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Chad Greenway

North Notes: Steelers, Worilds, Peterson, Suh

March 2nd, 2015 at 10:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have yet to finalize a restructuring of Maurkice Pouncey‘s contract, the NFLPA tells Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter). Pouncey’s current deal takes him through the 2019 season with a $8.1MM cap number in 2015. A full restructure of his deal would save the Steelers $3.8MM in cap space in 2015. More from the North divisions..

  • If Jason Worilds signs elsewhere, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter) expects the Steelers to go after a pass-rushing outside linebacker in free agency and still use a high pick on one in the draft.
  • Vikings GM Rick Spielman says the team has communicated with Adrian Peterson, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. “We’ve had open dialogue,’’ Spielman said, while declining to say who has spoken with the running back. “I’ll just leave it at that.”
  • Spielman wouldn’t comment on contract renegotiations with Chad Greenway other than saying, “He’s under contract. There’s no deadline. We’re under the cap,” according to Tomasson (via Twitter). Greenway, 32, is due to make $7MM in 2015 with the Vikings. Last year, he missed time thanks to a broken hand and busted ribs.
  • The Ndamukong Suh situation shows the complication of simple contract restructurings, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. The Lions ultimately didn’t use the franchise tag on Suh because things snowballed to the point where they would have had to invest $26.9MM for one more year with him. Next year, the Steelers could face a similar situation with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Though he’ll make only $11.6MM in 2015, his cap number of $18.395MM will result in a franchise tag of $22.074MM in 2016 thanks to the restructurings.

Vikings Notes: AP, Greenway, Draft, FAs

February 19th, 2015 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

A day after Vikings general manager Rick Spielman suggested that he was confident Adrian Peterson will stay with the Vikings, head coach Mike Zimmer echoed that stance. As Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets, Zimmer doesn’t think the team will look at running backs in free agency, with Peterson set to be reinstated in April. Of course, if the Vikings do pass on free agent running backs, then decide to move on from Peterson, the position figures to be a top priority in the draft.

We’ve got plenty more Vikings-related tidbits to pass along, so let’s dive right in….

  • Although he acknowledged that this year’s free agent and draft classes aren’t particularly strong for middle linebackers, Zimmer would like to add a three-down player at the position, if possible. If the club can’t add a player who fits that bill, Zimmer is fine with using a committe approach at the MLB spot (Twitter links via Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune).
  • Speaking of linebackers, Zimmer also said today in an appearance on KFAN 100.3 that he believes Chad Greenway is still the best player at his position on the Vikings’ roster, and that Greenway will have the opportunity to have a role with the team going forward (Twitter link).
  • In his segment on KFAN, Zimmer also mentioned that the Vikes would like to add a young developmental quarterback in this year’s draft, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Obviously, that QB would be groomed as Teddy Bridgewater‘s backup rather than someone who would replace last year’s first-round pick.
  • Asked on Wednesday about his team’s approach in free agency, Spielman said, “I don’t believe in going out and spending a huge amount in free agency unless it’s something unique” (Twitter link via Tomasson).

North Notes: Bears, Greenway, Steelers, Lions

January 18th, 2015 at 3:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears hired one Saints executive in Ryan Pace to be their new general manager, and in turn, Pace has brought in another New Orleans employee, hiring area scout Josh Lucas to serve as Chicago’s director of player personnel, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Lucas, a Harvard grad, had worked in the Saints’ scouting department since 2005. Prior to that, Lucas worked with the Jaguars, albeit in marketing. Here are more notes from the North divisions…

  • Set to count $8.8MM against the Vikings’ cap in 2015, linebacker Chad Greenway is a candidate for release this offseason, and as he tells Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, he understands he might not be able to finish his career in the Twin Cities. “If I don’t get signed in Minnesota, then I’m definitely interested in playing somewhere else, if that’s what has to happen,” said Greenway, who indicated he was not amenable to accepting a pay cut.
  • The 2015 offseason will be a critical one for the Steelers as the team looks to get younger, and a trio of Pittsburgh Tribune writers examine the key questions that general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin will have to face in the coming months. Chief among the club’s priorities will be extending quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, both to ensure that he’ll be with Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future, and to lower his $18.4MM 2015 cap hit.
  • In a mailbag for ESPN.com, Michael Rothstein looks ahead to the Lions’ offseason, and wonders if Mark Ingram could be an option at running back in Detroit if the club releases Reggie Bush.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Bears, Fangio, Washington

January 17th, 2015 at 8:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers have been willing spenders in free agency in recent years, but those dollars have not equated to wins. General manager Jason Licht has vowed that this experience only confirms that the best way to build a team is through the draft, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

“We went out and got a lot of pieces and even though there was a lot of money going out the door and equal to the money coming in,’’ Licht said. “Nonetheless, we spent a lot of money on free agents and some didn’t work out and it was very disappointing. It’s further proof that free agency is not the safest way to build your team. We’re not hiding from the mistakes.’’

This year, the Bucs will have the opportunity to start drafting for the future, armed with the number one overall selection. Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • The Bears asked the Titans for permission to interview Mike Mularkey for their offensive coordinator vacancy, but were turned down, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Tennessee previously rebuffed the Buccaneers when they wanted to talk to Mularkey about the OC job in Tampa.
  • Vic Fangio‘s interview with Washington is taking place tonight, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, adding that the club has “very serious intent.” The former 49ers defensive coordinator looks like Washington’s top choice for the same position in D.C.
  • The Vikings want to get younger as the 2015 season nears, but that approach to roster-building shouldn’t cost linebacker Chad Greenway his spot on the team, writes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune.
  • While running backs have been devalued in modern NFL offenses, DeMarco Murray is the exception, according to Tim Cowlishaw of DallasNews.com, who thinks the Cowboys need to re-sign him.

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

Vikings Links: Ponder, Greenway, Wilson

December 26th, 2014 at 9:53pm CST by Zachary Links

With a win over the Bears on Sunday, the Vikings can finish with a 7-9 record — given the Adrian Peterson incident, and the presence of both a rookie quarterback and rookie head coach, such a conclusion would certainly be a positive sign for the future. Let’s look at a few notes regarding even more changes that could occur in Minnesota during the offseason…

  • Too much baggage makes it highly unlikely Christian Ponder and the Vikings will renew vows during the offseason, even though the team’s other veteran quarterback, Matt Cassel, could be prowling for another starting job elsewhere. Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press sat down with the former first-round pick to discuss his time in Minnesota. Ponder says that his No. 1 priority in free agency will be looking for playing time.
  • The longest-tenured Viking on the roster, linebacker Chad Greenway has been in Minnesota since being selected in the first round of the 2006 draft. However, he isn’t sure he’ll be back with the team in 2015. “I guess we’ll find out,” Greenway told Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link). “I don’t have the answer there.” Greenway, who accepted a $1MM pay cut earlier this year, is set to count $8.8MM against the Vikes’ cap in 2015.
  • Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson left the Steelers after being considered for the offensive coordinator job with the Ravens, but after a good season making due without Adrian Peterson, he may be up for another offensive coordinator job soon, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Poll: Who Is Most Likely To Be Traded?

October 27th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Rory Parks

The trade deadline is tomorrow at 4pm eastern time, and a number of prominent players have been the subject of swirling trade rumors over the past several weeks. After a nightmarish start to the season, the Buccaneers may be entertaining the idea of a fire sale, with Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, and Dashon Goldson all potentially on the trading block.

The Titans, meanwhile, appear ready to usher in a new era with the insertion of Zach Mettenberger into the starting lineup, and they are reportedly taking calls on veterans Nate Washington, Michael Griffin, and Wesley Woodyard. The Bengals, who have regained control over the AFC North without much help from Jermaine Gresham, may be waiting for someone to meet what should be a fairly low price for Gresham’s services. And the Rams, who suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of the Chiefs yesterday after a surprising upset of the Seahawks in Week 7, could be shopping players like Kendall Langford and Zac Stacy.

We also learned yesterday that the Vikings could be taking calls on Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings. However, all of those players, for various reasons, are probably less likely to be on the move than some of the other names mentioned above.

Indeed, given the level of interest in his services, the struggles of his current team, and his potential impact on a new club, the player who may be the most likely to be dealt is Jackson. This is despite NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport’s belief that Tampa Bay would not settle for less than a second-round pick in exchange for its top wideout.

But that’s just one person’s opinion. Odds are, of course, that no one will be traded; that’s simply the status quo when it comes to the NFL trade deadline. And several head coaches whose teams were rumored to be active participants in the trade market said today that they did not expect their clubs to pull the trigger on a deal. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, even though he lays out a number of trades that he thinks would be beneficial for teams who appear destined for losing records in 2014, acknowledges that seeing one of those trades come to fruition would be very surprising.

However, reality is not always exciting. So, with that in mind, which of the above players do you think are mostly likely to be traded? Do you think a different player will be on the move? Or do you live so relentlessly in the real world that you think all of this smoke will fail to give rise to a single fire?

Trade Buzz: V-Jax, Rams, Vikings

October 26th, 2014 at 9:22am CST by Rory Parks

There seems to be more buzz surrounding this year’s NFL trade deadline than in years past, and Michael Fensom of the National Desk points out that Week 8 will be the final “audition” for those players who have generated the most interest, including the Buccaneers‘ Vincent Jackson and the Bengals‘ Jermaine Gresham. Fensom also observes that, since January 2012, the teams that have made the most trades are also among the most successful clubs on the field.

Of course, as CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora writes, the odds that a major trade comes to fruition are pretty slim, especially since so few teams are clearly out of the hunt at this point in the season. That does not mean, however, that it is not worth your while to take a look at some of the latest trade buzz. The trade deadline is Tuesday, October 28:

  • NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the Eagles, Patriots, and Seahawks are among the teams calling about Jackson. He adds (via Twitter) that the Chiefs are also involved. He points out, however, that the Buccaneers are looking for real value in any trade involving Jackson, and Rapoport defines “real value” as a second-round pick (Twitter link).
  • Rapoport tweets that another player that could be on the move is Rams DT Kendall Langford, who has generated some interest. La Canfora believes that St. Louis may have also fielded some calls on RB Zac Stacy.
  • La Canfora writes that the Raiders are willing to deal Matt Schaub, but there is unsurprisingly not much of a market for him.
  • La Canfora adds that players who had previously been discussed as trade possibilities, like the Eagles‘ Brandon Graham, have since been taken off the table.
  • Fensom reasons that, given the Seahawks‘ reported interest in tight ends, Seattle is a potential landing spot for Gresham.
  • Our Zach Links recently wrote that Titans WR Nate Washington has been made available via trade, but Fensom writes that other Tennessee players like Wesley Woodyard and Michael Griffin are also rumored to be available.
  • There is also speculation that the Vikings are looking to sell, and Fensom lists Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings as potential trade chips.

NFC North Links: Johnson, Jennings, Kalil

October 25th, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Ben Levine

Former Bears return man Devin Hester has lit up NFC North opponents throughout his career. Lions coach Jim Caldwell has witnessed the game-changing abilities the veteran possesses, and he believes the current Falcons speedster deserves a spot in Canton. Via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press…

“He’s made it an art form and cut a niche in there like no one else has in the game, I think,” Caldwell said. “There’s been some great returners in this game, there’s no question about that. Deion Sanders was one that was one of those guys that was dangerous, in that regard. This guy is equally so, and I think he will be one of the first guys to ever sort of carve that niche out.

“Anytime (Hester) gets the ball in his hand, obviously, he’s a threat to go all the way. A very difficult guy to handle. We’ve faced some very good ones prior to this weekend, and he’s no exception. He’s probably going into the Hall of Fame, so he’s a cut above, maybe, the rest.”

Lions punter Sam Martin echoes his coach’s sentiment.

“He’s undoubtedly the best to ever do it, so that’s definitely something you consider,” Martin said. “But just like I’ve said about every other guy we’ve faced, they’re all dangerous and you don’t want to give any of them an easy return … on kickoffs or punts. Our coverage teams are going to do what they do, and I’m going to try limiting his touches as much as possible. Hit high balls and, hopefully, we shut them down.”

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

NFC Links: Lions, Panthers, Vikings

October 4th, 2014 at 9:31am CST by Ben Levine

You can be assured that Eagles cornerback Bradley Fletcher has had this weekend’s matchup against the Rams circled on his calendar. After all, the former third-rounder was not re-signed by the team, and the 28-year-old instead joined the Eagles on a two-year, $5.25MM contract. Even though his former team didn’t put up much of an effort towards retaining him, Fletcher isn’t worked up about the ordeal. Via Bob Grotz of The Trentonian…

“It will be good to see them again,” Fletcher said. “I look forward to the competition of the game. I look forward to going against them. But at the end of the day it’s another football game to me. I look at it as another game to get a ‘W’ and another game to put ourselves in a better position going forward in the season. I don’t really look at it as … I don’t really have a whole lot to say as far as talking to them.”

“The decision I made to come here to Philadelphia is the right decision. I’m happy to be here. It’s a great organization and I’m enjoying it. I look forward to this Sunday. It will be cool to play the team I started out with but this was where I want to be.”

Let’s take a look at what else is happening around the NFC…

  • With LaAdrian Waddle on his way back from injury, the Lions likely won’t be pursuing a free agent offensive tackle, writes ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein.
  • The handling of the Steve Smith situation will not have any impact on negotiations between the Panthers and future free agents, writes ESPN.com’s David Newton.
  • Considering how long it takes to acclimate a new player into a team’s system, Newton doesn’t believe the Panthers will pursue an offensive lineman to replace Byron Bell.
  • Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway continues to recover from a broken hand and three broken ribs, but he’s still trying his best to contribute to the team. “Just trying to help them out with stuff I’m seeing,” Greenway said (via Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN Radio). “Formations, communications I’m hearing and trying to get the information to those guys and do what I can.” 

NFC North Links: Packers, Vikings, Bears

September 26th, 2014 at 11:10pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Lions have a lot going on as they prepare to face the Jets this Sunday, but the rest of the NFC North teams are not just waiting for their games. The Packers and Bears have a huge divisional matchup coming up, and the Vikings are ready to usher in a new era, with Teddy Bridgewater‘s first start against the Falcons.

Here are some links to some stories from NFC North teams:

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