HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Redskins To Keep Adrian Peterson?

February 7th, 2020 at 2:27pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s not a sure thing just yet, but the Redskins are likely to exercise Adrian Peterson‘s option for the 2020 season, according to a source that spoke with ESPN.com’s John Keim. If the option is triggered, Peterson will count for a $3.1MM cap hit. If they decline it, they’ll save $2.4MM. 

[RELATED: James Bradberry Eyeing Redskins?]

Despite his advanced age, Peterson has been one of the Redskins’ most durable players in recent seasons. That’s key, especially given the question marks surrounding the health of Derrius Guice. The LSU product is immensely talented, but he’s undergone three knee surgeries over the last couple of years.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Redskins’ RB room is in flux – pass-catching specialist Chris Thompson is ticketed for free agency and 2019 fourth-round pick Bryce Love has yet to play thanks to a pre-draft ACL tear.

Peterson, a four-time first-team All-Pro, has averaged more than 4.0 yards per carry for the Redskins. He’s also racked up quite an odometer – Peterson has carried the ball 3,036 times over the course of 13 seasons. In March, he’ll celebrate his 35th birthday, though he has expressed a desire to play up until the age of 40.

Currently fifth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list, Peterson is 1,000 yards shy of toppling Barry Sanders for No. 4.

Seahawks To Stick With Jason Myers?

February 7th, 2020 at 2:16pm CST by Zachary Links

On Friday, a large chunk of Jason Myers‘ salary became guaranteed for the 2020 season, as ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson (on Twitter) notes. With that, Myers should enter the core of the offseason as the Seahawks’ presumptive kicker. 

Myers joined up with the Seahawks on a four-year, ~$16MM deal last March. He went on to make 82.1% of his field goals – a step down from his career average and a significant drop from his 91.7% connection rate with the Jets in 2018. In that season with Gang Green, Myers earned his first ever trip to the Pro Bowl.

The Seahawks tend to steer players towards injury-only guarantees that become fully guaranteed in each offseason. That was the case with Myers, who locked in $1.5MM of his $2.6MM base salary for 2020 this week. Ditto for bigger names, including Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, and Tyler Lockett.

For his career, Myers has made 83.9% of his field goal tries and 88.5% of his extra point attempts. Over the last five seasons, he’s appeared in 70 games for the Jaguars, Jets, and Seahawks.

Latest On NFL CBA Talks

February 7th, 2020 at 2:06pm CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday, the NFLPA gathered in Los Angeles to discuss the owners’ latest proposal for the collective bargaining agreement. Although there is no true deadline for an agreement, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that there is some sense of urgency within the union to work out an accord. It’s expected that more meetings between the two sides, or at least internally for the NFLPA, will be scheduled for next week.

Some player representatives continue to be staunchly opposed to an expanded 17-game season, which is the foremost issue in the talks. Owners are looking for the new CBA to give them the option to add an extra game between 2021 and 2023. The proposal would boost the players’ cut from 47% of league revenue to 48.5%, a number that would inch even higher if the option is triggered.

The union is looking for ways to make the expanded season “more palatable for players,” Graziano reports. The owners’ say they’ll eliminate one preseason game for every regular season game that’s added. Meanwhile, their proposal still calls for only one bye week. In theory, we’d speculate that a compromise could include the addition of a second bye week, to give players additional in-season rest.

Both sides are aiming to get a new deal done in time for the start of the 2020 league year on March 18, Graziano hears. If that happens, the fresh CBA would supersede the final year of the existing one and take both sides through 2029.

James Bradberry Eyeing Redskins?

February 7th, 2020 at 12:21pm CST by Zachary Links

On the cusp of his first turn through free agency, Panthers cornerback James Bradberry says he wouldn’t mind reuniting with former head coach Ron Rivera. 

[RELATED: Redskins Meet With Greg Olsen]

“I would love to play for Coach Rivera again,” Bradberry told NBC Sports. “He’s a great man and a great coach. He coached me for four years. I didn’t realize how much he meant to us until that day [he got fired]…Just how he spoke to us as men. He wasn’t overly aggressive unless he needed to be. He put his foot down when he needed to be.”

Of course, Bradberry added that he’s looking to be paid what he’s worth. For any team that signs him, that’ll require a significant commitment – the former second-round pick has stifled some of the league’s best receivers in Carolina, setting him up for a huge payday on the open market. In other words, if there’s any “discount” to be had for Rivera & Co., it won’t be a substantial one.

Meanwhile, Bradberry says that, ideally, he’d like to re-up with the only team he’s ever known.

“Dream scenario, I would love to continue my career with the Carolina Panthers,” he said. “I’ve been there for four years. One of my closest friends on the team, Shaq Thompson, he’s still there. I would love to get to finish the rest of my career alongside him.”

Thompson, a tenacious linebacker, inked a four-year, $54MM extension with the Panthers in December. That deal put him in the top five for all linebackers in the NFL, and Bradberry is also aiming for top placement at his position.

In 2019, Bradberry snagged three interceptions and registered 65 total tackles. The advanced metrics have never been too fond of his work, but Rivera is a fan, and a number of clubs will be interested in the 26-year-old (27 in August). He’s also be a logical fit from a football perspective, especially if Rivera drops another old colleague in Josh Norman.

Dez Bryant Wants To Return To Cowboys

February 7th, 2020 at 9:37am CST by Zachary Links

Could Dez Bryant reunite with the Cowboys? Cowboys VP Stephen Jones says the wide receiver has reached out to him and he’s not ruling out the possibility of signing the veteran.

“He has texted me that he would like to come back,” Jones said (via Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram). “We have nothing but great respect for Dez and what he accomplished here. Certainly, as we look forward into the future we look at all opportunities and all potential players that could maybe help us out.”

There haven’t been advanced discussions regarding Bryant just yet, however. Jones explained that he has only started discussing personnel with head coach Mike McCarthy. The two haven’t made determinations on their own free agents either, so Jones says nothing has been decided regarding tight end Jason Witten or linebacker Sean Lee.

Bryant spent eight years with the Cowboys, racking up 531 catches, nearly 7,500 yards, and a franchise-high 73 receiving touchdowns. His run included three straight seasons of at least 88 grabs, 1,200 yards, and 12 touchdowns. During that window from 2012-2014, Bryant was one of the league’s best receivers, and the Cowboys gave him a lucrative contract to reflect his production.

Of course, things didn’t end too well for Bryant and the Cowboys. In his last three seasons with Dallas, Bryant failed to top 900 yards. Then, the Cowboys dropped him in April of 2018, which put him on the curb after most of the NFL’s available free agent dollars had been allocated. Midway through the ’18 season, Bryant hooked on with the Saints. He never suited up for them, however, thanks to an Achilles tear in practice. Last year, Bryant was away from the NFL and training for an eventual return.

Bryant, a three-time Pro Bowler, will turn 32 in November.

Wade Phillips Waiting For Next NFL Opportunity

February 7th, 2020 at 9:25am CST by Zachary Links

When the Rams parted ways with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, we expected the veteran coach to garner tons of interest from teams. Apparently, that hasn’t been the case. Phillips says that he has been hanging on the telephone to no avail. 

“I just want to be able to help somebody win,” Phillips told Albert Breer of The MMQB.

Phillips, 72, spoke with new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski about a position on his staff, but a deal never came together. At this point, Phillips may be looking at his first year outside of the NFL since 2014. Most in their 70s would be content in retirement, but that’s not the case for Phillips, who began his pro coaching career all the way back in 1976.

In 2019, Phillips’ Rams D allowed 22.8 points per game and 339.6 yards per contest, putting them in the middle of the NFL pack in both categories. It wasn’t his finest year, but Phillips has guided some elite defenses over the years. Before he linked up with Sean McVay, Phillips oversaw the Broncos’ vaunted “No Fly Zone” secondary and helped the franchise capture a Super Bowl ring in 2015. Despite last season’s hiccups – including the surrender of 44 points to the Cowboys in December – Phillips remains a beloved and well-respected figure in the NFL.

For now, Phillips and his wife are still in California. If he doesn’t land a job for this upcoming season, they’ll relocate back to their permanent home in Houston.

Redskins To Hire GM After Draft

February 7th, 2020 at 8:53am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are expected to go into the NFL Draft without a GM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Without a replacement lined up for Bruce Allen, Redskins VP of Player Personnel Kyle Smith will be in charge of draft operations in April.

The Redskins canned Allen on Dec. 30, after ten years at the helm. In that span, the Redskins went 62-97-1 and made the playoffs only twice.

The Redskins’ next GM likely won’t have complete control over the 53-man roster. New head coach Ron Rivera is expected to have significant sway when it comes to personnel, which could dissuade some of the league’s more experienced candidates.

Allen wasn’t the only significant front office figure to exit D.C. this offseason. In the wake of Allen’s dismissal, senior VP Eric Schaffer was expected to see an increased role. Instead, they parted ways with the cap guru after nearly two decades together.

Rapoport hears similar news for the Panthers – their assistant GM job will also be filled sometime after the draft. The Panthers made a run at hiring Andrew Berry, but the Eagles blocked them because the position did not include roster control. Ultimately, Berry became the Browns’ new GM, where he’ll have say over the 53-man roster.

Latest On CBA Negotiations

February 6th, 2020 at 9:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFLPA representatives met for eight hours on Thursday, union president Eric Winston confirmed (on Twitter). But no vote on the owners’ CBA proposal took place, Mike Jones of USA Today tweets.

A vote was not planned for Thursday, per Jones, who adds the belief as of now is ownership must further sweeten the pot for the players’ side to consider adding a game to the schedule. More meetings are on tap.

The subject of a deadline for the players to accept the offer has surfaced, but the reported “rough” March 18 date previously floated as a junction point in these proceedings may not be entirely accurate. Both NFLPA spokesman George Atallah and Steelers guard Ramon Foster refuted the notion of a March 18 deadline existing, and ESPN adjusted the report (via Pro Football Talk).

Nevertheless, March 18 is an important date; that’s the start of the 2020 league year. As it stands, final-CBA-year modifications — no post-June 1 cuts and the option of using both the franchise and transition tags among them — will go into place if no new agreement is in place. Given the vocal opposition to the owners’ 17-game proposal from the players’ side, and the prospect of 16-game proponent Russell Okung succeeding Winston as NFLPA president in March, the CBA discussions are entering a crucial stretch.

The owners’ proposal nearly wipes out punishment for positive marijuana tests, slightly ups the players’ revenue split and increases both the league minimum salaries and team spending floors. Unspecified adjustments to the franchise tag and fifth-year option are included as well. But the 17-game season is a sticking point. The owners’ rumored refusal to include a second bye week — a format attempted only once, in 1993 — may further entrench players against the proposal.

When the CBA does finally come to a vote, it will begin with the union’s 32 player representatives. With two-thirds approval, it would move to a union-wide vote among all players. After that, if 50% of players and two-thirds of owners say yes, it’s a done deal. The current CBA expires in March 2021.

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