2016 May - Pro Football Rumors

Month: September 2024

Malcolm Butler Seeking New Contract

May 29th, 2016 at 9:32am CST by Rory Parks

Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler is one of 17 New England players that did not participate in this week’s voluntary OTAs, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com suggests that Butler’s absence is contract-related. Per Reiss, Butler has told teammates and friends he plans to push for an adjustment to his contract before the 2016 season, as he is slated to earn just $600K this year before being eligible for restricted free agency prior to the 2017 campaign. Butler’s agent, Derek Simpson, did not return Reiss’ calls or emails seeking comment.

However, because of his low price tag this year, and the fact that New England can probably control him fairly inexpensively for 2017 with a RFA tender, the team holds the leverage at the moment. Plus, as Reiss points out, linebackers Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower are eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2016 season, and the Patriots may view new deals for them as more of a priority for the time being.

All three players, though, are deserving of lucrative extensions, and the dilemma that their contract status has created is one of the reasons New England traded Chandler Jones–who is also set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end–earlier this year. Butler’s absence from OTAs is the one way he can signal to the club that he is unhappy with his present deal, but it may not result in a new contract for him this season. If he performs in 2016 the way he performed in 2015, though, he will get his big payday sooner rather than later.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jaguars Rumors: Jack, Posluszny, Henne

May 28th, 2016 at 7:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s the latest coming out of north Florida during the OTA portion of the NFL calendar.

Although Myles Jack‘s role could be on passing downs as he acclimates to the NFL after a damaging knee injury ended his UCLA career, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union projects the Jaguars second-rounder’s future to be at middle linebacker, where Paul Posluszny has lined up for the past three seasons. This would leave Dan Skuta untouched on the strong side if Telvin Smith is indeed going to resume his work opposite him. If healthy, Jack possesses the speed to play anywhere at linebacker but played mostly on the outside with the Bruins during his two healthy seasons, when he wasn’t moonlighting as a running back.
The 31-year-old Posluszny, whose 725 solo tackles since 2008 lead the NFL, has been a three-down linebacker during his three-year Jags tenure. But if Jack can prove adept, he could well join Smith in nickel settings. A former second-round pick, Posluszny sees a demotion out of a third-down role as a ticket out of the league, given teams’ reliance on sub-packages. “When teams see you as a two-down player, to me, that means it’s over for you,” Posluszny said. “And what if I’m playing at a high level on first and second downs? Does that mean I get to stay here next year? I don’t know. I just have to continue to do everything I’ve done and when it’s time to compete, I have to play at a high level.” Posluszny, who has started all 113 games he’s played with the Bills and Jags, signed an extension to remain with the Jags until 2017 last April. His cap hits drop, however, from the his peak earnings seasons the past two years. He’s set to occupy $5.17MM of the Jags’ cap this season, and although he can be cut for less than $500K of dead money, cap space isn’t something the Jags are sweating right now. Their $49.3MM available leads the league.
Chad Henne did not opt to test the free agent market this year, instead agreeing to another two-year contract in Jacksonville, one that will pay him $8MM in that span. Entering his age-31 season, the former second-round pick of the Dolphins’ prefers the comfort his current role behind Blake Bortles provides as opposed to trying to procure another starting job. “I was hoping it would happen like this just because I enjoy it here … and being in the same system for two years and not having to learn a new one is beneficial,” Henne told media, including O’Halloran. Aside from Chase Daniel‘s $7MM-per-year wages, Henne resides in the top bracket of backup signal-callers in terms of AAV.
As is the case in third-round negotiations, Yannick Ngakoue will have some flexibility regarding his rookie contract with the Jaguars. O’Halloran reports Ngakoue will earn at least a $540K salary in 2016 and an $856K signing bonus as part of being selected No. 69 overall. But according to cap expert J.I. Halsell, the Jags rookie pass-rusher can earn up to $456K in additional compensation spread out over the deal’s four years. With the CBA containing no language of what third-rounders will earn precisely, more extensive negotiations are commencing. “It’s just a weird round,” a veteran agent told O’Halloran. “I called the [NFLPA] a couple weeks ago to ask about it, and they said, ‘It’s the wild, wild West.’” Last year’s No. 69 pick, the Texans’ Jaelen Strong, received 62% of that additional compensation figure ($249K of an available $402K), O’Halloran reports, while three picks later, Jaguars guard A.J. Cann booked 75% ($311K) in his rookie pact. It’s a strange financial matrix these third-rounders enter compared to the players slotted above and below them.

AFC Notes: Wolfe, Irvin, Brissett, Thomas

May 28th, 2016 at 6:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Derek Wolfe‘s extension with the Broncos drew a number of reactions from around the league. From personnel men believing the fifth-year defensive end had to regret his choice in signing a four-year, $36.7MM deal before hitting free agency to agents seeing this contract representing the Super Bowl champions’ arrogance in believing they can convince players to accept below-market contracts.

As for Wolfe, who will now be the cornerstone of Denver’s defensive line after Malik Jackson left for a much more lucrative contract with the Jaguars, he’s fine with his decision.

“I did what I felt was right. I’m happy for Malik. He deserves it. I’m where I wanted to be. You can’t put a price on happiness,” Wolfe said, via Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “I’m happy, and that’s all that really matters.”

Wolfe enjoyed by far his best season in 2015 despite missing four games due to a PED suspension. He registered eight sacks counting his 2.5 in the playoffs and graded out as a better performer than Jackson on Pro Football Focus for the first time since the duo began to see time together in 2013. Jackson, though, bypassed Broncos offers that topped out at around $11MM AAV and wound up becoming one of the league’s highest-paid defensive linemen with a six-year, $85.5MM accord.

Wolfe and Chris Harris represent the five-time reigning AFC West champions’ latest in-season extensions. Should Von Miller reach an agreement on a landmark extension with the Broncos by July 15, Brandon Marshall and Emmanuel Sanders loom as the next high-profile free agents-to-be for a team that’s had many such players reach this status the past few years.

Here’s more from around the AFC, starting with a connection between new Raiders that helped cement the Silver and Black’s opinion of their biggest rookie investment last month.

The Raiders consulted newly acquired Bruce Irvin before drafting West Virginia’s Karl Joseph in the first round last month, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com reports. A former first-round Mountaineer alum himself, Irvin had been a Raider for less than two months when the team reportedly asked for his opinion of Joseph, whom Irvin did not play with at West Virginia. Irvin went in the 2012 first round to the Seahawks months before Joseph began his West Virginia tenure, but the two had contact when Irvin would visit his alma mater. “I wouldn’t ask them to bring somebody in who wasn’t going to be able to help us,” Irvin said. “I know what type of player he is. I know the dedication he puts in.”
Jacoby Brissett may not have the ceiling Russell Wilson did despite both being third-round picks, but the newest Patriots quarterback investment may be following in the rookie version of Wilson’s footsteps when it comes to contract negotiations, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes. Since third-round picks represent an interesting fulcrum in terms of draft pool money — first- and second-round picks receive the maximum base salaries, with prospects selected in Rounds 4-7 receiving the minimum, leaving third-rounders in a gray area — only 17 out of the 35 players taken there this year have signed their rookie deals. Brissett is angling for more money due likely to his position’s prestige, Volin notes. Wilson’s camp negotiated for a higher base salary than the seven players taken immediately before him four years ago, and this year, third-rounders have already begun to jockey for extra dollars. Despite being picked at No. 88, Packers linebacker Kyler Fackrell will earn $25K more than No. 87 overall choice Nick Vigil will from the Bengals in 2016, Volin reports, and although the players taken immediately before and after Brissett at No. 91 — C.J. Prosise (Seahawks) and Brandon Williams (Cardinals) — having already signed their deals, Brissett’s negotiation still won’t be a simple process.
Nearly dealt to the Broncos at last season’s trade deadline, Joe Thomas could again be on the block if the rebuilding Browns flounder as they’re expected to, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. Thomas said on multiple occasions this offseason he’s glad the Browns didn’t trade him, but it’s somewhat difficult to imagine the 31-year-old likely future Hall of Famer being content on a Browns team mostly bereft of talent as this year’s deadline approaches. A six-time All-Pro, including the past three years, with three years left on his contract, Thomas could still possibly fetch a Cleveland team obsessed with stockpiling picks a first-round selection from a tackle-needy franchise. The Seahawks still come to mind after ending up without a veteran blind-side blocker this offseason despite interest in multiple talents who signed elsewhere.

East Rumors: Pats, Giants, Redskins, Eagles

May 28th, 2016 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although annoying many fans to no end with its 16-month-plus shelf life, Deflategate remains a key topic of conversation as the 2016 season approaches.

As a result of a report from an unlikely source, the status of John Jastremski with the Patriots is in question, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports. Comedian Jim Breuer received an email from one of the equipment managers implicated in the Deflategate proceedings that points to Jastremski being quietly fired by the Pats last season.

The last news coming from New England about Jastremski’s status came last fall, when the team announced in September Jastremski and Jim McNally were reinstated after their NFL suspensions, and then in October when Bill Belichick said the team was still searching for a role for Jastremski. However, Breuer’s email describes a November 2015 weekend encounter in Mexico where Jastremski, who invited Breuer for a drink and emailed him on November 10 thanking him for the conversation, said the Patriots fired him and that he was unable to get another NFL job.

Volin reached out to the Patriots about this, but the team did not reply. While not a traditional source, as Volin points out, Breuer detailing a November conversation with Jastremski alters the narrative about the team’s belief of its innocence. That said, the alleged dismissal could have conceivably been unrelated.

Here’s the latest coming out of the Eastern divisions from some more NFL-based sources.

Kirk Cousins watched various highlights of Josh Doctson‘s work at TCU and envisions the Redskins having another key red zone option to go with Jordan Reed. “He is a special player,” Cousins said during Washington’s OTAs, per Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “Looks like he can make the contested catch. It’s very natural for him to go up and catch that type of pass. He can run well. He has got great size. I almost thought he was a tight end when he showed up because if his size.” At 6-foot-2, the former Wyoming and TCU target differs from Cousins’ other top receivers, with Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson and Jamison Crowder standing at 6-foot or shorter.
Osi Umenyiora helped the Giants land French receiver Anthony Dable, according to Barbara Barker of Newsday. Now an NFL ambassador and announcer in London, Umenyiora steered the Giants toward the 27-year-old European performer during a February tryout in Florida. Having a background not too dissimilar to Vikings sixth-rounder Moritz Boehringer in being a standout in Germany as well as France, the 6-foot-5 Dable also lined up interviews with the Cowboys, Chiefs, Jaguars, Lions, Seahawks, 49ers and Cardinals, Barker reports. But Umenyiora made sure the Giants received the first visit. Following that meeting, Dable cancelled the other prospective summits and signed with the Giants. “The things he was doing on the football field, you could tell they would translate,” Umenyiora told Barker. “He’s a tremendous athlete and once I saw his size, I thought he had a good chance. I don’t think it’s going to happen immediately, but I think he will develop into an outstanding receiver in the NFL. We’re not just talking about a special teams guy.”
The Eagles may be thin at inside linebacker beyond their starters, but CSNPhilly.com’s Dave Zangaro doesn’t anticipate a Jim Schwartz–Brandon Spikes reunion. A quality run-stopper, Spikes played for Schwartz in 2014 with the Bills after four in New England, starting 49 games in five years. He’s been unattached since the Patriots released him in June 2015, and a hit-and-run incident resulted in Spikes being suspended for four games last season despite being unaffiliated with a team.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has a three-year offer on the table from the Jets that will pay him $12MM in 2016. Check out the latest on the back-and-forth between Fitz and Gang Green.

Latest On Raiders’ Potential Relocation

May 28th, 2016 at 2:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mark Davis has yet to receive official pushback from fellow owners after declaring his intentions to relocate the Raiders to Las Vegas, but the item did not come up at this Tuesday’s owners’ meetings in Charlotte. Details are lacking on the Raiders’ viability in Vegas to the point that multiple owners told Ben Volin of the Boston Globe they haven’t received any “research, market studies, or plans” about how the team could succeed in Sin City.

Although this process resides in its early stages, with a stadium deal in Nevada not yet agreed upon, some owners appear to be displaying some skepticism about another Raiders move.

While a prospective $1.4 billion stadium is much more enticing for the Raiders than staying at O.co Coliseum, the Las Vegas market doesn’t interest the league nearly as much as the Bay Area does, an NFL insider told Volin. The preference within the league is for the Raiders to stay put rather than traverse a relocation path for the second straight year.

The disparate sizes of said markets drive this sentiment, with Vegas ranking as the country’s No. 42 media market and the Bay Area its sixth. Despite the 49ers already standing as the more secure Northern California franchise, the region remains favorable for the NFL when compared to the nation’s gambling capital.

In addition to the corporate wealth situated in Northern California for business-partnership purposes, Volin points out that the 49ers’ trek to Santa Clara places them further away from downtown San Francisco. The Raiders presently playing 17 miles from downtown San Francisco has a claim to the area’s appeal despite the teams technically sharing a market.

Owners have yet to study Vegas as a market, however, but also have no idea at this point if the Raiders moving there is a viable option. Despite reports that Davis is ready to “walk the walk” when it comes to moving his team to Nevada — even going as far as to say Los Angeles is no longer in the team’s plans despite its standing behind the Chargers as a candidate to join the Rams there — Volin concludes the most realistic and profitable plan remains finding a solution in Oakland, the support of influential owners Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft notwithstanding.

However, the city of Oakland and the Raiders have made next to no progress in their talks for a new stadium, which has led Davis to publicly pursue other areas. Calling the Raiders-to-Vegas talk premature, Roger Goodell did speak with Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf earlier this week in hopes of the league finding a “combined solution” to keep the team in its original location.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Extra Points: Richardson, Jets, Titans, Lions

May 28th, 2016 at 12:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL…

The Ravens signed running back Trent Richardson in mid-April, but the former first-round pick missed the first week of OTAs with a hamstring injury. Coach John Harbaugh attributes the injury to a lack of conditioning. “Trent just needs to get healthy,” Harbaugh told Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “I think the workload and the amount of work it takes to be a world-class conditioned athlete is something that he’s working on right now. That’s what he needs to understand, and that’s where he needs to get himself.”
In an attempt to clear more cap space, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini tweets that the Jets could consider cutting kicker Nick Folk. Of course, that assumes that rookie kicker Ross Martin has done enough to displace the veteran.
The Titans have the top spot in the waiver wire, and Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com suggests that the team could looking to add another receiver. With eight wideouts on the current roster, Wyatt believes the coaching staff will likely take a look at their own guys before making any moves.
With Brandon Pettigrew and Eric Ebron struggling through injuries, the Lions could be on the lookout for another tight end. ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein says veteran Owen Daniels could be an option, although he’d have to be content with serving a limited role.

Lions Waive Tim Wright

May 28th, 2016 at 11:35am CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 11:35am: The organization has officially waived Wright, according to the team’s transaction log.

THURSDAY, 3:34pm: The Lions have waived/injured tight end Tim Wright, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Wright was acquired by Detroit last August via trade from the Buccaneers and re-signed this March.

Wright, 26, made his NFL mark in 2013 with an impressive rookie year, racking up 54 receptions, 571 yards, and five touchdowns for the Buccaneers. However, he has changed teams twice since then – first traded to New England, then claimed off waivers by Detroit – and has seen his role reduced along the way. In 2015, he caught just nine balls for 77 yards and two TDs for the Lions.

While financial terms of Wright’s March agreement were not disclosed, we do know that he was eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, and wasn’t offered a contract tender by the Lions. A low-end RFA tender would have been worth $1.671MM, so it’s reasonable to assume that his one-year deal was worth less than that — likely for the minimum salary, or close to it.

With Wright out of the picture, the Lions now have five tight ends on the depth chart:Eric Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew, and Matthew Mulligan plus rookies Adam Fuehne and Cole Wick.

Wright was expected to have the opportunity to earn a roster spot and possibly compete for playing time for Detroit in 2016. Now, he’ll try to do the same thing with a new team – once he gets healthy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears Sign Leonard Floyd

May 28th, 2016 at 10:05am CST by Connor J. Byrne

SATURDAY, 10:05am: The Bears have officially announced the move via Twitter.

FRIDAY, 5:14pm: The Bears have signed their highest-profile draft pick, inking first-round edge rusher Leonard Floyd to a contract, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). With the former Georgia standout now signed, the only remaining player of the Bears’ 2016 class without a contract is third-round defensive end Jonathan Bullard, as noted by PFR’s draft tracker.

Floyd became a Bear after they moved up two spots in the draft for him. The club was set to pick 11th overall, but it surrendered a fourth-rounder to Tampa Bay to land the ninth selection and grab Floyd. The 6-foot-4, 231-pounder was a dominant performer during his three-year tenure at Georgia, where he played both outside linebacker and defensive end, racking up 17 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss. He’ll now serve as a prominent member of a Bears defense that also features the likes of Pernell McPhee, Willie Young and Lamarr Houston as pass-rushing threats.

The Bears’ four-year deal with Floyd will be worth in the $15.78MM range, including a signing bonus worth $9.68MM. It will also feature a fifth-year option for 2020.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Broncos Notes: Manning, Marshall, Sanders

May 28th, 2016 at 9:52am CST by Ben Levine

While the Broncos have been focusing most of their energy on a long-term deal for Von Miller, several of the linebacker’s teammates are also awaiting potential extensions. This includes linebacker Brandon Marshall, who hasn’t signed the one-year, $2.533MM tender he was slapped with.

Of course, there’s no need to panic in Denver, as both sides sound optimistic regarding a deal. Marshall, who finished last season with 102 tackles, gushed about the organization to ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold.

“I love it here. I love it here, man,” Marshall said. “Ever since I got here, in 2013, they’ve treated me like family, even when I was on the practice squad. It just shows, I’m really all about ball, getting better and being with the team. … To stay away, that’s not me. I feel comfortable being here.”

Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips hinted that an extension could be incoming.

“This club is always going to take care of somebody that helped them win a championship like that,” Phillips said. “So I feel like that will get worked out sooner or later. They’ll help anybody that does that.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the Mile High City…

Speaking of quarterbacks, Peyton Manning told Tennessean sports editor Dave Ammenheuser that he “was pretty close” to signing with the Titans instead of the Broncos in 2012. Having played for the University of Tennessee, Manning has an obvious connection to the state, and there were previous rumors that he could take a front office role with the organization.
The Broncos may have another “quarterback controversy” on their hands this season, writes Woody Paige of the Denver Post. After juggling Manning and Brock Osweiler last year, the coaching staff is eyeing two potential starters on their current roster: Mark Sanchez and rookie Paxton Lynch.
Manning’s retirement leaves a leadership void on the Broncos offense, and Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post believes wideout Emmanuel Sanders is a perfect candidate to fill that role.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Has Three-Year Offer From Jets

May 27th, 2016 at 8:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

8:54pm: The issue in negotiations is with the second and third years of the Jets’ offer, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If the Jets’ offer is worth, say, $24MM in total, then the reported $12MM for 2016 suddenly doesn’t look nearly as appealing, notes Florio.

8:24pm: Rich Cimini of ESPN.com corroborates Cannizzaro’s report, writing that the Jets’ offer to Fitzpatrick does include $12MM for the first year (up from $8MM) and has been on the table for at least two months.

5:40pm: The Jets have made a three-year offer to free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, sources tell Mark Cannizzaro of The New York Post. The proposed deal has been on the table for four months, reports Cannizzaro, who adds that it includes $12MM in the first year (Twitter links).

Fitzpatrick made it clear Monday that he hopes to return to the Jets, also indicating that the two sides were engaging in talks behind the scenes. However, The Post’s Brian Costello reported Wednesday that the Jets and Fitzpatrick hadn’t held contract discussions in several weeks. With Fitzpatrick unsigned and obviously unable to partake in the Jets’ voluntary workouts, standout receiver Eric Decker – one of Fitzpatrick’s favorite targets – made his dissatisfaction with the team known by skipping OTAs.

After helping the Jets to a 10-6 finish and amassing career highs in yards (3,905) and touchdowns (31) last season, the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick has been pushing for a contract in line with that performance. It’s hard to imagine he’d beat the reported offer on the table anywhere else, though, given that all teams’ quarterback situations appear settled. The Eagles’ Sam Bradford, for instance, briefly held out in Philadelphia after the club irked him with the selection of first-round signal-caller Carson Wentz. Bradford quickly returned to the Eagles upon realizing that there simply wasn’t a trade market for him. Similarly, at his asking price, there’s no obvious market for Fitzpatrick outside of New York.

In the event the Jets and Fitzpatrick don’t eventually reach a pact, Gang Green is likely to go forth with either Geno Smith, Bryce Petty or second-round rookie Christian Hackenberg under center. Even though he was successful last season, a career journeyman like Fitzpatrick is hardly an ideal option, but it’s fair to say he’s more appealing at this stage than any of Smith, Petty or Hackenberg.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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