingly add to the fuel Bennett showed last year when he threatened to hold out, especially after he finished with a career-high 10 sacks last season. Set to turn 31 in November, Bennett may have seen his opportunity for a windfall contract pass.

Here’s the latest from the Western divisions.

  • Chargers GM Tom Telesco spent the offseason hoping to be in position to select Joey Bosa but didn’t think his team would be in position to do so until after the Browns-Eagles trade gave the quarterback-seeking Eagles the No. 2 pick. “Watching Joey play in the Fiesta Bowl, I left there thinking if he does declare, and if he is there at number three, we’ve got to take him,” Telesco told Ricky Henne of Chargers.com. “… [Football operations president John Spanos] got the text and told us about the trade, and we all high-fived in the room after that one because we knew if we stayed here and picked, we got him.” The Ohio State defensive end who finished his three-year career with 51 tackles for loss intrigued Telesco dating back to his 2013 freshman season, when the then-new Chargers GM traveled to an Ohio State-Purdue game.
  • To the amazement of Spanos, Bosa’s standing within the organization did not make its way toward pre-draft speculation, with the Chargers linked to Jalen Ramsey, Laremy Tunsil or Ronnie Stanley. “We would look around at each other and say, ‘Man, I can’t believe no one knows,'” Spanos said. “… Sometimes when you hear rumors, you can piece together where it came from. In the specific case of the Ronnie Stanley rumor, I have no clue where that came from. So I was really amused, and I didn’t feel a need to set the record straight. I just sat back and enjoyed the false speculation.”
  • The primary holdup in Von Miller‘s extension with the Broncos will be the guaranteed money over the first two years, Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes. Renck notes the Broncos’ penchant for frontloading contracts to protect themselves in case of down-the-line performance declines — Aqib Talib‘s six-year, $57MM deal that features just $3MM in guaranteed money after this season is a prime example — could bring Miller’s two-year guarantee total to $60MM. That would surpass Ndamukong Suh‘s $59.9MM for the most guaranteed dollars among defenders. Renck also estimates Miller’s per-year payments will be between $18-$20MM. Miller has already been linked to seeking $22MM annually and the Broncos have offered $17MM+, but Renck expects the Broncos’ exclusive franchise tag leverage will bring that number down since Denver isn’t negotiating against other teams like the Giants were with Vernon or the Dolphins were with Suh last year.

Extra Points: Vegas, Eagles, Stafford, Peterson

May 21st, 2016 at 12:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s check out some assorted notes from around the NFL on this Saturday afternoon…

  • Count Patriots owner Robert Kraft among those who would embraces a Las Vegas franchise. The executive told Jarrett Bell of USAToday.com that he’d support a Raiders move to Nevada, assuming the organization can’t secure a new stadium in Oakland.“I think it would be good for the NFL,” Kraft said. “I know Mark Davis has tried so hard in Oakland. If they won’t do it . . . I want to support him.”
  • Undrafted rookie running back Byron Marshall chose the Eagles for the opportunity to contribute right away, writes Jeff McLane of Philly.com. “The running back position was a little slim,” Marshall said. “And they were talking to me about being able to play [wide receiver] in the slot and a little bit at running back – to do what I did in college. I liked that role.”
  • An extension for Matthew Stafford could depend on the quarterback’s production this upcoming season, writes ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein. If the Lions quarterback struggles, the writer wonders if general manager Bob Quinn would decide to “clean house.”
  • Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is expected to be in attendance for the start of OTAs, tweets Darren Wolfson. Of course, as the writer notes, the $250K bonus certainly provides some incentive.

 

AFC Notes: Colts, Jets, Bills

May 21st, 2016 at 10:59am CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the AFC…

  • There’s no denying Anquan Boldin‘s professionalism, but ESPN.com’s Mike Wells says the veteran wideout may not necessarily be a fit for the Colts. The writer refers to the organization’s last three veteran receiver signings (Darrius Heyward-Bey, Hakeem Nicks, Andre Johnson) and their lack of production.
  • The Colts have not had any discussions with Dwight Freeney regarding a return to Indy, tweets ESPN’s Mike Wells. The writer notes that the organization prefers to develop their younger pass rushers.
  • Rex Ryan has coached a number of talented receivers throughout his career. However, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com notes that the current Bills head coach was particularly infatuated with Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. while coaching the Jets. “Believe me, I was trying to trade for him [with the Jets] when he had the hamstring,” Ryan said. “I was reading the [New York] papers, and I was like, ‘Well, hell, we’ll take him.'”
  • The Bills placed running back Dri Archer on the reserve/did not report list earlier this week, and Ryan acknowledged to Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News (via Twitter) that the former third-rounder still hasn’t returned his calls.

 

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