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Month: November 2024

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Tulloch, Cowboys

June 20th, 2016 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have a brand new coach this season and ESPN.com’s panel of NFC East writers pondered whether the rest of the division would be happy to have Chip Kelly out of their hair or perhaps be a little more fearful of Doug Pederson. The group notes that the Cowboys seemed to do pretty well against Kelly’s high-motored offense while the Giants on the other hand went 1-5 against Kelly with their lone win coming against fill-in QB Matt Barkley. The Redskins, meanwhile, lost their first three contests against Kelly but won the last three showdowns.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

NFL, NFLPA Clashing Over PED Investigation

June 20th, 2016 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

Late last year, the NFL was rocked by an Al Jazeera documentary in which several superstars were ID’d as potential performance enhancing drug users. Months later, we have little in the way of any additional word on the allegations. In a column today for The MMQB, Emily Kaplan writes that bureaucratic tension between the NFL and the NFLPA could be holding things up. "<strong

In the documentary, Indiana-based Charles Sly was secretly recorded as he blabbed about supplying Peyton Manning, James Harrison, Clay Matthews, Mike Neal, Julius Peppers, and others with PEDs. On the cusp of the six month anniversary of the bombshell, however, the league has yet to interview one current player who was named in the report, Kaplan hears. The league has conducted interviews “in relation” to the documentary, but the NFL is champing at the bit to talk directly with the players named.

“We have pushed to do them sooner,” NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said of player interviews. “[The union has] articulated some reasons why they can’t be done right away.”

Lockhart went on to say that the league office is aiming to complete the interviews before training camp begins, but he said that the interviews will be conducted during camp, if necessary.

Since Manning is no longer an active player, he cannot be forced to speak to the league about the accusations though, by the same token, he is free to discuss anything he wants with the league without being hindered by the union. However, Manning is reportedly hoping to hold a front office position at some point, and that could motivate him to discuss things with the NFL.

Neal, meanwhile, still wants to play football and he believes that the documentary has “heavily, heavily, heavily, heavily, heavily” influenced his extended free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions Notes: Roberts, Boldin, Bostic

June 20th, 2016 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

The door is open for Lions wide receiver Andre Roberts to earn a spot with the team, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. As the Lions’ page on Roster Resource shows, Golden Tate and Marvin Jones stand as the team’s top receivers with Jeremy Kerley, T.J. Jones, and Boldin vying for the No. 3 job. However, Kerley missed part of OTAs with an injury and Corey Fuller is out indefinitely following foot surgery, so Roberts definitely has an opening. Shortly after signing with the team, Roberts said the Lions told him they plan to use him as both a slot and outside receiver, and he could also compete for the punt return job.

The 28-year-old didn’t get a chance to shine with the Redskins, but now he could carve out a great opportunity for himself. In addition to Roberts, could we see another notable receiver join the Lions? Here’s today’s look at Detroit:

  • The Lions could still bring in a veteran and Anquan Boldin is a guy to pay attention to, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. The Lions hosted Boldin on a visit last week on the same day that they signed Roberts to a deal, but it sounds like the team is still very much considering him. The Lions could comfortably go into the season with their current group of receivers, but Boldin would give Detroit another experienced option with a long history of high-end production. Boldin, 35, has reportedly been working out in South Florida and staying in shape as he waits for the right opportunity.
  • In a separate piece, Rothstein sees the Lions only keeping five linebackers which would mean that that recent trade acquisition Jon Bostic wouldn’t make the team. The team could roll into 2016 with DeAndre Levy, Tahir Whitehead, Josh Bynes, Antwione Williams, and Kyle Van Noy as the complete group, but Bostic and Zaviar Gooden are working to change the minds of coaches. The former second-round pick was traded from the Patriots to the Lions in May in exchange for conditional 2017 seventh-round selection.
  • Late last week, the Lions added tight end Orson Charles.

Trumaine Johnson, Rams Unlikely To Reach Long-Term Deal

June 19th, 2016 at 8:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

With a little less than a month remaining until the July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions, there doesn’t appear to be much hope that the Rams will convince cornerback Trumaine Johnson to sign on the dotted line. According to Adam Schefter and Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (video link), it’s a “long shot” that Johnson will agree to a long-term deal with Los Angeles in the next four weeks or so.Trumaine Johnson

[RELATED: Rams working on extensions for Jeff Fisher and Les Snead]

Nonetheless, Johnson will be well-compensated for the 2016 campaign, as he’s already signed his franchise tender, guaranteeing himself a $13.952MM salary for the upcoming season. Per Schefter and Anderson, both the Rams and Johnson are comfortable playing out the year with that cost — neither the club nor the player feels an immediate need to reach an extension, as both sides are content with the roughly $14MM figure.

As Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports wrote earlier this year, Johnson is particularly unlikely to agree to a multi-year pact given that his former Rams teammate, fellow corner Janoris Jenkins, landed a mega-deal from the Giants in free agency, securing a $12.5MM annual salary and $28.8MM in guarantees. Both of those charges likely represents a floor for Johnson, and unless Los Angeles is willing to match or exceed those numbers, Johnson is probably unwilling to sign.

Johnson, 26, had just 20 career starts on his NFL résumé prior to 2015, but he established himself as a reliable starting cornerback last season, picking up 71 tackles, seven interceptions, and 17 passes defended, grading out as the No. 17 CB in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Broncos, Sanders Exchange Contract Figures

June 19th, 2016 at 4:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders have each submitted contract proposals, reports Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter link), elaborating on his report earlier this month that Denver was engaged in extension talks with both Sanders and linebacker Brandon Marshall. Marshall agreed to a four-year, $32MM deal last week, and it looks as though Sanders could be the next Bronco to be extended, as sources recently told Connor Orr of NFL.com that Sanders is expected to be the next wideout to land a new deal.
Emmanuel Sanders (Vertical)

[RELATED: Broncos LB Von Miller threatens holdout]

The 29-year old Sanders is currently earning an average salary of $5MM as part of a three-year pact he signed prior to the 2014 season. The Broncos don’t have much 2016 cap space left (roughly $4.6MM), but they do have an ample amount in 2017, as their ~$63.2MM is currently second-most in the league. Denver general manager John Elway said earlier this year that the “ideal” scenario would be to lock up Sanders, Marshall, and Von Miller by mid-July, so the club is currently one-third of the way towards meeting that goal.

Sanders, for his part, has indicated that he’d like to retire as a Bronco, a claim that’s unsurprising given his success in the Mile High City over the past two seasons. Since 2014, Sanders has caught 177 passes for more than 2,500 yards, scoring 15 touchdowns during that time. Those numbers rank eighth, sixth, and 16th among all NFL wide receivers over that span, while Sanders places seventh in Pro Football Reference’s approximate value metric during that period.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PFR Originals: 6/12/16 – 6/19/16

June 19th, 2016 at 4:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

  • After the Ravens released offensive tackle Eugene Monroe on Wednesday, I took a look at eight clubs that could have serious interest in the veteran free agent, listing the Giants, Seahawks, 49ers, and Bears, among others. Monroe, 29, is still an above-average tackle, and several of those teams have already expressed an interest in contacting him, hoping to augment their offensive line.
  • Tim Dierkes announced that Trade Rumors has acquired Roster Resource, the industry’s leading depth chart source, and hired the site’s creator, Jason Martinez, who will contribute articles at our sister site, MLB Trade Rumors. The depth charts and roster information will continue to live at Roster Resource for now, though it is officially under the Trade Rumors umbrella. You’ll see us begin linking more to the Roster Resource depth charts in our posts, as we feel this information is a perfect fit for readers of PFR, MLBTR, and Hoops Rumors. We are striving to bring you the best possible coverage of transaction-related news as well as depth charts and roster information you can consult for further analysis.
  • Zach Links rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest edition of Pigskin Links.

Week In Review: 6/12/16 – 6/19/16

June 19th, 2016 at 3:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Headlines:

Extended:

Signed:

Waivers:

Retired:

Other:

  • Former NBA guard Nate Robinson auditioned for Seahawks (link)
  • Ravens WR Breshad Perriman does not have a torn ACL as originally thought (link)
  • Settlement reached in Saints ownership dispute (link)
  • Chargers, Joey Bosa in contract dispute over offset language (link)

Latest On Eugene Monroe

June 19th, 2016 at 1:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Since being released by the Ravens last week, offensive tackle Eugene Monroe has been linked to several clubs, including the Giants, Seahawks, and 49ers. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) confirms that those teams have indeed expressed interest in Monroe, and adds that the Panthers could be another potential landing spot for the free agent tackle.Eugene Monroe (vertical)

[RELATED: Carolina Panthers depth chart]

If it signed Monroe, Carolina could shift incumbent left tackle Michael Oher to the right side, according to Cole — it should be noted, however, that Cole’s report was published before the Panthers and Oher agreed to a multi-year extension, which could affect any attempts to move Oher to right tackle. From my vantage point, one other possible scenario could entail simply placing Monroe at right tackle, and moving 2015 starter Mike Remmers into a swing tackle role.

Monroe, a career left tackle, might not be open to that move, however, as Cole reports that Monroe is reticent to move to the right side, and in fact rejected offers from the Giants because they necessitated him moving to right tackle. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com disputes that nugget, writing that while Monroe would prefer to stay on the blindside, he would be “willing” to move to right tackle if that’s the only opportunity that presented itself. New York would likely use Monroe on the right side, per Graziano, despite that fact that 2015 rookie Ereck Flowers graded as one of the four worst tackles in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.

[RELATED: New York Giants depth chart]

Monroe doesn’t appear to be rushing into signing any time soon, and reports have indicated that he’ll begin taking visits with prospective employers next week. I recently ran down a list of eight clubs — including several mentioned above — that could have interest in signing Monroe.

Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

Extra Points: Broncos, Long, Eagles

June 19th, 2016 at 12:41pm CST by Rory Parks

Trevor Siemian, the Broncos‘ presumptive No. 2 quarterback, was more consistent in many ways than presumptive starter Mark Sanchez during the team’s OTAs and minicamp, and given that head coach Gary Kubiak said in his offseason-ending press conference last week that Sanchez and Siemian are in a virtual tie for the starting job, there has been some speculation that Siemian could be under center when Week 1 rolls around. But Mike Klis of 9News.com, while acknowledging Siemian’s strong performance, agrees with the prevailing consensus that, unless Sanchez completely flops in the first two games of the preseason–which is a distinct possibility–his experience will force Kubiak’s hand and he will be named the starter prior to the all-important third preseason contest.

Now let’s take a look at some more links from around the league:

  • Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says that a long-term deal between Von Miller and the Broncos remains the most likely outcome, but if the July 15 deadline for a new contract comes and goes, the two sides could work out an alternative one-year agreement that provides Miller with a little more incentive to sign. For instance, the team could promise to not use the tag on Miller again in 2017, which means that Miller, assuming he is willing to risk injury/ineffectiveness in 2016–while earning the full $14.129MM of the franchise tender in the process–would be guaranteed to hit the open market and get his big payday in 2017. If stubbornness prevails and there is no new deal by July 15, that currently unlikely scenario suddenly becomes more plausible.
  • Before coaching at yesterday’s University of Michigan Big Man camp, free agent left tackle Jake Long said that he is finally healthy. The former No. 1 overall pick added, “This is the healthiest and best I’ve felt in probably about five, six years. My knee’s back. I’ve just been working out, feeling good and ready for the opportunity when it comes along” (article via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). Long, of course, spent the first five years of his career with the Dolphins and was widely-regarded as one of the best left tackles in the league during that time, but he tore his ACL in each of his two subsequent seasons, which he spent with the Rams, and he appeared in only four games with the Falcons last year, starting none. If he is, in fact, completely healthy, he should be able to land a job as teams look to replace injured or underperforming players during training camp and the preseason.
  • Two of the Chiefs‘ best players, Jamaal Charles and Justin Houston, are recovering from torn ACLs, and the team is being cautious with both, as Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com writes (citing Adam Teicher of ESPN.com). Houston will not be ready for the start of training camp and may not suit up until sometime after the regular season begins, while Charles will be eased into camp and should be ready for Week 1. Neither player, though, will be on the field before they are completely healthy, as they are too important to the team’s plans to risk re-injury.
  • In the Eagles‘ crowded and confusing defensive backfield, it is too early to predict who will emerge as the regular contributors. But Mark Eckel of NJ.com writes that a source with knowledge of the way DC Jim Schwartz and DB coach Cory Undlin are thinking says that, if the season started today, the top of the cornerback depth chart would look like this: Leodis McKelvin, Nolan Carroll, Jalen Mills, Ron Brooks, and Eric Rowe.

Latest On Panthers, Kawann Short

June 19th, 2016 at 11:10am CST by Rory Parks

Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short, who is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract, made the decision to skip the team’s OTAs when he and the club put their long-term extension talks on hold at the end of May. Short did appear for the team’s mandatory minicamp–he could have been fined over $76K had he not done so–and he immediately re-assumed his spot in the defensive line rotation.

Kawann Short (Vertical)

However, Short declined to comment on his contract situation upon his return to the team, and there have been no reports suggesting that the stalled contract talks have been rekindled, which would seem to cast into doubt earlier predictions that the two sides would hammer out a new deal prior to the start of the 2016 season. But as Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer writes, the Panthers continue to talk with Short and his agent, Joel Seagal, thereby suggesting that a deal could still get done in fairly short order.

Of course, the massive contract that Fletcher Cox just inked with the Eagles has thrown a wrench into Carolina’s negotiations with Short. Philadelphia gave Cox a six-year, $103MM extension (with $63MM guaranteed), and we recently heard that the Panthers were not bullish enough on Short to give him Cox-type money. Indeed, reports have indicated that Carolina GM Dave Gettleman wants to give Short a contract with an average annual value of no more than $15MM.

And that’s certainly understandable, as 2015 was the first time that Short produced at an elite level. But in last season’s breakout performance, the Purdue product racked up 11 sacks to go along with 55 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries on his way to his first Pro Bowl bid, and he also added two more sacks and a forced fumble in the postseason. Plus, at age 27, there is no reason to think that the breakout was a fluke; rather, it simply appeared to be a case of a high-ceiling player realizing his vast potential as part of a tremendous defensive front.

In any event, Person suggests that, since dialogue between the two sides is still ongoing, these negotiations are on a more promising course than the Josh Norman situation, in which there was no give-and-take between team and player. There is still a gap to bridge, but the continued conversations indicate that Short may receive his big payday within the next couple of months (it just won’t be as big as Cox’s was).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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