Andre Ellington - Pro Football Rumors

NFC West Rumors: Cards, Seahawks, Rams

March 29th, 2017 at 9:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians feels only one 2017 quarterback prospect is ready to play immediately, but he wouldn’t divulge the identity of said player, according to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. Arizona may be amenable to finding Carson Palmer‘s long-term successor this year, especially after the veteran quarterback flirted with retirement before announcing his intention to return. “It would be one of the best situations for a young quarterback to walk into,” said Arians, noting a youthful signal-caller could sit behind Palmer for a year or two, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

After spending the first four seasons of his career as a running back, Andre Ellington will play receiver for the Cardinals next year, Arians confirmed today (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic reported earlier this month Ellington would likely play more receiver than running back in 2017. With Ellington moving to the WR room, the Cardinals may need to another back, as Kerwynn Williams is the only runner on the roster behind David Johnson.
Running back Marshawn Lynch did not ask Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll to remove him from the reserve/retired list when the pair talked 10 days ago, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Lynch, of course, is reportedly considering a comeback but wants to play for the Raiders, not Seattle. Before any such move can take place, the Seahawks need to process Lynch off the retired list.
Kicker Steven Hauschka “capped out three times higher” than what the Seahawks were willing to pay, Carroll told reporters, including Condotta (Twitter link). The Bills signed Hauschka to a three-year, $8.85MM deal that includes $4MM in full guarantees, while Seattle went with a far cheaper option. Blair Walsh is the Seahawks’ new kicker after inking a one-year pact worth just north of $1MM.
Although general manager Les Snead will make the final call on draft day, new Rams head coach Sean McVay and his staff will play a large role in setting the team’s board, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter links). Los Angeles has needs all over the roster, but won’t make a selection until Round Two after trading the farm for Jared Goff in 2016. Under McVay and new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the Rams will be running new schemes on both sides of the ball, meaning communication between the field staff and the front office will be crucial as the draft approaches.
Evan Boehm will enter camp as the Cardinals‘ starting right guard, Arians told reporters, including Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link). Now entering his second NFL season, Boehm started only one game last year and played in just 10.6% of Arizona’s offensive snaps. The Cards are seeking to replace Evan Mathis and Earl Watford, who departed via retirement and free agency, respectively.

Contract Details: Foles, Carr, Poe, Cowboys

March 17th, 2017 at 5:28pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here’s a fun fact from Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter links): Of the 155 free-agent contracts that have been filed since March 9, only 23 have more than $3MM fully guaranteed in post-2017 money. In essence, that means 85.2% of the contracts done over the last ten days are one-year deals with team options.

Now for the latest contract details:

Cornerback Brandon Carr‘s four-year, $23MM Ravens contract comes with $6MM in 2017 – most of which is by way of a $4MM signing bonus – and then the Ravens will have a 2018 team option, reports Breer (on Twitter).
Falcons defensive tackle Dontari Poe‘s one-year, $8MM accord features a $500K signing bonus and incentives for playing time, sacks and a Pro Bowl appearance (Twitter link via Breer).
Quarterback Nick Foles‘ previously reported two-year, $11MM deal with the Eagles is actually a five-year, $27.5MM pact, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. However, the final three years of the contract will void if Foles is still on Philadelphia’s roster 23 days before the start of the 2019 league year. The arrangement comes with $5MM in incentives and an esclator for 2018 worth as much as $6MM (Twitter links).
Panthers defensive tackle Kyle Love‘s two-year contract is worth $2.2MM and features a few bonuses – $200K for signing, $25K for workouts and $10K per game active – as well as $500K in annual incentives, tweets Wilson.
Cowboys running back Darren McFadden‘s one-year contract is a minimum salary benefit deal worth $980K (a salary of $900K and an $80K signing bonus). Guard Jonathan Cooper‘s single-year accord is worth $2MM and has a $31,250 bonus per game active, $500K in incentives and a $100K workout base de-esclator (Twitter links via Wilson).
Cardinals running back/wide receiver Andre Ellington will earn a $775K base salary on his one-year agreement, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910.
Redskins defensive tackle Ziggy Hood’s two-year, $2.7MM deal includes a $300K signing bonus, per-game active bonuses of $15,625 each, $600K in incentives and a $600K escalator. Meanwhile, the Redskins gave linebacker Chris Carter a minimum salary benefit deal worth $855K, including $775K in salary and a signing bonus of $80K, relays Wilson (Twitter links).
Saints running back Travaris Cadet also got a minimum salary benefit contract for 2017, says Wilson (Twitter link). It’s worth $855K ($775K in salary and an $80K signing bonus).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Bears, Kaepernick, Cardinals

March 14th, 2017 at 8:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Rival clubs are “baffled” by some of the Bears‘ free agent signings, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Specifically, Chicago’s decisions to bring in Mike Glennon ($15MM per year), Prince Amukamara ($7.5MM), and Markus Wheaton (two years, $11MM) “raised some eyebrows,” per La Canfora. While the Bears did unsuccessfully target other free agents such as A.J. Bouye, the club made other surprisingly large commitments to cornerback Marcus Cooper and tight end Dion Sims.

Here’s more from the NFC:

While a strategy is in place to market quarterback Colin Kaepernick to the “right” team, NFL clubs are pessimistic Kaepernick will be able to land a “decent” deal, per La Canfora. Kaepernick, 29, opted out of the final year of his 49ers contract, and San Francisco likely would have released him had he not made that decision. Having said that he’ll stand for the national anthem in 2017, Kaepernick ranked as PFR’s No. 6 free agent quarterback heading into the free agent period.
After agreeing to a new deal with the Cardinals, Andre Ellington may be playing more wide receiver than running back in 2017, per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Ellington will spend time at both positions, according to Somers, but Arizona wants to see what the 28-year-old can do at wideout. While he posted 85 receptions during his first two years in the league, Ellington has only managed 27 catches from 2015-16.
Frostee Rucker may follow Ellington in re-signing with the Cardinals, as Somers tweets he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Rucker is the next player to land a new contract with Arizona. Rucker, 33, appeared in 13 games (one start) with the Cards in 2016, posting 13 tackles and grading as the league’s No. 96 interior player among 127 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Rucker earned nearly $1.4MM last year under the terms of an extension he agreed to in 2015.

Cardinals Re-Sign RB Andre Ellington

March 13th, 2017 at 3:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have re-signed running back Andre Ellington, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). We had Ellington ranked as one of the 15 best free agent running backs this year.

Ellington, 28, was once the Cardinals’ primary running back and thought to be the future at the position. However, he struggled to stay healthy while David Johnson and Chris Johnson leapfrogged him in the pecking order. Right now, it’s not clear if CJ2K will be back in Arizona, so Ellington may have the No. 2 RB spot if the team does not add another impact runner in free agency or the draft.

Last year, Ellington appeared in every regular season game but had only 34 carries for 96 yards. He added 12 catches for 85 yards.

Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 2.0: Offense

March 6th, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL free agency is right around the corner! The legal tampering period starts on Tuesday and free agency officially starts on Thursday. The list of available free agents will change between now and then as players re-sign with teams or get cut loose, but we have a pretty good idea of who will be available right now. After looking at the top defensive players, we now shift our attention to the other side of the ball.

Here are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each position. The rankings aren’t determined by earning power, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with a combination of short- and long-term value taken into account. You won’t find restricted free agents or franchise tagged guys here since they are unlikely to go leave their current clubs.

Player evaluation is always subjective, so we encourage you to make your voices heard in the comments section in cases where you disagree with us.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Updated 3-7-2017, 2:55pm CT

Quarterback:

Honorable mention: Ryan Nassib, Landry Jones, Shaun Hill

Colin Kaepernick’s agents have (wisely) let everyone know that their client will stand for the National Anthem in 2017. That may seem like a minor point, but teams say they would have automatically removed him from consideration if he continued his attention-grabbing protest. He grabbed headlines for his actions on the sidelines last year, but he actually turned in an OK season. From a football standpoint, Kaepernick would make sense for a lot of teams as a QB2 with upside.

Interestingly, this list includes three quarterbacks who couldn’t cut it as the Jets’ starter and three rejects from the 49ers. They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and all six of those players (Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kaepernick, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert) come with varying degrees of potential and proven effectiveness. Smith, somehow, could reportedly be retained by the Jets and installed as the starter in 2017.

Ryan Nassib is just outside of the top 15 here with EJ Manuel getting the final spot. Despite positive word about his play in practice, Nassib is unproven and the Giants’ apparent lack of interest in re-signing him says a lot. It’s also possible that he might not be 100% after ending the 2016 season on IR with an elbow injury. Manuel, for all his warts, has shown potential in small bursts.

Running back:

Honorable mention: Robert Turbin, Travaris Cadet, Benny Cunningham, Lance Dunbar, Bobby Rainey, Brandon Bolden, Denard Robinson, James Starks

As expected, the Vikings have cut Adrian Peterson loose and he is expected to garner interest from contending clubs this week. Some might peg Peterson as the most talented running back in this year’s free agent class, but it all comes down to how you weigh his age and injury history. Peterson has shocked the football world in the past with an incredible comeback, but I’m a little skeptical of his ability to do it again in his age-32 season. Eddie Lacy, who has injury question marks of his own, takes the top spot at the position.

The Patriots believe they won’t be able to match the offers that come in LeGarrette Blount‘s direction. Latavius Murray could circle back to the Raiders, but he won’t be agreeing to a deal with them before free agency opens on Thursday.

Jamaal Charles has the most impressive resume of anyone on this list, with the exception of Peterson. However, no one knows exactly what he can do after playing eight games in the last two years. He’ll turn 31 in December and that’s usually not an indicator of success for running backs.

Fullback:

Kyle Juszczyk graded out as the best fullback in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. The Ravens would be wise to keep him, but if they don’t, he’ll draw interest from teams all over the league. Juszczyk earned his first career Pro Bowl nod as he caught 37 passes for 266 yards. His exceptional 92.1 pass blocking score from PFF led all other fullbacks by a wide margin.

Mike Tolbert is ranked lower than you might expect due to his age and diminished blocking skills. He’ll turn 32 in November and it’s not guaranteed that he’ll find another job after getting released by the Panthers, though the Jets are said to have interest in him. Gang Green could also look into signing Patrick DiMarco and Marcel Reece. If you ask me, they should target DiMarco if they want to truly emphasize the running game. DiMarco finished the year with the best run blocking score in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

Wide receiver:

Honorable mention: Brian Quick, Brandon LaFell, Anquan Boldin, Ted Ginn, Vincent Jackson

Brandon Marshall, welcome to the free agent pool. Marshall is just two years removed from a year in which he had 109 catches, 1,502 yards, and 14 touchdowns. However, his numbers dipped significantly last season as the entire Jets offense slumped. The veteran will get tons of interest this week and his suitors may include the Giants, Patriots, and Ravens.

Kenny Britt managed to put up big numbers in the midst of the Rams’ offensive quagmire last season. He now hits free agency at a great time and the WR-needy Eagles are the latest team to be connected to him. The South Jersey contingent of the Eagles fanbase will appreciate the homecoming of the Rutgers product. At the same time, they should hope he exhibits a better attitude than he did on the banks of the old Raritan.

The talent is definitely there with Markus Wheaton and the team that takes a chance on him could wind up very, very happy. Robert Woods, historically, thrived in games where Sammy Watkins was unavailable or limited. Woods doesn’t turn 25 in until April and there’s a case to be made that he should be higher on this list. Cordarrelle Patterson has turned out to be a very capable returner, but there are definitely ambitious coaches out there who think they can still mold him into a great receiver. Michael Floyd is now years removed from his best work in Arizona, so one has to wonder what he can contribute even if he has turned over a new leaf.

Victor Cruz is an exceptionally hard-worker and a team-first kind of guy. He’ll be a great addition to any locker room, but it’s anyone’s guess as to what he’ll do in 2017. We’ll say this: a return to the slot would greatly benefit him.

Anquan Boldin just missed the top 15 and I don’t necessarily feel great about it. Brian Quick also missed the cut and it was a toss-up between him and Cruz for that last spot.

Tight end:

Honorable mention: Larry Donnell

Martellus Bennett is eager to cash in this month. There’s a “real possibility” he winds up elsewhere and he’ll get a monster deal if that happens. The Raiders and Jaguars are expected to be among the teams in pursuit. Filling in for Rob Gronkowski, Bennett caught 55 passes for 701 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016. You can never tell what the Patriots are thinking, but it sure feels like he’ll be leaving New England.

In his first season with the Packers, Jared Cook appeared in ten regular season games and caught 30 of 51 targets for 377 yards and a touchdown. In the Packers’ two-game playoff run, he really turned it on with a total of 13 receptions for 181 yards and two scores. Cook will be a priority for the Packers to re-sign, but it doesn’t sound like they’ll get a deal done between now and March 9.

Anthony Fasano finds himself ranked higher than some bigger names due to his blocking ability. PFF gave Fasano an 88.1 score for run blocking, which was the best of any tight end last year. His 72.9 pass blocking score was fourth-best among TEs. The Titans will make a real effort to keep him.

Offensive tackle:

Andrew Whitworth spent some time at guard last season but his best (and most profitable) position is on the outside. He’s 35, so he won’t lead all FA tackles in total money this year despite being our top-ranked free at the position.

That mantle, by all indications, will belong to Ricky Wagner who could reportedly fetch around $10MM/year. The former fifth-round pick put it all together this past season in Baltimore and he won’t turn 28 until October.

Russell Okung was thrust into the free agent market in February when the Broncos declined his option. This time around, it will be interesting to see whether he hires an agent. His previous deal was effectively a one-year pact with a club option for a four-year, $48MM deal with $20.5MM in guaranteed cash. After a so-so year, the Broncos wisely turned it down.

Austin Pasztor is listed as a tackle here, though it’s quite possible he reverts to the interior line in 2017. Mike Adams, a former second-round pick, makes the cut for his natural talent, even though he hasn’t shown much at the professional level. Will Beatty also found his way to the Top 15, but his market will be capped after two injury-ridden years.

Interior offensive line (guard/center):

Honorable mention: D.J. Fluker, A.Q. Shipley (C), Brian Schwenke (C)

Kevin Zeitler was the only offensive lineman to crack our Top 50 Free Agents list last week. Zeitler, 27 in March, was PFF’s No. 7 ranked guard in the NFL this year. After three consecutive strong seasons, he is going to get big bucks.

Ronald Leary, who once pushed for the Cowboys to trade him, recognizes that a return probably isn’t in the cards. The Cowboys will go with La’el Collins in 2017 and beyond, but don’t cry for Leary. After making 12 starts in Collins’ place and ranking No. 25 among Pro Football Focus’ 76 qualified guards, Leary will find an eager market this week.

J.C. Tretter graded out as a top 10 center last year, according to PFF, and he just turned 26. Stefen Wisniewski offers experience at both guard and center and there should be at least a few teams looking at him as a potential starter.

Nick Mangold‘s injury woes are holding him back here. Apparently, some teams are asking him to play guard.

Top 2017 NFL Free Agents By Position: Offense

February 23rd, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Zachary Links

[UPDATE: CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST EDITION OF THE TOP 2017 NFL FREE AGENTS BY POSITION]

NFL free agency will get underway on Thursday, March 9th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. We’ll start today on offense, before getting to defense and special teams later this week.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. The rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts that each player is expected to land in free agency, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account. Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents are not listed here since they are unlikely to actually reach the open market.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some guys than you are, so we encourage you to make your voice heard in our comments section to let us know which free agents we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Quarterback:

Honorable mention: Shaun Hill

As of this writing, Kirk Cousins is far and away the best potential free agent quarterback in this year’s crop. By the time March gets here, we’re fully expecting Cousins to be spoken for. Ultimately, the Redskins could franchise tag him, work out a long-term deal with him, or swing some type of trade that nets them a massive haul of talent and picks. That will leave a crop of retread quarterbacks that would probably best serve as transitional options for QB-needy teams.

Mike Glennon hasn’t done much in his 18 career starts, but talent evaluators are still in love with his size and potential. The 6’7″ quarterback will get more money this spring than you might expect, particularly since there are no surefire QBs in this year’s draft.

Teams looking for stopgap QBs will find a plethora of experienced, though perhaps uninspiring, signal callers. Nick Foles, Brian Hoyer, and Ryan Fitzpatrick all have their best football behind them, but they could hold down the fort for a team in 2017 and maybe even find some success if the defense is strong enough. Of course, the ideal role for those guys would probably be as a backup to a better, younger quarterback.

Running back:

Consider Le’Veon Bell‘s name written in Etch-A-Sketch, because he is very unlikely to get near the open market. That could leave Eddie Lacy as the best tailback available in March. Lacy has struggled with weight issues in recent years and he lost much of the 2016 season to injury. Still, he is a bruising back that could nicely complement a quicker ball carrier. Before he was shut down for the year, Lacy was averaging 5.07 yards per carry in five games for Green Bay.

In the last two years, LeGarrette Blount seems to have put his off-the-field troubles behind him. Whether that’s a sign of his maturity or a product of the Patriots’ culture remains to be seen. Teams can ignore his past indiscretions, but they will be wary of his age. Blount turns 31 in December.

Latavius Murray has shown glimpses of being a special running back, but he has been inconsistent and his 4.0 yards-per-carry average of the last two years isn’t overly impressive. Darren McFadden ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2015, but 2016 was pretty much a lost year for him. Jacquizz Rodgers seemed to break out last year, but he wound up succumbing to the same injury bug that took down a host of other Buccaneers running backs. Speaking of injuries, Rashad Jennings was initially brought to the Giants to be a workhorse back, but two of his three years in New York were marred by ailments. Everyone in this tier has the potential to make a difference, but none should be counted on as anyone’s main guy in 2017.

Fullback:

Kyle Juszczyk graded out as the best fullback in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. The Ravens would be wise to keep him, but if they don’t, he’ll draw interest from teams all over the league. Juszczyk earned his first career Pro Bowl nod as he caught 37 passes for 266 yards. His exceptional 92.1 pass blocking score from PFF led all other fullbacks by a wide margin.

Mike Tolbert is ranked lower than you might expect due to his age and diminished blocking skills. He’ll turn 32 in November and it’s not a given that he’ll find another NFL home after getting released by the Panthers.

Wide receiver:

Alshon Jeffery has had two down years (by his standards) but he is still the cream of the wide receiver crop. His weak production and PED suspension in 2016 probably killed his chances of getting Dez Bryant-money, but he could still get a multi-year deal with a nice amount of guaranteed cash given the dearth of WR1 types available. Jeffery hasn’t set the world on fire lately, but plenty of GMs will chalk that up to the Bears’ quarterback situation.

Few saw Terrelle Pryor‘s standout season coming. The former Buckeyes quarterback now stands as one of the best pending free agent receivers out there. We would be surprised if the Browns allow him to reach the open market, but if he does get there, he’ll get money thrown at him by teams looking for a No. 2 wide receiver.

The Dolphins can replace Kenny Stills in-house and they need to save their dollars for Jarvis Landry‘s next deal, so we envision Stills testing the open waters. Despite his age, Pierre Garcon could reportedly garner $9MM+ per year on his next pact. Because of his maddening inconsistency, we have slotted Garcon one spot ahead of teammate DeSean Jackson. There’s also this: Jackson can break a game wide open with his blazing speed, but speed doesn’t usually age well. Jackson, who reportedly wants to return to the Eagles, turns 31 in December.

Each player ranked No. 6 through No. 9 here offers potential and question marks in equal measure. Those around Kenny Britt have been questioning his work ethic and attitude since his Rutgers days, but his talent is undeniable. Markus Wheaton appeared destined for big things as the Steelers No. 2 wide receiver last year before an early season shoulder injury landed him on IR. Cordarrelle Patterson has all the physical tools to succeed and he put himself on the map last year as a kick returner. Will some team out there sign him to a multi-year pact and try to mold him into a receiver? Michael Floyd‘s rocky year ended with a Super Bowl ring, though he was not on the active roster in Houston. Floyd will be looking for a one-year, prove-it deal and there will be teams curious to see if he can reprise his 2013 season.

Tight end:

Martellus Bennett sounds like a man who is eager to cash in on the open market. There’s a “real possibility” he winds up elsewhere, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, and he’ll get a monster deal if that happens. Filling in for Rob Gronkowski, Bennett caught 55 passes for 701 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016.

In his first season with the Packers, Jared Cook appeared in ten regular season games and caught 30 of 51 targets for 377 yards and a touchdown. In the Packers’ two-game playoff run, he really turned it on with a total of 13 receptions for 181 yards and two scores. Cook will be a priority for the Packers to re-sign, but it’s not clear if they’ll get a deal done between now and March 9.

Anthony Fasano finds himself ranked higher than some bigger names due to his blocking ability. PFF gave Fasano an 88.1 score for run blocking, which was the best of any tight end last year. His 72.9 pass blocking score was fourth-best among TEs.

Offensive tackle:

Andrew Whitworth spent some time at guard last season but his best (and most profitable) position is on the outside. He’s 35, but he is our top-ranked free agent tackle after turning in another stellar year.

Ricky Wagner could reportedly fetch around $10MM/year. The former fifth-round pick put it all together this year in Baltimore and he won’t turn 28 until October.

Russell Okung was thrust into the free agent market in February when the Broncos declined his option. This time around, it will be interesting to see whether he hires an agent. His previous deal was effectively a one-year pact with a club option for a four-year, $48MM deal with $20.5MM in guaranteed cash. After a so-so year, the Broncos wisely turned it down.

Austin Pasztor is listed as a tackle here, though it’s quite possible he reverts to the interior line in 2017. Mike Adams, a former second-round pick, makes the cut for his natural talent, even though he hasn’t shown much at the professional level. Will Beatty also found his way to the Top 15, but his market will be capped after two injury-ridden years.

Interior offensive line (guard/center):

Kevin Zeitler is the only offensive lineman to crack our Top 10 Free Agents list from late January. Zeitler, 27 in March, was PFF’s No. 7 ranked guard in the NFL this year. After three consecutive strong seasons, he is going to get big bucks.

Ronald Leary, who once pushed for the Cowboys to trade him, recognizes that a return probably isn’t in the cards. The Cowboys will go with La’el Collins in 2017 and beyond, but don’t cry for Leary. After making 12 starts in Collins’ place and ranking No. 25 among Pro Football Focus’ 76 qualified guards, Leary will find an eager market in March.

J.C. Tretter graded out as a top 10 center last year, according to PFF, and he just turned 26. Stefen Wisniewski offers experience at both guard and center and there should be at least a few teams looking at him as a potential starter.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Panthers, Bears, Eagles, Cards

December 21st, 2016 at 7:53pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Multiple concussions have felled superstar Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly this season, though the 25-year-old unsurprisingly told media Wednesday that he isn’t mulling retirement. “I’m holding off that retirement word for a little ways down the road,” he said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “It’s something you appreciate everybody concerned with how you’re doing, but whenever my opportunity comes back I’ll be back out there.” Kuechly has recovered from the concussion that he suffered Nov. 17, but the Panthers haven’t cleared him to return to action. Considering they’re 6-8 and all but out of playoff contention, it would behoove the defending NFC champions to keep Kuechly out until next season.

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Cruz, RGIII, Cards

February 24th, 2016 at 10:51am CST by Luke Adams

With Tony Romo turning 36 this April, the Cowboys may not get a better chance to draft his eventual successor, but their No. 4 overall pick could also be used to address a more immediate need elsewhere on the roster. Speaking to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones acknowledges that the idea of selecting a quarterback is one the team must seriously consider.

“I mean you have to look at it,” Jones said. “You’re not naive to it but if you have the opportunity in this league, in our situation, to get a potential franchise quarterback, then you have to make the investment. You have to have the patience. You sacrifice maybe that opportunity that maybe is impactful right now.”

Let’s round up several more items from across the NFC….

Speaking to Nina Mandell of of USA Today’s For The Win, wide receiver Victor Cruz speculated that there’s an 80 percent chance he’ll return to the Giants for the 2016 season. While that’s an optimistic estimate, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets that it doesn’t sound like Cruz has been told anything definitive yet by the team.
In the wake of Washington president Bruce Allen suggesting Robert Griffin III won’t be back with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) identifies the Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, Broncos, and Cowboys as possible suitors for RGIII.
Speaking today to reporters at the combine in Indianapolis, Cardinals GM Steve Keim said that he loves Andre Ellington‘s skills, but the running back must show he can consistently stay healthy before Arizona seriously considers locking him up long-term (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic). As a 2013 draftee, Ellington is extension-eligible for the first time this offseason.
Former CFL pass rusher Tristan Okpalaugo, who signed with the Cardinals this week, got a $30K signing bonus on his one-year, minimum-salary deal, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.

2016 Proven Performance Escalators

February 12th, 2016 at 5:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.

If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure is projected to be $1.696MM in 2016. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.

Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2016 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:

49ers: Gerald Hodges, LB

Bears: Marquess Wilson, WR

Buccaneers: William Gholston, DE; Mike Glennon, QB; Akeem Spence, DT

Cardinals: Andre Ellington, RB; Tyrann Mathieu, CB/S; Alex Okafor, LB

Chargers: Keenan Allen, WR

Colts: Sio Moore, LB; Hugh Thornton, G

Cowboys: J.J. Wilcox, S; Terrance Williams, WR

Dolphins: Jelani Jenkins, LB; Dallas Thomas, T; Dion Sims, TE; Kenny Stills, WR

Eagles: Bennie Logan, DT

Falcons: Kemal Ishmael, S; Levine Toilolo, TE

Jaguars: Josh Evans, S; Dwayne Gratz, CB

Jets: Brian Winters, G

Lions: Larry Warford, G

Packers: David Bakhtiari, T; Micah Hyde, S

Patriots: Duron Harmon, S; Chris Jones, DT; Logan Ryan, CB

Raiders: Mychal Rivera, TE

Rams: T.J. McDonald, S

Ravens: Ricky Wagner, T; Brandon Williams, DT

Saints: Terron Armstead, T; John Jenkins, DT

Seahawks: Luke Willson, TE

Steelers: Markus Wheaton, WR

Titans: Brian Schwenke, C

Washington: Jordan Reed, TE

Chris Johnson Suffers Fractured Tibia

December 1st, 2015 at 3:08pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 3:08pm: The Cardinals are evaluating all of their options when it comes to Johnson, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com reports (Twitter links). The Cards could keep CJ on the roster, place him on IR, or use the temporary IR for him. With the temporary IR, Somers believes that the soonest he could return would be for a possible NFL title game. Johnson’s injury, he adds, is a chip fracture near the top of tibia and close to knee, rather than the traditional broken leg a “tibia fracture” would suggest.

Meanwhile, backup Andre Ellington was diagnosed with a sprained toe after tests, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’s day-to-day and his status for Sunday is in doubt.

9:02am: Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 (Twitter link) hears that Johnson is expected to miss six to eight weeks, noting that the club could promote Kerwynn Williams from the practice squad to help replenish the backfield in Johnson’s absence. The timeline suggested by Jurecki would put Johnson on track for a possible return in the postseason, though there’s no guarantee he’d be healthy in time for Arizona’s first playoff game.

MONDAY, 5:23pm: The Cardinals have learned that star running back Chris Johnson suffered a fractured tibia on Sunday, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Johnson will be be out for an extended period of time, but it’s not immediately clear exactly how long he will be sidelined. As Arizona looks ahead to Week 13, one has to imagine that Johnson’s regular season could be over and that could spill over into postseason territory as well.

Early reports on Sunday indicated that suffered a left knee injury, but it turns out that his injury happened below the knee. So far in 2015, the 30-year-old has enjoyed a resurgence that few imagined could be possible over the offseason. In 11 games (9 starts) for the Cards, Johnson has rushed for 814 yards and three scores off of 196 carries.

Last season for the Jets, Johnson ran for just 663 yards, the first time in his career he recorded fewer than 1,000 yards in a season. However, he averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry for Gang Green in 2014. Meanwhile, the ground game was a weak spot in Arizona last season, as the team’s leading rusher, Andre Ellington, totaled just 660 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry.

In October, the Cardinals went on record saying that they would look into an extension for CJ2K.