PFR Polls News & Rumors

Poll: Most Intriguing NFL Storyline?

June 27th, 2014 at 6:57pm CST by Ben Levine

Minicamps have wrapped up around the NFL and there’s a bit of a lull prior to training camp. Nevertheless, there are still a number of intriguing stories to focus on.

There’s the Jimmy Graham–Saints standoff, where the two sides are haggling over the player’s position. The Saints slapped the franchise tag on Graham as a tight end, thus assuring him a $7.035MM contract. Considering Graham’s production at the position, the player’s side wanted him designated as a wideout. The difference in salary is significant – Graham would receive $12.312MM as a receiver. A resolution is expected sometime next week.

On the morning after the NBA Draft, Cleveland’s focus isn’t as much on number-one pick Andrew Wiggins. Instead, all eyes are on Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel. The former Heisman winner has been stealing headlines for his off-the-field antics, leading some to question whether he can lead the team to their first playoff appearance since 2002. Manziel addressed his critics earlier today, claiming he wasn’t going to change for anybody.

Wide receiver Andre Johnson remains on the Texans roster, even after he expressed his frustration with the team and skipped the mandatory minicamp. It appears that Johnson wants out of Houston, but plenty of obstacles stand in his way. The wideout has three years remaining on his contract and the team doesn’t seem in any rush to trade their disgruntled star.

Or maybe you’re most interested in the saga surrounding the Redskins. The organization recently lost the trademark on the team’s name, with the U.S. Patent Office declaring that the word is “disparaging to Native Americans” and can’t be trademarked under federal law. However, owner Dan Snyder has not relented on his support for the name.

What do you think is the most intriguing NFL storyline at the end of minicamp? Is there something we forgot? Let us know in the comments.

Poll: How Will Flowers Fare In San Diego?

June 25th, 2014 at 9:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this month, the Chiefs cut ties with defensive mainstay Brandon Flowers. Even though Flowers was seen as a trade candidate, it was still a surprise to see him outright released. Plenty of teams showed interest in adding the former second-round pick, but he decided that San Diego was the place for him after a multi-day visit with the club. In fact, Flowers never made it out to check in with the other clubs that were showing serious interest.

Flowers is a big name, especially for someone who became available in late June, but it’s hard to say exactly what the Chargers are getting here. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) show that 2013 was a down year for Flowers. Much of that can probably be attributed to a poor fit with new Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s scheme, but he still ranked as just the 87th-best CB in the league among 110 qualified players. On the other hand, PFF rated Flowers as a top-seven corner in both 2011 and 2012, and Flowers is still just 28.

If you want to know what Flowers’ motives are with this deal, look no further than the terms of the contract. It’s a one-year deal that comes with a $1.5MM signing bonus, $1.5MM in base pay, and up to $2MM in incentives. It’s not a major payday, but if Flowers can get back to his old self in SD, he can cash in next offseason. After all, Flowers will be just 29 years old and could be in line for a hefty multi-year pact. Flowers surely wants to win in 2014, but he’ll have a little extra motivation with so much money on the line. Ultimately, do you think the signing will work out for the Chargers? Let us know in the poll and in the comments section.

Poll: Who Will Win The AFC North?

June 24th, 2014 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

With spring workouts behind us, we’ve still got a little ways to go until NFL training camps get underway. But the roster building and shuffling of the offseason is mostly out of the way now, meaning we can look ahead to the fall and predict with relative confidence what rosters around the league will look like once the season begins. So we’ll take the opportunity over the next few weeks to look back on the offseason moves and ahead to how those moves will affect teams for the 2014 season.

We’ll start today in the AFC North, where the Bengals finished comfortably ahead of the veteran Steelers and Ravens a year ago, compiling an 11-5 record, three games ahead of the 8-8 marks by Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Cincinnati may head into the 2014 season as the slight favorite to win the division again, but the squad took a couple notable hits this spring. Defensive end Michael Johnson and offensive lineman Anthony Collins both packed up and headed south, signing long-term deals with the Buccaneers in free agency. And while the addition of rookie cornerback Darqueze Dennard should help shore up the secondary, Cincinnati didn’t commit more than $1MM in guaranteed money to a single free agent this offseason, so there are no obvious impact players among the new additions.

The Steelers and Ravens parted with longtime mainstays of their own — LaMarr Woodley, Ziggy Hood, and Larry Foote for Pittsburgh and Arthur Jones, Corey Graham, and Michael Oher for Baltimore. But both teams did well to retain key contributors, such as Jason Worilds for the Steelers and Eugene Monroe and Daryl Smith for the Ravens. Throw in a couple intriguing new pieces (Ryan Shazier, Mike Mitchell for Pittsburgh; Steve Smith, C.J. Mosley for Baltimore) and there’s reason to believe both clubs could improve upon last year’s .500 records.

Meanwhile, the Browns are typically an afterthought in the AFC North, having yet to finish first in the division since its inception in 2002. Johnny Manziel‘s arrival will ensure that the team at least remains on the national radar all year, and whether it’s Manziel or Brian Hoyer under center, the Browns have some talent here, having re-signed Alex Mack and added Karlos Dansby, Donte Whitner, Justin Gilbert, and Ben Tate to their core. Still, with Josh Gordon potentially facing a lengthy suspension, it remains to be seen whether the Browns will put enough points on the board to be a real contender in the division this year.

What do you think? Which of the four AFC North teams will capture the division crown in 2014?

Poll: Where Will Brandon Flowers Sign?

June 20th, 2014 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

With most free agents snapped up quickly in March, it’s rare to see a Pro Bowler available in June. Players like DeSean Jackson and Chris Johnson were cut later in the offseason, making the free agent market a little more interesting in the spring, but it has been a while since a player of Brandon Flowers‘ caliber became available.

Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) suggest 2013 was a down year for Flowers as he struggled to fit in new Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s scheme, ranking as just the 87th-best CB in the league among 110 qualified players. However, PFF rated Flowers as a top-seven corner in both 2011 and 2012, and the ex-Chief is still only 28 years old, making him an intriguing option for teams in need of help in the secondary.

So far, the market for Flowers has been hard to nail down. The former second-round pick paid a visit to San Diego this week, so we count the Chargers among his potential suitors. Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Flowers has at least one more visit on his schedule, though it’s unclear which club he’s meeting with next.

While the Falcons and Redskins were initially identified as possible favorites to land Flowers, their interest has been downplayed over the last week. The Jets could use cornerback help after losing Antonio Cromartie and missing out on a few free agents, but the club reportedly hasn’t reached out to Flowers. The Vikings inquired, but are believed to be a long shot, with the cornerback not currently planning a visit to Minnesota. The Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, and Lions are among the other teams that have some level of interest in Flowers and may still be in the mix.

With a decision expected soon, we may see a frontrunner emerge for Flowers this weekend, if not today. For now though, it appears to be a wide open field. What do you think? Where will the Pro Bowl cornerback eventually sign?

Poll: Should Chiefs, Bengals Extend Their QBs?

June 10th, 2014 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

With Colin Kaepernick now under 49ers control through 2020, only two notable starting quarterbacks on 2013 playoff teams lack long-term security — the contracts for Alex Smith of the Chiefs and Andy Dalton of the Bengals are set to expire after the 2014 season, if they don’t receive extensions before that point.

As Albert Breer of the NFL Network wrote yesterday, the Chiefs and Bengals are in tough spots, since neither Smith nor Dalton has had the regular season or postseason success to consider them among the league’s elite quarterbacks. However, with no real second-tier market for starting quarterbacks, Smith and Dalton figure to pursue contracts in the same range as those signed by Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, and other signal-callers whose resumés don’t include a Super Bowl win. That means something in the neighborhood of $17-18MM per year.

On the surface, committing anything close to $18MM annually to Smith or Dalton seems like it’d be a mistake for their respective teams. Avoiding having to pay that sort of money to their quarterbacks is one reason the Chiefs and Bengals have been able to put together such talented rosters. Signing those QBs to lucrative extensions now would compromise the clubs’ ability to continue adding talent at other positions.

On the other hand, productive starting quarterbacks aren’t easy to find. There are fewer reliable options around the league than there are teams, and deciding to move on from Smith or Dalton could leave the Chiefs or Bengals with a glaring hole at the most important position on the field. Perhaps Chase Daniel or Aaron Murray could provide a close approximation to what Smith contributes to the Chiefs, and maybe A.J. McCarron could develop into a solid starting option in Cincinnati. However, there are certainly no guarantees in either case.

I expect we’ll see Smith and Dalton sign extensions at some point before the season gets underway, but there are a number of directions in which their team could go. Playing out the season and then perhaps using the franchise tag for 2015 – which figures to be around $17MM – is another option if the Chiefs or Bengals aren’t prepared to make a long-term commitment to their respective quarterbacks quite yet.

What do you think? What should Kansas City and Cincinnati do?

Poll: Should The Cowboys Bring Back Josh Brent?

June 8th, 2014 at 10:22am CST by Rory Parks

We learned several days ago that the Cowboys would not rule out the possibility of defensive tackle Josh Brent‘s returning to the team upon his release from jail. Brent, of course, is currently serving a six-month sentence for intoxication manslaughter for his role in a drunken car crash that killed teammate and best friend, Jerry Brown. Brent is set to be released on July 23, and the Cowboys open training camp the next day.

David Moore of the Dallas Morning News lists the pros and cons of Brent’s would-be return. Moore notes that one common refrain among Cowboys fans is that Brent is simply not a good enough player to warrant the public relations nightmare and similar off-field concerns that his comeback would entail. Although Brent started just five games for the team in his three-year career, compiling just 1.5 sacks over that time and no more than 22 tackles in any one season, the fact remains that Dallas’ defense is in dire need of any kind of help.

The Cowboys ran a 3-4 defense when Brent last played for the club, but they now operate out of a 4-3 formation. As a 1-technique lineman in a 4-3 scheme, Brent would not be expected to generate a great deal of pressure on the quarterback, and it is difficult to say if he would provide any sort of upgrade over veterans Nick Hayden and Terrell McClain or rookies Ken Bishop and Davon Coleman.

Of course, Moore writes that neither desperation nor Brent’s talent level–such as it is–should factor into the Cowboys’ decision regarding Brent. He does add, however, that Brown’s mother, Stacey Jackson, has continued to publicly support Brent and has expressed her hope that that team will do the same. Jackson’s support would be something of a crutch for the Cowboys in the court of public opinion if they wanted to bring Brent back into the fold.

In order to do that, there are a number of hurdles to clear. Before training camp began last summer, Brent sent a retirement letter to the league, so he would have to apply for reinstatement. Then there is the question of what punishment commissioner Roger Goodell would levy upon reinstatement. Putting those substantial issues aside for the time being, Moore writes, “The Cowboys appear willing to give Brent a chance to resume his career if that’s what he wants,” but nothing more than that.

So what say you, hivemind? Should the Cowboys bring back Josh Brent?

Poll: Where Will Jermichael Finley Sign?

June 6th, 2014 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

It may be a stretch to dub this June the month of the tight end, but the position will be at the center of a number of major stories over the next few weeks. Vernon Davis is skipping the 49ers’ OTAs in hopes of landing a new contract; Jimmy Graham‘s franchise tag position is a point of contention that will be decided by an arbitrator after a hearing later this month; and Jermichael Finley is the best free agent still on the market, in the estimation of PFR readers.

With June 1 behind us, free agents are no longer tied to future compensatory draft picks, and Finley has now been medically cleared by his personal doctor. That doesn’t mean that he’ll be subsequently cleared by every NFL team doctor, but he appears to be on the road to recovery after undergoing spinal fusion surgery last year, and there are few roadblocks left for him to ink a new deal.

Of course, just because he’s getting healthy, that doesn’t mean Finley is a lock to return to the field. While we do expect the tight end to sign somewhere, agent Blake Baratz confirmed last week that his client could file for the collection of a $10MM insurance policy if he opts not continue his playing career. If the offers Finley receives are modest one- or two-year proposals, that insurance policy could start to look awfully appealing, particularly since it would come with no further health risks.

Still, Finley has been a productive pass-catcher when he’s been healthy, accumulating 223 receptions for 2,785 yards and 20 touchdowns in 70 career contests. At age 27, he still should have plenty left in the tank, and a good season in the right situation could increase his value and help him land a bigger contract next year — perhaps one that would ensure his career earnings eventually exceed that $10MM insurance policy.

Assuming he does return, Finley seems to have a handful of possible landing spots. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report reported earlier this week that “a good half-dozen teams” were quietly pursuing the former Packer, and while the Seahawks are reportedly out of the running, several clubs are still believed to have interest. The Steelers and Raiders were the latest potential suitors added to a list that already included the Patriots and Packers. And while they haven’t necessarily been connected to Finley recently (or at all), I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Giants or Falcons entering the mix, since both teams could use a pass-catching tight end.

What do you think? Where will Finley eventually land?

Poll: Andrew Luck Vs. Russell Wilson

June 5th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we learned that buzz around the NFL suggests that Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson will be in line for annual salaries of $24-25MM when they’re eligible to extend their rookie contracts. Whether either player will ink an extension as soon as they’re eligible is debatable. Considering teams now hold fifth-year options on first-round picks, the Colts will have a little leverage if they want to wait on Luck. In any case, for now we’re not considering the timeline for the quarterbacks’ new deals — we’re examining which one deserves to be paid more.

As I noted in that previous post when comparing Luck and Wilson, not only does the Seattle signal-caller have more postseason success, but he has also posted better regular-season numbers in many key categories. In their two years in the NFL, Wilson has completed a higher percentage of passes (63.6% to 57.0%), tossed more TDs (52 to 46), and thrown fewer interceptions (19 to 27) than Luck. The Seahawks star also has a higher career passer rating (100.6 to 81.5), more yards per attempts (8.1 to 6.8), and more rushing yards (1,028 to 632).

Those statistics, combined with Wilson’s Super Bowl win, would suggest that he has significantly more value than Luck, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Wilson has been aided by a Seahawks defense that not only played a huge part in the team’s Super Bowl run but also consistently puts the team’s offense in good scoring position. Additionally, Seattle’s offense often takes a run-first approach led by Marshawn Lynch, allowing Wilson to pick and choose his spots more carefully, whereas a subpar running game has forced the Colts to lean more heavily on Luck to accumulate first downs and points over the last two years.

A former first overall pick, Luck is also a year younger than Wilson, and when the two players sign their next contracts, they won’t just be paid for what they’ve already accomplished — their teams will be paying for the continued development and growth they expect in the coming years. And if you asked people around football which quarterback will be the league’s best five years from now, I imagine you’d hear Luck’s name mentioned often.

What do you think? Which franchise quarterback do you think deserves to be paid more on his next contract?

Poll: First Team To Move?

June 3rd, 2014 at 9:27pm CST by Zachary Links

When the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers sold for $2 billion last month, you can rest assured that the NFL league office was hearing cash register noises. It has been nearly 20 years since America’s No. 1 professional sports league has occupied the country’s No. 2 media market, but it seems increasingly likely that they’ll get back to the home of The Doors in the next few years. The league’s ventures into London are also starting to bear fruit and the idea of putting a team in the Europe has a lot of influential supporters, including Falcons owner Arthur Blank. And while it’s long-term profitability may be debatable, Toronto looms large as a possible NFL city with the Bills just over the border.

Business is booming, but it’s hard to imagine that the league will expand beyond 32 teams. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote yesterday, there’s already a dearth of capable quarterbacks and that pool will get paper thin in a 34 team league. That leaves relocation as the answer, and Florio ran down the five candidates to go elsewhere.

The Bills, who can’t leave Western New York until after the 2020 season thanks to the work of late owner Ralph Wilson, are the first team listed. Ownership groups from different regions have lined up, including Jon Bon Jovi’s Toronto contingent, but that ironclad contract will keep them in place for some time. The Jaguars are playing in London once per year through 2016, but owner Shad Khan has been vocal about his commitment to Jacksonville. The Raiders could move as soon as after the 2014 season thanks to their stadium situation, though it’s unclear if the league wants owner Mark Davis to take the team out of Oakland. The Chargers have said that they want to remain in San Diego, but Florio still lists them as an L.A. possibility and raises the idea of them doing a Jets/Giants-type split with another tenant. Finally, the Rams‘ lease allows them to leave pretty much whenever they feel like it and the allure of an L.A. return must be strong.

So, if you had to call it now, which team would you say will be on the move first? (If you choose “another team,” let us know which one in the comment section.)

Poll: Will L.A. Or London Get An NFL Team First?

June 2nd, 2014 at 5:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL is already a multi-billion dollar industry, and its growth doesn’t figure to slow down any time soon. The next logical step in its progression figures to involve placing a franchise in a foreign city, such as London, or a major, currently NFL-free American metropolis like Los Angeles, which has been without an NFL team since the Raiders moved to Oakland in 1995.

One regular season game has been played each year in London since 2007, and Falcons owner Arthur Blank tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com that this could be a precursor to moving a team to Europe full-time:

“I think it will lead to [a team]. I think it will start with an increased number of games. That will be translated into a very successful series of games, and eventually, I think a franchise. And maybe more than one. London’s a big city … I think eventually having that many games says that we really are playing a season in London, so we probably ought to have a team here. I think it will be a natural progression to a team.”

Blank also told King that he believes there will be “one or more teams” in L.A. in the near future. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross agrees, telling the Wall Street Journal’s Kevin Clark last week that he sees a team in L.A. “within five years” (Twitter link).

Along the same lines, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examined which teams could be moved to London or L.A., and listed the Bills (who cannot move until 2020), the Jaguars (who will play one game in London through 2016), and the Raiders, Rams, and Chargers, each of whom has been headquartered in L.A at one time.

I think that L.A. is the likelier destination for an NFL franchise. A London-based team would cause all sorts of logistical nightmares for teams, and it makes much more sense to place a team in the second-largest city in the United States. What do you think? Will L.A. or London get a franchise first?

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