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Poll: Cam Newton’s Next Contract

October 31st, 2014 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Cam Newton still has one more year remaining on his contract with the Panthers, and the franchise tag ensures that Carolina wouldn’t necessarily have to extend him by the end of the 2015 season in order to keep him under club control. Still, with Newton nearing the end of his rookie deal, it seems logical that the two sides will engage in serious negotiations this offseason in the hopes of working out a long-term agreement.

Yesterday, we heard from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that the Panthers do indeed believe Newton is their quarterback of the future, indicating that the team would like to lock him up with a new deal. However, the former first overall pick has informed the club he isn’t interested in an extension structured like Colin Kaepernick‘s new contract, which is something of a pay-as-you-go arrangement for the 49ers. While Kaepernick’s extension features a sizable chunk of salary guaranteed for injury, only $13MM+ is fully guaranteed.

A contract similar to Matt Ryan‘s current agreement with the Falcons may make more sense for Newton, according to Rapoport. It’s not clear based on his tweet whether that’s merely Rapoport’s opinion, whether that’s what Newton’s camp will be looking for, or whether both Newton and the team are open to such a structure. But it’s worth considering the differences between Ryan’s and Kaepernick’s deals, which aren’t far off in terms of years and overall value.

Kaepernick’s six-year contract has a base value of $114MM, good for $19MM annually, but again, only about $13MM of that total is guaranteed, meaning the Niners could cut ties in a year or two without being on the hook for much dead money. Ryan, conversely, has a five-year, $103.75MM deal ($20.75MM annually) that includes $42MM in fully guaranteed money.

Like Ryan’s deal, recent extensions signed by QBs like Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford, Tony Romo, and Jay Cutler all included at least $38MM in guarantees, making them significantly more lucrative than the pacts signed by Kaepernick and Andy Dalton ($17MM). While Newton has been effective for Carolina since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2011, his passing numbers don’t necessarily match up with some of the most highest-paid signal-callers in the league, and as he plays out his next contract, the value he adds with his legs may diminish.

So what do you think? Is Newton really worth a deal in Ryan territory? Or does a Kaepernick-esque contract make more sense?

Poll: Will Seahawks, Niners Make Playoffs?

October 29th, 2014 at 6:26pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re approximately at the halfway point of the 2014 season, and while there have been plenty of surprises around the league, one of the most interesting subplots have surfaced in the NFC West, where the 6-1 Cardinals have a two-game lead over the 49ers and the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, both of whom are 4-3.

Because at least one club has to represent the underachieving NFC South, and the East and North each feature two strong contenders, the Seahawks and Niners would both be left on the outside looking in if the postseason were to begin today. Of course, with nine games still to come, including some against the Cardinals, each team will have a chance to go on a run and earn a postseason berth.

The Seahawks, who were viewed as the Super Bowl favorite coming into the season, have the opportunity to go on a winning streak over the next few weeks, with three of their next four games at home, including contests against the Raiders and Giants. But reports about locker room discontent have swirled around the team all season, even following the unexpected departure of Percy Harvin, and the club certainly isn’t playing like the team that blew out the Broncos nearly nine months ago.

As for the Niners, who have appeared in the last three NFC Championship games, the team is expected to welcome back key defenders like Aldon Smith and perhaps NaVorro Bowman within the next few weeks. However, San Francisco’s offense has struggled with its consistency, and the team has looming road games in New Orleans and Seattle, as well as tough home tests against the Seahawks, Cardinals, and Chargers.

What do you think? Will the Seahawks and/or Niners mount a second-half charge and make the playoffs? Will a current contender, whether it’s the Cardinals, Cowboys, Eagles, Lions, or Packers, fall off and let either Seattle or San Francisco sneak in? Weigh in below, and feel free to expand on your vote in the comments section.

Poll: Who Is Most Likely To Be Traded?

October 27th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Rory Parks

The trade deadline is tomorrow at 4pm eastern time, and a number of prominent players have been the subject of swirling trade rumors over the past several weeks. After a nightmarish start to the season, the Buccaneers may be entertaining the idea of a fire sale, with Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, and Dashon Goldson all potentially on the trading block.

The Titans, meanwhile, appear ready to usher in a new era with the insertion of Zach Mettenberger into the starting lineup, and they are reportedly taking calls on veterans Nate Washington, Michael Griffin, and Wesley Woodyard. The Bengals, who have regained control over the AFC North without much help from Jermaine Gresham, may be waiting for someone to meet what should be a fairly low price for Gresham’s services. And the Rams, who suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of the Chiefs yesterday after a surprising upset of the Seahawks in Week 7, could be shopping players like Kendall Langford and Zac Stacy.

We also learned yesterday that the Vikings could be taking calls on Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings. However, all of those players, for various reasons, are probably less likely to be on the move than some of the other names mentioned above.

Indeed, given the level of interest in his services, the struggles of his current team, and his potential impact on a new club, the player who may be the most likely to be dealt is Jackson. This is despite NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport’s belief that Tampa Bay would not settle for less than a second-round pick in exchange for its top wideout.

But that’s just one person’s opinion. Odds are, of course, that no one will be traded; that’s simply the status quo when it comes to the NFL trade deadline. And several head coaches whose teams were rumored to be active participants in the trade market said today that they did not expect their clubs to pull the trigger on a deal. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, even though he lays out a number of trades that he thinks would be beneficial for teams who appear destined for losing records in 2014, acknowledges that seeing one of those trades come to fruition would be very surprising.

However, reality is not always exciting. So, with that in mind, which of the above players do you think are mostly likely to be traded? Do you think a different player will be on the move? Or do you live so relentlessly in the real world that you think all of this smoke will fail to give rise to a single fire?

Poll: Who Will The Titans Trade?

October 24th, 2014 at 8:33am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL trade deadline is just days away and recently there has been a lot of chatter about the 2-5 Titans, who apparently don’t want to wait until the offseason to start their newest rebuilding process. Tennessee traded linebacker Akeem Ayers and a seventh-round choice to the Pats for a sixth-round pick earlier this week and that might not be the last trade they pull off in October.

Three veteran players in particular have been identified as trade candidates, and wide receiver Nate Washington is the biggest of the bunch. Washington is in the final year of his six-year, $26.8MM deal and the Titans, who aren’t in the playoff picture right now, aren’t eager to pay out ~$282K per game to the 31-year-old. Of course, that doesn’t mean other clubs wouldn’t be willing to take on that obligation. The Bengals are one team that could benefit from adding Washington to the fold. Rutgers alum Mohamed Sanu has emerged as a legitimate option in the passing game, but Cincinnati could use reinforcements, especially if A.J. Green isn’t back on the field this Sunday. Moving Washington wouldn’t just save money, it would allow the Titans to see how sophomore Justin Hunter responds to being their unquestioned No. 1 receiver.

Safety Michael Griffin, who has a Tennessee tenure nearly as long as Washington’s, is said to also be on the block. Like Washington, Griffin also boasts an impressive track record of durability, playing 16 games per season from 2007-2012, 14 games in 2013, and playing in all seven games thus far in 2014. In those 14 games last season, Griffin recorded 82 tackles, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) was also bullish on him, giving him an overall grade of 6.1, good for 14th amongst all qualified safeties in the NFL last season. The advanced metrics haven’t been nearly as kind to him this season – he’s 75th out of 82 safeties – but another team could try getting him back to his old form in a different scheme.

Just hours ago, linebacker Wesley Woodyard was added to the list of Titans trade possibilities. Woodyard just signed with the Titans in the offseason on a four-year deal worth up to $16MM with $4.75MM in guarantees, so his inclusion came as something of a surprise. Still, with a youth movement taking place in Tennessee, it appears that GM Ruston Webster is willing to move Woodyard and possibly carve out more snaps for rookie Avery Williamson.

So, with the Tuesday deadline drawing closer, who do you think will be on the move?

Poll: Broncos’ Top Extension Priority?

October 23rd, 2014 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported earlier today that the Broncos don’t intend to discuss contract extensions with either Demaryius Thomas or Julius Thomas until after the season. That has since been confirmed by multiple reporters, including Mike Klis of the Denver Post and Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who indicated that the team hasn’t engaged in talks with either player since August.

The Broncos will do their best to keep all their impact players heading into next season, but the team will only have one franchise tag available, and the salary cap will almost certainly limit Denver’s ability to keep all its key free agents. Besides the Thomases, wideout Wes Welker and – more importantly – cornerback Chris Harris are among the team’s other players eligible to test the open market.

Harris, who is playing this season on a restricted free agent tender, ranked eighth among cornerbacks in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), and has been even better so far this year. Per PFF, quarterbacks throwing into Harris’ coverage have completed 12 of 32 attempts for 101 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception, good for a 33.5 QB rating. The 25-year-old’s outstanding play has made him one of the cornerstones of Denver’s improved defensive unit.

Of course, in Demaryius and Julius Thomas, the Broncos have two players who rank among the best at their respective positions in the NFL. Demaryius has averaged 1,432 receiving yards over the last two seasons, and is on pace to blow past that mark this year, while Julius leads the NFL with nine receiving touchdowns in just six games. Even though Peyton Manning could post big numbers throwing to just about anyone, losing either Thomas would be a significant blow to the Broncos’ passing attack.

What do you think? Which of the Broncos’ top three prospective free agents is the most important for the team to extend? Does the club need to make sure it retains one or both of Manning’s top targets, or is keeping the young, shutdown cornerback the top priority?

Poll: Will Rex Ryan Coach In The NFL Next Year?

October 18th, 2014 at 5:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the Jets’ season on the brink, a future that includes Rex Ryan as part of the organization seems more and more unlikely. General manager John Idzik will make a Ryan a scapegoat for the season, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Percy Harvin trade will help Ryan incidentally, but Mehta believes that the true motivation for the trade will be to properly evaluate Geno Smith.

From Mehta’s article:

Rex Ryan will be the scapegoat after the season.

Idzik was never fully committed to helping Ryan make the playoffs in 2014, but he has plenty at stake with Smith, who is near or at the bottom of nearly every meaningful statistical category this season. The organization will make a definitive call on Smith in 10 weeks…

His decision to give up a conditional 2015 sixth-round pick (that could turn into a fourth rounder), according to a source, for a wildcard like Harvin was purely driven by his desire to find out what Smith can do with more offensive firepower in the huddle. If Smith thrives with Harvin, the Jets will steer clear of drafting a quarterback in the first round next spring. If Smith continues to fight inconsistency, Idzik will jump ship and go after a signal caller early in next year’s draft.

While the Jets have struggle this year, the schedule has been brutally tough aside for the week one matchup with the Raiders. The schedule also gets far easier from here on out, with the Steelers, Chiefs, Vikings, and Titans in the back nine to go with two games against the Bills and two against the Dolphins. This team may not be drafting so high as to find a no-brainer selection at quarterback.

I do not like assuming that Ryan or any other coach will be fired with so much season left to play, but since Gary Myers of the New York Daily News already did so, it opens up the idea. He sees the Falcons, Dolphins, and 49ers as good fits if those teams are in the market for a coach. Of course, if Ryan so chooses, or if he can’t get a job right away, he will be more than welcome on television as an on-air personality.

Poll: Who Won The Percy Harvin Trade?

October 17th, 2014 at 9:38pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the Percy Harvin trade dominating the Friday evening headlines, there are definitely arguments for why both sides were interested in completing the deal.

For readers of Pro Football Rumors, it would be impossible not to see a laundry list of opinions, whether you are looking at it as the Seahawks moving on from a headache or as the Jets acquiring a playmaker.

There are arguments for both teams as the victors in this trade. Yes, Harvin is a unique playmaker, but at the same time he clearly wore out his welcome at his last two stops, leading to an unceremonious exit.

In addition to the compilation of links and responses earlier, Manish Mehta of the Daily News points out that the Jets passed on DeSean Jackson this offseason assumedly because of character issues. Harvin’s character has been called into question since the trade became public.

Albert Breer of the NFL Network notes that the team just moved on from Santonio Holmes who was a negative influence in the locker room, only to trade for another combative personality in Harvin months later (via Twitter). As the story continued to develop, Breer has sided more and more strongly with the Seahawks’ decision to move the star receiver (via Twitter).

Still, it is tough to believe losing a player of that quality is without a doubt a positive, especially considering how hard his teammates have taken the news. Cliff Avril and Marshawn Lynch have already taken to Twitter to vent their frustration, and Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report reports that the Seahawks’ locker room has been shocked and stunned by the deal (via Twitter).

It will be at least until the end of the season before we can be sure who won this trade, maybe longer if Harvin plays out his contract with the team. Still, early reactions might favor the Seahawks, but could go either way depending on our readers.

Poll: Which 5-1 Team Is Strongest Contender?

October 16th, 2014 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Before the 2014 regular season got underway, pundits and observers had pegged last year’s Super Bowl combatants – the Seahawks and Broncos – as the likeliest teams to reach the championship again, with clubs like the Patriots, Packers, and Saints all being picked as possible Super Bowl contenders as well. Through six weeks though, only two of those five teams are in first place in their respective divisions.

The three teams atop the NFL so far are the Chargers, Eagles, and Cowboys, all with 5-1 records. San Diego has been dominant during the season’s first few weeks, with a +73 point differential that leads the NFL. If it weren’t for a heartbreaking one-point loss in Arizona, the Chargers, who are riding a five-game winning streak, would still be unbeaten, led by MVP candidate Philip Rivers.

Another MVP candidate, perhaps the only non-QB offensive player in the discussion so far, has been crucial to Dallas’ success — running back DeMarco Murray has burst out of the gate with six consecutive 100-yard games, and leads the league in a handful of categories, including rushing yards (785), rushing TDs (six), and total yards from scrimmage (940). The fact that his 159 carries is also most in the NFL by a wide margin may be cause for concern, but for now, the Cowboys’ ability to hang onto the ball with their dominant offensive line and running game has made them one of the league’s biggest surprises.

Still, the Cowboys don’t even hold sole possession of first place in the NFC East, as the division-rival Eagles have matched them win for win in spite of some turnover problems from quarterback Nick Foles. The fact that Philadelphia has played so well despite Foles’ ups and downs and a bevy of offensive line injuries bodes well, particularly if the offense can start firing on all cylinders later in the year.

What do you think? How convinced are you that these early-season frontrunners are for real? Which of these 5-1 teams has the best shot at winning the Super Bowl this year?

Poll: Who Should Take Blame For Jets?

October 9th, 2014 at 5:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Now that Dennis Allen has been ousted in Oakland, no one’s seat is hotter than the Rex Ryan‘s. The Jets are on a four-game losing streak including an ugly blowout at the hands of the Chargers and things won’t get any easier from here.

Ryan’s tenure began with back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances but things have tailed off quite a bit since then. The confident coach got chuckles from the press room for his Super Bowl predictions in years past but he no longer makes those claims, lest he get laughed out of the building. As a blitz-happy, defense-first coach, Ryan’s teams have been fairly stingy in that department – particularly against the run – but the offense has been generally underwhelming. That side of the ball isn’t his forte and that has put added responsibility on the shoulders of the offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, neither Eric Mangini holdover Brian Schottenheimer nor Ryan buddy Tony Sparano could get things right and things aren’t shaping up much better with Marty Mornhinweg in the driver’s seat. And in a league where “What have you done for me lately?” might as well be engraved on every owner’s office door, it’s worth noting that Ryan’s run defense allowed 182 yards and two touchdowns to UDFA Branden Oliver in the San Diego blowout.

There’s little question that Ryan will be the one to pay if things don’t turn around quickly for the Jets and the coach himself admits that he won’t be back if they can’t find a way to win. And, unfortunately, the deck is stacked against Ryan with only a few cupcakes to be had over the rest of the schedule. However, it’s certainly fair to also question the decisions made by General Manager John Idzik.

Idzik, a salary cap guru, inherited a less-than-desirable financial situation from predecessor Mike Tannenbaum. This offseason the Jets had tons of cap room to work with and, inexplicably, sat on much of it. Today, as the Jets have a $24.3MM buffer between themselves and the upper limit (second only to the Jaguars), one has to wonder exactly what Idzik was thinking. Knowing that he has a head coach who often sends the house on third-and-long, the GM did little to upgrade the Jets’ secondary and watched prize free agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie sign with the rival Giants after offering him a reportedly insulting deal. Eric Decker was brought in to add some much needed firepower to the offense, but there was more that needed to be done in free agency. Idzik believed that he could supplement the receiving core through the draft, but none of the three wide receivers from May’s draft remain on the 53-man roster and one – Jalen Saunders – has already been cut. Idzik wisely added Breno Giacomini to stop the Jets’ perpetual turnstile at right tackle and was fortunate to have Chris Johnson fall into his lap late in the offseason, but it looks like he fell short in many other areas.

Now, the question is, do you place the blame for this bad meal on the shoulders of the chef or the person who did the grocery shopping?

Poll: Who Will Be Browns’ Starting QB In 2015?

October 9th, 2014 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, I examined Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer as a potential candidate for a contract extension. While there’s an expectation that Hoyer and the Browns will engage in discussions at some point, and could hammer out an agreement, it’ll be an extremely complicated negotiation based on the presence of 2014 first-rounder Johnny Manziel.

We’ve seen highly-touted young signal-callers sit on the bench for a year or two before – Aaron Rodgers backing up Brett Favre in Green Bay comes to mind – but in most of those cases, the starter has a more extensive track record than Hoyer does. Often, contracts will play a part as well — teams may be reluctant to part with a highly-paid starter whose release would result in a ton of dead money on the cap.

In the case of Hoyer though, the Browns could simply move on from him at the end of the 2014 season, allowing Manziel to take the reins after learning the system for a year. The former Texas A&M QB would be inexpensive for the remainder of his rookie contract, and would have the opportunity to lead a roster that has an increasing amount of talent on both sides of the ball.

On the other hand, Hoyer’s short stints this season and last season as the Browns’ starter have been impressive, and he’s proving to be the most capable quarterback the team has had in years. A Cleveland native, Hoyer could ultimately make more sense as the club’s long-term answer at the position if he continues to excel for the rest of 2014 and Manziel remains an unproven commodity on the bench.

So what do you think? Who will be the Browns’ quarterback in 2015? Will they re-sign Hoyer intending to start him? Will Manziel have taken over by then? Weigh in with your vote below, and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section as well.

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