Calvin Johnson - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Gordon, Megatron, Ravens

February 6th, 2016 at 12:39pm CST by Ben Levine

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 Jackson, Vincent Jackson, Victor Cruz and Roddy White.
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is the “overwhelming favorite” to receive the team’s franchise tag, writes Hensley.

NFC Notes: Watson, Lions, White

February 6th, 2016 at 11:10am CST by Ben Levine

Impending free agent Ben Watson had an excellent season with the Saints. Despite being 35-years-old, the tight end finished with a career-high 74 catches for 825 yards and six touchdowns. Predictably, the veteran would like to stick around New Orleans.

“I had a good conversation with Sean (Payton) and Mickey (Loomis), and I love the Saints organization,” Watson told Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate. “I’d love to be playing there. If not there, we’ll see where else. I think I’ll know more in about a month or so.”

Of course, Watson understands that it’s no guarantee that he’ll be back in black and gold.

“It is exciting to have the possibility to return there, but as an NFL veteran, you know how it works,” Watson said.

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

Possible Lions cap casualties include linebacker Stephen Tulloch, running back Joique Bell, and tight end Brandon Pettigrew, writes ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein.
When it comes to Calvin Johnson, Rothstein believes it’d be best for the Lions if the wideout stuck around for one more season. That way, the team could draft a young receiver who could learn from the superstar. However, if Johnson does decide to hang it up, the writer believes the team could pursue Marvin Jones or Jermaine Kearse.
While the ultimate decision will be up to coach Dan Quinn, Falcons owner Arthur Blank is hopeful that receiver Roddy White will finish his career in Atlanta. “I have nothing but respect for Roddy and I love Roddy,” Blank told ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. “I love what he’s done for our franchise. And I love the type of leadership that he has. And I love his role as a father…When it comes to where Roddy is in the future, that’s where the owner doesn’t get involved. That’s a decision that will be made by the coach, the coaching staff and personnel. When they’re ready to do it, they’ll do it. They’re in the process of going through the roster evaluation now. They’ve had some discussions. They’ll have more discussions.”

North Notes: Megatron, Lions, Forte, Browns

February 5th, 2016 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Much has been made of the fact that new Lions general manager Bob Quinn has yet to reach out to Calvin Johnson as the star wide receiver considers retirement, with some observers speculating that perhaps the GM prefers the extra cap room the team would pick up if Megatron retires. It hasn’t been complete radio silence between the Lions and Johnson though. Team president Rod Wood said today that he has been in touch with the 30-year-old wideout.

“While it’s out there that Bob Quinn has not talked to him, I have talked to him a couple times,” Wood said, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “And so we are staying in touch. I’ve talked to Bus (Cook, Johnson’s agent) a couple times. Nothing has changed in what we announced before. We’re still giving him time. I’m hoping to introduce him to Bob within the next week or so, at least hand that off to him to start talking to Calvin.

“The nice thing about private conversations is they’re private, so I won’t tell you exactly what we talked about,” Wood added. “But I have been in touch with him. I was texting with him on Wednesday.”

Here’s more on the Lions and a couple other North teams:

The Lions still need to add a quarterbacks coach to their staff, and one of Jim Bob Cooter‘s former office-mates, Broncos offensive assistant Brian Callahan, could be a candidate for the job, Birkett writes for the Free Press.
Bears running back Matt Forte says he has “no idea” whether or not he has a future in Chicago, telling Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times that he hasn’t heard from the team in recent weeks. The longtime Bear is eligible for free agency this winter.
Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets that he has heard “on the Super Bowl grapevine” that the Browns intend to make another hire for their player personnel staff at some point, though it’s not clear yet what position that new addition would hold.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Golden, Loadholt

February 2nd, 2016 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

If the Lions want to keep their 2013 draft class, it’ll cost them a pretty penny, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The Lions are slated to have $20MM in salary cap space right now and they could tack on another $11MM if Calvin Johnson retires. Still, the team has five starting-caliber players from the 2013 class that are slated to hit the open market in 2017 if they don’t sign new deals.

Here’s more on the Lions and some of their division rivals:

Speaking of Johnson’s potential retirement, in a separate piece for the Free Press, Birkett writes that some observers believe Megatron would be more likely to continue playing for the Lions if the team had won more during his time in Detroit.
The Lions have hired former Miami and Temple head coach Al Golden as their tight ends coach, the team announced in a press release. It’s the first NFL job for the longtime college coach, who was with the Hurricanes from 2011 to 2015.
Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt, who is working his way back from a torn Achilles, is optimistic that he’ll be ready to go for offseason workouts this spring. However, it remains to be seen whether he’ll still be on Minnesota’s roster at that point, since the club could create $6MM in cap savings by releasing him. Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune spoke to Loadholt about his recovery and his uncertain contract status.
Earlier this afternoon, we learned that Bears tight end Zach Miller is seeking $5MM per year on his next contract. That story is right here.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On Calvin Johnson

February 1st, 2016 at 7:53pm CST by Zachary Links

In yet another sign that Calvin Johnson could be getting ready for retirement, the wide receiver called owner Martha Ford to thank her and her daughters for everything over the years, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Still, as of this writing, Johnson has not formally relayed his decision to the team.

Meanwhile, Lions’ coaches are still keen on finding a way to bring Megatron back (link). Johnson will not be brought back at his current salary as his cap charge is set to balloon to more than $24MM next season. Still, he could be brought back at a lesser AAV on an extension. Rapoport suggests Larry Fitzgerald‘s extension as a possible comp and that could be a logical move for both sides, if Johnson can be talked into playing. This time last year, Fitzgerald agreed to a deal that instantly created $13MM in cap space for the Cardinals. Prior to the deal, he was slated to count for $23MM against the cap in ’15.

If Johnson does retire, he will owe the Lions $3.2MM in signing bonus money. Moreover, Detroit will save more than $11MM on its 2016 salary cap if Johnson hangs it up.

Since leading the NFL with 122 receptions and 1,964 yards in 2012, Johnson has seen his production decline a little. Still, he continued to be one of the league’s more productive pass catchers in 2015, with 88 catches, 1,214 yards, and nine touchdowns. Johnson is the Lions’ all-time leader in receptions (731) receiving yards (11,619) and receiving touchdowns (83), tweets Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC North Notes: Long, Megatron, Greenway

February 1st, 2016 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long changed positions in 2015 after making the Pro Bowl as a right guard during his first two NFL seasons, moving over to right tackle under new head coach John Fox. Having earned another Pro Bowl nod this year, Long has now demonstrated an ability to play multiple positions up front.

While he was valuable to the Bears as a guard, Long, a former first-round pick, increased his earning potential by shifting to the outside, particularly now that Lane Johnson has set a new standard for right tackles with his huge new contract extension.

In Johnson’s case, the Eagles assume it’s only a matter of time before he moves over to left tackle, and it’s not clear if that will be the case for Long and the Bears, but either way, a payday is on the way for the former 20th overall pick, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. We’ll have to wait and see if Chicago plans on tackling a Long extension this offseason when the team still holds a fifth-year option on him for 2017, but when he eventually signs a new contract, there’s a real chance he could surpass every right tackle except Johnson in terms of per-year salary.

Here’s more from around the NFC North:

Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap looks at the cap implications of Calvin Johnson‘s potential retirement, explaining how placing the star wideout on the reserve/retired list would affect the Lions in 2016 and in future seasons. Fitzgerald also briefly explores the idea of Johnson using the threat of retirement as leverage to get a clean break from Detroit without having to request a trade.
Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com suggests some potential uses for the cap room the Lions would save if Johnson retires, while Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press identifies some logical targets at wide receiver for the team.
After the Vikings‘ heart-breaking Wild Card loss last month, veteran linebacker Chad Greenway said that he wants to continue his career, adding that he “can’t let it end like this.” Greenway isn’t under contract for next season, but wants to re-sign with the Vikings, so Ben Goessling of ESPN.com examines what a deal might look like, concluding that a one-year contract worth between $2-3MM would make some sense.

Calvin Johnson Likely To Retire

January 31st, 2016 at 6:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

6:21pm: The Lions released a statement that doesn’t deny the ESPN.com report but doesn’t close the book on Johnson’s career with the team, either. “Regarding today’s ESPN report, we stand by our statement issued on Jan. 6 regarding Calvin,” the team’s comment reads, according to Tim Twentyman of Lions.com (on Twitter).

The team is standing by its previous stance of Johnson’s retirement not being final, which read, per Twentyman (Twitter links), “We obviously have profound respect for Calvin and certainly understand and appreciate his decision to give proper thought and consideration to his football future.”

4:22pm: Lions receiver Calvin Johnson told a group of family and friends prior to last season that 2015 would be his final year in the NFL, and he relayed that same sentiment to head coach Jim Caldwell following the conclusion of the regular season, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Detroit management has not given up hope that Johnson will change his mind, but a person close to Johnson said the receiver is “pretty content with his decision,” per Schefter.

After Johnson told Caldwell of his plans, the Lions head coach reportedly asked Johnson to take his time to mull over the decision, and out of respect for Caldwell, Johnson did just that, according to Schefter. Only two of of Johnson’s teammates — quarterback Matthew Stafford and linebacker Stephen Tulloch — were told of Johnson’s retirement thoughts prior to the 2015 season, and they were asked to keep the decision under wraps. No one else in the Lions organization learned of Johnson’s aims until the end of the season.

When the rest of the franchise learned of Johnson’s intentions, reports did start to leak out, and an early January report indicated Johnson was indeed mulling hanging up his cleats. Johnson downplayed the specifics of that report, however, indicating that he was still thinking through his options. “Like many players at this stage of their career, I am currently evaluating options for my future,” Johnson said at the time. “I would expect to have a decision regarding this matter in the not-too-distant future.”

According to Schefter, the wear and tear of nine seasons in the NFL has done a number on Johnson, who has been dealing with nagging ankle injuries and overall soreness (he’s also deal with finger issues in recent years). Megatron has been remarkably durable — he’s missed just five games of the past five seasons — but heading into his age-31 season, it seems that physical ailments have taken their toll.

If Johnson does retire, he will owe the Lions $3.2MM in signing bonus money, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes (Twitter link). Moreover, Detroit will save more than $11MM on its 2016 salary cap if Johnson hangs it up. Even if he does reverse course and decide to play another year, Johnson and the club might have to rework his current deal, and his cap charge is set to balloon to more than $24MM next season.

Since leading the NFL with 122 receptions and 1,964 yards in 2012, Johnson has seen his production decline a little. Still, he continued to be one of the league’s more productive pass catchers in 2015, with 88 catches, 1,214 yards, and nine touchdowns. Johnson is the Lions’ all-time leader in receptions (731) receiving yards (11,619) and receiving touchdowns (83), tweets Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.

As of last week, new Lions general manager Bob Quinn said he had not spoken to Johnson about his future, though Quinn did note that he hoped to have a resolution before the start of free agency in March.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

North Notes: Bakhtiari, Browns, Lions

January 27th, 2016 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s not too early for Ted Thompson and the Packers to start thinking about extending David Bakhtiari‘s contract, according to Ryan Wood of USA Today-Wisconsin. Green Bay’s starting left tackle is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and is interested in remaining with the team beyond 2016, as he tells Wood.

“I think it’s mutual,” Bakhtiari said of his interest in sticking with the Packers. “I like it here, and they like me. I have another year. So I think if they want to do it early, awesome. If not, then we have one more year to work together. So we can talk about it then. I do think it’s too early though.”

The Packers don’t foray into free agency much, but do typically lock up their own players, so it could be a matter of when, not if, the team gets something done with Bakhtiari. We saw Green Bay lock up Mike Daniels months before he was eligible for free agency, but the club sometimes lets talks go down to the wire — Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga signed extensions a year ago just before hitting the open market.

As we wait to see if Bakhtiari and the Packers can get anything done this offseason, let’s round up some more items from out of the NFL’s North divisions….

Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown would be shocked if the team traded up to No. 1 in the draft, telling Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that the club is more likely to trade down, if it moves off the No. 2 pick. The Titans have the first overall pick, so if the Browns intend to select a quarterback second overall, the only way they won’t get their man is if another team trades for Tennessee’s pick.
New Lions general manager Bob Quinn said today that he hasn’t talked to Calvin Johnson yet about whether or not the wide receiver wants to continue playing, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Although Quinn doesn’t want to rush Johnson into a decision, the GM admits he “absolutely” hopes to have resolution on the issue before free agency begins in March.
Although there’s no question that Lions players wanted Jim Caldwell back as the team’s head coach, Quinn didn’t consult with any players before making a decision on Caldwell, as Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com details.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle passes (Twitter links) along a couple workout updates, reporting that the Browns recently tried out kicker Kyle Brindza, while the Vikings auditioned running back Isaiah Pead.

North Notes: Megatron, Packers, Haslam

January 26th, 2016 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s no decision yet, and no exact timetable, for Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson as he considers whether or not to continue his playing career, agent Bus Cook tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Shortly after the regular season ended, Megatron issued a statement indicating he was considering retirement, but Lions fans will have to wait at least a little longer before finding out what the wideout’s future plans are.

“Nothing to report,” said Cook, who is currently in Mobile, Alabam for the Senior Bowl. “Have to wait and see. He has to think about what he’s going to do and then go from there.”

As we wait to find out what Johnson decides, let’s check out a few more items from out of the NFL’s North divisions….

After a weekend report suggested that Packers head coach Mike McCarthy was frustrated by the team’s lack of free agent spending, general manager Ted Thompson said on Monday that there’s no problem between him and McCarthy, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). However, Cole suggests there may be “growing tension” in Green Bay after McCarthy’s latest postseason loss.
Cole also has an update on the Browns (video link), reporting that team owner Jimmy Haslam is in Mobile for Senior Bowl practices, in an effort to take on a more “hands-on approach” as the head of the franchise. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) confirms Haslam’s attendance, but says the Browns owner plans to leave today after having dinner with scouts on Monday night.
The Browns have added Ken Delgado to their coaching staff as an assistant defensive line coach and former Titans assistant Cannon Matthews as an assistant defensive backs coach, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
The Bears announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve named Richard Hightower their new assistant special teams coach. Hightower replaces Derius Swinton, who joined the 49ers last week.
Justin Tucker‘s impressive track record when it comes to clutch kicks should give him some leverage when he and the Ravens discuss a new contract this winter, writes Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com.

No Decision Yet On Lions HC Jim Caldwell

January 11th, 2016 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions introduced new general manager Bob Quinn today at an afternoon press conference, but the team has yet to make a decision on head coach Jim Caldwell, who remains in limbo. While Quinn initially said during today’s presser that he met with Caldwell today, he later acknowledged that it was more of an introduction than a meeting — it only lasted about 30 seconds (Twitter links via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).

Quinn doesn’t expect to meet again with Caldwell today, and doesn’t have a timetable for his decision on the head coach, but he’d like to make that call sooner rather than later (Twitter links via Birkett and Twentyman). Still, the former Patriots executive won’t rush the decision, and would like to get to know Caldwell. Quinn added today that he expects to meet with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson before announcing anything on Caldwell (Twitter link via Birkett).

As Quinn deliberates on Caldwell, we’ve got a few more items to pass along out of Detroit, so let’s dive in and round them up…

Although Quinn is going into his meeting with Caldwell with an open mind, he has other potential head coaching candidates at the ready, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora (Twitter link) would be surprised if the Lions end up targeting Patriots coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia as Caldwell’s potential replacement, though Quinn did praise both Pats assistants today, suggesting they’re both ready and willing to become head coaches (Twitter link via Birkett).
Quinn not only got the general manager title in Detroit — he also was named executive VP and received a five-year contract, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. As Caplan observes, it’s an impressive package for a first-time GM.
Quinn will report directly to owner Martha Ford, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, the new GM said today that he’s not sure the old interim GM – Sheldon White – will be back with the club, per Twentyman (Twitter link). White has been with the franchise for nearly two decades, in several roles and under multiple regimes, so it would be a little surprising if he went anywhere.
Quinn will have “zero tolerance” when it comes to guns and domestic violence with his players, according to Birkett (Twitter link).