HEADLINES

Bryan Burnham

East Notes: Giants, Cruz, Floyd, Patriots

February 3rd, 2017 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the East divisions:

  • Many expect the Giants to come to Victor Cruz with a pay cut proposal, but so far that hasn’t happened, the wide receiver says (link via James Kratch of NJ.com). Last year, Cruz took a big cut from a $7.9MM base to just $1.3MM. To stay on board, he’ll almost certainly have to agree to a similar slash. Cruz wants to stay, but he also concedes that he might be better off with a team that will regularly keep him in the slot. “That’s a good question. Maybe. You never know,” Cruz said. “I think you’ve just got to take it as it comes, eat the food that’s given to you, and see how it tastes. That’s kind of the term I like to use. But we’ll see. Playing the slot is obviously something that I’m best at, and an opportunity to do that would definitely be great.”
  • If Michael Floyd has his way, he’ll return to the Patriots for another season, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. “I hope to be back in Foxborough,” Floyd said. “I love it here. I hope that I can make that happen, for sure.” He noted that he was able to pick things up very quickly in New England despite joining the team mid-season and he wants to see what he can do there in a full year. Floyd’s career was in a free fall ever since his breakout 2013 season. Now, he may be back on the right track with the Pats.
  • The Cowboys worked out quarterback Garrett Gilbert, wide receivers Bryan Burnham and Corey Washington, and tight end Andrew McCleneghen earlier this week, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Pass-catchers Quincy McDuffie and Uzoma Nwachukwu were also part of the audition group, and signed reserve/futures contracts with Dallas on Tuesday. As Archer notes, the Cowboys could have some some upheaval at the quarterback position behind Dak Prescott, as Tony Romo could be traded or released, while Mark Sanchez and Kellen Moore are free agents. Gilbert, then, could be a candidate for a deal down the road.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Ngata, Eagles, Cowboys

January 7th, 2017 at 11:05am CST by Ben Levine

Lions defensive tackle Haloti Ngata may have set several career-lows this past season, but Kyle Meinke of MLive.com writes that the veteran intends to keep playing in 2017.

“It’s year to year for me — I’m up there in age — but I still love playing,” Ngata said. “Still love the game, love the guys and coaches. And so I love playing. Definitely looking forward to playing another year.”

The 32-year-old was traded to the Lions prior to the 2015 season, and he’s combined for 27 games over the past two years. Ngata finished the 2016 campaign with 22 tackles, 1.5 sack, and three passes defended. The defensive lineman has one year remaining on his contract.

Let’s check out some other notes from around the NFC…

  • Top Eagles exec Howie Roseman told reporters that the team wants to bring Jason Peters back (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). He did not specify whether the team would be willing to bring the veteran back at his current salary or whether he’d still be the team’s starting left tackle. The presence of embattled lineman Lane Johnson complicates Peters’ future position on the team.
  • The Eagles worked out wideout Bryan Burnham, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). The 26-year-old has spent the past three seasons playing for the BC Lions of the CFL. He finished the 2016 campaign with 79 receptions for 1,392 yards and six touchdowns.
  • Cowboys rookie linebacker Jaylon Smith believes he’ll be playing in 2017, writes ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. The second-round pick missed the entire 2016 season as he recovered from a serious knee injury. This news didn’t surprise the Cowboys coaching staff. “He’s worked very hard at it and doesn’t surprise us one bit,” head coach Jason Garrett said. “One of the reasons he was so attractive to us as a player is just the approach that he’s taking. Those were the reports from the people around him for three years at Notre Dame and that’s been our experience with him. Obviously he had a serious knee injury last year, but we felt like, ‘Hey, if anybody can come back from this, this is the guy who can.’ He’s got an incredible attitude, always upbeat, always positive, always working very hard.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.