HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Checking In On Le’Veon Bell

July 11th, 2017 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

The deadline for franchise tendered players to sign extensions with their respective clubs is six days away. If the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell cannot agree to a long-term deal by Monday, then they will not be able to discuss a multi-year deal again until next offseason. In that event, Bell would play out the 2017 season on a one-year, $12.12MM deal. Le'Veon Bell (vertical)

The Steelers would like to lock up Bell for years to come since he is a cornerstone of their offense and one of the league’s very best running backs. At the same time, Bell’s camp is likely looking to push the market for the position and the Steelers only want to go so far.

Currently, LeSean McCoy leads the way for NFL running backs when it comes to total value thanks to the five-year, $40MM+ deal he signed with the Bills in 2015. His average annual value ($8MM+) is also the highest of any running back on a multi-year contract and the full guarantee of $18.25MM at signing stands as the watermark for tailbacks.

One can’t blame Bell for looking to top those totals. One also can’t blame the Steelers for being a bit hesitant, particularly when considering Bell’s spotty off-the-field track record and the typically short shelf life of running backs. To borrow an analogy from the late Patrice O’Neal – running backs get old like bread, not like wine. If a multi-year deal comes together, it will probably include an escape hatch to allow the Steelers to break away after three years with minimal penalties.

Bell would certainly like the security of a long-term deal, but he also has plenty of incentive to bet on himself. If he turns in the kind of outstanding campaign that we’re all expecting, he’ll be looking at either a reprise of the franchise tag next year with a 20% bump, or he’ll be the most talented running back to hit the free agent market in recent memory. For Bell to forego that opportunity, he’ll need cashflow upwards of $26MM (the value of the two consecutive franchise tags) between 2017 and 2018. At least 75% of that sum will also need to be fully guaranteed at signing.

Turning down the Steelers’ best offer before the Monday deadline does come with some risk, but it’s a gamble with a high floor. Even if Bell were to never earn another NFL dollar beyond the 2017 season, the $12MM+ payout could theoretically have him and his family taken care of for the rest of his life.

The Steelers want to keep Bell for the long haul and Bell wants to remain with the Steelers. Still, a lot will have to change in the next six days for the two sides to hammer something out.

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, 49ers, Rams

July 11th, 2017 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals running back David Johnson says that he is paying close attention to Le’Veon Bell‘s contract negotiations with hopes that he’ll get a big payday. Johnson feels that things are about to change for top running backs and believes that big money is on the way.

“I feel like, especially now, with the running backs we have in this league, we’re going to definitely change the mentality of the running back and those contract deals,” Johnson told Andy Benoit of The MMQB. “We’re going to definitely make it [understood] that running backs are more important than you’d think. Everyone thinks it’s a passing league, but I think running backs are starting to show up and show out and prove that you need a good one to be a capable team.”

Unfortunately for Johnson, teams are still paying close attention to the odometers on running backs and it’s hard to net a monster deal after you’ve already logged a certain number of NFL carries. There are exceptions, but the perception remains that running backs are fungible with a limited shelf life and that impacts their pay day.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

AFC East Notes: Jets, McCown, Patriots, Bills

July 10th, 2017 at 9:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Josh McCown is the heavy favorite to open the 2017 season as the Jets‘ starting quarterback, Gang Green’s signal-caller competition hasn’t been resolved just yet, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. Given that head coach Todd Bowles is unquestionably on the hot seat — and needs victories to retain his job — New York could be loathe to bench McCown if the club gets off to an (admittedly unexpected) fast start. In such a scenario, second-year quarterback Christian Hackenberg might not get the type of long audition period required to show Jets management if they need to find another passer.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Although Jets linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin was arrested on assault charges last month (and is facing a civil suit stemming from the same incident), he’s not expected to face a suspension until at least 2018, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Mauldin is accused of punching a man in a New York nightclub in early April, and allegedly broke several bones in the man’s face. A third-round pick in 2015, the 24-year-old Mauldin hasn’t registered much production thus far in his NFL career, as he’s managed only 6.5 sacks as a backup in two seasons.
  • Given that the Patriots are only likely to retain six wide receivers on their initial roster, veteran Andrew Hawkins doesn’t seem likely to make the squad, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com details. Hawkins signed a one-year, minimum salary benefit deal with New England over the offseason, so the club will experience a minimal dead money hit if it cuts ties. Brandin Cooks, Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola, Malcolm Mitchell, and special-teamer Matthew Slater are Patriots roster locks, per Reiss, so there’s no room for Hawkins barring an injury.
  • New Patriots linebacker David Harris will earn a base salary of $1MM in 2017, reports Miguel Benzan of PatsFans.com (hat tip: Reiss). He can also bring in $500K in per-game roster bonuses, plus another $750K via incentives. In 2018, Harris is scheduled to make a $1.75MM base salary, plus $500K in per-game roster bonuses, and $1.05MM via incentives. As previously reported, Harris also received a signing bonus of $1.25MM.
  • While Preston Brown, Lorenzo Alexander, and Ramon Humber served as starters during minicamp, the Bills‘ linebacking corps battle is “wide open,” per Canio Marasco of BuffaloBills.com. Reggie Ragland, the club’s second-round pick a year ago, missed his entire rookie campaign with injury, but could be in line for playing time in 2017. Buffalo also signed veteran Gerald Hodges, who posted excellent results with the 49ers last season, to a low-cost deal.

Bills DT Adolphus Washington Arrested

July 10th, 2017 at 8:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bills defensive tackle Adolphus Washington was arrested on a firearms charge outside of Cincinnati on Sunday, according to Bob Strickley of the Cincinnati Enquirer.Adolphus Washington (Vertical)

Washington, a third round pick out of Ohio State in the 2016 draft, allegedly “reached for and displayed a gun while sitting inside his vehicle, just feet away from officers,” and didn’t report the presence of a firearm to the police before the interaction. The 22-year-old was released from custody on Sunday night.

As Strickley notes, Washington has run afoul of the law before, as he plead guilty to solicitation of prostitution while at Ohio State in 2015. While Washington wasn’t handed an NFL suspension for that incident since it happened before he turned pro, he could see a league-imposed ban for the firearm incident, regardless of whether he’s found guilty of a crime.

Washington started 11 games during his rookie campaign, but only played on roughly 30% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps. In that time, he posted 17 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and graded as the league’s No. 72 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.

Latest On Kirk Cousins Negotiations

July 10th, 2017 at 7:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins’ negotiating window with franchise-tagged quarterback Kirk Cousins is down to one week, but there have been no new developments in talks between the two sides, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post. As such, Washington and Cousins would essentially need to “start from scratch” in order to reach a deal, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.Kirk Cousins (Vertical)

The only positive news to come out talks between Cousins and the Redskins in recent weeks came from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reported in late June that an “improved tone” had enveloped negotiations between the parties. However, a contract still doesn’t appear likely, which would mean Cousins would play out the 2017 campaign while earning a fully guaranteed $23.94MM base salary.

If Washington tags Cousins again in 2018, the 28-year-old signal-caller would be entitled to a 44% raise, meaning he’d be due a salary of roughly $35MM. That fact, combined with Raiders quarterback Derek Carr‘s new five-year, $125MM extension ($40MM guaranteed), means Cousins is likely looking for a deal that averages $25-28MM with $58MM in guarantees, per Jones.

“I hired my agent to do his job,” Cousins tells Stephanie Funkhouser of FOX 17. “I gotta go play football and throw touchdown passes and help our team win. I’ve got plenty to work on there so I’ll let my agent do his job. I’ll do mine and the good news is I’m under contract for this season and in a good place.”

Offseason In Review: Minnesota Vikings

July 10th, 2017 at 6:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

One year after taking the NFC North crown with an 11-5 record, the Vikings witnessed the loss of their starting quarterback, injuries all along their offensive line, and a season-ending health issue to franchise icon Adrian Peterson. Following an 8-8 campaign and a third place divisional finish, Minnesota had several key areas to address this offseason, mostly on the offensive side of the ball.

Notable signings:

The Vikings actually boasted enviable depth heading into the 2016 season, but injuries and other factors led the club’s front five to perform like a sieve by the end of the campaign. Phil Loadholt retired before the season got underway, John Sullivan was released, Mike Harris dealt with a mysterious illness that wiped out his entire year, and Matt Kalil and Andre Smith played only six combined games before going down with injury. The result was an over-matched offensive line that started the likes of T.J. Clemmings (among the worst offensive tackles in the NFL), ranked 30th in adjusted line yards, and 17th in adjusted sack rate.

Quarterback Sam Bradford was heavily affected by the lack of blocking up front, as he rarely had time to throw intermediate-to-deep passes and finished 33rd in average depth of target, as Matthew Coller of 1500 ESPN details. An offensive line that performed at just a mediocre level would have done wonders for the Vikings offense, so the club attacked the weakness by bringing in free agents Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers.Riley Reiff (vertical)

Both deals were overpays, to be sure, as Reiff and Remmers both graded in the middle of Pro Football Focus‘ offensive tackle rankings (Nos. 48 and 51, respectively, among 78 qualifiers). Reiff, specifically, is now the eighth-highest-paid left tackle in the NFL, and received the third-most guaranteed money. That’s an exorbitant sum for a middling lineman, especially one who didn’t even play on the blindside a year ago.

Remmers’ contract is a bit more manageable, but the fact remains that Minnesota spent large to ensure a baseline level of production — and that’s not a bad idea. With the emergence of quick passing games, it’s more important than ever to simply not be terrible up front. Not every team needs to employ a Tyron Smith or a Joe Thomas to enjoy success, as it’s weak links — instead of All Pro performances — that often differentiate between offensive lines. The Vikings are also paying for availability, as Reiff has only missed three games during his five-year career, while Remmers has played in 32 consecutive contests since becoming a full-time starter.

Running behind Reiff and Remmers will be Latavius Murray, who signed a three-year deal to leave the Raiders. Originally viewed as a replacement for Adrian Peterson, Murray’s role is now murky after the Vikings traded up in the second round to select running back Dalvin Cook. There are certainly still carries to go around, as Minnesota ran the ball 380 times a season ago, but Murray probably isn’t going to be the bell-cow back he thought he signed up to be. Mike Clay of ESPN.com (Twitter link) projects 169 carries for Cook, 111 for Murray, and 69 for Jerick McKinnon.

The Vikings’ final notable offensive addition was wide receiver Michael Floyd, who struggled to find a market after being charged with Extreme DUI last year. Floyd, whose contract with Minnesota doesn’t contain any guaranteed money, is certainly a bounce-back candidate, and could make for an excellent value signing. However, he’s likely to serve a minimum two-game suspension, so he won’t be on the field immediately. The NFL recently held a hearing on Floyd’s case.Terence Newman

On the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings didn’t add much to a unit that already ranked ninth in DVOA and is returning many of its players. One such returnee is cornerback Terence Newman, who miraculously graded as the league’s ninth-best corner in his age-38 season, per PFF. At some point, Newman is going to experience a decline, but until that time, he’ll continue to team with Xavier Rhodes in one of the NFL’s best secondaries. He’ll hold down the fort for 2015 first-round pick Trae Waynes, who has disappointed in two pro seasons.

Like Waynes, Datone Jones is a former first-round pick who hasn’t contributed much during his NFL career, but he could be in for a fresh start after coming over from the division-rival Packers. Yanked around from position to position in Green Bay, Jones was even playing outside linebacker with the Packers. In the the Vikings’ 4-3 front, Jones will move back to his more natural end position, and could even see time at three-technique defensive tackle.

Read more

Chiefs Name Brett Veach As GM

July 10th, 2017 at 3:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have promoted executive Brett Veach to the role of GM. Veach is now the seventh GM in franchise history. Brett Veach (vertical)

“After a comprehensive search process, I am pleased to announce that we have hired Brett Veach to serve as the next General Manager of the Kansas City Chiefs,” Chairman/CEO Clark Hunt said in a press release. “Brett has a sharp football mind, a tremendous work ethic and a keen eye for finding talent. Over the last four seasons he’s played a critical role in building our football team. I look forward to working with him to continue to build on the strong foundation we have in place.”

The Chiefs, to the shock of the football world, found themselves with a GM vacancy this summer when they fired John Dorsey. From the get-go, Veach was identified as a frontrunner for the job. After considering other internal candidates plus some out-of-house types, the Chiefs have found their man.

Veach will report directly to Hunt on all player personnel matters, according to the team. Only time will tell whether that will be the true chain of command in Kansas City. It appears that coach Andy Reid had a good amount of say when it came to the 53-man roster and Veach will probably have to negotiate between his own vision for the team and what Reid wants to do. Fortunately for Veach, he has plenty of experience in that department. The two have a relationship that goes back several years to their time in Philadelphia, including a stint where Veach served as a coaching assistant for Reid.

Before deciding on Veach, the Chiefs also considered co-director of player personnel Mike Borgonzi. Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden and Seahawks co-diretor of player personnel Scott Fitterer were among the outside candidates to interview for the job. Vikings assistant GM George Paton turned down the team’s request to interview and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick was reportedly in the running, though he denied that he was interested in the position.

Latest On Eagles, RB Ryan Mathews

July 10th, 2017 at 2:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Upon signing running back LeGarrette Blount, the Eagles decided that they would be moving on from Ryan Mathews. Nearly two months later, Mathews remains on the roster. Now, it seems we’re at least two weeks away from a resolution on the matter. Ryan Mathews (vertical)

Mathews’ neck injury will be evaluated when veterans report to camp later this month, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets. If Mathews can pass a physical, the Eagles can release him without being on the hook for injury protection. The Eagles are not interested in releasing him before that point, because they would have to pay out an extra $1.15MM otherwise, leaving them with a $2.15MM cap charge when factoring in the dead money on his deal. By waiting until he passes the exam, however, the Eagles will be left with just $1MM on the cap while saving $4MM.

Mathews‘ season ended in December when he suffered the painful neck injury. Even with that injury plus the MCL sprain he was dealing with, he still managed to turn in an okay season. In 13 games, he had 661 yards off of 155 carries for an average of 4.3 yards per attempt. He also had eight rushing touchdowns plus 13 catches for 115 yards.

With Mathews out of the picture, the Eagles plan to use Blount, Darren Sproles, and Wendell Smallwood as their top backs. Fourth-round pick Donnel Pumphrey and Byron Marshall are also on the 90-man roster.

Steelers Notes: Bell, Shazier, Williams

July 10th, 2017 at 2:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Don’t be surprised if the Steelers and running back Le’Veon Bell need the full seven days between now and the deadline to reach terms on an extension, Ray Fittpaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette opines. Bell would like the security of a long-term deal and the Steelers would like some cost certainty, but finding middle ground could be a challenge.

If Bell is willing to bet on himself and his health, he is pretty much looking at a $26MM worst-case scenario by playing on two consecutive franchise tags between this year ($12.12MM) and next ($~14MM). Or, alternatively, the Steelers could allow him to test the open market next year where he would almost certainly top the $18.25MM guaranteed at signing in LeSean McCoy‘s contract. If Bell’s team is pushing for something around $31MM in cash flow between 2017 and 2018, and that’s a number the Steelers are probably uncomfortable with. As the deadline draws near, however, each side could bend a bit to find a compromise.

Here’s more from Pittsburgh:

  • Steelers Ryan Shazier is entering a potential contract year, but he says that’s far from his only motivation to perform. “I just want to have a full year in general just for myself,” said Shazier (via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). “I feel like I have the capability of being one of the best players in the NFL. People can’t really see what I can do when I’m not on the field. Your best ability is availability.” The Steelers exercised the linebacker’s fifth-year option for 2018, but that is guaranteed for injury only. Shazier has turned in back-to-back seasons of 87 tackles and 3.5 sacks for Pittsburgh. For his work last year, Pro Football Focus ranked Shazier as the 32nd best linebacker in the NFL last year, tying him with Mark Barron of the Rams and Danny Trevathan of the Bears. There’s no question that he has been a quality player, but he is looking to take a big leap in 2017. If he takes his game to the next level this year, there will be little question about whether the Steelers will trigger his one-year, $8.718MM option.
  • Former Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams made his pro wrestling debut earlier this month, but he says he still wants to continue playing in the NFL. He’s also not ruling out a return to Pittsburgh, but the Steelers’ current level of interest is unknown.
  • Will the Steelers be among the 2016 division winners to miss out on the postseason this year? Click here to cast your vote.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Staley, Cowboys

July 10th, 2017 at 11:27am CST by Zachary Links

Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley enjoys his job, but he also feels that he is ready to get a chance to be an offensive coordinator somewhere. “Yeah, definitely,” Staley told CSNPhilly.com’s Reuben Frank.

“You never know how that works for you. I do know that you wait on those opportunities and hopefully those chances will come. If not, I love what I’m doing. Can’t say anything bad about what I’m doing. I love it. That’s when you know it’s not a job…I live vicariously through my players, still, to this day. I catch them out there running and making moves and I catch my knees shaking a little bit, I’m making the move with them. You can’t replace that feeling.”

Staley started out on Andy Reid‘s staff and was promoted to RB coach under Chip Kelly. He kept that job under Doug Pederson, making him the only coach to be a part of all three coaching regimes in Philly. Since Staley became the Eagles’ running backs coach in 2013, the Eagles have posted the fifth-most rushing yards in the NFL (8,114). Staley certainly has a strong resume to work with if he gets calls for OC jobs next offseason.

More from the NFC East:

  • If Dak Prescott were to suffer an injury that keeps him out of action for a serious stretch of time, the Cowboys could be motivated to go shopping for a quarterback, Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News writes. Cowboys coaches continue to sing the praises of Kellen Moore, saying that they have confidence in his football IQ and ability to lead the team. However, he has played in just three games as he enters his sixth season in the league. If the Cowboys have to forge on without Prescott for some reason, they may want to go for a more dynamic quarterback with more on-field experience.
  • More from Hairopoulos, who wonders if Alfred Morris‘ roster spot with the Cowboys may actually be in jeopardy. Morris, of course, offers serious veteran talent behind Ezekiel Elliott and Darren McFadden, but his inability to really contribute on special teams can hurt him. Earlier in the offseason, exec Stephen Jones said that “in a perfect world,” your third running back would be helping out in the third facet of the game. So far, we’ve heard positive talk about undrafted free agent Jahad Thomas and he could theoretically wind up as the team’s No. 3 running back. Then again, if Elliott winds up getting suspended by the the league office, the Cowboys may not be willing to lose a runner of Morris’ caliber.
  • One surprising factor could steer Kirk Cousins towards staying with the Redskins long term.
  • The Giants are not prioritizing a new deal for star Odell Beckham Jr.
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