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Fallout From Fletcher Cox’s Extension

June 14th, 2016 at 7:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Earlier today, PFR ran down some of the initial reactions to the mammoth six-year contract extension defensive lineman Fletcher Cox signed with the Eagles on Monday. Plenty more responses have come in since, so let’s dive in…

  • The Cox deal is yet another Eagles-inflicted blow to the Broncos, details Mike Klis of 9News. The Eagles hurt the Broncos’ chances to re-sign quarterback Brock Osweiler earlier this offseason when they inked Sam Bradford to a $17.5MM-per-year extension. Now Cox’s contract isn’t doing Denver any favors in its attempt to lock up star pass-rushing linebacker Von Miller, the Super Bowl 50 MVP who has amassed 60 sacks in 72 career regular-season games. The Broncos have until July 15 to sign Miller to a long-term deal. Otherwise, best-case scenario for the club: Miller will play out 2016 under the exclusive franchise tag. There have been rumblings that Miller could sit out the season if the reigning champions don’t meet his long-term demands, however. To this point, the Broncos haven’t been willing to give Miller a non-injury-guaranteed total approaching $60MM for the first three years of the six-year, $114.5MM extension they’ve offered him. The Broncos have instead offered to guarantee nearly $40MM over the first two years, and non-injury guarantees for the third year wouldn’t actually kick in until then. Cox, meanwhile, got $55.2MM in new money in the opening three years of his deal.
  • Denver isn’t the only team that the Cox contract could negatively affect, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Panthers and Jets have standout defensive linemen Kawann Short and Muhammad Wilkerson, respectively, entering contract years, and now their price tags stand to rise even higher. The Panthers aren’t bullish enough on Short to give him Cox-type money, which will make negotiations difficult, according to Cole. The Jets hold similar feelings toward Wilkerson, so the expectation is that he doesn’t have much of a future with the team. Wilkerson is currently scheduled to play this season under the non-exclusive franchise tag, though he hasn’t signed the tender yet and isn’t a lock to report to training camp.
  • Having second overall pick Carson Wentz in the fold as the prospective long-term solution under center is a luxury that enabled the Eagles to allocate bank-breaking money to Cox, opines Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cox’s extension will kick in come 2017, which is when Wentz is expected to take over for Bradford under center. Wentz’s cap numbers from 2017-19 ($6.06MM, $7.26MM and $8.49MM) are palatable figures for a starting QB. Of course, Wentz will actually have to prove himself capable in the pros for Philly to take advantage of this situation, as the Seahawks and Colts have done in recent years with Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck, respectively.
  • After former head coach Chip Kelly pushed him out of the picture last season, executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman has emphatically taken back the throne in Philadelphia, writes Marcus Hayes of the Inquirer. Cox’s extension is just the latest transaction Roseman has made this year to ensure the Eagles have a prosperous future. Along with locking up Cox, Roseman also inked Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Lane Johnson, Vinny Curry, Malcolm Jenkins and Bradford to multiyear deals. In addition to those deals and the aggressive move to land Wentz in the draft, Roseman spent the meat of the offseason getting rid of DeMarco Murray, Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso, Riley Cooper and DeMeco Ryans. Roseman has put his stamp on the Eagles and erased Kelly’s influence over the franchise in the process.

East Notes: Cowboys, Moore, Eagles, Jets

June 3rd, 2016 at 2:41pm CST by Zachary Links

When the offseason began, finding a backup quarterback seemed to be one of the Cowboys‘ top priorities. However, they wound up sticking with Kellen Moore. From the sound of it, the Cowboys are comfortable sticking with him as their No. 2 quarterback, even though Nick Foles appears to be available.

“He’s not a guy that overly impresses you physically,” head coach Jason Garrett said (link via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer). “He’s not an imposing figure when he walks into the room. He doesn’t have an overly powerful arm. He’s not overly athletic. But he has a lot of the things that really good quarterbacks have. He understands the game. He has a good feel for the game. He’s instinctive. He’s a very accurate passer. He’s a quick decision-maker. And he’s a very good leader.”

Here’s more out of the East divisions:

Eagles Notes: Bradford, Wentz, Daniel

June 1st, 2016 at 2:06pm CST by Zachary Links

When Sam Bradford signed a two-year, ~$36MM deal in March, he didn’t envision that his starting job would be in jeopardy. On Wednesday, Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich noted that while Bradford is currently regarded as the team’s top quarterback, nothing is guaranteed for him.

“I said there’s order, and the order is Sam’s No. 1, Chase [Daniel] is No. 2, and Carson [Wentz] is No. 3,” Reich said (link via Zach Berman of The Inquirer). “But you compete every day at practice. That’s the same – Jason Peters is the No. 1 left tackle, and so on and so forth –and it’s the same at every position. I would never change that. Sam’s No. 1. Chase is No. 2. Carson is No. 3. And you compete every day.”

Here’s more on the Eagles and their strange QB situation:

  • Recently, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie indicated to Jenny Vrentas of The MMQB that the team’s current quarterback structure was planned to be this way. “Having a lot of assets at the most important position in the NFL is a good strategic move for now. And it can only benefit us,” Lurie said. “Because in the NFL, it’s the one position you can’t just go get. And so when you have an opportunity, you’ve gotta take your shot, and you’ve gotta be bold. Otherwise, if you say to yourself, you know, it is probably a 50-50 shot that maybe the quarterback will be really good, you can’t let that deter you. So that’s how I look at it: You either have a really good QB and you compete for the Super Bowl, or you don’t and you are probably not competing for the Super Bowl. And that’s simple.”
  • ESPN.com’s Phil Sheridan calls shenanigans on this notion, arguing that the Eagles simply signed Bradford and Daniel when they held the No. 13 overall pick. At the time, they didn’t know that they would be able to trade up to No. 2, but when the opportunity presented itself, they went ahead and pulled the trigger anyway.
  • Earlier this week, one Eagles beat reporter observed that Wentz seems to be picking up the new playbook faster than Bradford.

Extra Points: Panthers, Lions, Eagles, Saints

May 30th, 2016 at 3:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Panthers free safety Tre Boston wishes that Josh Norman was still with the team, but he also understands the nature of the NFL.

“Of course, I miss my boy Josh,” Boston said, according to ESPN.com’s David Newton. “But it’s a business. You can’t miss guys too long, because the next thing you know, it lingers onto the team. That’s what we can’t have. We’ve got to move on.”

As the Panthers adjust to life without one of the league’s top corners, let’s take a look around the NFC:

  • So far in OTAs, Eagles rookie Carson Wentz seems to have a better understanding of Doug Pederson’s offense than veteran Sam Bradford, Matt Lombardo of NJ.com opines. That’s a surprising take given that Bradford is entering seventh NFL season (or, his sixth NFL season, if you exclude his lost 2014). It is rare for rookies to fully grasp a new offense so quickly, but it sounds like Wentz may be an exception. The expectation – for now – is that veteran Sam Bradford will at least begin the 2016 season as the Eagles’ starter.
  • At the outset of the offseason, the Lions were concerned about their depth along the defensive line. Since then, however, they have addressed the issue by re-signing starters Haloti Ngata and Tyrunn Walker and drafting Alabama’s A’Shawn Robinson in the second round. Robinson could be the future of the position group, with Ngata now 32 years old and Walker playing on a one-year deal, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com writes.
  • The Saints made a surprising change during OTAs when they shifted second-year defensive tackle Kaleb Eulls to the other side of the ball, as ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett writes. Eulls is currently slotted in as the team’s backup left guard behind Senio Kelemete. “We think he’s got a lot of the attributes that you need,” Payton said of the UDFA out of Mississippi State. “He’s smart, he’s tough, he’s got the size that you’re looking for. … We spent some time in the offseason talking with him and going through that decision. Obviously it’s a big learning curve for him, but I think he’ll handle it.“

Extra Points: Hall, Falcons, Wentz, Saints

May 14th, 2016 at 12:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL on this Saturday afternoon…

  • The Falcons won’t be signing veteran cornerback Leon Hall, according to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. The 31-year-old auditioned for Atlanta last week, and considering coach Dan Quinn’s comments regarding the player’s injury history, McClure presumes that Hall didn’t check out medically.
  • Despite suggesting that every team deserves an ‘A’ for their draft efforts, Falcons owner Arthur Blank was particularly happy with his team’s haul. “You think from our perspective, I would give our coach and general manager Thomas (Dimitroff) a grade A because I know that every single position they drafted very specifically for exactly what the coach wanted and the coaching needs in terms of defense or in terms of the offense,” Blank told Doug Roberson of AJC.com. “Hopefully, that will play out in a successful way over the next couple of years.”
  • Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz isn’t anticipating any issues with teammate Sam Bradford. “I think the relationship with him, and really, the other quarterbacks in the room, I think it’ll be great,” Wentz told Les Bowen of Philly.com.“I think it’ll be a really competitive atmosphere. Hopefully, we’ll all learn together and grow together and really push each other, and ultimately (that will) lead to benefiting the team and winning a lot of ballgames.” An April report suggested that Bradford wanted out of Philly.
  • ESPN’s Mike Triplett passes along (via Twitter) a trio of veterans auditioning for the Saints: kicker Connor Barth and defensive linemen Matt Shaughnessy and C.J. Wilson.

Eagles Sign Carson Wentz

May 14th, 2016 at 8:55am CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 8:55am: Not much of a surprise here, but the Eagles have official announced the signing.

FRIDAY, 12:27pm: The Eagles have signed No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz, sources tell Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Wentz deal contains offsets for guaranteed money, according to Mike Florio of PFT (Twitter link). Wentz, Florio adds, told the Eagles he would agree to offsets before Philly traded up to No. 2 with the intention of drafting him. Carson Wentz

Last month, the Rams paid a king’s ransom to trade up for the No. 1 pick, which raised the asking price for every team vying for the No. 2 pick. That didn’t deter the Eagles, however, as they were locked in on Wentz. Philly shipped the No. 8 pick, a 2016 third-round pick, and a 2016 fourth-round pick, a 2017 first-round pick, and a 2018 second-round pick to the Browns for the No. 2 pick (Wentz) and a 2017 fourth-round choice.

Wentz and Cal’s Jared Goff were considered the top two quarterbacks available in this year’s class, and while Goff is thought to be bit more NFL-ready, Wentz might have the higher ceiling. Prior to the draft, PFR’s Rob DiRe ranked Wentz as the No. 2 QB on the board, praising his size and mobility.

With the Eagles, Wentz should have plenty of time to develop with Sam Bradford serving as the starter. With Wentz in the fold, the Eagles have now signed all of their rookies in the 2016 class.

NFC Notes: Whitner, Boldin, Eagles, Saints

May 13th, 2016 at 7:32pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been more than a month since free agent safety Donte Whitner paid a visit to the Rams, but Whitner continues to be “in play” for L.A., tweets Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News. Since the veteran safety was cut by Cleveland, there was no need for any team to wait until after May 12 to sign Whitner — he wouldn’t have counted toward the compensatory draft pick formula either way.

  • A report earlier this week indicated that the 49ers have not made an effort to re-sign wide receiver Anquan Boldin. However, general manager Trent Baalke said today that the door isn’t closed on a possible reunion between the two sides (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). While Baalke likes his team’s young receiving talent, the Niners are still exploring all their options.
  • On Thursday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the Eagles received verbal commitments from Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, with both quarterbacks agreeing to accept offset language in their rookie contracts if they were drafted at No. 2 by Philadelphia. Today, Florio followed up on that story by writing that the NFL has no comment on the subject — it’s not clear whether the Eagles violated negotiating rules, or whether the league plans to do anything about it.
  • Veteran free agent outside linebacker Matt Shaughnessy will work out for the Saints this weekend, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Shaughnessy, a third-round pick in 2009, has appeared in 75 total NFL contests for Oakland and Arizona, but missed the entire 2015 campaign due to injury.
  • Reports continue to link the Raiders to Las Vegas, but Falcons owner Arthur Blank isn’t yet entirely sold on the idea. “I think whether or not there are enough people in Las Vegas to support a team is a question,” Blank told Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “I haven’t seen the data on that to support it or not support it. It’s certainly a dynamic market. It’s a growth market. It’s got tremendous tourism, a lot of convention business. So it’s certainly a consideration.”

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

NFC East Notes: Wentz, Washington, Giants

May 12th, 2016 at 9:55am CST by Zachary Links

Barring an unforeseen problem, the Eagles are expecting No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz to sign when he arrives in Philadelphia today, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Carson Wentz

The 23-year-old Wentz is the first FCS quarterback to be drafted in the first round since the Ravens picked Joe Flacco in 2008. Even though he has spent the last few years playing against weaker competition than other top QBs, evaluators believe that Wentz has the size and arm strength to make an impact in the NFL. In his two seasons as NDSU’s starter, Wentz threw for more than 4,700 yards and 42 touchdowns against only 14 interceptions, while helping the Bison win two FCS titles.

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

  • New Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas comes with a pretty impressive resume, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer highlights. Douglas previously worked in the Baltimore Ravens’ scouting department for more than 15 years and is credited with pushing the team to acquire talents like credited with helping acquire quarterback Joe Flacco, guard Marshal Yanda, linebacker C.J. Mosley, guard Ben Grubbs, and kicker Justin Tucker.
  • Washington‘s young talent looks much better than it did this time last year, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. At the age of 25, tight end Jordan Reed headlines the team’s list of young standouts and that comes as no surprise given the monster deal he just inked with the team. Tackle Morgan Moses, running back Chris Thompson, and even kicker Dustin Hopkins are among the team’s youngsters that are worth watching.
  • James Kratch of NJ.com rated the best undrafted free agent signings made by Giants GM Jerry Reese over the years. The list is headlined by a true no-brainer pick in wide receiver Victor Cruz. Cruz, a former star at Paterson Catholic, became a key cog on the Giants’ Super Bowl XLVI team. Currently, the Giants are unsure of what they have in their former salsa-dancing star after he missed most of the last two seasons. The list of notable Big Blue UDFAs also includes tight end Larry Donnell and linebacker Mark Herzlich.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Apple, Cowboys

April 29th, 2016 at 9:48am CST by Zachary Links

Some saw Eli Apple as a reach at No. 10 for the Giants, but team scouting director Marc Ross does not agree with that assessment.

“We’ve heard it before,” Ross said, according to Steve Serby of the New York Post. “We’ve taken other players that [were called] a reach. Nobody knows. If you get a dime for every expert, I could retire. Come on. Experts? People analyze. People have opinions. What’s it based on? Nobody has seen the tape. Nobody goes to practice. Nobody puts in the work like the scouts do. It’s easy to second-guess and pick and say get everybody’s pick right and tell them what they should do, but you’ve just got to put in the work and trust what you do.”

The Giants were widely linked to Michigan State tackle Jack Conklin and Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd, but those players came off the board at No. 8 and No. 9, respectively.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

  • The Cowboys had the same draft grade for Ezekiel Elliott and Jalen Ramsey, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Cowboys regarded Paxton Lynch as the quarterback in the top 3 who required the most time to develop but had higher ceiling than Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.
  • When asked if he was surprised by Sam Bradford‘s reaction to the Eagles‘ trading up for Wentz, Eagles GM Howie Roseman said, “Some of this is agent driven,” (On WIP, Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).

Eagles Select Carson Wentz With No. 2 Pick

April 28th, 2016 at 7:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles sent a ransom of picks to the Browns to acquire the No. 2 overall pick, but they’ve landed the quarterback they wanted. Philadelphia has selected North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz, locking in its signal-caller of the future.Carson Wentz

The 23-year-old Wentz becomes the first FCS quarterback to be drafted in the first round since the Ravens picked Joe Flacco in 2008. But Wentz has the size (6’6″, 235 pounds), arm strength, and numbers to back up the selection. In his two seasons as NDSU’s starter, Wentz threw for more than 4,700 yards and 42 touchdowns against only 14 interceptions, while helping the Bison win two FCS titles.

Wentz and Cal’s Jared Goff were considered the top two quarterbacks available in this year’s class, and while Goff is thought to be bit more polished, Wentz’s upside might be unmatched. PFR’s Rob DiRe ranked Wentz as the No. 2 QB on the board, noting that Wentz’s size and mobility wowed scouts, he may need some time to develop.

With the Eagles, Wentz should be in a position to get that developmental time. Philadelphia re-signed Sam Bradford to a two-year deal with an eye towards making him a bridge quarterback, but Bradford, upset by the Eagles’ plans to draft Wentz, has now requested a trade. Even if Bradford is shipped out, Philadelphia still has the option of starting experienced backup Chase Daniel until Wentz is deemed pro-ready.

The Eagles will also receive a 2017 fourth-round pick from the Browns, while Cleveland acquired a bevy of compensation. The Browns will receive the No. 8 pick, a 2016 third-round pick, and a 2016 fourth-round pick, a 2017 first-round pick, and a 2018 second-round pick.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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