2016 September - Pro Football Rumors

Month: October 2024

Latest On Matthew Stafford, Lions

September 11th, 2016 at 8:50am CST by Rory Parks

The Lions are set to kick off the 2016 season against the Colts this afternoon, but lost in the excitement only Week 1 can bring is the fact that Detroit is rapidly approaching a crossroads in franchise history. Quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s contract is set to expire after the 2017 season, and, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com observes, teams rarely let a franchise quarterback reach the final year of his deal without a contract extension.

Rothstein sets forth the three options that the Lions have relative to Stafford’s future with the club: keep Stafford as their quarterback for the rest of his career at a high price; let him play out the final year of his contract, realizing he may choose to test free agency after that season no matter what; or decide to move on from him and choose a quarterback high in next year’s draft. All three options, of course, are fraught with risk.

The complicating factor in all of this is that while Stafford has done as much as could be expected of him from a statistical standpoint, the Lions have been mediocre at best with him under center, and Stafford has made just two playoff appearances in his seven-year career (although, to be fair, mediocrity is in many ways an improvement over the pre-Stafford era). That is perhaps why the team has not engaged Stafford’s representatives in extension talks as of yet. Indeed, team president Rod Wood told Bill Shea of Crain’s Detroit Business that while he has talked with ownership about Stafford’s future, he has not yet talked to Stafford’s camp. As Wood said, “When the time is right, we’ll talk to his representatives about it. We’ve made long-term plans in terms of what that means to the team’s budget.”

Needless to say, Stafford’s play this year will go a long way towards determining his future in the Motor City. The good news is that Stafford improved greatly once the Lions switched offensive coordinators to Jim Bob Cooter in the middle of last season, but the bad news is that this will be Stafford’s first season without Calvin Johnson. But Stafford still has a reasonable amount of talent at the skill positions, and he is now the undisputed face of the franchise. As Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press points out, logic suggests that the Lions will try to sign Stafford to a third contract next off-season, a deal which could top Andrew Luck’s five-year, $123MM extension in terms of value and which could briefly make Stafford the highest-paid player in league history.

But before that happens, GM Bob Quinn wants to see a couple of things.

First, Quinn wants Stafford, “to kind of take that next step, take the team, put them on his shoulders and kind of lead us to that improvement that we’ve talked about.”

Quinn continued, “I love Matthew. I said it in my opening press conference what I thought about him, so I’ll stand by that comment. But the other hand, I haven’t been in this seat with him playing the game and I’m getting to know him as a person.”

Finally, Quinn said, “He’s a great guy. He’s a good leader. He’s really taken that and just listening to the people that have been here before, he’s definitely taken a step in terms of the leadership and being more outgoing now that some of the older guys aren’t here anymore. He’s definitely taken that presence. So I’m looking forward to watching him play, watching him develop as a leader and when that stuff comes it will work itself out.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Anthony Davis Expected To Remain With 49ers

September 11th, 2016 at 8:19am CST by Sam Robinson

SUNDAY, 8:19am: After meeting with team officials yesterday afternoon, Davis is expected to remain with the club, according to Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle. Whether or not he will play against the Rams on Monday night, however, remains to be seen.

SATURDAY, 6:35pm: The 49ers have remained in touch today, according to Maiocco, who reports that sources have indicated to him that Davis is “leaning” towards playing this year. Meanwhile, a 49ers source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee that Davis’ status is “up in the air” given that he has “reservations” about moving to guard.

SATURDAY, 4:45pm: Davis, a source told Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole (Twitter link), does not intend to retire. Should he return to the team, the converted guard stands to make $1.225MM in base salary this season.

SATURDAY, 4:26pm: Anthony Davis did not attend 49ers practice on Saturday, and the team categorized the absence as not being related to injury. A 49ers spokesman said the veteran offensive lineman is with his family.

A source, however, informed Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News that the 26-year-old Davis might be retiring again. Agent Drew Rosenahus had no comment when reached by Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

While this absence could prove to be a temporary pause for the sixth-year lineman, Davis was slated to start at right guard for the 49ers in Week 1 against the Rams and obviously has a recent history that points to this kind of decision. A five-year starter at right tackle before his retirement in advance of the 2015 season, Davis dropped several hints during his sabbatical of a return to football before officially being reinstated in July.

Inman reports (on Twitter) 2015 starter first-rounder Andrew Tiller and not first-rounder Joshua Garnett would receive the first crack at starting at right guard if Davis is indeed retiring. The 49ers have listed Davis as questionable on their injury report.

The former No. 11 overall pick in 2010, Davis expressed a willingness to change positions after being unable to reclaim his former right tackle spot. Davis missed nine games in 2014 due to injury and called his retirement a break for his body and brain. He started in all 16 regular-season games in each of his first four seasons. He spent 2015 on the reserve/retired list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Redskins Remain Interested In Pierre Thomas

September 10th, 2016 at 8:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins have “maintained contact” with free agent running back Pierre Thomas, according to John Keim of ESPN.com, though it’s unclear at what level of seriousness the club’s interest lies. Thomas finished out the 2015 season with Washington, and the team is still looking for options behind starter Matt Jones.

Jones, 23, is entering his first full season as the Redskins’ starting running back after splitting time with Alfred Morris last year. On 144 carries during his rookie campaign, Jones averaged only 3.4 yards per attempt, and as Keim notes, was particularly poor after getting touched, as he ranked 45th in the league with 1.44 yards after contact. Jones wasn’t a factor in the passing attack, either, as he managed only 19 receptions.

Washington’s offensive line didn’t do Jones — or any of the other Redskins running backs — any favors, as the unit ranked 21st in adjusted line yards. The club didn’t make any additions to its front five, although Washington did attempt to acquire center Bryan Stork from the Patriots (the deal was rescinded when Stork failed a physical). And in terms of depth, the Redskins seem to be relying mostly on Jones, as the other running backs on the roster are third-down specialist Chris Thompson and undrafted rookie Rob Kelley.

Thomas, meanwhile, hasn’t been linked to any other clubs since the free agent period opened (aside from the Redskins, of course). After signing on with Washington in December, Thomas rushed for 4.7 yards per carry on 11 totes, adding nine receptions for another 84 yards. Those limited numbers obviously don’t speak to Thomas’ true ability, especially in the passing game — in eight years with the Saints, Thomas averaged 49 receptions per season. The 31-year-old, then, could make sense as a third-down option behind Jones.

If the Redskins are set on adding another back, they could theoretically turn to the free agent market, where a number of options sit unsigned. Veterans such as Ahmad Bradshaw (who could offer a skill-set similar to Thomas), Joique Bell, and Donald Brown are available, as are younger players like Karlos Williams, David Cobb, and Ronnie Hillman.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/10/16

September 10th, 2016 at 7:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves:

The Seahawks have removed linebacker Eric Pinkins from their injured reserve list with an injury settlement, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Pinkins, 25, appeared in six games for Seattle last season.
The Seahawks have also made a swap on their practice squad, signing wide receiver Antwan Goodley and cutting offensive tackle Takoby Cofield, tweets Condotta.
The Buccaneers have cut linebacker Micah Awe from their practice squad, reports Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Awe’s removal opens a spot for fullback Dan Vitale, who was added to the taxi squad yesterday.

Earlier updates:

The Raiders waived defensive end James Cowser off their IR list with an injury settlement, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The Buccaneers promoted linebacker Josh Keyes to their 53-man roster, Roy Cummings of FanRag Sports reports (on Twitter). Keyes played in seven games last season for the Bucs. To make room for Keyes, the Bucs waived tight end Alan Cross, per Cummings (Twitter link).
Although he enjoyed a productive preseason, Dezman Moses saw the Chiefs cut him to make room for Eric Berry, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter). Moses spent the past three seasons with the Chiefs, serving as a backup outside linebacker and playing in 26 games for the franchise. Moses made four sacks for the Packers as a rookie but has been used mostly in a special teams capacity with the Chiefs.
The Lions released linebacker Josh Bynes from their IR list, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com tweets.

Browns Exec: RG3 Not Just Short-Term Option

September 10th, 2016 at 7:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns signed quarterback Robert Griffin III to a two-year, $15MM deal over the offseason, and while RG3 has been labeled as a “bridge QB” — an option for Cleveland until it can acquire a franchise passer in the draft — executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown views RG3 as part of the Browns’ future. Speaking Friday to reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Brown outlined his vision for Griffin’s time in Cleveland.

“To be fair to Robert, he’s young in his career in terms of his development as a quarterback,” said Brown. “We will develop him over time. He’s under contract here two years, but we don’t look at it as certainly just a two-year venture or a week-to-week venture.

“This is something we’re going to have to stick by him, put the right pieces around him and help him learn how to play that position as well. So it’s not a short-term kind of look at him.”

Clearly, Brown has no choice but to exhibit confidence in Griffin at this stage of his Cleveland career, and it’s always possible that the Browns perform much better in 2016 than most observers expect. But Cleveland is likely to finish last in the AFC North — the Football Outsiders’ Almanac gives the Browns a mean win projection of 5.2 wins (last in the NFL) and a 41% chance of winning less than four games. Those totals would entitle Cleveland to a top-five draft pick once again, and it would difficult for the club to pass up on a quarterback.

The Browns do have other signal-callers available on the roster, including veteran Josh McCown and third-round rookie Cody Kessler. But every indication is that RG3 will be given a long leash, as Cleveland isn’t in a position to seriously contend anyway. Even Brown didn’t bristle at the notion that his team is “tanking,” though he may prefer a different term.

“The external noise we know is coming and will be there, whether we’re successful or not and we can’t let that bother us,” said Brown. “That just wouldn’t be part of anything we would embrace or be part of. So I appreciate that folks have not seen a strategy quite like this before, but I’d hardly call it tanking.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

WR Keshawn Martin Visits 49ers

September 10th, 2016 at 5:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent wide receiver Keshawn Martin met with the 49ers today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Martin was released by the Patriots during final cutdowns last weekend.

Martin, 25, was traded from the Texans to New England in September, and he ended up appearing in nine games (eight starts) for the Patriots, compiling 24 catches for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Over his four-year career, Martin has 62 receptions for 685 yards and five touchdowns. The former Michigan State Spartan agreed to an extension with the Patriots in January that included $600K guaranteed, so it was a tad surprising to see the club cut bait so soon.

San Francisco’s depth chart is extremely thin behind No. 1 wide receiver Torrey Smith, as Quinton Patton, Aaron Burbridge, and the recently-acquired Rod Streater are candidates to fill the second WR role. Jeremy Kerley, another recent trade acquisition, is expected to start in the slot, but Martin would offer another option to absorb snaps on the outside.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eagles Notes: Johnson, Wentz, Fullbacks

September 10th, 2016 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Eagles are entering their Week 1 matchup with the Browns in an interesting position on their offensive line. Since the NFL has yet to announce the expected suspension for Lane Johnson, the team shelved a plan that included an alternate route at right tackle and will instead start Johnson on Sunday, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

“Getting ready to play, man,” Johnson told media after Friday’s practice. “I didn’t think this day would come. This has been the biggest mental hurdle of my career.”

Johnson faces a 10-game suspension after his A sample tested positive for a banned substance. The delay for the league appears to stem from the results of his B sample not being retrieved. The fourth-year tackle intends to appeal any suspension, and with that process taking as many as several weeks, he may be available longer than expected this season. However, the loss of an appeal could sideline Johnson during more second-half games than anticipated since the ban won’t be starting Week 1 as he anticipated.

Here’s the latest coming out of Philly.

Hours before the Eagles’ third preseason game, wide receiver Jordan Matthews told Howie Roseman that Carson Wentz was ready to see play now instead of being a quarterback-in-waiting, Zach Berman of the Inquirer reports. The rookie was then relegated to personal throwing sessions while recovering from injury, and while the third-year pass-catcher’s statement probably wouldn’t have proved as significant for the purposes of Week 1 had Teddy Bridgewater not gone down, the comment looks somewhat prescient now that Wentz is the starter and Sam Bradford‘s in Minnesota.
Some in the Eagles’ organization are surprised by the Browns’ comments regarding Wentz, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Paul DePodesta recently revealed the Browns’ brass did not consider the North Dakota State product a potential top-20 NFL quarterback, and young defenders Carl Nassib and Ibraheim Campbell respectively called Wentz’s delivery and inexperience into question this week after it became known he would start the season for the Eagles. Wentz had read DePodesta’s comments before he was named the Eagles’ starter, Cabot writes.
It doesn’t look like Doug Pederson‘s offense will be housing a pure fullback for a while, Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com writes. The team cut potential options Ryan Mueller and Chris Pantale. Many teams obviously go without pure fullbacks in today’s NFL, but the Andy Reid– and Pederson-run Chiefs employed one in Anthony Sherman during the three seasons that duo coordinated Kansas City’s attack. The Eagles have Andrew Bonnet on their practice squad and could use third tight end Trey Burton there, per new OC Frank Reich.
Earlier today, former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook said some Philadelphia veterans aren’t on board with the Bradford trade.

Emmanuel Sanders On Broncos Extension

September 10th, 2016 at 2:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Emmanuel Sanders would have been one of the most coveted wideouts on the 2017 free agent market, even as he’s entering the final season of his 20s. But he’s now the highest-paid No. 2 wide receiver in football and opted for security on a team that no longer uses the pass-first system that attracted him to Denver.

“I wanted to be here and I kept saying that we just have to find the right number,’’ Sanders said, via Mike Klis of 9News. “I could’ve possibly went to another team that’s pass-happy, but I’m all about winning championships and I think that we’ve got the formula.”

The 29-year-old receiver signed a three-year, $33MM extension that will make the Broncos’ No. 2 target the league’s 10th-highest-paid receiver on average. Although the sides reached an agreement a day prior to the Broncos’ season opener, John Elway — according to Nick Groke of the Denver Post — had not heard from Sanders’ side recently, but the Tavon Austin four-year, $42.5MM Rams extension appears to have spurred some action. Elway admitted the Broncos were examining that contract, likely on how it pertained to Sanders’ value.

“I could have went to the open market and I could have made more money, but to play alongside Aqib Talib and Chris Harris, guys have to take, they call it the ‘hometown discount,’” Sanders said, via Klis. “At the end of the day, we’re all rocking hardware on our fingers right now and we’re chasing, trying to get two or maybe three or four so that’s what it’s about.”

The overall deal doesn’t profile as a discount, with Sanders joining the eight-figure-AAV club. But the details of the accord appear to make it favorable for both sides. Sanders received a $10.75MM signing bonus, and his $2.75MM base salary is fully guaranteed this season, Klis reports. Sanders’ $6.75MM base for 2017 is also fully guaranteed, and his $8.25MM 2018 salary becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the ’18 league year. The highest base figure in this deal, a $10.25MM 2019 salary, is non-guaranteed.

This represents a change in organizational philosophy under Elway, who did not make a strong attempt to re-sign Eric Decker in 2014. Klis writes the uncertainty around what it would take to re-sign the since-departed Julius Thomas factored into that decision. Now that the Broncos are devoid of a franchise-quarterback salary and don’t feature tight ends that are going to be breaking the bank any time soon, the opportunity to pay a second pass-catcher top-market money emerged.

“I still play from the heart, and the money will come as long as you don’t play for the money,” Sanders said, via Klis. “It shows up on tape, it shows up on tape exactly what you’re playing for so I really wasn’t focused on that, but when my agent [Todd France] reached out to me that the Broncos were interested in an extension, I was excited about that, but I knew that we do have a receiver in Demaryius Thomas who is making 14 [million], 15 [million]. I knew that it was going to be tough, but they came with the right number, it was a great number and I’m excited to be here.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eagles Veterans Unhappy With Sam Bradford Trade?

September 10th, 2016 at 12:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The Eagles decision to trade Sam Bradford to the Vikings seemed to make sense on paper. The team received a haul for the quarterback, and they had second-overall pick Carson Wentz waiting in the wings. However, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes, several of the team’s veterans weren’t happy with the front office’s decision to trade Bradford.

Former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook appeared on PFT Live recently to discuss the move. Westbrook noted that the team’s decision to opt for a rookie quarterback may indicate that the organization isn’t serious about competing in 2016.

“I kind of feel for those veterans like Jason Peters and Malcolm Jenkins, because I know and I was in the situation,” Westbrook said. “I had Donovan McNabb my entire career in Philadelphia but at some point they benched Donovan McNabb when we were in Baltimore and they put in Kevin Kolb. You just wonder, ‘OK, what are we doing here?’ Because we felt right now we had one of the better quarterbacks in the league in Donovan on the bench.

“It’s a little bit different situation with Sam Bradford because he hasn’t been one of the better quarterbacks on that same type of level as Donovan but if I’m on this football team here in Philadelphia right now and I’m a veteran I’m saying, ‘Well, hold on, timeout. We’re building for the future but that future does not necessarily include me and I have a problem with that.’ It’s good for the organization but not necessarily good for those veteran guys and so I would be a little disappointed.”

Well, that would seem like normal hyperbole, but Florio made a point of asking Westbrook outright whether some current Eagles had an issue with the trade.

“Definitely,” Westbrook said. “There’s no doubt about it and I’ve talked to a few guys that have expressed that. A few guys have said, ‘We’re trying to win this year because I don’t know if I’m going to play next year and I’m definitely not sure if I’m going to be able to be in Philadelphia next year. So as much as we want this young guy Carson Wentz to be successful we’re concerned about winning this year. We’re concerned about winning now.’ …

“I think that there’s an understanding from the fans, the coaching staff as well as the front office that, ‘Hey, we’re going to need to take some time to build this thing the right way.’ Unfortunately for some of the older players, some of the veteran players, that doesn’t necessarily mesh with what your goal is as far as winning right now.”

For what it’s worth, Bradford led his team to a 7-7 record in his 14 starts in 2015 (albeit in an entirely different scheme). The 28-year-old actually had one of his more productive NFL seasons, compiling a career-high 3,725 passing yards to go along with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Jaguars GM On Pressure, Jack, Fowler Jr.

September 10th, 2016 at 10:45am CST by Ben Levine

Dave Caldwell took over as the Jaguars general manager in 2013. Since then, the squad has gone 12-36.

Fortunately, there’s reason for optimism in Jacksonville. The offense seemed to have taken major steps forward in 2015, and 2016 will see the addition of several talented defenders. In fact, our own Zach Links picked the Jags to secure one of the AFC’s wild card spots!

Caldwell recently sat down with Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com to discuss the pressure of being a GM, as well as the additions of defenders Myles Jack and Dante Fowler Jr.. The whole interview is worth reading, but we snagged some of the more notable soundbites below…

On whether there’s additional pressure in fourth year on job:

“Not any more than the previous three years. Our pressure comes from within. … We’ve been doing this for four years, and to have a winning record is probably a reasonable expectation. I think [owner Shad Khan] will make a decision at the end of 16 games and say it’s the direction he likes or doesn’t.”

On not rushing rookie linebacker Myles Jack:

“I’m encouraged by the idea of taking a player in the second round and not needing them to be an impact player right away. That’s a good thing. When he gets on the field, he’ll be a very good player. The fact he doesn’t have to right away is a good thing for this organization.”

On Dante Fowler’s return from injury:

“It’s been truly interesting to see him come off an ACL injury like he has and have the amount of explosion and quickness and speed he possesses and not even for one second think about that injury. He’s flying around, he’s working his tail off in practice and doing a good lot things. He’s getting the rust off. Like our rookies, as the season goes along, he’s going to be a much better player.”

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