HEADLINES

Blake Frohnapfel

NFC West Notes: Woodley, Peters, Coleman

June 3rd, 2016 at 6:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

LaMarr Woodley may never again accrue the double-digit sack numbers that he posted during the early portion of his career with the Steelers, but the veteran edge rusher — who spent the 2015 season with the Cardinals — feels as though he still has some productivity left. But as he tells Hugh Bernreuter of MLive.com, Woodley is prepared for life after the NFL if no clubs express interest.

“There’s no stress, because it’s something I can’t control,” said Woodley, who managed 10 games with the Cardinals before a chest injury landed him on injured reserve. “I can control what I can do off the field, but I can’t control what might happen on the field. I have a lot of things I’m involved in. I’m not just waiting by the phone. I’ve worked hard to have a future outside of the NFL.”

Let’s take a look at more from the NFC West, including one additional note on the Cardinals…

  • Defensive tackle Corey Peters signed a three-year deal with the Cardinals prior to last season, but he has yet to officially suit up for the club after he tore his Achilles (for the second time in two years) last August. Peters’ recovery is going well, as he tells Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com, and the 27-year old figures to compete for time along Arizona’s interior defensive line. However, given the nature of his injury, and the fact that the Cards could clear more than $1.2MM in cap space by releasing him, Peters knows his roster spot must be earned this summer. “I think that the NFL is pretty much always, play well or be replaced, and it’s no different,” Peters said. “That’s kind of the attitude I’ve always taken toward it, so whether it’s coming off an injury or anything else, I think it’s very important to put your best foot forward and put your best work on the field.”
  • Former Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman has been officially charged with vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run stemming from an October incident, as Sara Jean Green of the Seattle Times reports. Seattle suspended Coleman for all of four days last season, but he went on to play in 14 games for the club, filling a valuable role on special teams. Coleman, a restricted free agent at the end of the season, was non-tendered this spring, so he’s been free to sign with any club.
  • The Rams worked out former Massachussetts quarterback Blake Frohnapfel today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), who adds that Frohnapfel previously worked out for the Colts. Frohnapfel also met with the Lions prior to this year’s draft (in which he was ultimately not selected).

Lions Rumors: S. Martin, Center, Frohnapfel

March 25th, 2016 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Standout players like Ezekiel Ansah and Darius Slay will receive most of the attention when the Lions look to extend members of their 2013 draft class. But Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press warns not to overlook a late-rounder from ’13 — fifth-round punter Sam Martin recently changed agents, hiring Sean Kiernan and Erik Burkhardt of Select Sports, signaling that he’s open to discussing a new contract.

Martin, 26, won’t be in line for any sort of mega-deal, but he should do well for a punter. In 2015, his 42.0 net-yard average was fourth in the NFL, and just three of his 80 attempts went for touchbacks. As Over The Cap’s data shows, to crack the top 10 highest-paid punters in the league, Martin would have to average $2.8MM annually on an extension, and he’s probably a good bet to match or exceed that figure.

Here’s more out of Detroit:

  • The Lions have made a habit of including playing-time incentives and/or per-game roster bonuses in most of the free agent contracts they’ve handed out this offseason, Birkett observes in a piece for the Free Press. New GM Bob Quinn explained that it’s a way to protect the team a little, while also giving players a chance to max out their value. “We want these guys to earn their contracts,” Quinn said.
  • The Lions weren’t in the mix for Alex Mack and haven’t shown any real interest in the second tier of free agent centers, but the team would still like to add some competition for center Travis Swanson, according to Birkett. Quinn was noncommittal when asked if the center position would be a priority in the draft: “If there’s a center there that I like, yeah. I mean, you tell me who’s going to be there and I’ll tell you if it’s a priority or not.”
  • Massachusetts quarterback Blake Frohnapfel met with a Lions scout and quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan in advance of his pro day on Thursday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.