Brian Orakpo - Pro Football Rumors

East Notes: Donnell, Dolphins, Brady, Jets

September 30th, 2014 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

After losing Brandon Myers to the Buccaneers, the Giants kicked the tires on a number of free agent tight ends this past offseason, including Brandon Pettigrew and others. However, the team ultimately didn’t make any major additions at the position, and that decision looks like the best one the front office made all year. As Peter King of The MMQB.com details, new No. 1 tight end Larry Donnell has been a revelation during the first few weeks of this season, racking up 25 receptions and four touchdowns already, just three years removed from going undrafted and unsigned out of Grambling State.

As we look forward to seeing if Donnell can keep up his impressive play throughout the season, let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two East divisions….

Defensive end Emmanuel Dieke, who was cut by the Giants last month, is working out for the Dolphins today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Pointing out that the remainder of Tom Brady‘s contract remains “insanely team-friendly,” Ben Volin of the Boston Globe wonders if the Patriots would ever get to the point where they’d consider trading their longtime signal-caller to a team in need of a quarterback.
Rex Ryan‘s job as the Jets‘ head coach may hinge on whether or not he decides to continue to rely on Geno Smith as the club’s No. 1 quarterback, writes Steve Selby of the New York Post.
Mark Bullock of the Washington Post takes an in-depth look at why Redskins outside linebacker Brian Orakpo isn’t proving to be worth his large 2014 salary in the early going this season.

East Links: Cowboys, Redskins, Jets

September 13th, 2014 at 11:09am CST by Ben Levine

Orlando Scandrick is currently serving a four-game suspension, but the Cowboys cornerback will likely be back soon. Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram writes that the 27-year-old will be eligible to play this weekend if a new league drug policy is agreed upon.

The former fifth-round pick expressed his beliefs that a suspension wasn’t necessary, but he’s still happy that the ordeal will soon be behind him.

“I’m relieved,” Scandrick said. “It feels good to be able to join back and play with my teammates and do what I love. It was the toughest two weeks of my life. It truly allowed me to appreciate the NFL, the game of football, my job and my career. I want to thank the Jones family, coach Jason Garrett and my teammates for their support. I want to assure everybody that this will never happen again. I will take the extra step so this never happens again. I’m just thankful the NFL and the union were able to reach a resolution. I’m speechless.

I got to realize I caught a break. When you catch a break you have to learn from it. It’s an eye opener to be banned from something you have done your whole life. I’m thankful and appreciative.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFL’s east divisions…

Unless something happens to linebacker Rolando McClain, the Cowboys wouldn’t have a reason to add free agent Pat Angerer, writes ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. However, the writer guesses that the former second-rounder is on the team’s “emergency board.”
Archer also makes it clear that Jerry Jones will not be relinquishing his control of the Cowboys. “It’s his team, his money,” Archer writes. “He can do with it what he wants. He will not sell the team. He will not give up the general manager title.”
In regards to the Redskins‘ linebacker depth, ESPN.com’s John Keim says the “best-case” scenario would involve Brian Orakpo having a big season and re-signing.
Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson could have commanded a huge contract following his dominant 2013 season. The 24-year-old will be making $1.2MM this year, and Mark Canizzaro of the New York Post writes that a holdout was never in the picture. “If people treat me with respect and I treat them with respect then I guess my time will come,” Wilkerson said. “I’ve got to wait. If they respect me and they feel highly of me, then I guess they’ll take care of me, right? Time will tell…I guess I’m just different. I look at things differently. That’s how I was bought up. I’m a patient person. I’m going to just wait. I’ve just got to wait.”

NFC Notes: Orakpo, Redskins, Rolle, Panthers

July 23rd, 2014 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

Brian Orakpo‘s long-term future with the Redskins remains up in the air, but he vows not to let his contract uncertainty bother him during the upcoming season, as he tells Brian McNally of the Washington Times.

“You can talk about contracts and this and that. Throw all that out the window, man,” Orakpo said. “I’m signed for the 2014 season. I need to go out there and make plays. I need to go out there and be a force. That’s what I’ve been working extremely hard at because this defense relies on myself to go out there and make big plays so we can get off the field.”

Here’s more from around the NFC:

During most of his time as general manager for the Redskins and Buccaneers, Bruce Allen has shared decision-making responsibility with a head coach (Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden, respectively). However, with Shanahan no longer in Washington, the GM has “unprecedented authority to direct the franchise,” writes Jason Reid of the Washington Post.
Entering the final season of his five-year contract with the Giants, Antrel Rolle has yet to discuss an extension with the team, according to Tom Rock of Newsday. While Rolle would like to continue playing with the Giants beyond 2014, he acknowledges that “it’s possible” he’ll end up elsewhere, downplaying the need to focus on his contract situation at this point.
Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer takes a look at Charlotte native Brenton Bersin‘s quest to earn a spot on the Panthers‘ regular-season roster in 2014.

NFC Notes: Hardy, Orakpo, Boone, Suh

July 16th, 2014 at 11:58am CST by Ben Levine

After being found guilty on Tuesday of assault on a female and communicating threats, Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy is currently being monitored by the NFL, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.

While Hardy was found guilty by a judge, the two-step process in North Carolina allows him to now stand trial before a jury. This is an important note – as Florio writes, the NFL usually doesn’t punish first-time offenders “until there has been a disposition of the proceeding.”

However, as the writer points out, the NFL can still do whatever it wants. Futhermore, the Panthers could decide to suspend Hardy for “conduct detrimental to the team,” allowing them to save more than $770K a week.

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC…

After not signing an extension by yesterday’s deadline, Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo could be facing a make-or-break year, writes Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com. As the writer notes, the team has done a lot to put Orakpo in a position to succeed. The Redskins added free agent pass rusher Jason Hatcher, drafted linebacker Trent Murphy and brought in coach Brian Baker to refine Orakpo’s skills. If the 27-year-old can’t succeed under those circumstances, Tandler says “there isn’t much hope that he ever will.”
There’s no denying that 49ers guard Alex Boone is underpaid, writes Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. After all, the holdout candidate signed his current contract when he was a backup. However, the team could drag out negotiations by arguing that their depth, including Joe Looney and Marcus Martin, could fill in adequately.
The Lions still hope to sign Ndamukong Suh to an extension this offseason, writes MLive.com’s Justin Rogers. The writer takes a look at some of the most lucrative contracts signed by veteran defensive tackles and suggest a contract worth $63MM over five seasons.

No Extensions For Brian Orakpo, Greg Hardy

July 15th, 2014 at 5:44pm CST by Luke Adams

While Jimmy Graham struck an 11th hour agreement with the Saints on a long-term deal, two of his fellow franchise tag recipients didn’t sign multiyear extensions in advance of today’s deadline. Instead, Brian Orakpo of the Redskins and Greg Hardy of the Panthers will play the 2014 season on one-year contracts, and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency again in 2015.

Both Orakpo and Hardy signed their one-year franchise tenders several months ago, so no further negotiations with their respective clubs are necessary this year. Orakpo, who ranked fourth among 3-4 outside linebackers in 2013 according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required), will earn an $11.455MM salary for 2014, while Hardy, who has racked up 26 total sacks in the last two seasons, has a ’14 salary worth $13.116MM.

Orakpo and Hardy will be eligible for the franchise tag again next March, but given how pricey those tags will be, a contract extension or a trip to the free agent market appears more likely for each pass rusher. The 2014 season figures to go a long way to determining each player’s long-term future with his club, especially considering the Redskins employ two more promising outside linebackers in Ryan Kerrigan and second-round rookie Trent Murphy, while the Panthers has already heavily invested in their other defensive end, Charles Johnson.

Hardy spent most of Tuesday’s deadline day in court, where he is defending himself on misdemeanor assault charges, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer has been detailing on his Twitter account.

Long-Term Deal Unlikely For Orakpo, Redskins

July 15th, 2014 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

Today is 2014’s deadline for players who received the franchise tag to work out multiyear contracts with their respective clubs, and it appears unlikely that the Redskins and linebacker Brian Orakpo will reach an agreement, according to Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Orakpo will play the 2014 season on a one-year, $11.455MM deal if he doesn’t sign a longer-term pact by 3:00pm central time today.

Orakpo, who turns 28 later this month, was one of four players to be franchised back in March. Nick Folk and the Jets soon agreed to a multiyear extension, and Jimmy Graham and the Saints did so today. Unlike those players though, Orakpo and Greg Hardy accepted and signed their one-year franchise tenders several months ago, so it has seemed likely for some time that they’ll play on one-year deals in 2014.

Orakpo started 15 games for the Redskins last season, recording 60 tackles, 10 sacks, and returning an interception for a touchdown. The 27-year-old ranked fourth among 3-4 outside linebackers according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required), recording positive grades not only as a pass rusher, but also against the run and as a coverage man.

Washington drafted Trent Murphy with their first pick in this year’s draft and already have Ryan Kerrigan at the other outside linebacker spot — given their depth at the position, the Redskins may want to see further improvement from Orakpo this season before committing to him on a lucrative long-term contract. John Keim of ESPN.com notes that there was a difference in opinions within the organization about whether or not to franchise Orakpo this offseason, but Keim expects the team to find a way to keep the pass rusher if he has a big year in 2014.

Redskins Notes: Orakpo, Gruden, Griffin

July 4th, 2014 at 9:26am CST by Rob DiRe

Brian Orakpo will play the upcoming season on a franchise tag, as he auditions for a big payday next offseason. Orakpo has only hit double-digit sacks twice in his career thus far, but could have the opportunity to out up being numbers while being “turned loose” on defense, writes Keith McMillan of the Washington Post. New defensive coordinator Jim Haslett used that phrase to describe the new, more aggressive philosophies the team will use in 2014.

Here are some other notes from around Washington D.C.:

With the new aggressive defense focused on increasing their sack total, an even more important number might be yards per pass attempt, write John Keim of ESPN.com. The Redskins were 31st in the league in that category in 2013, and Keim writes that better tackling in the back end of the defense is more important than a lofty sack number.
New head coach Jay Gruden certainly has his own tendencies, but like his predecessor Mike Shanahan, he loves running the football, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. From 2011-2013, the Bengals were 11th in rushing attempts, only three attempts short of the Redskins. They also ran the ball on first down consistently, finishing fifth in that category.
Star quarterback Robert Griffin III is happy to have a new coaching staff, but needs to move on from the relationship troubles he had with Mike and Kyle Shanahan, writes J.P. Finlay of CSNWashington.com. Griffin mentioned his old coaches having “ulterior motives,” but Finlay hopes the quarterback is able to move on and leave the past behind.

NFC Notes: Falcons, Orakpo, Bears, Panthers

June 30th, 2014 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

We’re still waiting for resolution on one of the biggest NFC stories this month, with a decision from arbitrator Stephen Burbank on Jimmy Graham‘s franchise position designation expected this week. While we await Burbank’s call on whether the Saints star is a tight end or wide receiver, let’s check out a few more items from around the conference….

Wide receiver Roddy White appears poised to play out his entire current contract with the Falcons, a rarity in an era where players are often cut or forced to renegotiate with time still remaining on their deals. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap observes, that makes White’s contract one of the best on Atlanta’s books. Sam Baker‘s is the worst contract currently being carried by the club, in Fitzgerald’s view.
Playing on a one-year franchise tag, linebacker Brian Orakpo has a big year ahead of him, says ESPN.com’s John Keim. While the Redskins selected Trent Murphy with their first pick in last month’s draft, neither the team nor Orakpo himself views Murphy as Orakpo’s future replacement, meaning a productive season from the veteran linebacker could result in a longer-term deal with Washington.
It’s not clear how many tight ends the Bears will keep on their regular season roster, but Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com thinks Martellus Bennett, Matthew Mulligan, and Dante Rosario will make the cut.
In a mailbag at ESPN.com, David Newton fields questions on Greg Hardy, Edmund Kugbila, and other Panthers-related topics.
Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News previews the Cowboys‘ special teams unit for the 2014 season.

NFC Notes: Orakpo, Hosley, Packers, Ponder

June 4th, 2014 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he refuses to hold out, Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo still hopes to get a multiyear contract worked out with the team this summer, as Jason Reid of the Washington Post writes. The two sides have discussed the parameters of a deal, but Orakpo deferred to GM Bruce Allen when asked if there had been progress toward an agreement.

“You’ve got to ask Bruce about that,” Orakpo said. “You’ve got to ask them boys (senior Redskins management) about that. Money talks.”

Here’s more from around the NFC:

The suspensions just keep on coming for the Giants, who announced today that cornerback Jayron Hosley will miss the first four games of the season due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. News of Hosley’s suspension comes on the heels of a six-game ban for safety Will Hill, who was subsequently waived by the club. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets, assuming he doesn’t meet the same fate as Hill and find himself looking for a new team, Hosley’s four-game suspension will cost him about $134K of his $570K salary.
Lori Nickel and Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explore whether Packers receivers Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson are both in line for new contract extensions.
Addressing for the first time the Vikings‘ decision not to exercise his fifth-year option, Christian Ponder said he wasn’t surprised at all by the decision, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press details. “It gives me an opportunity,” Ponder said of not having a contract beyond 2014. “It has my options open after the season whether I have leverage to stay here or go somewhere else, whether there’s a better place for me to play.”
Vernon Davis, who is reportedly seeking a new contract, tells Maggie Gray on SI Now that he’s keeping a close eye on Jimmy Graham‘s positional grievance, even though Davis considers himself a tight end and not a receiver. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has the quotes from the 49ers tight end.
New Buccaneers offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford isn’t saying much about what his plan will be for this upcoming season, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. One thing Tedford did tip, however, is that he’s a fan of a running back by committee approach.
Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post passes along Reed Doughty‘s Instagram farewell message to the Redskins and their fans, suggesting the unrestricted free agent won’t be re-signing with the team.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC Mailbags: Redskins, Rams, Panthers, Lions

May 24th, 2014 at 9:46pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means a fresh batch of mailbags from ESPN.com’s NFL writers. Let’s take a look at some from around the NFC…

Trent Murphy was certainly a fallback option for Brian Orakpo, but that doesn’t mean Orakpo won’t re-sign with the Redskins, says John Keim. He adds that the smart move would be to keep both players.
Rams‘ writer Nick Wagoner thinks the team will carry three quarterbacks, including Garrett Gilbert. He cautions that the rookie is not a lock to make the roster.
The money that the Rams would gain from cutting Austin Pettis could be enticing, Wagoner says. Stedman Bailey‘s suspension might mean that Pettis is sticking around, though.
Wagoner thinks the team will bring in a veteran linebacker, similar to what the team did last season with Will Witherspoon.
The Panthers will definitely be adding players as they’re cut from other teams, writes David Newton. The writer says General Manager Dave Gettleman is “saving money under the salary cap for a rainy day.”
The Lions could potentially keep six wide receivers on their 53-man roster, says Michael Rothstein. He lists Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate as locks and believes Jeremy Ross will find a spot. He says one of Kris Durham, Kevin Ogletree and Naaman Roosevelt will make the roster, as well as one of T.J. Jones and Ryan Broyles. His wild card for the sixth spot would be Corey Fuller.
Rothstein doesn’t think the Lions should make a move right now for Asante Samuel. He adds that they could make a move for a cornerback eventually, especially if Chris Houston can’t return.
Dwayne Harris‘ job is safe with the Cowboys, opines Todd Archer. Besides being a solid wideout, his skills on special teams make him a lock.