Calais Campbell - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals Want To Extend Calais Campbell

July 20th, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this year, when the Cardinals traded traded for standout defensive end Chandler Jones, many believed that Calais Campbell‘s time in Arizona was running short. Apparently, that might not be the case. Cardinals GM Steve Keim says that he is “hopeful” about reaching a new deal with Campbell, as Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com writes.

“Hopeful, but people ask all the time whether I think we’re close or we’re not. I don’t think it’s fair for us or the player to make a comment because, really, I don’t know what close is anymore. We’ll just continue to stay aggressive, though,” Keim said of talks with Campbell and Tyrann Mathieu. “That’s the one thing I’ve said earlier: Whether it’s signing players, whether it’s readjusting guys who need to be signed for extensions, we’ll continue to stay aggressive and try to keep our foot on the gas pedal.”

The defensive lineman is slated to carry a hefty $15.25MM cap number this year with a salary of $9.5MM. After the Cards selected Robert Nkemdiche and acquired Jones, many got the impression that there wouldn’t be plans to keep the University of Miami product for the long-term. After all, Jones is also slated to hit the open market after the 2016 season and Arizona may have to pay Jones an average annual value of $20MM on a multi-year deal.

Campbell, 30, earned his second-straight Pro Bowl nod in 2015. Last year, Campbell tallied 61 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 3 pass deflections in the regular season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cardinals, Tyrann Mathieu Talking Extension

May 11th, 2016 at 5:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Contract talks between safety Tyrann Mathieu and the Cardinals are once again in motion, agent Tom Condon tells Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic. No deal is imminent at this time, but Cardinals GM Steve Keim is on record as saying that a new deal for the player formerly known as Honey Badger is a priority. The Cardinals and Mathieu discussed an extension back in February, but things ostensibly were put on hold during the madness of free agency and the draft.

Mathieu is slated to earn a modest $1.5MM salary in his contract year. Of course, his negotiations are complicated after he underwent surgery in December to fix his torn ACL. Mathieu, who will not take the practice field until training camp this summer, could be in line for more than $10MM per year on his new deal. However, as Somers notes, the Cards might want to see how Mathieu looks before committing that kind of cash.

The former third-round pick is one of the league’s hardest hitters at his position and is an impact player when he’s on the gridiron. However, Mathieu has missed eight games across his three NFL seasons and the team likely has concerns about his durability.

“More than anything he’s a football player regardless of position and he’s a guy who can be a difference maker,” Keim told PFT. “The hardest part of it all is in three years he has had two significant knee injuries. Aside from that Tyrann has done everything right on and off the field and he’s a guy that we envision as hopefully a face of the program moving forward.”

In 2015, Mathieu earned a Pro-Bowl selection and was named First-Team All-Pro. In his 14 games, Mathieu recorded five interceptions, 89 tackles, 1 sack, 17 passes defensed, and also recorded a defensive touchdown.

In other Cardinals contract news, Condon tells Somers that no contract talks have taken place regarding fellow client Calais Campbell. The defensive lineman is slated to carry a hefty $15.25MM cap number this year with a salary of $9.5MM. Condon claimes that the team’s selection of Robert Nkemdiche in last month’s draft has no bearing on Campbell’s future in Arizona, but I personally do not agree with the agent’s assessment of the situation. It’s also worth noting that the Cardinals traded for standout defensive end Chandler Jones earlier this offseason and there probably isn’t enough money in the budget to dole out big bucks to both players in the long-term.

Campbell, 30, is coming off of his second-straight Pro Bowl season, but the Cardinals will have some tough choices to make if they hope to retain Jones. After defensive lineman Malik Jackson and Olivier Vernon received monster deals this offseason, the Cardinals may have pay Jones $20MM or more per season on a multi-year deal.

In late March, Campbell dumped troubled agent Ben Dogra in favor of Condon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cardinals’ Calais Campbell Hires New Agent

March 31st, 2016 at 5:02pm CST by Zachary Links

For some time now, the Cardinals have been wanting to sit down with Calais Campbell‘s representation to discuss his contract. However, they were unable to since Campbell was without representation. Now that has changed as the defensive end has hired agent Tom Condon, as Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets.

Campbell was a client of Ben Dogra, who was suspended and fined by the NFLPA in January. Dogra is appealing the ruling from the union, but Campbell is moving on to another agent. With that hurdle out of the way, Arizona can now try and work out a new pact with the veteran who is slated to carry a whopping $15.25MM cap charge in 2016.

The Cardinals could attempt to work out an extension with Campbell in an effort to lower their costs in the present. However, the 29-year-old (30 in September) may instead prefer to play out the season to try and restore his value before free agency. While Campbell has earned Pro Bowl selections in each of the last two seasons, he has not quite justified his ~$55MM contract inked prior to the 2012 season.

The Cardinals also might not be willing to offer Campbell much after acquiring edge rusher Chandler Jones from the Patriots. Arizona must leave room to re-sign Jones following the 2016 season and given the way that top defensive ends have been getting paid, they might have to give the former Patriots standout a deal worth close to $20MM/year. The Cardinals probably want to lessen their financial commitment to Campbell for ’16, but not at the expense of fiscal flexibility in 2017 and beyond.

Reactions To Chandler Jones Trade

March 16th, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Zachary Links

On Tuesday, the Patriots and Cardinals completed a noteworthy deal when edge rusher Chandler Jones was shipped to Arizona in exchange for offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper and a second-round draft choice. The talented Jones is coming off of a career year in which he recorded 44 tackles to go along with a career-high 12.5 sacks, earning his first-ever Pro Bowl selection. The Pats, meanwhile, got themselves a former first-round pick who can play either center or guard while adding to their upcoming draft stockpile.

Here’s a look at some of the reactions to (and fallout from) the swap:

Now that the Patriots have traded Jones, re-signing outside linebacker Jamie Collins is a high priority, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). In 12 games last season, Collins racked up 89 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 6 passes defensed, 5 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. Collins is presently due to make a little north of $900K in 2016 and they believe that he is more likely to be receptive to an extension offer than Jones would have been. The Pats, Cole says, feel that they can get something done sooner rather than later.
The Cardinals are not expected to sign Jones to a long-term deal until after the 2016 season, according to Cole (video link). Once Calais Campbell‘s hefty contract comes off the books, Arizona will have more room to give Jones a big deal.
The Patriots probably saw the writing on the wall when Malik Jackson and Olivier Vernon got monster contracts this offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Based on the way both players were paid ($14.25MM/year for Jackson, $17MM/year for Vernon), Fitzgerald estimates that Jones was in line for close to $20MM/year, and that sum would have been too rich for New England’s blood. As for Cooper, Fitzgerald notes that the Patriots will probably decline his 2017 option. The lineman’s option year calls for him to earn well over $10MM but, as of right now, he’s more like a $3MM player.
Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com ran down some of the main reasons why the Patriots traded Jones. Among them, of course, is the projected cost of a new deal for Jones down the line. He also notes that New England is in a good spot at defensive end. New England has Jabaal Sheard as well as an aging, but still productive, Rob Ninkovich to help pressure opposing quarterbacks. The Patriots are also hopeful that they can get production out of Geneo Grissom and Trey Flowers plus new addition Chris Long.
The Jones trade is reminiscent of the team’s Richard Seymour swap in 2009, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss writes. The Pats shipped Seymour to the Raiders for a 2011 first-round choice at a time when the team was unsure about whether they’d be able to re-sign him after the season.
Collins, Dont’a Hightower, Logan Ryan, and Malcolm Butler (restricted) are all due to be free agents next year, and it would have been difficult to try and re-sign all of those contributors in addition to Jones, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com writes. Of that group, Jones would have required the most money of anyone thanks to the way that Jackson and Vernon got paid this month. When it comes to Cooper, Barnwell wonders aloud if a change of scenery could turn things around for the former first-rounder.
Peter King of The MMQB says that the Patriots made the right choice when looking at the numbers. Of course, it also helps that the Pats were able to add Long. Long, he writes, gave up an extra $2-3MM that he could have instead earned with the Falcons, Lions, Washington, or Cowboys.

Extra Points: Campbell, Murray, Cowboys, Suh

March 8th, 2016 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

Contradicting a report from another outlet, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes that the Cardinals aren’t trying to trade Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell, and haven’t received any inquiries from teams asking if he’s available.

Still, while Campbell may not be on the trade block, his situation is still worth keeping an eye on this offseason, as Somers points out. The standout defensive lineman is entering the final year of his contract, and has a cap hit of $15.25MM, making him a prime extension candidate if Arizona wants to keep him around for the long term.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL on a busy Tuesday:

There was some discussion about the Cowboys, rather than the Titans, acquiring DeMarco Murray from the Eagles, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, Werder says Dallas wasn’t on board with the compensation or the guaranteed money necessary to make a deal.
The Dolphins created $16MM in cap room when they restructured Ndamukong Suh‘s contract, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). James Walker of ESPN.com breaks down the specifics.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has the details on Tyrunn Walker‘s new one-year deal with the Lions, which features a $150K signing bonus, $550K in total roster bonuses, and $650K in playing-time incentives.
Safety Andrew Sendejo will receive $2.5MM fully guaranteed on his new deal with the Vikings, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Goessling adds that Sendejo will make $4MM in the first year and $7MM through two years.

Injury Updates: Sunday

October 5th, 2014 at 10:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

Here are some injuries that occurred during Sunday’s game action:

Chargers‘ center Doug Legursky left the blowout victory over the Jets with a knee injury, and Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego reports that he will likely be out much longer (via Twitter).
The Jets also lost a key member of their team, with linebacker David Harris suffering a shoulder injury, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter). He will undergo an MRI tomorrow.
Calais Campbell‘s injury reported earlier was an MCL injury, and will keep him out between three and four weeks, reports Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).

Earlier Updates:

Saints‘ star tight end Jimmy Graham suffered a sprained shoulder during the team’s overtime victory against the Buccaneers earlier today. The team is going into their bye week, which should give the All-Pro pass catcher time to recover. Graham hopes to return to the field the following week against the Lions.
Titans‘ safety Bernard Pollard left the locker room using crutches, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean (via Twitter). The team fears that he has torn his achilles, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. Pollard will have an MRI on Monday.
Titans‘ starting quarterback Jake Locker has also faced an injury, being forced out of the team’s loss at the hands of the Browns. Locker injured his thumb in the game, and while X-rays were negative, he will have an MRI on Monday, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.
Giants‘ running back Rashad Jennings is set to have an MRI on his knee tomorrow, but believes the injury is not serious, according to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
There have been a number of injuries for the Cardinals during their matchup against the Broncos. Starting quarterback Drew Stanton, who was already filling in for an injured Carson Palmer, has been forced out of the game with a concussion, reports Mark Dalton of the Arizona Cardinals (via Twitter). Rookie Logan Thomas has replaced him in the game. The team does not have an emergency quarterback left on their roster. Defensive end Calais Campbell has also been removed from the game with a knee injury, reports Lindsay Jones of USA Today (via Twitter).
The Broncos have not been unscathed so far, losing running back Montee Ball to a groin injury, reports Chris Cwik of CBS Sports.
The Chargers have also experienced some key injuries despite building a big lead over the Jets. Tackle D.J. Fluker and receiver Malcolm Floyd have both left the game with lower leg injuries, and failed to return, reports Eric Williams of ESPN (via Twitter). Running back Donald Brown also left the game with a concussion, writes Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego (via Twitter).

West Links: Veldheer, Campbell, Boone

July 12th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Matt Feminis

Cardinals left tackle Jared Veldheer entered the league with a reputation as a tireless worker in the weight room. The 6-8, 321-pounder put on approximately 70 pounds during his time at Hillsdale College (where the weight room is now named after him), and his passion for strength training continues to this day. In fact, his massive physique has drawn “Hulk” comparisons, writes Darren Urban of azcardinals.com. Veldheer signed a five-year, $35MM deal with Arizona in March.

Here’s some more NFC and AFC West reading:

Calais Campbell, 27, is in his prime and desires to be respected as an elite player, writes ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. The 6-8, 300-pound five-technique stated his case last year, tallying 58 tackles, nine sacks and six batted passes. Additionally, his 34.1 grade from Pro Football Focus was the best rating by a 3-4 defensive end not named J.J. Watt.
There’s “no way” 49ers guard Alex Boone reports to training camp without a new contract, reports CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco (via Twitter).
The 49ers “redshirt” running back Marcus Lattimore was the subject of a feature story by ESPN’s Bill Williamson, who detailed the remarkable adversity Lattimore has persevered through to reach this point. Now, Lattimore says, “I’m ready to get hit again. . .and then move on.”
Meanwhile, Lattimore’s 49ers and South Carolina teammate Bruce Ellington, a multisport star, was featured in USA Today.
Keeping with the injury recovery/South Carolina theme, Chargers.com managing editor Ricky Henne spotlighted Chargers outside linebacker Melvin Ingram, who made an exceptionally quick return from an ACL tear suffered last May.
The Rams were given an “Offseason Report Card” by SI.com’s Chris Burke. The results? B-plus.