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A.J. McCarron

Latest On Bengals’ A.J. McCarron

August 10th, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

When the Bengals started receiving trade interest in backup quarterback A.J. McCarron this offseason, coach Marvin Lewis went on record as saying the team would not be trading him. It appears they are pretty serious about that position. The Bengals were offered a second round pick for the QB earlier this offseason, Albert Breer of The MMQB hears, but they still said no. A.J. McCarron (vertical)

The Bengals feel that even if they trade McCarron for a draft pick, they’ll still have to replace him by using another draft pick. The Bengals also know first hand that McCarron can be a capable fill-in if Andy Dalton suffers an injury and misses time. McCarron, 26 in September, filled in for Dalton to close out the 2015 regular season. From weeks 13 through 16, McCarron completed 66.1% of his passes with six touchdowns and two interceptions before suffering a left wrist injury. The right-handed QB returned to action in the playoffs as the Bengals lost a close contest to the Steelers.

There’s also this: because McCarron spent most of his rookie year on the non-football injury list, he’ll be a restricted free agent after the season instead of an unrestricted free agent. The Bengals will have the ability to keep him on the cheap for the next two seasons for next to nothing while top backups in the league earn $4-5MM. This year, McCarron carries a cap number of $735K.

In April, after Lewis downplayed the trade talk, it was reported that the Bengals were seeking a first round choice for McCarron. The same could still be true today. The Bengals may not be inclined to move the Alabama product, but everyone has a price and it’s hard to say no to a top-32 pick for a No. 2 QB.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Luck, Landry, Bell

August 9th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A recent report from a Denver radio station indicating that the Broncos are trying to trade for Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron is “150% false,” a source tells Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter). Denver GM John Elway also took to Twitter to firmly deny the story. The Broncos seem content to roll into the season with either Paxton Lynch or Trevor Siemian as the starter. Meanwhile, the asking price on McCarron has been outlandish in the past. The Bengals were said to be seeking a first round pick for him earlier this offseason.

More from the AFC:

  • “All indications” are that Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will avoid opening the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, GM Chris Ballard informed Tom Pelissero of NFL.com on Wednesday (Twitter link). This isn’t the first time Ballard has expressed confidence on this issue, though a report last week suggested Luck’s shoulder could force him to begin the season on the PUP list. Either way, it’s up in the air whether Luck will play Indianapolis’ Week 1 tilt against the Rams, per Ballard.
  • The Dolphins and contract-year wide receiver Jarvis Landry still haven’t engaged in serious extension negotiations, and there’s a good chance he won’t get a new deal this year, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. By signing Jay Cutler, the Dolphins subtracted $10MM in carryover money from next year’s cap. That figure could increase to $13MM if Cutler hits his incentives this season. Cutler’s presence will make it more difficult for the Dolphins to lock up Landry, then, as will the fact that the wideout is under investigation for battery. Landry’s off-field situation doesn’t faze the Dolphins, suggests Salguero, though he nonetheless points out that it would be wiser to extend the slot target if and when he’s cleared of wrongdoing.
  • The Steelers expect running back Le’Veon Bell to end his holdout just before the regular season starts, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In the meantime, the franchise-tagged star isn’t helping himself by staying away from training camp, GM Kevin Colbert told Bouchette. “Really, a holdout does not benefit him in any way,’’ Colbert said. “So, again, I hope that he sees the benefits of being here and comes in here sooner than later.” Because Bell hasn’t signed his $12.12MM franchise tender, the Steelers can’t fine him for any missed practices or preseason games. Bell’s already set to miss their first preseason contest Friday, but Bouchette notes that head coach Mike Tomlin probably wouldn’t have played him anyway. In the unlikely event Bell’s holdout lasts into the regular season, Pittsburgh will be able to dock him one-17th of his $12.12MM salary (about $713K) for each week missed.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Bengals, Browns Discuss A.J. McCarron Trade

April 28th, 2017 at 1:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have discussed a trade for quarterback A.J. McCarron with the Bengals, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. However, the two sides haven’t gotten very far as Cincinnati is asking for a lot in a potential deal. A.J. McCarron (vertical)

Earlier this week, the Bengals were said to be asking for a first round pick for McCarron. With the first round in the books, it remains to be seen whether the Bengals are willing to come down from that absurd ask. No matter what, it sounds like the Bengals will hold out for an impressive offer because they value having McCarron as Andy Dalton‘s backup.

McCarron may not be worth a first round pick, but the Bengals know that he might be the only thing keeping their playoff hopes alive in the event of a Dalton injury. If the Bengals are to part with him, they’ll need both a quality haul and a good amount of confidence in one of the available Day 2 quarterbacks.

Bengals Want First Round Pick For A.J. McCarron

April 25th, 2017 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

A.J. McCarron is available, but the Bengals have set a lofty asking price for the quarterback. Cincinnati wants “at least” a first round pick for him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). AJ McCarron

It’s hard to see any team making that kind of offer for McCarron, even when considering the dearth of high-level quarterbacks in the draft and free agency. That’s just fine for the Bengals who value McCarron highly as Andy Dalton‘s understudy. McCarron personally wouldn’t mind a trade out of Cincinnati, but he won’t be going anywhere unless the Bengals have a sudden change of heart.

Because McCarron spent most of his rookie year on the non-football injury list, he’ll be a restricted free agent after the season instead of an unrestricted free agent. That development made him even more valuable to the Bengals since they can keep him at a bargain basement price through the 2018 season. McCarron will carry a modest $735K cap number in 2017 while top backups elsewhere are earning $4-$5MM.

Earlier this offseason, the Browns had some level of interest in reuniting McCarron with coach Hue Jackson.

Browns Unlikely To Trade For Veteran QB

April 19th, 2017 at 12:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns don’t envision trading for a veteran quarterback, general manager Sashi Brown told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), today. Depending on Brown’s definition of the word “veteran,” that could rule out pursuits of the Patriots’ Jimmy Garoppolo and the Bengals’ A.J. McCarron.Jimmy Garoppolo (Vertical)

[RELATED: Browns Likely To Keep No. 1 Overall Pick]

New England reportedly isn’t willing to deal Garoppolo, but that hasn’t stopped the Browns from inquiring. The Patriots’ price for Garoppolo has varied, but Cleveland’s No. 12 pick isn’t going to get a deal done. The Browns aren’t willing to trade the No. 1 overall pick in exchange for a quarterback, so they may simply not match up with the Patriots on a swap.

The Bengals, meanwhile, aren’t actively shopping McCarron, but are willing to trade him (and would even be comfortable shipping him within the AFC North). Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com recently hinted Cincinnati would be open to sending McCarron and the ninth overall pick to Cleveland for pick Nos. 12 and 33. Using Chase Stuart of Football Perspective‘s draft value chart, that deal would imply McCarron is worth the 44th overall selection on his own.

At present, the Browns’ depth chart at quarterback includes Cody Kessler, Kevin Hogan, and Brock Osweiler. Although Osweiler had been expected to be traded or released, Brown said today the ex-Texan will have a chance to compete for the starting QB role, tweets Marc Sessler of NFL.com. Of course, that sentiment could simply be lip service until Cleveland decides how to proceed with Osweiler.

North Notes: Steelers, Browns, McCarron

April 6th, 2017 at 7:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

It’s already been a busy day for the North divisions, with the Ravens re-signing Lardarius Webb and Marvin Lewis weighing in on the potentially legitimate possibility he becomes a lame-duck coach in 2017. Let’s check out the latest from the Norths.

  • The Steelers have not been shy about selecting linebackers in recent first rounds, but they hosted Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis on a visit, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. Already housing Ryan Shazier and Vince Williams on the inside, the Steelers would continue their second-level-stocking ways by adding the former Gators ‘backer. Pittsburgh, though, did lose Lawrence Timmons — a 2007 first-rounder — to the Dolphins. The Steelers have selected a linebacker in the first round in three of the past four drafts, with the now-departed Jarvis Jones (2013) preceding Shazier (2014) and Bud Dupree (’15).
  • The Browns remain interested in A.J. McCarron, a former charge of Hue Jackson while in Cincinnati, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes. Familiarity with Jackson and a knowledge of his system endear the Browns to McCarron, with Cabot categorizing the quarterback as a bridge player while the franchise develops the rookie passer it’s expected to select. McCarron has two years remaining on his rookie contract. Cabot adds the fourth-year backup wants to be traded.
  • Cabot connects the Browns Mitchell Trubisky, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes, believing they will draft one of this trio later this month. But sources informed the longtime Cleveland reporter the 2018 crop of passers outflanks this one. In particular, Wyoming’s Josh Allen is a “once-in-every-10-years talent,” one evaluator told Cabot.
  • Anquan Boldin continues to insist he will play in 2017 but plans to wait until close to training camp to make a decision, per CBS Sports’ Jamey Eisenberg, who added the Ravens and Lions remain interested suitors. This gibes with what we’ve heard from the 14-year veteran throughout the offseason. Boldin’s teammate in both places, Haloti Ngata plans to help recruit the veteran wide receiver back to Detroit, per Eisenberg.
  • DeAndre Levy also underwent surgery recently and is not happy with how the Lions handled his injuries over the past two seasons.

Browns Won’t Trade No. 1 Pick For QB

March 28th, 2017 at 12:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns will not trade the No. 1 overall selection for a quarterback, head coach Hue Jackson tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. While the Browns are expected to “make another run” at Patriots signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo, any potential deal will have to be consummated without the first overall pick involved.Hue Jackson (Vertical)

[RELATED: Browns Haven’t Discussed Colin Kaepernick]

“Until we have the guy that we feel comfortable with that will be the face of our franchise, and play QB the way we want them top play, we’re going to keep searching,” said Jackson. “There’s the draft that’s coming up. There’s trade opportunities hopefully. We’ll exhaust every opportunity.’’

Garoppolo is likely the only quarterback for whom Cleveland would have considered parting with the No. 1 pick, but as Jackson says, the club will continue to hunt for another passer this offseason. In addition to Garoppolo, the Browns could consider trading for Bengals backup A.J. McCarron, whom Jackson coached in Cincinnati. While the Bengals aren’t necessarily shopping McCarron, they’re likely open to proposals, and Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com hinted earlier this week that Cincinnati could consider a trade of McCarron and pick No. 9 for pick Nos. 12 and 33.

The Browns could also target a quarterback in the draft, either at selection No. 1 or No. 12, and they’ve been linked to a list of options that includes Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, and Patrick Mahomes.

AFC Notes: Jets, Bengals, Raiders, Fins, Colts

March 23rd, 2017 at 6:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson took to Instagram in an effort to combat a recent report that he’s “terribly out of shape” (via Connor Hughes of NJ.com). “They say I’m fat and out of shape?” Wilkerson said while running on a treadmill. “Haha. Keep sleeping on me. I’m telling you.” It seems the scout who assessed Wilkerson’s conditioning was exaggerating, as photos (links here) the 27-year-old posted on Instagram earlier this month shoot down the idea that he’s in poor shape. Still, though, Wilkerson is coming off a disappointing 2016 – the first season of a five-year, $86MM contract – and could end up a cap casualty as early as next offseason if he doesn’t bounce back. Wilkerson notched 4.5 sacks last year (down from 12 in 2015) and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 15th-worst qualified edge defender (109 qualifiers).

More from the AFC:

  • Bengals cornerback Adam Jones is no longer facing a felony charge over a January confrontation with hotel security guards, police and a nurse, reports Lisa Cornwell of the Associated Press. The felony charge resulted from Jones’ alleged “harassment of a member of the medical staff in the justice center with a bodily substance.” Specifically, Jones was accused of spitting on a nurse at the jail. If found guilty, he could have gone to jail for six to 12 months. Jones is still up against three misdemeanor charges, including assault, and the Bengals aren’t sure if they’re going to retain him.
  • One of Jones’ Bengals teammates, reserve quarterback A.J. McCarron, wouldn’t mind a trade out of Cincinnati. But Andy Dalton‘s backup isn’t going to cause problems if the Bengals don’t deal him to a starter-needy team. On the possibility of once again reporting to camp in a No. 2 role, McCarron told Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer: “It’d be tough at first. Like, because I know I’m having to go through the whole backup process again. But at the same time, that’s my job. I need to be the best backup quarterback in the league and I’m going to go there and work my [butt] off to prove that and show that I am so that they’re proud, as an organization, to sit back and say at practice if they’re watching ‘like man, I’m glad we had that guy as our backup.’ I still want to make everybody proud.” McCarron, though, expects to end up a starter sometime. “Whether it’s this year or when I’m a free agent, I think somebody’s going to take a chance on me to be a starter,” said McCarron, who’s under Bengals control for two more years.
  • Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf reached out to commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday night about continuing the discussion to keep the Raiders, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). There has been no significant progress on that front, however. Despite Schaaf’s efforts, it appears the Raiders’ departure from Oakland is inevitable.
  • Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso‘s three-year extension adds an even $25MM to the $3.91MM he’ll earn in 2017, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The $28.91MM deal includes $16MM in fully guaranteed money for Alonso, who’s now slated to remain with the Dolphins through the 2020 season.
  • Wide receiver Kamar Aiken‘s one-year pact with the Colts is worth $2.6MM – $1.5MM of which is guaranteed – and features up to $600K in per-game roster bonuses, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On Jimmy Garoppolo, A.J. McCarron

March 2nd, 2017 at 8:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While the Patriots are reportedly unlikely to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, they haven’t ruled out moving him if the right offer comes along, a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. New England is likely to want at least a first-rounder for Garoppolo, writes Cabot, who hears that the team has already received one preliminary “offer.” However, a deal is unlikely to come together during the combine.

Jimmy Garoppolo (Vertical)

The Browns, 49ers and Bears, who are set to pick first, second and third in this year’s draft, have drawn the most connections to Garoppolo this winter. Cleveland has seemingly shown more interest than anyone else in Garoppolo, and it could help the club’s cause that it has a second first-rounder (No. 12 overall) that it could dangle to land the 25-year-old.

Should they fail to reel in Garoppolo, the Browns could look for a signal-caller via free agency, elsewhere on the trade market, or in the draft. Cabot reported earlier Thursday that they’re eyeing North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky at No. 1 overall, and she now adds that the Browns could inquire about Bengals backup A.J. McCarron.

Although the Bengals aren’t necessarily aiming to trade McCarron, they might do it if they receive at least a second-rounder, and they wouldn’t be averse to sending him to a division rival, a source told Cabot. Moreover, McCarron “would love” to reunite with Browns head coach Hue Jackson, Cabot notes. McCarron played under Jackson when he was the Bengals’ offensive coordinator from 2014-15.

Latest On Browns’ QB Possibilities

March 1st, 2017 at 4:47pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Colin Kaepernick has informed all 32 NFL teams he’s going to opt out of his contract with the 49ers and become a free agent. When that happens, one team that definitely won’t pursue Kaepernick is the quarterback-needy Browns, a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

Colin Kaepernick

Browns head coach Hue Jackson has demonstrated an affinity for Kaepernick in the past, so it’s conceivable the 29-year-old could have been on their radar. Jackson had interest last offseason in Kaepernick, who was then coming off an injury-plagued, statistically subpar campaign. But Kaepernick bounced back to a degree in 2016, as he tossed 16 touchdown passes against four interceptions, averaged 7.2 yards per attempt (up from 6.2 in 2015) and finished second among QBs in rushing yards (468, on a lofty 6.8 per carry) as part of a two-win team.

The only signal-caller who outrushed Kaepernick last year, the Bills’ Tyrod Taylor, will be on the Browns’ list if Buffalo releases him, reiterates Cabot. So could Buccaneers backup and soon-to-be free agent Mike Glennon, and the Browns also aren’t going to give up on acquiring either Patriots No. 2 Jimmy Garoppolo or Bengals reserve A.J. McCarron via trade, according to Cabot. The Patriots are reportedly unlikely to deal Garoppolo, though, while the Bengals will place a high price tag on McCarron – a former Jackson pupil – if anyone inquires about his availability.

Should the Browns fail to reel in a palatable long-term option via trades or free agency, the draft – in which they’re set to pick first and 12th overall – could be the avenue they take. Cabot notes they’ll “strongly consider” selecting a potential franchise passer then.

For now, their most established option under center is Robert Griffin III, who’s due a $750K roster bonus March 11. It’s possible Griffin will stay on the roster beyond that date, though, head of football operations Sashi Brown said Wednesday (via Cabot).

“That’s not going to be a major decision for us one way or the other in terms of a lever for making that decision,” he revealed. “We’re going to evaluate Robert, not his contract. And we’ve had some discussions there.”

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