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Brandin Cooks

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Bills, Jets

April 3rd, 2014 at 5:52pm CST by Ben Levine

Ryan Mallett hasn’t had much of an opportunity to prove himself as a starting-caliber quarterback since joining the league in 2011. Tom Brady‘s backup is entering the final season of his contract and there have been rumblings that team’s could be interested in trading for the former Razorback. If the Pats did decide to pull the trigger and trade Mallett, they aren’t likely to get much back, writes Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. Reiss actually has little faith that the team would get anything of use in return, and thinks Mallett is more valuable even as an expiring-contract backup than as a trade asset.

Let’s take a look at some more rumblings from around the AFC East…

  • In the same article, Reiss discusses his confidence that Devin McCourty will sign an extension with the Patriots. Reiss expects to see a new contract as early as this offseason.
  • Reiss also addresses Ryan Wendell‘s new contract with the Patriots, stating that the new deal doesn’t guarantee that Wendell will be starting this season. Reiss sees the offensive lineman as more of a backup and believes that the team will continue to look at upgrading the position.
  • The Bills announced that Mary Wilson, wife of the team’s late founder and owner, will now be the controlling owner, according to a post on BuffaloBills.com. Meanwhile, a source tells Tim Graham of The Buffalo News that the team won’t “ease” into the sale process and that a deal could come as soon as October.
  • Wide receiver Brandin Cooks has scheduled a pre-draft visit with the Jets, reports Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).

NFC Notes: Suh, Bethea, Ware, Graham

March 2nd, 2014 at 3:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is going to be the next player to break the bank, writes Joel Corry of the National Football Post. Suh is under contract through the 2015 season; however, that year is a player option, which Suh will likely decline. 2014, then, is effectively the last year of his current deal. If the Lions do not sign the star lineman to a new contract before next season, the franchise tag will probably not be an option, as his tag figure would be an untenable $26.87MM.

Suh has restructured his contract twice in as many years in order for the Lions to gain more cap space. An extension would serve the same purpose, as well as lowering Suh’s cap number, which is second in the league at approximately $22.4MM. The Lions are still feeling the effects of selecting high in the draft under the previous collective bargaining agreement, when rookie salaries were much higher. The rookie deals of Suh, quarterback Matthew Stafford, and receiver Calvin Johnson have put the team in an unenviable position. Extending Suh, as the Lions did with both Stafford and Johnson, would help to alleviate some of that cap strain.

More items from the NFC:

  • Safety Antoine Bethea could be an option for the Falcons, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. The team is expected to release Thomas DeCoud, and has been linked to free agent Louis Delmas. Jairus Byrd could also be intriguing, but both he and Delmas might be too expensive for Atlanta’s tastes.
  • Demarcus Ware, due $26MM over the next two seasons, is too expensive to be traded, but he could brought back to the Cowboys at a lower salary, argues Todd Archer of ESPN.com in a recent mailbag.
  • Mike Triplett of ESPN.com believes the Saints’ Jimmy Graham is a tight end, writing that lining up in the slot is simply part of that position’s job description in today’s NFL. Triplett thinks the murky situation could be resolved with a long-term contract in excess of $10MM annually.
  • The Rams could add two quarterbacks to backup Sam Bradford, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Kellen Clemens could return, and the team figures to draft a quarterback somewhere in the third-to-fifth-round range.
  • In a mailbag segment, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com says receiver will be a priority in the draft for the 49ers, and singles out Oregon State WR Brandin Crooks as an option. He also writes that running back LaMichael James could be used more in the slot and on screens as the teams aims to get the speedy back more touches.

Combine Updates: Clowney, Ford, Tuitt, Mason

February 24th, 2014 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

Jadeveon Clowney is the talk of the NFL combine on Monday morning, running an unofficial time of 4.47 in the 40-yard dash today. The time is easily the best among defensive linemen, and in fact surpassed the times of most of the running backs and receivers that ran the 40 yesterday. Clowney won’t participate in all of today’s on-field drills, citing a hip flexor, but there are still plenty of combine updates to pass along from Indianapolis:

  • Auburn defensive end Dee Ford was medically flagged due to a 2011 procedure on a herniated disc in his lower back and won’t work out today at the combine. Scott Hanson of NFL Red Zone first reported (via Twitter) that Ford would sit out, while Steve Wyche of NFL Network passed along the specifics (Twitter link).
  • Like Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Notre Dame defensive end Stephon Tuitt was diagnosed with a fractured foot by doctors at the combine, according to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, who says Tuitt will undergo surgery in about a week, with a full recovery expected in six to eight weeks. Ford and Tuitt are viewed as two of the top non-Clowney DEs available in the draft.
  • The Titans, Dolphins, Rams, and Cardinals are among the teams that have met with Auburn running back Tre Mason at the combine, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
  • The Ravens have met with Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland, as well as wide receivers Brandin Cooks (Oregon State) and Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt), Aaron Wilson writes in separate pieces for the Baltimore Sun. Wilson also says the team will meet with LSU receiver Jarvis Landry.
  • Maryland cornerback Dexter McDougle won’t participate in drills at the combine due to health concerns, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
  • For a complete list of combine results, including scores in the 40-yard dash, bench press, and broad jump, be sure to check out NFL.com’s tracker.