HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Week In Review: 6/19/16 – 6/26/16

June 26th, 2016 at 3:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Franchise-Tagged Players:

Free Agents:

Re-Signed:

Injuries:

Retired:

Other:

  • NFL to interview players named in PED investigation (link)
  • League, NFLPA adjust practice squad rules (link)
  • Purdue DT Ra’Zahn Howard to enter supplemental draft (link)

PFR Originals: 6/19/16 – 6/26/16

June 26th, 2016 at 2:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

Extra Points: L. Williams, Giants, Zumwalt

June 26th, 2016 at 12:45pm CST by Rory Parks

Jets defensive lineman Leonard Williams was one of the more impressive rookies in the league in 2015, and with a full professional season under his belt, he says he is ready to take his game to the next level. Said Williams, “I know the playbook now, so I don’t have to think as much when I’m out there, I can just play. It’s less pressure now that I’m not a rookie anymore, and I don’t have to have that tag or label on me. It’s just been more comfortable overall this year” (article via Kaylee Pofahl of The New York Post).

After racking up 63 tackles and three sacks last season, Williams indicated that he has put a special emphasis on his pass rush during offseason workouts in an effort to become a more complete player. As Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com writes, Williams and defensive line cohort Sheldon Richardson are two big reasons why New York has not made more of an effort to sign Muhammad Wilkerson to a long-term deal.

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

  • Mark Herzlich, despite being a former undrafted free agent who is neither a star nor a starter, has defied the odds and has played five seasons in the NFL, all with the Giants, with season number six right around the corner. He is by all accounts a good person whose battle with cancer has been inspirational and, thus far, successful, but his on-field contributions have been fairly limited. However, even though one of Herzlich’s biggest fans in former head coach Tom Coughlin is gone, he still has plenty of supporters, including team president and co-owner John Mara. As Paul Schwartz of The New York Post writes, Herzlich has simply made himself exceedingly popular both on and off the field, and therefore difficult to cut. There is something to be said for positive influences in a locker room, and Herzlich’s contributions in that regard have allowed him to carve out a surprising NFL career.
  • Giants wide receiver Roger Lewis, who signed with the club as a UDFA this year, was charged with two counts of raping a girl, with whom he had prior sexual relations, when he was 18. He ultimately was acquitted of one of the charges and pleaded down another for an admission he lied to police during the investigation, and he now has the opportunity to live out his NFL dream, despite not hearing his name called on draft weekend. He has draft-worthy ability, but teams likely shied away from him as a result of the not-too-distant criminal charges, as Matt Schneldman of The New York Post writes. As a UDFA on a team loaded with wide receiver talent, Lewis has a major uphill battle to make Big Blue’s roster, but at this point he is playing with house money and is simply grateful for the chance to play and to further remove himself from his troubled past. He has shown flashes in offseason workouts and could get a chance with another club if he is unable to land a spot with the Giants.
  • Jordan Zumwalt, the Steelers‘ sixth-round pick in 2014, spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons on injured reserve with a hip injury, and the hip surgery that ended his 2015 campaign before it started took over five hours to complete and included a brutal recovery/rehabilitation period. Now hopefully healthy, Zumwalt has been working exclusively at inside linebacker in offseason workouts, as Ray Fittipaldo of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, and he still has a chance to make the club in that role as the Steelers seek to replace Sean Spence and Terence Garvin. The odds, however, remain stacked against him.
  • Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune looks at five veteran Buccaneers who could be on the roster bubble, a list headlined by tight end Brandon Myers and right tackle Gosder Cherilus.

East Notes: Cousins, Brady, Lombardi, Jets

June 26th, 2016 at 9:58am CST by Rory Parks

The latest reports on contract talks between the Redskins and Kirk Cousins suggested that the two sides may not be reaching a long-term pact prior to the July 15 deadline, and that Cousins may consequently play out the 2016 season on the $19.95MM franchise tender. As Albert Breer of TheMMQB pointed out, Washington could be playing with fire if, as expected, Andrew Luck signs a record-breaking extension with the Colts and Cousins turns in another strong year.

Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com echoes those sentiments. He believes that, as we are still nearly three weeks away from July 15, both player and team are exercising the appropriate amount of patience and are right to not rush into a deal, but he does note that the Redskins have to be worried about the pending Luck contract. As Tandler writes, Washington could lock up Cousins today for something in the neighborhood of $20MM per year, but if they wait until next season, the club could end up paying more than $40MM more over the life of Cousins’ contract than if it acts now.

Let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s east divisions:

  • Tomorrow marks five full weeks since Patriots quarterback Tom Brady filed a request for an en banc hearing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, legal experts anticipated that the Court would take no more than six weeks to make its decision, so Brady should know within the next few days whether he will get a second bite at the appellate apple.
  • Ben Volin of The Boston Globe hears that Michael Lombardi‘s recent departure from the Patriots was not as mutual as it was first reported. Volin writes that New England was happy to have Lombardi serve as the team’s assistant to the coaching staff the past two years, because most of his salary was still being paid by the Browns, but after Lombardi’s contract expired, the Patriots chose not to keep Lombardi on the books. Volin adds that head coach Bill Belichick was Lombardi’s only real ally inside the building, and that Lombardi’s role in bringing in former Browns like Jabaal Sheard and Dion Lewis was overstated.
  • In his ongoing examination of each team’s best and worst contracts, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com writes that the best deal on the Jets‘ books is Brandon Marshall‘s, whereas Fitzgerald believes David Harris‘ deal is the team’s worst contract.

Extra Points: Ramsey, Jags, Sanders, Loadholt

June 25th, 2016 at 8:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Jaguars fans everywhere were scared earlier this offseason, when reports indicated that fifth overall selection Jalen Ramsey would require a knee operation — having already dealt with losing 2015 third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. to an ACL tear, Jacksonville held its collective breath awaiting further updates on Ramsey. Luckily, Ramsey is now expected to return by training camp, a sentiment that Ramsey himself confirmed today, telling Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times Union (Twitter links) that he isn’t experiencing any physical limitations. Ramsey, who is expected to play cornerback in Gus Bradley’s defense, says he felt comfortable with the Jaguars’ defensive scheme throughout the draft process, and feels even more locked in now that he’s continued to learn.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Entering the final year of his contract, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders seemingly isn’t worried about his ongoing contract negotiations with the Broncos, as he explains to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “I don’t think it weighs on me,” said Sanders. “I think it weighs on other people and then they talk about and it’s like, ‘All right, you’re trying to put the weight on me.’ If I could just keep my ears closed and not listen to the noise, I wouldn’t even know this is a contract year.” Sanders reportedly exchanged contract figures with Denver management last week.
  • Tackle Phil Loadholt is a possible cap casualty if he doesn’t win the Vikings‘ right tackle job, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. While free agent signee Andre Smith secured $1MM guaranteed on his one-year contract with the club, Loadholt doesn’t have any guaranteed money left after he restructured his deal earlier this year. Loadholt is reportedly progressing well in his recovery from a 2015 Achilles tear, but Minnesota’s offensive line has so much depth that it’s hard to see him making the final roster unless Smith is the one who gets cut (which could be an option, notes Goessling).
  • Locker room issues apparently played a part in Dominique Easley‘s release from the Patriots earlier this year, and former first-round pick doesn’t sound all that interested in changing that perception now that he’s joined the Rams. “I wouldn’t say it’s (among) my main goals, because (being a great person is) just who I am,” Easley said of his rumored off-field problems on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Facebook link). “But, yeah, there’s been obviously stuff said about me. I mean, we don’t know where it came from. Obviously, the person doesn’t want to come out and say it, either.”

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Giants, Boldin, Apple

June 25th, 2016 at 8:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In an expansive article for CBSSports.com, former agent Joel Corry details how the Eagles have returned to their front office roots, extending players who fit their system before they hit the market in order to lock in cheap(er) contracts. Howie Roseman, back at the helm of the personnel staff after being re-installed as de facto GM over the offseason, has handed out more than $280MM in guarantees over the past several months, but has also rid the club of unattractive contracts attached to players like DeMarco Murray and Byron Maxwell. As the salary cap continues to rise, clubs can spend more freely without having to worry about financial wiggle room, and while Philadelphia might be up against the cap in 2017, it can clear space by releasing (or trading) veterans like Sam Bradford and/or Jason Peters. The key, as Corry writes, is that the Eagles hit on the players — like quarterback Carson Wentz, tight end Zach Ertz, and defensive end Vinny Curry — on which Roseman has staked his reputation.

Let’s take a look at more from the NFC East:

  • Veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin would make for a solid Giants addition, argues Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, but that certainly doesn’t mean the club will sign the well-traveled pass-catcher. New York’s receiving options are lead by the dominant Odell Beckham Jr. and talented rookie Sterling Shepard, but the rest of the depth chart remains unclear, as Roster Resource shows. Victor Cruz is essentially a complete question mark at this point, but Raanan does point to 2015 sixth-round pick Geremy Davis as a potential Boldin-esque option, noting that the sophomore receiver could as a possession receiver for Eli Manning. Boldin, for his part, has taken two known free agent visits, with the Redskins and Lions.
  • The Giants spent a lot of capital — both money and draft picks — improving their secondary over the offseason, but Tom Rock of Newsday wonders how the club will ultimately align during the regular season. None of New York’s top three corners — Janoris Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and rookie Eli Apple — has much experience playing in the slot, which could leave Trevin Wade to play the nickel role. It wouldn’t be ideal to sit one of the aforementioned corners on the bench while the journeyman Wade spends time of the field, so the Giants have to hope the situation works itself out.
  • Earlier today, Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com looked at the Redskins‘ running back situation, and examined whether the club should consider adding free agent runner Arian Foster.

Community Tailgate: Von Vs. Alshon

June 25th, 2016 at 6:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Nine NFL players were assigned the franchise tag during the 2016 offseason. Here’s a brief rundown, along with each player’s franchise salary:

Franchise players (exclusive):NFL: Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos

Franchise players (non-exclusive):

Some of the players listed above have already had their respective situations resolved. Cordy Glenn agreed to long-term extension with the Bills, while Carolina ultimately rescinded Josh Norman‘s franchise tag, allowing him to sign a deal with the Redskins. And while Eric Berry hasn’t yet inked an extension with Kansas City, the most recent reports indicate that the star safety is expected to sign a new contract at some point before the July 15 deadline. The same goes for kicker Justin Tucker, who has signed his signed his franchise tag — he’s confident that he and the Ravens will hammer out a deal in the near future.

A third of the list falls into a separate category — franchise-tagged players who haven’t yet agreed to an extension, and don’t seem likely to any time soon. Kirk Cousins signed his franchise tender almost immediately, locking him into a guaranteed salary of nearly $20MM, but Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reported yesterday that talks are “going nowhere,” and both Cousins and Washington expect the signal-caller to play out the season on the tag. Like Cousins, Trumaine Johnson also signed his tender rather quickly, and isn’t expected to reach a new deal with Los Angeles in the next twenty days. On the flip side, Muhammad Wilkerson has not signed his tender, but there’s been no indication that he and the Jets are anywhere close to a new contract.

That leaves us with two remaining franchise players, and the pair — Von Miller and Alshon Jeffery — might be the dominant NFL storylines over the next few weeks. Any recent reader of PFR knows that Miller has garnered a copious amount of headlines as his negotiations with Denver drag on. Miller reportedly rejected a six-year deal worth about $114.5MM (specific guarantees and structure unknown), and then threatened a season-long holdout. Just yesterday, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com reported that the two sides had not talked contract terms since the early part of June.Alshon Jeffery (Vertical)

Reports surrounding Jeffery have been much fewer and far between, and that could be because the Bears wide receiver has already signed his tender, meaning he’ll be with the Bears — and earning a hefty salary — no matter what happens over the next few weeks. But what little news has come about Jeffery’s negotiations has been murky. An early June report indicated that Jeffery was unlikely to reach an extension with Chicago, but just days ago Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com said the two sides were still discussing terms, noting that a new deal is “certainly possible.”

The question at hand, then, is this: who is more likely to sign a long-term deal, Miller or Jeffery? Certainly talks between Jeffery and the Bears have been more amicable, but more is arguably at stake for Miller and the Broncos. Trying to defend a Super Bowl title, Denver can’t afford to have its most talented player not present, while Chicago doesn’t have to worry about Jeffery not showing up. Still, with negotiations between Miller and the Broncos seemingly turning acrimonious, is there any hope of an extension?

What do you think? Which superstar is more likely to be with their respective team for the long haul? Is it possible that both Miller and Jeffery ink new contracts? Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

South Notes: Panthers, Brees, Colts

June 25th, 2016 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The biggest news coming out of the NFL’s South divisions in the past couple of days emerged when the Saints relocated Kyle Wilson to injured reserve, depleting a cornerback corps that was already attempting to move past a rough 2015 season. Here is the latest on the franchises from the southern divisions on Saturday.

  • The loss of Kelvin Benjamin during the 2015 preseason didn’t end up plaguing the Panthers nearly as much as most thought, but Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer lists some nightmare scenarios that could be difficult for the defending NFC champions to overcome. He includes the team’s young cornerbacks not being ready as one of those. Carolina drafted three corners and, as Roster Resource details, is likely dependent on at least one of them to start alongside Bene Benwikere and help fill the void created by Josh Norman‘s departure. The Panthers have eschewed veteran help thus far here, cutting Brandon Boykin and ignoring Charles Tillman‘s reunion preference.
  • After Fletcher Cox signed his six-year Eagles extension worth $103MM, Greg Rosenthal of NFL.com (video link) points to the Panthers signing Kawann Short to a similar extension within the next month. Entering his contract year, Short is only set to count $1.4MM against the cap. The Panthers possess over $28MM in cap space, making an extension tenable. Short skipped the Panthers’ OTA sessions but reported to minicamp to avoid being fined. However, he declined to comment on his stalled contract negotiations while there.
  • The NFL.com writer slots Drew Brees as a player to keep an eye on regarding a new contract before training camp. However, he notes Brees’ negotiations with the Saints could get ugly before they result in what could well be Brees’ final NFL contract. Earlier this month, we heard Brees’ deal could reach $100MM over four years, only no news has emerged about the sides resuming talks since April. However, the Saints may be hesitant to extend their franchise quarterback long-term until they see what his age-37 season looks like. The 15th-year passer is set to count $30MM against New Orleans’ cap this season — nearly three times every other Saint’s price tag — if no extension lowers that number.
  • Kendall Langford lost his job to wunderkind defensive tackle Aaron Donald on the Rams in 2014 but became a key Colts cog last season, starting 16 games. A defensive end in the Colts’ 3-4 scheme, Langford may have been Indianapolis’ most important defensive player in 2015, writes Kevin Bowen of Colts.com, who adds the 30-year-old could be a Pro Bowl sleeper this season.
  • The Texans and first-round pick Will Fuller agreed on a four-year rookie contract expected to be worth just more than $10MM.

NFC Notes: Mathieu, Megatron, Saints

June 25th, 2016 at 11:56am CST by Ben Levine

Patrick Peterson understands what it takes to negotiate a new contract with the Cardinals. For what it’s worth, the cornerback believes teammate and fellow defensive back Tyrann Mathieu‘s discussions with the organization won’t take particularly long.

“I was in kind of a similar situation when it was time for me to sign a new deal and obviously wanting a new deal,” Peterson said on PFT Live (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “Like I tell Tyrann all the time, let his agent handle that and also it’s gonna be a long, drawn out process, you just have to be patient. I know it will happen, just don’t know when it will happen but the Cardinals organization understands what Tyrann means to the football team, to the community, and when you have a top notch player like that, that just doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and we have great ownership upstairs and the General Manager and the president and owner of the team. I mean those guys know at the end of the day what Tyrann means and like I said, I’m quite sure that the deal will get done here pretty soon.”

Reports indicated that the organization was ready to make Mathieu the highest-paid safety in the league, and talks seemed to be progressing. However, earlier this month, negotiations suddenly stalled, but there’s still optimism that a deal could be finalized by training camp.

As we await clarity on the Mathieu/Cardinals negotiations, let’s look at some more NFC notes…

  • Recently-retired wideout Calvin Johnson held his “Catching Dreams” football camp today, and the former Lions star told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter) that he won’t be returning to football. “I’m not coming back,” Johnson said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “You don’t have to worry about that.” The 30-year-old was clear that if he did return to the NFL, the comeback would be with the Lions.
  • The hiring process for Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell was more of a “recruitment” than an “interview,” coach Sean Payton told Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Fortunately, Payton had an edge after having coached Campbell for nearly a decade.
  • Meanwhile, Campbell, the Dolphins‘ interim head coach last season, was lured by the opportunity to work with Payton. “To me, it was a pretty easy sell,” he told Triplett. “And the biggest factor was Coach Payton. I know who he is, I know what he’s about. And hey, man, he’s proven himself as a coach.”

AFC Notes: Wilkerson, Jets, Raiders, Titans

June 25th, 2016 at 10:34am CST by Ben Levine

Peyton Manning will surely be enjoying his first year of retirement, but the future Hall of Famer told reporters that he’ll still be keeping an eye on the 2016 campaign. Specifically, Manning will be watching his brother, his former teams, and a former teammate.

“I kinda look forward to this year being a fan of a lot of teams, people that I have connections with,” Manning told reporters Friday (via Conor Orr of NFL.com). “I’ll be pulling for Brock. Of course, I’m going to be a huge New York Giants fan, but I’ll be pulling for the Broncos and the Colts. I’ll be pulling for Adam Gase and Jim Caldwell, the head coach of the Lions. Coaches and players I’ve played with and competed with. Being a free agent, if you will, this year, to be able to pull for a lot of teams.

“I’ll be pulling hard for Brock (Osweiler), I know he’s going to have a great year.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…

  • ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini reviews some of the largest contracts handed out to defenders in recent years, and he concludes that teams rarely get “that bang for the buck” that they’re seeking. Ultimately, while the Jets may not be concerned about a potential drop in Muhammad Wilkerson‘s production, Cimini believes the team could be looking to avoid that “buyer-beware element.”
  • With Geno Smith‘s contract expiring at the end of the season, Brian Costello of the New York Post wonders if we’ll see the best out of the Jets quarterback in 2016.
  • Raiders defender Aldon Smith will be arraigned for violating his probation, reports CSNBayArea.com. The 26-year-old was already on probation in August of 2015, when he was charged with DUI, hit and run and vandalism. According to the website, these charges proved to be in violation of that previous probation.
  • One of the Titans “big questions” heading into the preseason will be which wideouts will ultimately make the squad, writes Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. The writer mentions Kendall Wright, Rishard Matthews, Dorial Green-Beckham and Tajae Sharpe as locks to make the roster, and the writer could envision the team keeping an additional three receivers on the final squad.
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