Month: December 2024

The Beat: Vic Carucci On The Bills

With the season fast approaching, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team’s offseason and how those moves will impact the season ahead.

Now, we continue the series by discussing the Bills with Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. You can follow Vic on Twitter @viccarucci and check out his stories here.

Tyrod Taylor (vertical)Zach Links: As you reported this week, the Bills and Tyrod Taylor‘s agent have been in frequent contact with regards to a long-term deal. Taylor is a unique case because while he had a strong 2015, he doesn’t have a long track record of success. What sort of deal do you think would make sense for both sides?

Vic Carucci: I could see something that provides Taylor with enough guaranteed money to satisfy him (and, remember, you’re talking about a player who played under sixth-round contract for most of his career as a backup in Baltimore) but also includes enough reasonable incentives to give him a good chance to move into the pay range he desires ($18MM or so) while also protecting the Bills. The biggest concern, for both parties, is the injury risk from Taylor’s inclination to run, so I think that will be a factor as well in how the contract is structured.

Zach Links: To date, the Bills have not been willing to offer Stephon Gilmore the kind of monster long-term deal that he is after. However, a Gilmore extension would probably give Buffalo enough room to extend Taylor. Do you see the Bills and Gilmore working out an extension sometime soon?

Vic Carucci: I don’t. I think he’s locked into the idea of getting a Josh Norman-like deal, and the Bills aren’t going to give him that. The Bills are compensating him fairly for this season, anticipating the scenario of him potentially playing into the final year of his rookie contract. They will see where they stand cap-wise at midseason, and perhaps they could resume what to date have been stalled talks. As far as the impact on Taylor, I think the Bills view it as a separate situation and, depending on how/if it works out with Taylor, there would likely be other contracts adjusted/restructured to accommodate whatever its resolved with the QB, if it’s resolved.

Zach Links: Do you think the Bills made the right pick when they selected Shaq Lawson No. 19 overall? Does his shoulder issue concern you at all in the long run? Shaq Lawson (vertical)

[RELATED – Impact Rookies: Buffalo Bills]

Vic Carucci: I liked the pick. The health risk was always on the table, and by having the surgery done in the offseason, it at least creates the possibility of having Lawson available for half the season. Although his absence could adversely impact the hopes of Rex Ryan of an immediately dramatic turnaround for his defense, I think you need to take a longer-term view with Lawson. When healthy, he should be a difference-making pass-rusher for many seasons.

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Titans To Sign Andre Johnson

1:36pm: It’s a two-year deal for Johnson, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Colts owed the veteran $2.5MM for this season, but that number will be reduced thanks to the offset language in his previous deal.

11:46am: Andre Johnson is continuing his tour of the AFC South. The veteran wide receiver has agreed to sign with the Titans, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Andre Johnson (vertical)

After spending 12 seasons in Houston, Johnson signed a three-year, $21MM contract with the Colts a year ago, and looked poised to enjoy the benefits of catching balls from Andrew Luck after playing with a cavalcade of mediocre quarterbacks over the years with the Texans. However, Luck missed more than half the season, and Johnson struggled, averaging a career-low 31.4 receiving yards per game. For the season, he had 41 catches for 503 yards and four touchdowns, easily the worst full-season marks of his career. For a player who averaged more than 1,100 receiving yards per season during the first 12 years of his career, earning seven Pro Bowl nods during that time, last year’s drop-off was precipitous.

As shown on Roster Resource, Johnson will join wide receivers Rishard Matthews, Tajae Sharpe, Kendall Wright, Dorial Green-Beckham, Harry Douglas, Justin Hunter, Tre McBride, and Andrew Turzilli (suspended for the first four games of the season) on the 90-man roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders’ Aldon Smith Checks Into Rehab

Aldon Smith has entered a treatment center, multiple sources connected to the NFL star tell TMZ Sports. It’s not immediately clear exactly what Smith is seeking treatment for. Aldon Smith (vertical)

Days ago, a man who appeared to be Smith was seen on his Periscope account smoking a blunt. Smith, of course, is suspended until mid-November for violating the league’s substance abuse policy following a DUI last year, so any repeat offense could have serious implications. The video showed an unidentified female and the hands and voice of a man (who is never shown on screen) appearing to smoke marijuana as the man engages in what he calls a “fire up session” and continues to tape the incident despite the woman’s protestations, claiming “we’ve got zero followers.”

The league’s substance abuse policy states that any player in stage three of the plan must engage in “abstinence from substances of abuse throughout the entire period of his banishment,” so if the NFL finds that Smith did indeed use illicit drugs during his suspension, he is unlikely to be reinstated in November. Smith, for his part, appears to have issued a denial through his Twitter account: “Good try, not me.”

An immensely talent player when his head is right, Smith played in seven games for Oakland last season before agreeing to a two-year extension this spring. The deal, worth $11.5MM, contains no guaranteed money and is heavily incentivized, so the Raiders can easily cut bait if they feel the need to.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

No Deal For Ravens, Jake Long

The Ravens won’t be signing Jake Long after all. Despite passing an exit physical with Falcons in January and another with Dr. James Andrews this week, Long declined to sign an injury waiver today and, therefore, remains a free agent, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Facebook link). Jake Long

Long tells Schefter that his knee feels great and indicated that he was happy with by Andrews’ review of his knee this week. With what he deems to be good medical news, Long says that he still looks forward to playing this season. However, it’s unclear where he might try and make that happen. Long had a visit with the Bears earlier in the offseason, so it’s conceivable that Chicago could come calling again.

Long, 31, spent the 2015 season with the Falcons after signing on midway through September. The former No. 1 overall pick was hoping to have a bounce-back season in Atlanta but he wound up only appearing in four games and he didn’t start in any of those contests. In the year prior, Long saw time in just seven games for the Rams last season due to a torn ACL. In the year before that, Long also tore his ACL in St. Louis.

In 2014, Long’s last season which could be measured by advanced metrics, Pro Football Focus ranked Long as just the No. 36 tackle out of 84 qualified players. In 2013, however, Long graded out as the seventh-best tackle in the league with a strong 22.5 overall score, based on PFF’s advanced metrics. Those numbers suggest that Long could still be a productive player if he can return to full health.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions, Darius Slay Agree To Extension

Darius Slay and the Lions have agreed to a four-year extension worth $50.2MM with $23MM fully guaranteed at signing, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Slay is coming off his second straight 16-start, two-interception season, one in which Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the second-best cornerback in the NFL. As a result of his on-field excellence, Slay – who was slated to enter his contract year – pushed to be paid like one of the league’s top seven corners on his next deal.

Slay’s old deal would have paid him just under $1MM in 2016 before potentially hitting the open market. The new deal will give Slay a major pay hike starting in 2017.

Being paid like a top-seven corner means getting roughly $14MM per year in salary and nearly $7.3MM in annual guarantees. Prices for high-end corners have continued rising since last season, with the likes of Josh Norman and Janoris Jenkins scoring massive contracts in free agency. Slay’s new deal gives him $12.55MM annually with a true guarantee payout of $5.75MM per year. When more details come out about the pact, we’ll find out if Slay cracked the top seven.

In assessing his own performance recently, the 2013 second-round pick from Mississippi State sized himself up against the league’s best corners:

 “Right now I’ll say top seven, just cause as long as (Darrelle) Revis is in the game, he’s going to be the best corner to me. (Richard) Sherman’s the best, 24 picks in three years, nobody ain’t do that. Pat P (Peterson) of course. I love Chris Harris’ game. (Aqib) Talib. Joe Haden. I feel like them are the real elite, elite, elite guys, so I feel like I’m an elite guy, but I feel like I got to keep working to get to their level because they’re elite.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chargers Release C Trevor Robinson

The Chargers have released center Trevor Robinson, a source tells Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter). The move clears $2.3MM in cap space for the team. Trevor Robinson (vertical)

Robinson started 13 games in 2015 but was considered a potential cap casualty this summer. The 26-year-old is still not back to 100% after a shoulder injury he suffered last season, made 13 starts in 15 appearances for the Chargers in 2015. San Diego has since added free agent pickup Matt Slauson and third-rounder Max Tuerk to the fray at center.

In other Chargers news, first-round pick Joey Bosa is not reporting to the team today as his contract holdout continues. Recently, in a PFR exclusive, scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas gave an in-depth look at Bosa and the rest of San Diego’s rookie class.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pigskin Links: Gordon, Jaguars, Watt

Here at Pro Football Rumors, we deliver up-to-the-minute news on NFL transactions and high-quality original analysis. Each week, we also feature some of the best blog articles from around the web in our regular feature, Pigskin Links.

We’re looking for interesting reads on all things football from blogs of all sizes. While PFR is dedicated to player movement, Pigskin Links is open to pieces on all areas of the game. If you would like to suggest your blog post (or someone else’s) for Pigskin Links, send us an email with the link and a brief synopsis at PigskinLinks@gmail.com.

Here’s this week’s look around the football blogosphere:

Got a great football blog post that you want to see featured in next week’s Pigskin Links? Email it to Zach or tweet it to him: @ZachLinks.

Vikings QB Taylor Heinicke Out For 3 Months

Vikings quarterback Taylor Heinicke is expected to start the season on the non-football injury list after severing a tendon in his left foot, as ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling writes. The Old Dominion product reportedly suffered the injury while trying to help a friend get back into his apartment earlier this month. Taylor Heinicke (vertical)

[RELATED: Q&A With Vikings Reporter Darren Wolfson]

Heinicke, in the process of being a helpful friend, apparently tried to kick open the door like Michael Chiklis on The Shield and gave himself a serious injury. There was no foul play or substance abuse involved in the incident, a source tells Goessling. The Vikings signed Heinicke as a UDFA last year and he managed to make the team as the No. 3 QB after an impressive preseason showing. Heinicke was said to be looking good in practice this year before the unfortunate injury.

With Heinicke potentially out until November, one has to wonder if Minnesota could have extra motivation to pursue free agent QB Nick Foles. Foles, released by the Rams on Wednesday, was quickly linked to the Vikings as well as the Cowboys. Last night, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News reported that there were ten teams doing their due diligence on the 27-year-old.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Joey Bosa Will Not Report To Chargers Today

Chargers first round pick Joey Bosa will not report with his teammates today as he remains unsigned, according to Steve Wyche of NFL.com (on Twitter). The timing of bonus payouts and offset language are believed to be the sticking points in negotiations.Joey Bosa

[RELATED: Jets, Rookie Darron Lee Agree To Deal]

While Bosa’s battle with the Bolts over his rookie contract has been known for some time, few expected this dispute to drag into training camp. The No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft seems serious about getting what he wants in his rookie deal and he is out to prove his point as he stays home today.

Bosa is obviously a big part of the Chargers’ plans for this season and his absence is undoubtedly frustrating for the team. Recently, in a PFR exclusive, scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas gave an in-depth look at Bosa and the rest of San Diego’s rookie class:

Bosa is scheduled to start at left defensive end, where the Chargers let former second round pick, Kendall Reyes, also leave the complex to join Weddle in Baltimore. After a promising rookie year that saw Reyes tally 5.5 sacks, nine stops for loss and nineteen QB pressures, Reyes failed to impress during his three years as a starter, making two sacks and 32 hits through fifteen assignments with the first unit last year.

While Bosa only sealed the deal with five sacks in 2015, he did record fourteen QB chase-downs, including eight on third-down snaps and two on fourth-down plays. While he was effective as a pass rusher in 2014, he really has yet to develop an array of pass rush moves, relying more on his length and raw power to beat blocks on his path to the quarterback. He is known more for that power, but as he matures, he needs to be more efficient with his swim- and rip-move techniques. In any event, he can be an impact player for the Chargers in 2016 – once he gets his contract sorted out.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, guard Joshua Garnett stands as the only other remaining first-round holdout. Rapoport (on Twitter) hears that there probably won’t be a holdout from the No. 28 overall pick and a deal should get done shortly.

Photo courtesy of PFR on Instagram.

Eagles, Darren Sproles Agree To Extension

The Eagles and Darren Sproles have reached agreement on a one-year contract extension, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The additional year will take Sproles through the 2017 season and pay him $4.5MM. Sproles was initially set to earn $3.5MM this season, but the Eagles pushed some money into 2016 with the new deal. The Eagles have confirmed the extension via press release.Darren Sproles (vertical)

[RELATED: Eagles Won’t Cut Bradham; Wanted Boldin]

The news is a sharp turn from what we were hearing earlier this spring, when there seemed to be discord between the Eagles and Sproles and questions about his future in Philly. In May, we learned that the Eagles reportedly received calls of trade interest on running back Darren Sproles during the draft. At the same time, the running back staying away from OTAs. Sproles would later claim that his absence was unrelated to those reports, but the timing does not seem coincidental.

Sproles came to the Eagles in a 2014 trade with the Saints. At the time, Sproles was brought in to be a key part of the team’s backfield. Later on, however, the entire backfield was remodeled and Sproles found himself as the No. 3 tailback on the list behind DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews. The Eagles once again overhauled their backfield this offseason when they shipped Murray to the Titans in a surprising trade. That deal left the Eagles with Mathews as their lead back and Sproles as the No. 2, as shown on Roster Resource.

Now, as Mathews deals with an injury, Sproles is being given some extra cash as he prepares for what might be a larger-than-expected role in the Eagles’ offense. If Mathews’ issues drag into the regular season, we could see Sproles as the Eagles’ de facto No. 1 RB.

Sproles, 32, saw time in every game last season and made four starts. In that span, the veteran ran for just 317 yards off of 83 carries but also contributed 55 receptions for 388 yards. For his contributions in the rushing, receiving, and return game, Sproles earned his second-straight Pro Bowl nod in 2015.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.