HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

AFC Notes: Steelers, Jackson, Bills

July 1st, 2017 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Le’Veon Bell has recovered from offseason groin surgery. The Steelers running back has been playing pickup basketball in Los Angeles while his representatives discuss what would be a landmark extension, one that almost certainly would make Bell the NFL’s highest-paid running back. The fifth-year runner didn’t elaborate much on the process, though.

“I’m good with everything, just taking it day to day for real,” Bell said, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.

Attached to a $12.1MM franchise tag, Bell is the only player given the tag who did not sign his tender or agree to a long-term extension this offseason. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com noted this week the proposition of a Bell/Steelers pact “could go either way.” LeSean McCoy‘s $8MM-per-year salary is the current running back ceiling, but the 25-year-old Bell’s likely aiming to exceed that by quite a bit.

Here’s the latest from around the league.

  • One of Bell’s Steelers teammates did not have a good end to the work week. Miami Beach police arrested Artie Burns for driving with a suspended license Thursday night, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports. Burns was unable to provide a driver’s license and had back tickets totaling approximately $1,000, Fowler reports (Facebook link). The cornerback was released from custody on Friday. The Steelers have not commented on the incident.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap (Twitter links) is a bit surprised by the size of Gabe Jackson‘s deal with the Raiders. Even with growing salaries for guards, Fitzgerald did not expect Jackson to fetch a five-year, $56MM extension with $26MM in guarantees. It could be a sign of things to come in Oakland and Fitzgerald believes that linebacker Khalil Mack will wind up as the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL by a healthy margin when that deal gets done. As we learned Thursday, Mack will probably have to wait until next year to get his extension.
  • The Bills‘ move back to a 4-3 look will benefit its personnel more than Rex Ryan‘s 3-4 did, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News writes. In addition to Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams moving back to their natural spots inside, the Bills should have a better chance of seeing what they have in Shaq Lawson. Carucci notes Lawson never felt comfortable as a 3-4 outside linebacker — a position he’d never before played — and is a much better fit as a 4-3 end. Meanwhile, the Bills should be able to coax more from Jerry Hughes now that he’s back at end, with Carucci pointing out Ryan’s schemes at times called for the natural pass rusher to execute pass-coverage assignments. Hughes totaled 10 sacks apiece as a 4-3 end during the 2013 and ’14 seasons but combined for just 11 over the past two years.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

West Rumors: Lynch, Kap, Rams, Bolts

July 1st, 2017 at 5:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

John Lynch has vouched for Colin Kaepernick‘s desire to play football throughout this offseason, but the new 49ers GM doesn’t think all of his peers believe him. Lynch said it would be in Kaepernick’s best interests to communicate these desires to remain in the league publicly.

“I would tell you with my conversations with Colin, he is fully committed to wanting to be in this league,” Lynch said during an interview with San Francisco radio station KNBR (via Pro Football Talk). “I gave that opinion to Colin myself: ‘I think you are having a little bit of an image crisis in terms of, not so much what you did last year, but people are wondering: Is this most important to you?’ At a position where the guys who succeed at the position are the guys who live it, breathe it, the CEOs at that position. And I think there is a perception that football is not at the top of the list.”

Kaepernick remains a UFA despite several less accomplished quarterbacks landing backup jobs. While he visited the Seahawks and has maintained a public profile on social media, he hasn’t spoken out about his football career this offseason. Late last month, a 49ers employee questioned Kaepernick’s commitment to football, saying he only wants to return to stay relevant.

Here’s more from the Western divisions, first shifting to the 49ers’ Los Angeles-based rival.

  • During Day 2 of the draft, the Rams traded down from No. 37 to 44 and picked up an extra third-round pick from the Bills. Sixth-year GM Les Snead said during Amazon’s “All or Nothing: A Season with the Los Angeles Rams” that he doesn’t get too attached to second-round talents because he’s confident offers will be there to trade out of the spot and stockpile more selections. “You don’t want to pick early second [round] often,” Snead told new HC Sean McVay (via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com). “But when you’re picking early second, never fall in love with a player. You’ll always get an extra third[-round pick].” The Rams selected safety John Johnson with that third-round pick.
  • McVay’s presence and the addition of multiple wideouts this offseason will help Jared Goff, with Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com noting that McVay’s newer-age offense will benefit last year’s No. 1 overall pick more than the Rams’ previous “antiquated” attack. The Rams ranked last in total offense by more than 40 yards last season, at 262.7 per game. The team added Robert Woods in free agency and used third- and fourth-round picks, respectively, on Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds.
  • The Chargers signed a 10-year lease at their new facility in Costa Mesa, Calif., Jack Wang of the Orange County Register reports. The team is committed to lodge there for at least five years, per Wang, who adds that the Bolts have until the end of this month to depart their facility at Chargers Park in their previous city. Costa Mesa is currently serving as the Bolts’ temporary home, but the team hasn’t ruled out staying there on a longer-term basis. Wang reports the Chargers are still looking to secure permanent headquarters elsewhere in the region.

Poll: Who Is Patriots’ Top AFC Challenger?

July 1st, 2017 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

An offseason that saw the Patriots trade several draft picks for immediate help leaves the defending Super Bowl champions as the favorite to at least defend their AFC title. Las Vegas is inclined to agree, with top sites showing a sizable odds gap between the Patriots and the AFC’s other contenders.

But if there’s a line of demarcation between the Pats and their competition, there doesn’t appear to be much of one separating the challenger tier. Several teams can make cases they are in the best position to push the Pats.

This conference hasn’t featured much parity this century, with only the 2012 Ravens infiltrating the Tom Brady/Peyton Manning/Ben Roethlisberger rotation on the Lamar Hunt Trophy since the 2002 season. The Steelers are certainly in this conversation, but what about a team not steeped in modern excellence?

Certainly, you’d first look to the AFC West as the division housing the most viable threats. The Chiefs, Raiders and Broncos reside among Vegas’ top challenging prospects, but none is without issue going into training camp.

The defending division champions just cut the player most figured would be their No. 1 wide receiver and fired their GM three weeks later. While the departures of Jeremy Maclin and John Dorsey aren’t necessarily deal-breakers for the Chiefs’ effort, they also did not do much to help their cause in free agency and used their top draft choices on players who might not see the field much in 2017. While Kansas City went 6-0 against its divisional brethren in 2016 en route to its first playoff bye since 2003, the Chiefs have not reached an AFC championship game in more than 20 years and have lost narrow divisional-round contests to more proven playoff franchises in the past two.

The Raiders are receiving more preseason hype and used June to lock in pieces of their core long-term in extending Derek Carr and Gabe Jackson. The team now has a mixture of hired guns and homegrown cogs to make a legitimate push after a long time away from the spotlight. Already possessing an ascending franchise quarterback and a top-flight offensive line, Oakland bolstered its offense with additions of Jared Cook, Cordarrelle Patterson and Marshawn Lynch. The Silver and Black, though, have not established much defensive success — Khalil Mack‘s dominance notwithstanding — and still have uncertainty on that unit.

Denver’s enjoyed the most success in stopping New England runs in recent years, but the Broncos’ run of playoff berths stalled at five last season. The defensive nucleus that spearheaded the Super Bowl 50 title remains, but the Broncos now have a new coach and new coordinators. They also have yet to establish a quarterback plan, and their offensive line has notable questions after a rough year. They did spend quite a bit to upgrade up front, however, and showed two years ago they don’t need a great offense to win a title.

While the Steelers have proven they can win in January, they didn’t fare well in Foxboro. Although they weren’t exactly a healthy operation by the AFC title game, the Steelers did not account themselves well that night. They might be the No. 1 AFC contender based on Roethlisberger and host of skill-position threats, but while the Patriots added several new pieces this offseason, the Steelers continued their cautious strategy when it comes to outside talent procurement. But the defending AFC North champions do return a strong outfit capable of making an AFC charge.

The AFC South houses the team that ranked No. 1 defensively last season, doing so without J.J. Watt for the most part, but the Texans also are without an immediate quarterback answer. Deshaun Watson could prove to be that in due time, but for the purposes of 2017, this query will follow Houston despite its defense’s potential. The Titans made a big jump last season and added some weaponry in 2017. They figure to make matters tougher on another Texans division crown. The Dolphins also ended their playoff drought and have an intriguing skill-position corps. Ryan Tannehill remains a question mark, though, as far as January viability goes, and Miami’s defense struggled in 2016.

So, who will be the top threat to stop the Patriots from repeating in the AFC? Who did we leave off that has a legitimate opportunity this season? Take PFR’s latest poll and drop your sleeper picks in the comments section.

Extra Points: McKinney, Raiders, Bills

July 1st, 2017 at 12:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Texans 2015 second-round pick Benardrick McKinney came into his own during his second NFL season. After starting 11 of his 14 games as a rookie, McKinney started all 16 games last season, compiling 129 tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble. While the 24-year-old is naturally overshadowed by teammates J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, one AFC college scouting director suggested he’d build his entire defense around McKinney.

“I’d be very comfortable starting my defense with McKinney as my first pick,” the scout told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “He’s an absolute stud. He’s so big and strong, but, at the same time, he runs so well. If you could redo the draft, he’d be a first-rounder, easily. The Texans really hit on this guy. He’s special.”

McKinney inked a four-year, $5.35MM contract (with $3.26MM guaranteed) after getting drafted, and he’ll surely see a raise when he reaches free agency in 2019.

Let’s check out some other notes from around the league…

  • There were reports earlier this week that the Raiders don’t have the cap room to extend defensive end Khalil Mack until next offseason. However, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com questions those claims. The writer cites the NFLPA’s website, which lists the organization’s current cap room at $32.8MM. Even if that number reflected the team’s financial situation before the Derek Carr and Gabe Jackson extensions, Florio is still convinced that the team could have easily fit all three extensions. In the event that it wasn’t financially feasible, the writer notes that the Raiders could simply restructure the contracts for Kelechi Osemele and Bruce Irvin, which would have presumably opened enough space. As a result, Florio doesn’t believe it’s an issue of whether the Raiders can sign Mack right now; rather, Florio believes the issue revolves around whether the organization wants to extend Mack at all.
  • It’s been more than a decade since the Bills have had a “difference-making tight end,” writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. The organization did little to improve the unit during the draft or free agency, meaning the team will have to rely on former restricted free agent Charles Clay. The team inked the 28-year-old to a contract prior to the 2015 season, and he’s averaged 54 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns during his two years in Buffalo. Clay counts for $9MM against the cap, which presumably dissuaded the front office from pursuing reinforcement at the position. As a result, Carucci says the team will have to “get by with what they have.”
  • According to Alex Marvez of The Sporting News, the NFLPA has warned players “about the possibility of a financial scam.” The Player’s Association issued an alert on Friday regarding a trio of “tax advisory firms” that were operated by a Chicago-based resident. One NFL player was reportedly charged $500K for the man’s services, and the NFLPA also found a list of fraud claims against the individual that date back to the 1980s.

NFC Notes: Giants, Eagles, Donald

July 1st, 2017 at 11:27am CST by Ben Levine

The Giants and quarterback Eli Manning will soon be dealing with a memorabilia fraud lawsuit, but ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio notes that the NFL still has no comment on the situation. Specifically, the reporter wonders if “a civil finding of memorabilia fraud” would ultimately lead to a review under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy, especially considering the vague explanation of the rule:

“Conduct by anyone in the league that is illegal, violent, dangerous, or irresponsible puts innocent victims at risk, damages the reputation of others in the game, and undercuts public respect and support for the NFL. We must endeavor at all times to be people of high character; we must show respect for others inside and outside our workplace; and we must strive to conduct ourselves in ways that favorably reflect on ourselves, our teams, the communities we represent, and the NFL.”

Florio also notes that the list of “prohibited acts” include “[c]rimes of dishonesty such as blackmail, extortion, fraud, money laundering, or racketeering.”

While we await some clarity on that situation, let’s take a look around the NFC…

  • With former second-round pick Dorial Green-Beckham seeking his third team in three seasons, Geoff Mosher says the former Eagles wideout needed “a heavy dose of humble pie.” The writer notes that the talented offensive weapon easily lost focus, ran sloppy routes, and dropped easy-to-catch passes. While the receiver was once compared to Randy Moss, Mosher now believes Green-Beckham is a prime example of “wasted talent.” As a result, the receiver is no longer an elite prospect, and he should instead be considered a “reclamation project.” During his lone season in Philly, the 24-year-old hauled in 36 receptions for 392 yards and two touchdowns.
  • Despite the presence of Ryan Mathews and free agent addition LeGarrette Blount, veteran running back Darren Sproles is still confident that he can contribute to the Eagles running game this season. Sproles told ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link) that he “can do it all,” and it’s likely that Philly capitalizes on his versatility again in 2017. Last season, the 34-year-old caught 52 receptions for 427 yards and two touchdowns, and he added another 438 yards on the ground.
  • Appearing on ESPN’s NFL Live, Anderson said that she assumes Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald is likely frustrated that he hasn’t received an extension from the organization (via Rams-News.com). The reporter notes that the team has extended Tavon Austin and Robert Quinn, yet the three-time Pro Bowler still hasn’t receive a new contract. The Rams did exercise the former first-rounder’s fifth-year option earlier this offseason, so Donald will be sticking with the organization through at least the 2018 season.

QB Notes: Carr, Stafford, Bortles, FAs

July 1st, 2017 at 9:45am CST by Ben Levine

During the press conference to announce his new contract, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr had said that he wanted to leave some money for the organization to re-sign his teammates.

“The main thing that I could just remember was all along the way, I was like, ‘How do we keep my teammates?’” Carr said (via Raiders.com). “That’s, I don’t know if it’s weird how it sounds, but that was just what I kept telling him. I was like, ‘OK. that’s cool. Yeah, that’s awesome, wow, cool. Is this good for Gabe [Jackson]? Is this good for Khalil [Mack]? Is this good for Amari [Cooper]?’ [Reggie] can tell you himself, these are things that I said to him numerous amounts of times. I didn’t want to hurt our team; that’s the last thing I would ever want to do. So, hopefully we didn’t That’s the last thing that I intended to do and that’s kind of why I was so involved.”

Well, Carr’s brother, former NFL quarterback David Carr, said the Raiders star left money on the table so the team could specifically re-sign offensive guard Gabe Jackson (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). While Carr still became the first player in NFL history to make more than $25MM a season, his contract apparently left enough room for the organization to re-sign Jackson to a five-year, $56MM extension.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL pertaining to the league’s quarterbacks…

  • With all the talk surrounding free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Roy Cummings of FloridaFootballInsiders.com notes that there are a number of available signal-callers who could justify having a roster spot in the NFL. Besides the former 49ers quarterback, Cummings lists Vince Young, Robert Griffin, Christian Ponder, Johnny Manziel, and Jay Cutler as those who are still awaiting phone calls.
  • Matthew Stafford‘s 2018 franchise tag value will be around $26.4MM, according to Albert Breer of the MMQB.com. The reporter notes that this will give the veteran some leverage during contract negotiations with the Lions, as the “the expected slotted number” was around $22MM. Next season, Stafford will be earning a $16.5MM base salary in the final year of his contract.
  • The Jaguars acquisition of rookie running back Leonard Fournette, rookie lineman Cam Robinson, and veteran offensive tackle Branden Albert should give the organization some clarity on quarterback Blake Bortles, writes Breer. The 25-year-old, who seemingly took a step back last season following a breakout 2015 campaign, had his fifth-year option for 2018 picked up earlier this offseason.

Jets Notes: Bowles, Martin, Skrine, UDFAs

July 1st, 2017 at 9:00am CST by Ben Levine

Some fringe NFL players have difficulties finding a job after their NFL career has seemingly come to an end. However, Jets placekicker Ross Martin seems to have it all figured out. The former undrafted free agent out of Duke already has a job lined up at IBM if/when his football opportunities have dried up.

“Throughout my senior year, my first and foremost passion was to make it to the NFL, but I also wanted to have a contingency plan,” Martin told Ethan Greenberg of NewYorkJets.com. “I did a couple interviews with a couple different firms and ended up getting the offer from IBM with a start date in October last year. I went the whole course with the Jets through the preseason and everything. I got cut and started working for IBM in October of last year all the way up through April.”

Martin is hoping for a different outcome this time around. The 23-year-old is competing with Chandler Catanzaro in what special teams coordinator Brant Boyer described as a “wide open kicking competition.”

Let’s check out some more notes out of the Jets organization…

  • In the unlikely event that Jets coach Todd Bowles loses his job, Darryl Slater of NJ.com believes that general manager Mike Maccagnan should have a major say in hiring the team’s replacement. Bowles and Maccagnan were hired together before the 2015 season, and it’s clear that owner Woody Johnson is still running the show. However, considering the organization’s wish to rebuild next season, it seems unlikely that the team wouldn’t consider bringing Bowles back for the 2018 campaign.
  • Looking at holdovers from last season’s team, Slater makes it clear that Jets veteran running back Matt Forte will not get cut. Considering Lorenzo Mauldin‘s legal issues, the writer can envision the team moving on from the linebacker. The writer also points to cornerback Buster Skrine, who he assumes will be gone next offseason, anyway. Cutting the veteran defensive back would create nearly $6MM in cap space, which the Jets could carry over into next offseason.
  • Among all of the Jets’ undrafted free agents, Connor Hughes of NJ.com believes offensive lineman Chris Bordelon has the best chance of making the 53-man roster. While the Jets starting offensive line is seemingly set, the Nicholls State product could catch on as a reserve. The writer also lists wideouts K.D. Cannon and Gabe Marks, fullback Anthony Firkser, cornerback Xavier Coleman, and linebacker Connor Harris as potential candidates to make the team.
  • In case you missed it, free agent linebacker Zach Orr is set to meet with the Jets today.