2017 February - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

Can Jets Get Out Of Revis’ Contract?

February 17th, 2017 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

We don’t know exactly what transpired this weekend with regards to Darrelle Revis‘ incident, but we do know that he’s facing a whole heap of legal trouble. The Jets cornerback is being charged with a litany of charges including four felonies, one of which is for making a “terroristic threat.” This all comes at a time when the Jets are set to make a critical decision regarding his future with the team.

Revis’ contract calls for him to carry a $15.3MM cap number in 2017. In a perfect world, based on performance alone, the Jets would like to rid themselves of the entire commitment and release him. However, as a part of his five-year, $70MM deal with $39MM fully guaranteed at signing, he is owed a fully guaranteed $6MM for the coming year. Could the Jets wriggle out of their commitment after Revis’ bizarre weekend in Pittsburgh?

The cornerback’s contract does not contain specific language allowing the team to terminate the deal as a result of a felony charge, according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com. However, it does state that Revis could be in default of his contract if he is “fined or suspended by the NFL or Club for Conduct Detrimental” or “fined or suspended for violation of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy” or “engages in personal conduct reasonably judged by Club to adversely affect or reflect on Club.”

A four-felony fight would seem to fit the bill for those terms, but it ultimately comes down to a matter of timing. No punishment will be levied against Revis between now and the start of the league year on March 9, nor on March 10 when he is due a $2MM roster bonus. If the Jets were to cut Revis before any league sanctions, they’ll be on the hook for that guaranteed $6MM regardless.

In theory, one option for the Jets could hold on to Revis beyond March 9th and 10th and wait for the league to come down on Revis. At that point, the Jets could recoup the $6MM in salary and $2MM bonus. But, as Slater notes, the Jets can’t be 100% certain that Revis will be found guilty of the aforementioned charges or that he’ll be suspended by the NFL. If Revis is let off the hook by the legal system and league office, the Jets will only be compounding their problem.

I believe the Jets will play it safe and drop Revis at the start of the new league year, but for what it’s worth, Mike Florio of PFT feels the Jets could be encouraged to roll the dice if the NFL places Revis on leave while everything gets sorted out. If the league doesn’t place Revis on leave, he’ll be able to participate in the offseason program and if he gets hurt during that, his ~$15MM salary would become fully guaranteed. Again, I have a hard time seeing the Jets taking such an enormous gamble.

Cutting Revis in advance of March 9 is also not an option for the Jets. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap explained last fall, the league treats dead money from a salary guarantee differently than dead money from a bonus. If Revis were to be released before 3/9, the dead money would count against the 2016 cap rather than the 2017 cap. The Jets do not have enough room under the ’16 cap to complete that transaction.

In summation: the Jets can maybe possibly somehow someway avoid paying Revis his guaranteed $6MM, but it would require a gargantuan risk by team ownership.

Jets’ Austin Seferian-Jenkins Avoids Jail

February 17th, 2017 at 8:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have seemingly been in the news for all the wrong reasons this week. Here’s the latest item: tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins has cut a plea deal in his DUI case from last year, according to TMZ. Under the terms of the agreement, he will not spend any time in jail. Instead, he will have one year of probation and commit 50 hours of community service. He’ll also attend DUI classes and pay a $500 fine.

Of course, the agreement with prosecutors does not mean that Seferian-Jenkins is out of the woods in terms of punishment from the league office. Because this was his second DUI arrest, it seems likely that the tight end is in store for a multi-game suspension.

As it stands, Seferian-Jenkins is under contract with the Jets through the 2017 season with a $1.061MM base salary and $1.136MM cap number. None of that cash is guaranteed, however, so the Jets could cut him without any fiscal penalty.

Seferian-Jenkins, 24, hauled in 21 catches for 221 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. In 2015, he had a similar stat line across seven games as he caught 21 balls for 338 yards and four scores. This year, he recorded three catches and one touchdown for the Buccaneers before he was thrown overboard. With the Jets, he had 10 catches for 110 yards in seven games.

Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

Julius Peppers Finished With Packers?

February 16th, 2017 at 9:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Pending free agent Julius Peppers “appears to be done” with the Packers, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Peppers has declined to address retirement in the past, so although Demovsky’s report likely means Peppers won’t re-sign with Green Bay, Peppers may look to continue his career elsewhere.

Peppers, 37, wrapped up another productive season with the Packers, as he appeared in all 16 games, posted 7.5 sacks, and graded as the league’s No. 35 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus. A rare external signing by Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson, Peppers has delivered on his three-year, $26MM deal by racking up 25 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, and 14 passes defensed during his time with the Packers. Peppers, who ranks fifth all-time with 143.5 quarterback takedowns, was coy when asked about retirement late last year.

“I’m not saying that I don’t want to play next year,” said Peppers. “I’m not saying that I do. I’m just saying that right now I don’t know.”

If he does reach the free agent market, Peppers will join a group of available edge players that includes Chandler Jones (who is likely to be franchised), Melvin Ingram, Jason Pierre-Paul, fellow Packer Nick Perry, James Harrison, Jabaal Sheard, and others.

NFC Notes: Vikings, Rhodes, Saints, 49ers

February 16th, 2017 at 9:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent cornerback K’Waun Williams will take his visit with the Vikings next Tuesday, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Williams, 25, had meetings with the Lions and Jets earlier this week, and is expected to convene with the Dolphins and 49ers at some point, as well. After starting 10 total games during his first two years in the NFL, Williams was sidelined for all of 2016 thanks to an ankle injury.

Here’s more from Minnesota and the rest of the NFC:

The Vikings have are expected to hire former Purdue and Kent State head coach Darrell Hazell as their new wide receivers coach, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News (Twitter link). Hazell, who was fired only six games into the Boilermakers’ 2016 campaign, has a career NCAA record of 25-43. Internal offensive assistant Drew Petzing was also thought to be a candidate for the position, but instead it’s Hazell who will replace George Stewart, who left for Los Angeles.
While they’ll face decisions on unrestricted free agents Matt Kalil, Captain Munnerlyn, and Cordarrelle Patterson, the Vikings are also expected to begin negotiating a contract extension with cornerback Xavier Rhodes, according to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Thanks to his fifth-year option, Rhodes is signed through the 2017 season, during which he’ll earn $8.026MM. A long-term deal could nearly double his salary, as Josh Norman currently leads all cornerbacks with a $15MM annual figure.
The Saints are likely to select an offensive tackle early in the draft, perhaps as early as Round 1, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Although Drew Brees‘ blindside is locked down by Terron Armstead, right tackle Zach Strief is now 33 years old and entering the twilight of his career. Strief is due a $1.5MM roster bonus later this spring, and New Orleans is expected to pay that figure if Strief definitely decides to continue his career, per Triplett. As such, the Saints likely won’t target a tackle in the free agent market, and the draft looks like a better avenue to find a new lineman.
The 49ers are hiring Daniel Bullocks as their assistant secondary coach, per Marvez (Twitter link). Bullocks worked in the same role for Jacksonville last season, and previously coached in the collegiate ranks.

Jets’ Darrelle Revis Facing Charges

February 16th, 2017 at 9:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis was injured in an weekend altercation, and is now being formally charged with two counts of aggravated assault, one count of robbery, one count of conspiracy – aggravated assault, and one count of terroristic threat, the former four of which are felonies. A warrant has been issued for Revis’ arrest, and the 31-year-old is set to turn himself into police.

Revis’ lawyer indicated his client was assaulted by a group of five people, but the police report states Revis and a partner may have instigated the violence. The account claims Revis was approached by a tandem of men who questioned whether Revis was an NFL player, and began to video him. Revis reportedly grabbed the men’s phone, at which point the altercation began.

Revis, at one time, was considered to be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. He returned to the Jets prior to the 2015 season and while he earned a Pro Bowl nod in his first year back, his 2016 season turned out to be a disaster. The Jets have been expected to either restructure Revis’ deal this offseason or release him entirely. If Revis was badly injured in this brawl, it could impact his future with the team and in football as a whole.

Additionally, Revis could face a suspension and/or see his guaranteed 2017 salary voided as a result of this incident. Already expected to be a candidate for release this offseason, Revis is now more likely than ever to be cut and could end up retiring, per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links).

Last year, Revis appeared in 15 games for the Jets and totaled 53 tackles and one interception. Pro Football Focus ranked Revis as just the 66th best cornerback in the NFL out of 112 qualified players. His 72.1 overall score was a career-low and not at all in line with his monster contract.

KDKA-TV offered one account of the incident, while WTAE provided another. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reported Revis was formally facing charges and would turn himself into police.

Steelers Notes: Brown, Bell, Timmons, Jones

February 16th, 2017 at 8:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers have a number of to-do items on their offseason docket, and today general manager Kevin Colbert addressed the media with a focus on what Pittsburgh plans on doing over the next few months. Let’s take a look at the highlights from Colbert’s press conference, courtesy of Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Stating that he wants both wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell to remain Steelers for life, Colbert said the club has opened extension talks with Brown, the only player with whom Pittsburgh has discussed a new deal, according to Dulac. Brown is signed through 2017 with a cap charge of roughly $13.6MM, while Bell is an unrestricted free agent but will likely be retained via the franchise tag. Colbert specifically called reaching a new contract with Brown an offseason “priority,” although a recent report indicated that talks between the two sides will move slowly.
Re-signing veteran linebacker Lawrence Timmons could also be in the cards for the Steelers, but negotiations with Timmons won’t be as cut-and-dry as talks with Brown and Bell. “Would you like to have him stay? Absolutely,” Colbert said. “Does it all fit? We can make it work, but at what cost? He’s never been a free agent. I’d like to see him finish his career here and he would too.” Timmons, 30, has spent a decade in Pittsburgh, and is coming off a 78-tackle, 2.5-sack season.
The Steelers aren’t counting on former second-round cornerback Senquez Golson, who has missed his first two seasons in the NFL with injury, for anything more than potential depth. “I’m a little more apprehensive,” said Colbert. “Just from sitting out two years, where you haven’t played at all, it’s not real easy to just step out there and catch up.” As such, Colbert said Pittsburgh could consider selecting a cornerback in this year’s draft.
Because Golson is a question mark, the Steelers could be open to re-signing cornerback Justin Gilbert, who was released last week, tweets Dulac. Gilbert has become a massive draft bust since being selected eighth overall in 2014, and played only 11 defensive snaps last season. He’s still just 25 years old, however, and would make for an interesting (if uninspiring) depth peice.
Despite reports of a possible retirement, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is expected to return in 2017, and the Steelers hope to re-sign backup signal-caller Landry Jones, as well, as Dulac writes. “We’d like to have Landry stay in the mix,” Colbert said. “Will we add a guy? Absolutely. When? It’s hard to say. Sooner or later we will have to address that.” If Pittsburgh doesn’t view Jones as the long-term replacement for Roethlisberger, the club could look to draft a QB at some point.

Steelers Working To Extend Alejandro Villanueva

February 16th, 2017 at 8:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Given that it ranked second in adjusted line yards and third in adjusted sack rate, the Steelers’ offensive line finished the 2016 season as one of the league’s best units, and the club now wants to extend a key member of that front five. Pittsburgh is interested in hammering out an long-term deal with left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, reports Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Villanueva, is an exclusive right free agent, meaning he’s not able sign with any other clubs as long as the Steelers tender him an offer. Pittsburgh has been the most active thus far in the offseason in terms of re-signing its exclusive rights free agents, and the team clearly wouldn’t complain about retaining Villanueva at a one-year cost of $540K. Even after the 2017 campaign, Villanueva would only qualify as a restricted free agent, again meaning the Steelers could keep him around on the cheap.

A long-term deal, however, would not only lock up Villanueva for the foreseeable future, but reward the second-year pro for his excellent production. A former Army infantrymen, Villanueva graded as the league’s No. 24 offensive tackle in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, and has now started 26 games in two seasons with the Steelers.

As Bouchette notes, the top-10 highest-paid tackles in the league earn more than $10MM annually, but a few factors should keep Villanueva from reaching that plateau. Not only is he not quite at the elite level that would require such a salary, but he’s under team control for the next two seasons, a fact that will artificially depress his value.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Redskins

February 16th, 2017 at 7:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Running back Adrian Peterson reportedly has interest in joining the Giants if he’s released by the Vikings this offseason, and last night the veteran back sent out a cryptic tweet that will only add fuel to the Big Blue fire. “The Giants been making some interesting moves,” tweeted Peterson, presumably referring to New York’s release of running back Rashad Jennings and wide receiver Victor Cruz. The Giants might be interested in Peterson if he comes at an affordable price, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com writes, but the 31-year-old doesn’t appear to be a scheme fit. Peterson averages roughly 1.2 fewer yards per carry out of the shotgun, and New York uses the shotgun formation on two-thirds of its offensive snaps, as Evan Silva and Raymond Summerlin of Rotoworld tweet.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

Although the Cowboys already employ running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris, Darren McFadden isn’t ruling out a return to Dallas. “I get the feeling that the Cowboys wouldn’t mind keeping me,” the 29-year-old McFadden told SiriusXM NFL Radio today (Twitter link). McFadden, who only appeared in four games in 2016 after missing most of the year with injury, was mentioned in trade talks both during the summer and near October’s trade deadline. A 1,000 yard rusher just a season ago, McFadden could certainly to Dallas as a depth piece, but would receive more playing time elsewhere.
The Redskins have to consider other personnel factors as they discuss an extension with quarterback Kirk Cousins, opines John Keim of ESPN.com in a pair of articles. For one, Washington has other players it will need to lock up in the coming years — offensive linemen Morgan Moses and Spencer Long will need new deals in 2018, while wide receiver Jamison Crowder and linebacker Preston Smith could be extended the following year. Additionally, the Redskins will need to ensure they keep enough cap space available to place weapons around Cousins, with solid drafts the key to keeping costs down.
Now that the Giants have released Cruz, the club could be on the lookout for a wide receiver in free agency, as Ralph Vacchiano of SNY writes. While New York is unlikely to target expensive options such as Alshon Jeffery or Terrelle Pryor, the Rams’ Kenny Britt or the Ravens’ Kamar Aiken could make sense next to Odell Beckham Jr. Earlier this year, PFR’s Connor Byrne tossed out Brandon LaFell (Bengals), Terrance Williams (Cowboys), and Justin Hunter (Bills) as pass-catchers who could be on the Giants’ radar.

Adam Thielen Pushing For Vikings Extension

February 16th, 2017 at 7:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings can retain restricted free agent receiver Adam Thielen via an RFA tender this offseason, but if Thielen and his agent Blake Baratz have any say, Minnesota will lock up Thielen to a long-term extension in the next few months, Baratz told Ben Goessling on 1500 ESPN’s Purple Podcast.

“They have the ability to do right by him, and [Thielen has] far exceeded anyone’s expectations,” said Baratz. “They don’t have any money invested in their wide receivers, and we can figure out something to do that’s right — this week, next week, the following week, March, April.

Every day that gets closer to the end of next season without a deal in place, the pendulum just continues to swing Adam’s way. I think I’m very fair, Adam’s very realistic, and we want to do something that makes sense for the team and makes sense for Adam. Otherwise, someone’s going to be unhappy.”

Because he hasn’t accrued four NFL seasons, Thielen is bound to the Vikings for at least one more year, who have the option of tendering the 26-year-old at the first-round, second-round, or right of first refusal level. Given that he produced 69 receptions for 967 yards and five touchdowns in 2016, Thielen is likely to receive a first- or second-round offer, which would pay him in the neighborhood of $4MM or $2.8MM, respectively. Even with draft pick compensation attached, Baratz believes Thielen could attract interest in free agency.

“I would be shocked if [teams didn’t pursue him],” Baratz said. “I think the cat is kind of out of the bag. He’s had such a good year, and none of it was a fluke. When I talk to evaluators and they’re breaking down film on Adam, they legitimately understand how fast he is. They legitimately understand how good of routes he has.”

Redskins Considered Letting Kirk Cousins Test Free Agency

February 16th, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Earlier this offseason, the Redskins were “of a mind” to let quarterback Kirk Cousins hit free agency in order to let the open market determine his financial value, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com. Washington’s view on Cousins has seemingly changed now that Cousins backers Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay are now in head coaching positions and could theoretically take a run at the Redskins quarterback, per Breer.

Progress between Washington and Cousins has been slow in recent weeks, and within the Redskins’ front office there is some “internal resistance” to the concept of using the franchise tag on Cousins for the second consecutive season. Per Breer, some Washington executives believe that giving Cousins nearly $24MM for the 2017 campaign would hinder negotiations with the sixth-year pro, as Cousins would be unlikely to accept a lower annual salary after setting $24MM as a baseline.

In sum, the Redskins seem incredibly unlikely to allow Cousins to reach free agency, and will probably use the franchise tender if now long-term deal is reached. Washington’s concern over San Francisco poaching Cousins if he heads to the market unfettered aren’t unfounded, as Cousins is reportedly Plan A for the 49ers at quarterback. A Los Angeles pursuit makes less sense, as the Rams just drafted Jared Goff first overall in last year’s draft.

In his two years as a starter, Cousins has helped the Redskins to plus-.500 seasons – including a 9-7, NFC East-winning showing in 2015 – while flourishing statistically. Cousins is coming off a year in which he completed 67 percent of passes, nearly reached the 5,000-yard mark (4,917), and tossed 25 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.

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