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Bobby Massie

NFC West Links: 49ers, Mayowa, Pryor, Cards

June 20th, 2014 at 10:34pm CST by Rob DiRe

During this slow time between OTAs and training camp in the NFL, one topic that stays in the public mind is the talk of contract extensions. Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com takes a look at a few players who are up for extensions and discusses who actually deserves the raise. Among his favorite NFC West players who have earned big money are the 49ers‘ Alex Boone and the Cardinals‘ Patrick Peterson. Although Vernon Davis and Seahawks‘ running back Marshawn Lynch are threatening holdouts, they are less serious candidates in McManaman’s opinion.

Here are some other stories from around the NFC West:

  • The 49ers have upgraded their receiving corps and now the onus is on Colin Kaepernick to succeed, writes Mark Purdy of the Mercury News.
  • The 49ers have a number of storylines to watch for as they prepare for training camp, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Barrows discusses the holdout, new faces, and position battles among other things in his round up.
  • Seahawks‘ pass rusher Benson Mayowa is ready to contribute to the team’s vaunted defense, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Benson added 15-20 pounds of bulk to his frame, and could be in contention for the famous LEO spot in the defensive scheme, behind projected starter Cliff Avril.
  • Terrelle Pryor is working hard and diligently to win the Seahawks‘ backup quarterback job behind Russell Wilson, writes Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times. Pryor did rule out a position change. “I don’t know how to catch. I don’t know how to run the ball as a running back,” said Pryor. “I’ve been a quarterback my whole life.”
  • The Cardinals are still looking for a starting right tackle, and former Ole Miss teammates Bobby Massie and Bradley Sowell are competing for the job, writes Justin Janssen of ArizonaSports.com. General manager Steve Keim has been impressed with the competition, particularly Massie. “Both those guys have been battling hard,” said Keim. “Bobby actually showed some real strides as we got to the middle of OTAs and our final minicamp. He did a nice job. He’s got all the physical tools.”
  • While the Cardinals are excited about their rookie class, Keim has tried to temper expectations, writes Janssen. “When you sit in my chair, you have to temper your enthusiasm a bit and wait until the pads come on,” said Keim. “Because we all know that a lot of guys can look great running around in shorts and helmets, but when the lights come on and the big boy pads come on, things can quickly change.” That being said, he had some great things to say about Deone Bucannon, Troy Niklas, and John Brown.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Gratz, Boswell, Massie

June 15th, 2014 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up some assorted links from around the league:

  • Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union looks at five players who finished the 2013 season with the Jaguars but who might be on the bubble of Jacksonville’s improved roster this season.
  • In a separate piece, O’Halloran describes the strong performance that Jaguars cornerback Dwayne Gratz had at the end of OTAs, and he notes that the Jags need Gratz to win a the starting corner spot opposite Alan Ball.
  • Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer provides a detailed piece on the new additions to the Panthers‘ secondary and writes that the Panthers hope the patchwork unit they assembled this season will have as much success as the makeshift group of 2013.
  • In a video piece on HoustonTexans.com, Texans undrafted rookie kicker Chris Boswell describes the kicking competition this offseason with incumbent Randy Bullock.
  • Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News describes the players that performed well and those that struggled in the Lions‘ offseason program and how those performances might carry over to training camp in July.
  • Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes that Bobby Massie is currently the clubhouse leader for the Cardinals‘ starting right tackle spot, but the fact that the team tried to sign Tyson Clabo demonstrates how the team feels about Massie and Bradley Sowell. Weinfuss adds that depending on how Massie and Sowell look early in training camp, the Cardinals may yet choose to look outside the organization. Eric Winston remains an option.
  • Adam Teicher of ESPN.com believes the Chiefs need to make a move at cornerback now after the release of Brandon Flowers, and he adds that Donnie Avery appears locked in at the team’s No. 2 receiver.
  • Charley Walters of TwinCities.com writes that Vikings are not likely to release quarterback Christian Ponder but hope to trade him. Although Ponder would only fetch, at best, a late-round draft pick, the team would save $1.8MM by dealing him.

No Deal For Cardinals, Tyson Clabo

June 9th, 2014 at 8:33pm CST by Matt Feminis

8:33pm: The Cardinals will not be inking Clabo to a contract, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Caplan says the team was interested in signing the veteran following his workout earlier today, but the two sides could not come to an agreement.

6:55pm: Veteran right tackle Tyson Clabo was expected to work out for the Cardinals on Monday, reported ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).

Clabo, 32, is a veteran of 10 NFL seasons and 116 career starts. After seven years in Atlanta, Clabo spent 2013 in Miami, where he made 15 starts, allowing 11 sacks and drawing a -0.9 overall rating from Pro Football Focus, including a poor -8.4 run blocking grade. At one point, Clabo was benched for a week in favor of Jonathan Martin before Martin left the team.

Whether Clabo is offered a contract by the Cardinals remains to be seen, but his presence in Arizona could be reason for concern, as the team is desperately hoping Bobby Massie, Bradley Sowell or Nate Potter emerges as a viable right tackle option. Sowell, who went undrafted out of Ole Miss in 2012, started 12 games last season, but did not establish himself as a long-term answer. Potter, a seventh-round choice in 2012, has 21 career games under his belt, including six starts as a rookie, though he is an underpowered blocker better-suited for a backup role. Massie, a fourth-round pick in 2012, is the most physically gifted of the group (including desirable 35-inch arms), but after he was thrown into the fire as a rookie starter, the presence of veteran Eric Winston made Massie a backup last season.

The fact the team is looking to a street free agent, particularly one clearly past his prime (who did not garner a free-agent contract in March), could indicate the unproven trio is not inspiring confidence. The Cardinals had one of, if not the worst offensive lines in football last season, and the team’s quarterback has been sacked 99 times the last two seasons. Jared Veldheer was signed to solidify the blind side, but it’s apparent right tackle remains a question mark.