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East Rumors: Gilmore, Eagles, Matthews

March 6th, 2017 at 10:29am CST by Zachary Links

Stephon Gilmore delivered his finest statistical season during what amounted to his contract year in 2016, but the top Bills cornerback didn’t receive rave reviews from the analytics community. At least, not compared to the 2015 season, when Pro Football Focus viewed him as a top-20 corner. But Gilmore expected to be rewarded like a top-flight cover man, with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com noting he will likely receive the largest contract among this year’s UFA corners.

Gilmore is seeking a deal north of Janoris Jenkins‘ five-year, $62.5MM contract that came with $29MM guaranteed. Gilmore comes in at No. 14 on PFR’s top 50 free agents list, behind other corners A.J. Bouye and Logan Ryan, whom La Canfora also expects to do very well on the market. The Bears are planning to aggressively pursue cornerback help, per La Canfora, who connects them to Gilmore. The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs made the same connection last week.

Here’s a look at the latest from the AFC and NFC East:

  • Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) “believes” the Eagles will be open to trading Jordan Matthews if they receive a solid offer. Same goes for quarterback Chase Daniel, who is said to be drawing trade interest. Matthews, 25 in July, was a second-round pick in 2014 under the Chip Kelly administration. Last year, he had 73 catches for 804 yards and three touchdowns, a step back from 2015 when he had 85 catches, 997 yards, and eight scores.
  • The Patriots believe someone is going to make LeGarrette Blount an offer they won’t match, Robinson tweets. With that in mind, Robinson believes they are preparing for his departure. Blount stands as one of the better running backs available in free agency, but other big names will be out there including Adrian Peterson, Eddie Lacy, and Jamaal Charles.
  • Redskins UFA defensive end Chris Baker expects to receive an offer from the team by Tuesday.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report.

Eagles’ Chase Daniel Drawing Trade Interest

March 2nd, 2017 at 11:05am CST by Zachary Links

Eagles quarterback Chase Daniel is drawing trade interest, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rapoport adds that the signal caller is “one to watch.” Chase Daniel (vertical)

Daniel was signed to a lucrative three-year deal by the Eagles at the outset of free agency to serve as Sam Bradford‘s backup. Later in the offseason, when Bradford was shipped to the Vikings, he was leapfrogged by rookie Carson Wentz for the starting job. Daniel was less-than-thrilled about the way things turned out and he might like to join a team that will give him a better path to the field.

Daniel, entering his age-31 season, still doesn’t have a major body of work to show teams. Through seven NFL seasons, he’s only attempted 78 passes while backing up Drew Brees, Alex Smith, and Wentz.

He has two years to go on his contract, a deal which was said to include $12MM fully guaranteed and a base value of $21MM. In theory, the deal could be worth more, depending on playing time and other incentives.

Extra Points: Eagles, Bucs, Cowboys, Injuries

October 28th, 2016 at 9:27pm CST by Zachary Links

There’s a lot of talk about receivers the Eagles could acquire, but which players could they look to trade themselves? Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com runs down some candidates, including linebacker Mychal Kendricks. The Eagles are somewhat thin at linebacker, but it seems defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz isn’t that high on Kendricks and other teams would probably use him more than Philly has. Other suggested trade candidates include interior offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski, wide receiver Nelson Agholor, defensive end Connor Barwin, and running back Ryan Mathews.

  • Will the Buccaneers acquire a veteran wide receiver between now and the trade deadline? Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders notes that there is a need there after Louis Murphy‘s latest setback and looks at a handful of candidates around the league. Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery is a game-changing talent, but he’s in his contract year and the Bucs would have to juggle re-signing him while trying to extend Mike Evans this offseason. For that reason, someone like 49ers receiver Torrey Smith might make more sense for Tampa Bay.
  • The Cowboys had interest in Chase Daniel as a backup quarterback during the offseason, Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram tweets. However, that was before the Eagles made Daniel the league’s highest-paid reserve QB.
  • Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has injury updates on a number of key players. Colts receiver Donte Moncrief will play, but Falcons running back Tevin Coleman won’t. Neither will Redskins rusher Matt Jones, whose teammate, tight end Jordan Reed, is questionable.
  • Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis admitted that he’s “breaking down,” but he’s not thinking retirement.

NFC Notes: Wentz, Johnson, Palmer, Giants

September 17th, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Further illustrating the Eagles‘ belief in Carson Wentz and their motivation to make the seminal trade with the Browns in April, new Philadelphia OC Frank Reich offered some high-end comparisons for the No. 2 overall pick.

“Physically, he reminds me a little bit of a combination of Andrew Luck — though, I’ve never played with him — just watching him play, but a guy that I did play with in Jim Kelly, the size, strength and just the toughness,” Reich said, via Matt Lombardo of NJ.com.

Wentz ran a tenth of a second slower in the 40-yard dash compared to Luck coming out of college (4.77 seconds to 4.67), but the quarterbacks are similar in size — both 6-foot-5 and around 235 pounds. The younger player will attempt to build on his breakthrough debut, one executed despite scant preseason reps and the anticipation he’d be the third-string passer.

Here’s more on Wentz’s potential rise and on some other NFC teams.

  • The Eagles trading Sam Bradford to the Vikings opened the door not only for Wentz to receive an early start on Sundays, but it cleared a path toward endless practice reps instead of a short-term future as Philly’s third-stringer, Jeff McLane of Philly.com writes. Reich told media, including McLane, there was “no question” the additional practice work would accelerate Wentz’s development compared to a season spent behind Bradford and Chase Daniel. Per McLane, Wentz did not speak up much in quarterback meetings while he was the No. 3 quarterback, instead deferring to the veterans. Daniel functions as the scout-team quarterback, and the meetings are geared around a Wentz-conducted offense.
  • Doug Pederson expected to hear something on Lane Johnson‘s lingering suspension by now, Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com notes, but the league has yet to announce the expected 10-game ban. “You would think you would have heard something by now,” Pederson said. “If it does happen down the road, it just pushes everything back. Me personally, I’d rather know now than later. But until then, [Johnson] is the guy.” Pederson said Stefen Wisniewski would play left guard after current starter Allen Barbre swings to right tackle in the event Johnson’s ruling comes down. Wisniewski usurped Isaac Seumalo as the next guard up since the Eagles initially announced their Johnson contingency plan.
  • Earlier today, a potential Panthers plot to select Blaine Gabbert No. 1 overall emerged in advance of Sunday’s Panthers-49ers game. The Buccaneers‘ Week 2 opponent, the Cardinals, also employ a quarterback who will face a team that pursued him years ago. The Bucs attempted to trade for Palmer in 2013, but refusing to push then-starter Josh Freeman to a backup role did not make it an enticing fit for the then-Raiders quarterback as he looked for a team and a long-term deal, Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times writes, analyzing what could have been in advance of Sunday’s tilt. The Bucs joined the Cardinals and Bills in making a push for a then-33-year-old Palmer’s services. Then-Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano wasn’t enamored with Freeman, but the organization did not want to give up on the former first-round pick by automatically making Palmer a starter. Freeman lasted just three games into the ’13 season before being released.
  • The Giants worked out four linebackers on Saturday after cutting Deontae Skinner from their practice squad. Cassanova McKinzy, Deiontrez Mount, Eric Pinkins and Myke Tavarres worked out for the team, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

Carson Wentz To Start Eagles’ Opener

September 5th, 2016 at 10:35am CST by Connor J. Byrne

MONDAY, 10:35am: Doug Pederson announced that Wentz would indeed be starting the Eagles’ season opener (via The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Zach Berman on Twitter).

SATURDAY, 12:07pm: It appears the Carson Wentz era will begin much earlier than expected in Philadelphia. As long as Wentz has recovered from his rib injury by Week 1, he’ll start the Eagles’ opener against the Browns, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wentz missed nearly all of the preseason after suffering a hairline fracture in his ribs during the Eagles’ exhibition opener Aug. 11. Carson Wentz

Wentz, for whom the Eagles moved up in the draft to pick second overall, was not supposed to play much of a role this year with both Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel ahead of him on the club’s depth chart. However, that changed when the Eagles traded Bradford to the Vikings on Saturday for multiple draft choices, including a first-round pick next year.

Daniel, meanwhile, isn’t happy with the Eagles’ decision to turn to Wentz, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The longtime backup with the Saints and Chiefs joined the Eagles on a three-year deal in free agency during the winter, but he failed to impress in the preseason and will now serve as a reserve to Wentz, an ex-North Dakota State star.

Photo via PFR on Instagram.

Reactions To Tyrod Taylor’s Extension

August 12th, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Thanks primarily to subpar production from a slew of quarterbacks, the Bills are mired in an NFL-worst 16-year playoff drought. But they may have finally found a long-term solution under center in Tyrod Taylor, to whom they gave an extension that could run through the 2021 season and pay him up $92MM on Friday. In his first year as a starter last season, Joe Flacco‘s former backup in Baltimore emerged as a quality dual threat, combining for 24 touchdowns (20 passing, four rushing) against six interceptions. He also became the third signal-caller in league history to finish a season with a passer rating over 99 and an average of 40-plus yards rushing per game. While Taylor played under a bargain salary in 2015 and performed like someone worthy of a significant raise, he isn’t necessarily secure for the long haul in Buffalo. In fact, the way his deal is structured, Taylor will have to prove himself all over again this year.

Here are some reactions to the 27-year-old’s contract:

  • In extending Taylor, the Bills raised his 2016 salary from $2MM to $9.5MM. That total represents all of the fully guaranteed money in his contract, and Andrew Brandt of The MMQB points out (on Twitter) that it’s $2.5MM less than the $12MM that career backup Chase Daniel received from the Eagles in free agency. Before signing with Philadelphia in March, the soon-to-be 30-year-old Daniel accrued 77 combined passing attempts in New Orleans and Kansas City, and he didn’t necessarily impress in that limited action. Taylor, meanwhile, picked up 380 attempts last year alone and succeeded.
  • Considering the cost, the Bills were smart to lock up Taylor, opines Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter links). If Taylor falters this year, the Bills can easily move on having only thrown away $9.5MM. On the other hand, should Taylor duplicate his 2015 performance or improve on it, they’ll have a legitimate No. 1 for a below-market cost.
  • If he remains in Buffalo through the 2017 campaign, Taylor will collect $37MM, which Tom Pelissero of USA Today notes is the same amount new Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler will rake in through next season. The key difference is that all $37MM of Osweiler’s money was guaranteed at signing, making the Taylor deal look even better for the Bills. In fairness to Houston, Osweiler’s four-year, $72MM payday came on the open market. Still, from a statistical standpoint, Taylor clearly outdid Osweiler in 2015.
  • Taylor’s accord is unlikely to impact Redskins franchise-tagged quarterback Kirk Cousins, writes JP Finlay of CSN Mid-Atlantic. The two are vastly different players, for one, and Cousins, at $19.95MM, is already set to more than double Taylor’s salary this year. Both before and after tagging him, the Redskins reportedly offered Cousins $16MM per year and $24MM in guarantees on a long-term deal. While the former figure is in line with Taylor’s new average annual salary, the guaranteed sum is nearly three times higher than Taylor’s total. Nevertheless, it wasn’t enough for Cousins, whom the Redskins failed to sign to a multiyear deal by the July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players. Like Taylor, he’ll once again try to prove himself this season.

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.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Falcons, Eagles

May 31st, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After enduring months of trade rumors that ultimately didn’t lead anywhere, quarterback Colin Kaepernick has attended every 49ers workout since their program began April 4 and is poised to collect a $400K bonus, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Kaepernick must partake in 90 percent of the team’s workouts to earn that money, which he’s on his way to accomplishing despite not yet having been cleared for football activity since undergoing surgery on a torn left labrum in November. In lieu of actually participating on the field, Kaepernick has lined up 10 yards behind the quarterback during drills and gone through the footwork and “mental reps,” writes Maiocco, who adds that the 28-year-old should be ready to go by training camp. Kaepernick is expected to compete with Blaine Gabbert this summer for the 49ers’ starting job.

Here’s more from San Francisco and two other NFC cities:

  • Former NFL head coach and current analyst Mike Nolan says the Falcons should sign Dwight Freeney to improve their pass rush, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. “Look, they are in dire need in Atlanta. If they screw up again this year, there will probably be huge change. They’ve got to do whatever they’ve got to do. In my opinion, they shouldn’t care who they bring on, because they’ve got to save their asses. If that’s the case, then bring Freeney on,” Nolan said. “If this was the New England Patriots, they’re not going to bring (Freeney) in. This would be a desperation move for Atlanta, but they’re in a desperate situation.” The 36-year-old Freeney visited Atlanta last week. This offseason, the Falcons added veteran Derrick Shelby and they’re expecting a big season from second-year linebacker Vic Beasley Jr., but they didn’t do much to improve their pass rush overall.
  • 49ers offensive tackle Anthony Davis still hasn’t filed for reinstatement from the NFL’s reserve/retired list, according to Maiocco. Davis sat out last season and then tweeted in January that his return to San Francisco was “guaranteed.” The 26-year-old backed that up in April, but he took a shot at 49ers general manager Trent Baalke in the process. That continued a few weeks later when Davis wrote, “I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do.” If he does come back, Davis will be under 49ers control through the 2019 season. After the Niners used a first-round pick on him in 2010, Davis started in all 71 of his pre-retirement appearances.
  • With Chase Daniel having familiarized himself with Eagles head coach Doug Pederson‘s offense during their time together in Kansas City from 2013-15, it’s no surprise that they signed the quarterback at the outset of free agency. However, having also re-signed prospective starter Sam Bradford and moved up in the draft to select Carson Wentz second overall, Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders why the Eagles are dedicating significant financial resources to Daniel. Despite the fact that Daniel has thrown just 77 passes in six NFL seasons, the Eagles will pay him $12MM in guarantees on his three-year deal. That might’ve made sense had the Eagles let Bradford go and used Daniel as a bridge to Wentz, Sielski argues. Bradford will instead fill that role, though, making Daniel’s presence seem somewhat superfluous.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC East Notes: DRC, Giants, Eagles, Daniel

May 18th, 2016 at 10:44am CST by Zachary Links

After adding Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple this offseason, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com opines that the Giants should look into trading Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. DRC is unlikely to be on the Giants’ roster in 2017 given that he’s slated to carry an $8.5MM cap number in a year that the Giants have Jenkins at $15MM. So, if Apple shows that he’s ready to start right away, why not consider trading Rodgers-Cromartie? Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (vertical)

The two-time Pro Bowler is set to earn a modest $5.98MM salary this year and there are plenty of teams that could use help at corner. At the same time, the Giants’ big need is really at the nickel spot since their top three corners are all better suited to play on the outside. Graziano notes that free agents Leon Hall, Brandon Boykin, and Trumaine McBride could all conceivably fill that role for Big Blue. However, even if Apple proves to be NFL-ready, Rodgers-Cromartie would provide the team with valuable depth at a reasonable price.

Here’s more out of the NFC East:

  • While everyone is paying attention to Sam Bradford and his feelings on Carson Wentz, we haven’t heard much about fellow Philly newcomer Chase Daniel. When Daniel signed with the Eagles this offseason, he was told he could compete with Bradford for the starting role. Now, with the No. 2 overall pick in the mix, Daniel’s path to playing has gotten a whole lot tougher. Still, Daniel says he’s taking everything in stride. “There’s a reason they brought me here. It wasn’t necessarily to just sit on the bench and not push people for starting jobs,” Daniel said Tuesday, according to Jeff McLane of The Inquirer. “But I think there’s a fine line there. I’m a professional. I’ve been in about every situation you could possibly be in. . . . So I have a clear view of what’s expected of me and the funny thing is I expect even more out of myself.”
  • In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News about the Giants‘ timetable for pondering life without Eli Manning. Vacchiano believes that the Giants should start considering the future of their quarterback position soon, though he’s not so certain that they will. In theory, the Giants could do what Green Bay did with Aaron Rodgers and draft a promising QB to learn from the veteran starter. However, it today’s NFL, it’s tougher to talk a high-end rookie quarterback into taking the scenic route.
  • On Tuesday, Washington released wide receiver Andre Roberts in a move that will save them $3MM in cap room.

Latest On Eagles QB Situation

March 10th, 2016 at 2:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Is this the end of the line for Mark Sanchez in Philadelphia? Will Sam Bradford cede the starting job to Chase Daniel? The answers appear to be yes, and no, respectively. When speaking to reporters today, Eagles coach Doug Pederson seemingly inferred that Sanchez is now out of the picture. Sam Bradford (vertical)

In response to a question about his quarterback depth chart, the coach said, “Sam Bradford is the No. 1. Chase Daniel is the No. 2. And we’re working on the No. 3,” (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer).

That statement seems to be good news for Bradford as he is still in line to be the team’s starter, despite the sizable deal given to Daniel this week. Sanchez, of course, is conspicuously absent there and one has to think that he will be shopped in the coming weeks. The USC product is entering his contract year and is slated to earn $4.5MM in base salary while carrying a $5.5MM cap number.

Daniel and Pederson have history, which helped lead the two sides to a deal this week. The former Chiefs signal caller got a sizable deal from Philly, which led many to believe that he was being brought in as more than just a clipboard holder. Daniel, entering his age-30 season has attempted only 77 passes in his career while backing up Drew Brees and Alex Smith. He ranked as PFR’s No. 3 available quarterback, slotting in behind Brock Osweiler and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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