Brandon Marshall (WR)

Sunday Roundup: Foles, Hillman, Jets

With a potential Colin Kaepernick trade to the Broncos on hold for now, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders whether Rams signal-caller Nick Foles could be a fit in Denver. Per Florio, a source with knowledge of the Rams’ quarterback dynamics has already predicted that Foles likely will be gone by the start of training camp, and that he definitely will not be on the team before Week One.

Foles’ $6MM roster bonus was paid on March 11, but that bonus was already fully-guaranteed, so the only additional obligation arising from keeping Foles into March 2016 came from his base salary, which is a modest $1.75MM (if Foles is traded, of course, that base salary goes with him). So the Broncos, who are asking that Kaepernick reduce his $11.9MM salary for 2016 to $7MM to facilitate a trade, could have Foles for just $1.75MM in 2016 (not including $4.5MM in incentives, but if Foles were to earn those incentives, the Broncos certainly wouldn’t be complaining).

Of course, the Broncos are not as strapped for cap space now that they have traded Ryan Clady, and as Florio points out, Denver may not have inquired into Foles simply because he played so poorly in 2015. As far as the Rams are concerned, Florio believes they will “squat” on Foles unless and until they draft a quarterback later this month, at which time the two sides will likely part ways.

Now for some more notes from around the league on this Sunday afternoon:

  • Free agent running back Ronnie Hillman, who has not found much of a market for his services, could be returning to the Broncos, according to Mike Klis of 9News.com, who reports that the two sides have exchanged contract proposals. Troy Renck of The Denver Post confirms the report (via Twitter), and he also tweets that head coach Gary Kubiak expressed an interest in retaining Hillman last month. Both Klis and Renck say that Denver will draft a running back later this month regardless of whether Hillman returns.
  • A jury in a civil trial Friday decided a California woman, Christin Myles, failed to prove that Jets WR Brandon Marshall assaulted her outside a Manhattan nightclub four years ago, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter) and Larry Neumeister of The Associated Press (article via The Denver Post). Myles had sued Marshall, who was not in court for the verdict, for unspecified damages.
  • The Jets are working out free agent wideout Kyle Williams today, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Williams was drafted by the 49ers in the sixth round of the 2010 draft and is best-known for his two fumbled punt returns in the 2011 NFC Championship game. He sat out the entire 2014 season and signed with the Broncos prior to the 2015 campaign, but he tore his ACL last August and missed the entirety of the 2015 season as well.
  • Like a number of other NFL scribes, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer believes the Browns will draft a quarterback with the No. 2 overall selection in this month’s draft and have that player compete with the newly-acquired Robert Griffin III. Cabot also believes the team will look to move Josh McCown on draft day or sometime thereafter; in any event, she does not expect Cleveland to string McCown along through training camp.
  • There are a number of free agents still available that might help the Giants address their remaining needs, but as Paul Schwartz of The New York Post writes, GM Jerry Reese is likely to continue ignoring free agents who may have another season or two left in the tank but who are otherwise past their prime, like Anquan Boldin, Owen Daniels, and Nate Chandler.

East Notes: Cowboys, Jets, Eagles, Bills

Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey has sat atop the Cowboys’ draft board since February, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net reports. The corner-needy Cowboys have the fourth pick and seem like a good bet to choose Ramsey if he drops to their selection, but they have inquired on moving up to No. 1 via trade and could grab him there. Like Ramsey, North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz – the Cowboys’ top-rated signal-calling prospect, per Pauline – is also a possibility in the first round. The club has mixed feelings on a couple Ohio State standouts – running back Ezekiel Elliott‘s stock is high within the organization, while assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett is bearish on end Joey Bosa.

PFR’s Rob DiRe has one of these four players going to Dallas in his first mock draft of 2016. Click here to find out which of the quartet he currently thinks will end up in a Cowboys uniform.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • The retirement of D’Brickashaw Ferguson leaves the Jets in need at three of football’s most significant positions – left tackle, quarterback and pass rusher – Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes. Ferguson would’ve returned for an 11th season had his $10.375MM salary remained in place, but the Jets wanted to cut that figure in half, according to Mehta, and the 32-year-old wasn’t receptive to the idea. Ferguson also worried about the possibility of the Jets releasing him prior to the season because he didn’t have any interest in signing elsewhere and relocating his family, per Mehta.
  • The Eagles’ reported interest in a first-round quarterback is a smokescreen, opines CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who believes they could trade down from the eighth overall pick to acquire more selections and ultimately address needs elsewhere. Philadelphia leads the league in real dollars spent since the start of the 2015 league year ($200MM-plus), including deals given to quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel. It’s fair to say the Eagles are in win-now mode, then, and La Canfora doesn’t expect them to eschew immediate help at problem positions in order to add a top-round QB to the mix.
  • With Tyrod Taylor entering a contract year, the Bills look poised to select a quarterback by the second day of the draft, as La Canfora details. The Bills are “enamored” of Ohio State’s Cardale Jones, says La Canfora, who reports that they also like Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg and Stanford’s Kevin Hogan.
  • Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall won his civil trial relating to a 2012 altercation outside a Manhattan nightclub, and won’t be responsible for damages, per attorney Harvey Steinberg (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). The NFL is unlikely to pursue any discipline for Marshall, since he never faced criminal charges and the incident occurred years ago.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Titans, Conklin, Broncos, Raiders

Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil is the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, but he’s not the only standout tackle the Titans are eyeing. A source tells Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com that the team is expected to host Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin for a visit soon. Conklin isn’t a candidate to come off the board first, but if Tennessee ends up moving down in the first round, he could be in play for the Titans.

Here’s more from across the AFC:

  • Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott was hosted for a pre-draft visit by the Broncos today, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Prescott is unlikely to go in the first round, so the Broncos could look to target him in the second or third round of the draft.
  • Central Arkansas defensive end Jonathan Woodard had a visit scheduled with the Raiders on Monday and will meet with the Titans on Friday, as Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News tweets.
  • Oklahoma State defensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah recently paid a visit to the Bills and will soon visit the Texans, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network.
  • Seth Walder of the New York Daily News provides some details on Brandon Marshall‘s civil trial stemming from an altercation outside a Manhattan nightclub in 2012. As Walder notes, Marshall didn’t face criminal charges at the time, but it’s unclear if the NFL might still consider discipline, should the Jets wideout lose the civil trial.
  • Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio today, Ohio State tight end Nick Vannett said he has a visit on Sunday with the Jets (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of FOX Sports). Vannett has frequently been linked to Gang Green in recent weeks, having already privately worked out for and met with the team.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Newton, Peterson, Others Get Salary Guarantees

Several NFL players have contracts containing language which states that they’ll get a full or partial salary guarantees for 2016 and/or 2017 if they remained on their respective teams on Friday, the third day of the league year. Let’s check in some of those players (link courtesy of CBS Sports’ Joel Corry):

  • Cam Newton, quarterback (Panthers): $13MM base salary for 2016 is now fully guaranteed. Friday is also the deadline Cam Newton (Vertical)for the Panthers to pick up Newton’s 2020 option for $10MM.
  • Eli Manning, quarterback (Giants): $17.5MM base salary for 2016 is now fully guaranteed.
  • Jay Cutler, quarterback (Bears): $16MM base salary for 2016 is now fully guaranteed.
  • Adrian Peterson, running back (Vikings): $7MM base salary for 2016 is now fully guaranteed.
  • Julio Jones, wide receiver (Falcons): $11.5MM base salary for 2017 is now fully guaranteed.
  • A.J. Green, wide receiver (Bengals): $6MM roster bonus is payable.
  • Brandon Marshall, wide receiver (Jets): $9.5MM base salary for 2016 is now fully guaranteed.
  • Mike Iupati, guard (Cardinals): $6.75MM base salary for 2016 is now fully guaranteed, as is $2MM of Iupati’s $8MM base salary for 2017.
  • Rodney Hudson, center (Raiders): $7.35MM base salary for 2016 is now fully guaranteed.
  • Gerald McCoy, defensive tackle (Buccaneers): $13.25MM base salary for 2017 is now fully guaranteed.
  • Marcell Dareus, defensive tackle (Bills): $9.75MM base salary for 2017 is now fully guaranteed.
  • Justin Houston, linebacker (Chiefs): $14.75MM of Houston’s $14.9MM base salary in 2016 is now fully guaranteed, as is $6.75MM of his $16.35MM base salary for 2017.
  • DeAndre Levy, linebacker (Lions): $5.25MM base salary for 2016 is now fully guaranteed.
  • Aqib Talib, cornerback (Broncos): $8.5MM base salary for 2016 is now fully guaranteed.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Gordon, Megatron, Ravens

During his Super Bowl press conference, Roger Goodell acknowledged that he had received Josh Gordon‘s application for reinstatement. The commissioner now has 60 days to determine whether the Browns wideout should be reinstated. Before he makes a decision, Goodell wants to see whether the embattled receiver has changed his ways.

“The process is we will go back and look at how he’s conducted himself over the last several months, what he’s done to make sure it’s consistent with the terms of his suspension, and at some stage we’ll have a report on that, and I will engage with our people to understand where he is, where he’s been, but most importantly, where he’s going,” Goodell said (via Tony Grossi ESPN.com).

“When these things happen, it’s about trying to avoid them in the future. Our No. 1 issue here is to prevent these things from happening.

“I’m hopeful that Josh understands that he’s going to have to conduct himself differently going forward to be a member of the NFL and to be representing the Cleveland Browns — or any team in the NFL. So, our job is to try to get people to understand that, try to make sure that they live by the policies that we have, and ensure that this is what all of us want and also what the fans want. Our fans want everybody playing by the same rules.”

The Browns wideout was suspended indefinitely last February, and the 24-year-old didn’t play a single game this past season.According to the report, Gordon’s party “is confident he has met terms of his indefinite suspension to merit reinstatement.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

  • Jets wideout Brandon Marshall respects Calvin Johnson‘s decision to potentially walk away from the game. “Awesome. I think that he’s strong,” Marshall told Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post. “I think it takes a lot of strength and courage to walk away from the game. I think all of us face that time when we question ourselves or question our passion and love for the game, and if we want to move forward. I think most of us stick around a year or two or three too long.”
  • The Ravens have traditionally avoided big-name free agents, but ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley believes if the team were to spend this offseason, they’d pursue a wide receiver. According to the writer, potential options include DeSean JacksonVincent JacksonVictor Cruz and Roddy White.
  • Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is the “overwhelming favorite” to receive the team’s franchise tag, writes Hensley.

Extra Points: Marshall, Bills, Prospects

Some assorted notes from around the NFL…

  • Brandon Marshall‘s tenure with the Bears didn’t end on the most pleasant terms, and the current Jets wideout has used that as motivation for this season. “I can care less about stats and the awards,” Marshall told Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. “I wanted my character to be rebuilt [in Chicago], and I did that. Then it was ripped away from me. So I’m still a little angry about that, but I’m just going to use that for motivation to keep going.”
  • With Mario Williams on his way out of Buffalo, linebacker Preston Brown wants to be “the guy” for the Bills in 2016. However, considering the constant roster turnover, the 23-year-old isn’t certain he’ll even be on the team next season. “You always want to go be that guy,” Brown told Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News. “But I’m not in control of that. If I’m here, if I’m not, I don’t know what happens with everybody. You never know. I’ll just go out there and try to do my job each week.”
  • Oklahoma cornerback Zack Sanchez and linebacker Dominique Alexander have both declared for the upcoming draft (via Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller on Twitter).
  • The Dolphins would be “wise” to pursue Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, tweets Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole. If the coaching staff in Detroit is let go, Cole believes Austin could fill a variety of roles for Miami, including defensive coordinator or head coach.

AFC East Notes: Marshall, T. Taylor, Dolphins

Outside of the Patriots, no AFC East teams are shoo-ins for the playoffs, but none of the division’s other three clubs are out of the mix quite yet. The Dolphins and Bills will probably have to run the table – or come close to it – to earn postseason berths, so they badly need home wins this weekend against the Ravens and Texans, respectively. Even more interesting will be the battle of New York teams at the Meadowlands, where both the Jets and Giants badly need a win to remain in a comfortable position for a playoff spot.

As we wait to see how the AFC East’s matchups shake out this weekend, let’s round up the latest out of the division….

  • Wide receiver Brandon Marshall has yet to play a full season for the Jets, but he’s enjoying his time in New York, and doesn’t have interest in playing anywhere else before the end of his NFL career, as he tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “Once the Jets say, ‘We don’t need you anymore,’ I’m going to venture off into that world,” Marshall said. “I’m not playing for another team. Four is all I need. It’s too hard to make new friends and relationships and deal with different egos. I don’t like the business already. So I’m not trying to deal with that.” Marshall still has two years left on his contract with the Jets after the 2015 season.
  • Asked if he believes he could be the long-term answer at quarterback for the Bills, Tyrod Taylor deferred to the club’s decision-makers, as Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News details. “It’s up to the management,” Taylor said. “I’ll just continue to approach each and every day the same way. Hard work. Attitude. Continue to keep working.”
  • Having selected DeVante Parker in the first round of the 2015 draft, the Dolphins view the rookie as a building block and an eventual starter, meaning the club can afford to let wide receiver Rishard Matthews walk in free agency this winter, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. Walker thinks there’s only about a 20% chance that Miami re-signs Matthews.

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Tannehill, Jets

The Patriots have dealt with numerous key injuries this year and that will continue to be the case to an almost ridiculous extent Sunday, as the team announced (via Twitter) that wideout Danny Amendola and Jamie Collins won’t play against the 8-2 Broncos in Denver.

While doubting this year’s 10-0 Pats (or any team led by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick) seems unwise, Bob McManaman of AZCentral opines that their injury issues have them primed for a nose dive. McManaman writes that the losses of Julian Edelman, Dion Lewis, Nate Solder, Amendola and Aaron Dobson have depleted New England’s AFC-best offense, one that had difficulty in a 20-13 win over Buffalo on Monday. The Bills harassed Brady consistently and held him to season lows in completion percentage (51.3), yards (277), yards per attempt (7.10) and quarterback rating (72.3). Further, they kept Brady’s favorite target, all-world tight end Rob Gronkowski, out of the end zone and held him to season worsts in catches (two) and yards (37). McManaman argues that the Bills provided the blueprint for stopping Gronkowski by stacking the box and putting two defenders on him while pressuring Brady. That could be easier said than done for many teams, but maybe not for a Broncos defense that leads the NFL in both passing yards per game allowed and sacks.

As we wait to see how the injury-ravaged Patriots fare in Denver, here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has underwhelmed at times this year, but he still has the full confidence of the team’s front office, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. There’s a disconnect between the coaching staff and front office regarding Tannehill, per Salguero, as the former views the fourth-year man as a game manager and the latter sees him as someone with franchise QB potential. Executive vice president Mike Tannenbaum and company think so highly of the 27-year-old Tannehill that, hypothetically, they’d take him as a long-term option over the similarly aged Cam Newton, Salguero reports. If interim head coach Dan Campbell doesn’t get on board with that type of thinking, it seems his time atop Miami’s staff will definitely end in another six games.
  • With journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick having come back to earth after a hot start, Bob Glauber of Newsday took a look at possible No. 1 quarterback options for the Jets in 2016. If it’s not Fitzpatrick, it certainly won’t be backup Geno Smith – whom the Jets have no faith in, per Glauber. Among a slew of flawed options, Colin Kaepernick could be the most interesting outside possibility. The mobile Kaepernick – who is on the outs in San Francisco – is still young (28), not far removed from success, and could fare well under offensive coordinator Chan Gailey.
  • One reason the Jets have gone from 4-1 to 5-5 is the decreased production of wideout Brandon Marshall. Glauber writes that the Jets have to find a way to make him a dominant part of their offense again. Marshall caught 37 passes for 511 yards and four touchdowns in the Jets’ first five games and has hauled in 12 fewer receptions (25) for 222 fewer yards (289) over the last five, though he has accrued nearly as many TDs (three). The reason for the drop in productivity, according to Marshall, “I’m being double-teamed a lot more.” Added Gailey, “We need him to be involved to be a successful offense. They’re taking him away right now, and we don’t have enough other people involved in the passing game to take that away from them.”

East Rumors: Eli, Eagles, Jets, Brady

Despite the incredible durability he’s shown in his 12-year career, Eli Manning is unlikely to play out the four-year contract extension he signed with the Giants last week, Bryce Johnston of OverTheCap writes. Manning’s estimated contract value, a tool used by OverTheCap, produced a slightly lower figure than his 2004 draft class peers Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers, younger than the 34-year-old Manning by 14 and 11 months, respectively. Cam Newton tops this value-based chart.

Here’s what’s going on across the Eastern divisions on Friday night.

  • Third-year Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis‘ aggressiveness puts Philadelphia’s cornerbacks in difficult spots, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The pressure-centric schemes often place Eagles corners in one-on-one spots, and that didn’t go well for Byron Maxwell against Julio Jones in Week 1. With Chip Kelly bringing in Maxwell for $63MM to play this kind of coverage while Cary Williams, who ended up replacing Maxwell in Seattle, and Bradley Fletcher weren’t asked back. McLane opines Maxwell must acclimate to this scheme far better to justify his $10.5MM-per-year salary.
  • Kelly’s attempt to maximize the Eagles’ play count may be affecting his defense, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. With the Eagles trailing only the Broncos and Patriots in number of offensive plays run since Kelly assumed command in Philadelphia in 2013, Kelly’s teams are just 5-4 in December and ranked last (26 minutes, 40 seconds) in average time of possession in 2014.
  • Despite assuming the Jets‘ starting quarterback job via unrelated locker room violence, Ryan Fitzpatrick is taking his commitment to new heights in constantly texting Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall videos, notes and quizzes to form a chemistry with the wideouts, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports. “It’s energizing,” Marshall told Mehta. “It’s something I’ve been waiting for for the past five or six years … to play with a quarterback who approaches the game that way.” Fitzpatrick connected with both for scores in the Jets’ Week 1 win.
  • Geno Smith hasn’t taken snaps in team drills yet, just 7-on-7 scout-team work the past two days in practice, per Mehta (on Twitter). Unseating Fitzpatrick could be a task for Smith after two uneven seasons.
  • According to SI.com’s Greg Bedard in an interview with Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News, Tom Brady looks more drained for this point in the year after spending the offseason consumed by Deflategate. Bedard adds, however, that he doesn’t sense the 16-year veteran carrying added motivation like he did after last season’s proclamations of his demise following the Patriots‘ blowout loss to the Chiefs.

AFC East Notes: Gostkowski, Marshall, Jets

When he announced his decision to retire this week, veteran offensive lineman Dan Connolly was a free agent, no longer under contract with the Patriots. However, that didn’t stop New England head coach Bill Belichick from issuing a statement on Connolly’s retirement through the Patriots’ website today.

“Dan Connolly exemplified everything our program requires of players,” Belichick said in that statement. “He was tough and dependable, smart and team oriented and his work ethic ensured he improved on an annual basis to reach his potential. From where his career began as a developmental player to where it finished as a team leader and champion, Dan Connolly was a player I was proud to coach.”

Let’s round up a few more Friday notes on the Patriots and one of their AFC East division rivals….

  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links) provides the exact details on Stephen Gostkowski‘s four-year, $17.2MM contract with the Patriots. The extension includes a $6MM signing bonus and fully guaranteed salaries of $1.8MM in 2015 and $2.3MM in 2016, for a total of $10.1MM in guarantees. There are also annual $100K workout bonuses and per-game roster bonuses worth up to $200K per season.
  • Brandon Marshall‘s new team will be his last team, according to a tweet from the veteran receiver himself. In a Q&A session on Twitter on Thursday night, Marshall was asked what team he would eventually retire with, and the ex-Bear answered, “If I’m cut tomorrow. I’ll retire. This will be my last team.” Of course, considering the Jets traded for Marshall and gave him a slight pay bump earlier this offseason, the club doesn’t intend to release him anytime soon. When the time comes for the two sides to part ways, we’ll see if Marshall does indeed call it a career.
  • The Jets are already weighing a possible extension for Muhammad Wilkerson, with Sheldon Richardson nearing extension eligibility as well. As Brian Costello of the New York Post, nose tackle Damon Harrison is also entering a contract year, and the Jets will have some tough financial decisions to make if he gets any better.