Colin Kaepernick

Sunday Roundup: T. Johnson, Long, 49ers

February 21st, 2016 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Parks

We recently heard the the Rams are considering using the transition tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency in just over two weeks. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com discusses why a team would consider the transition tag–which does not net a team any compensation when the tagged player signs elsewhere–when a slightly more expensive franchise tag would virtually assure the team of retaining the tagged player. As Florio writes, “Some may be doing it just to see what the player’s value is, knowing that if it’s too high they’ll let him walk. Others possibly don’t want the franchise tender to lay the foundation for a long-term deal.”

Florio, citing a league source, says that if Johnson does get the transition tag, he will not sign the transition tender. Instead, he will actively seek an offer sheet from another team, just as Alex Mack did in 2014 and Charles Clay did last season.

Now let’s take a look at some more notes from around the league:

Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com takes a look at whether the Seahawks will pursue recently-released DE Chris Long, who has 8.5 sacks in 15 career games against Seattle as a member of the division-rival Rams. Long’s age and injury history suggest that he’s probably in line for a relatively modest deal, and given that the Seahawks are always on the lookout for pass rushing help, Kapadia suggests that Long could be a fit.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says the 49ers‘ No. 1 priority this offseason is resolving the Colin Kaepernick dilemma, and he sets forth four ways in which the team could find that resolution. Right now, indications are that Kaepernick would like to resume his career elsewhere, and if San Francisco wants to move on as well, the 49ers can give Kaepernick permission to seek a trade and work out a restructured contract with another team before a trade is finalized. Alternatively, the two sides could work out a settlement in which the team releases him and is not on the hook for the $11.9MM he is owed in 2016.
The Jaguars do not plan on filling the vacancy that was left when they promoted Todd Wash from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union. Instead, Wash will continue to coach the team’s defensive lineman, and head coach Gus Bradley downplayed any notion that his first-time coordinator would be stretched too thin.
D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides his ranking of the Falcons‘ top 12 unrestricted free agents. Given that O’Brien Schofield tops the list, it is clear that the Falcons’ pending free agents are comprised primarily of role players and reserves.
Jesse James, selected in the fifth round of last year’s draft, will get the first chance to replace the recently-retired Heath Miller as the Steelers‘ No. 1 tight end, as Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. After being inactive for the first eight games of the regular season, James saw limited action in the next ten, including the playoffs. The Steelers will likely add a tight end in free agency to complement James and high-upside practice squad player Xavier Grimble, even though the free agent class of tight ends is fairly weak. Ben Watson, who met with Pittsburgh during training camp a few years ago, is perhaps the best fit for the Steelers.

Extra Points: Dolphins, Manziel, 49ers, Lions

February 6th, 2016 at 10:17pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Dolphins have two particularly noteworthy free agents-to-be in defensive end Olivier Vernon and running back Lamar Miller, but they don’t view them as equal priorities. Instead, the Dolphins believe retaining Vernon is more important than re-signing Miller, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. That doesn’t necessarily mean Miller is done in Miami, though, as Jackson adds that the club will try to keep both players. However, if the Dolphins are unable to afford Miller, they’re confident they have a capable in-house replacement in Jay Ajayi. On the other hand, the Dolphins don’t think they’d fare as well in finding someone to take over for Vernon, reports Jackson, who notes that they could slap the $15MM franchise tag on him if they’re unable to reach a long-term deal.

Click here to read more about Vernon, Miller and other issues facing the Dolphins in PFR’s offseason preview of the team.

As the clock ticks closer to Super Bowl 50, here’s more from around the NFL:

The league isn’t turning its back on Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel amid his off-field issues, according to its executive vice president of football operations, Troy Vincent. “We wish to give Johnny as much support as he is willing to receive. We can’t make anyone do anything,” Vincent said Saturday, per The Associated Press. “I’ve seen his father make a statement, reach out to the family to make sure the family knows the National Football League, the Cleveland Browns, the players association — everyone’s here to support you, but you have to embrace it.”
49ers receiver Torrey Smith believes quarterback Blaine Gabbert is right for new head coach Chip Kelly‘s offense and could give Colin Kaepernick legitimate competition for the starting job (if Kaepernick isn’t traded or cut in the coming months, of course). “I think people assume that because of this offense that Kap’s the best fit. But Blaine can do everything. He may not be as fast, but Blaine housed a 40-yard run last year, he can run, man. He can get rid of the ball quick. I think it’s going to be an interesting battle,” Smith told KNBR (link via CSNBayArea.com).
The Lions may soon be in need of receiving help with Calvin Johnson leaning toward retirement, and it so happens that pending free agent wideout Anquan Boldin spoke glowingly of head coach Jim Caldwell on Saturday (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). Although he has been one of the league’s most productive receivers throughout the last decade-plus, the 35-year-old Boldin is nowhere near Johnson’s caliber at this stage. While Boldin hauled in a respectable 69 catches with San Francisco in 2015-16, it was for the second-lowest yardage total of his career (789).

49ers Notes: Kapernick, Kelly, Norman

February 4th, 2016 at 7:23pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s anyone’s guess as to where Colin Kaepernick will be playing in 2016, says Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News writes. However, this much is clear: Kaepernick does not trust the Niners front office and the team’s top executives are not wild about him either.

Recently, a report out of New York indicated that Kaepernick could be a possibility for the Jets and Kawakami has heard for months that the Jets are a possibility for him. However, he has also heard that the Texans and Broncos could be other interesting potential landing spots, though he does not quantify either team’s level of interest. Of course, the Broncos have more pressing matters on their hands this week.

As we wait to see how things shake out with No. 7, here’s more out of SF:

Three years ago, the Niners and Chiefs agreed to a deal that sent Alex Smith to KC in exchange for two second-round picks. At the time, however, Smith was at the zenith of his career while Kaepernick is trending downwards. Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee ran down possible landing spots for Kaepernick, including the Jets, Browns, Broncos, Texans, and Eagles. Of course, Kaepernick could wind up staying put as well, but Barrows notes that new coach Chip Kelly has only spoken with the QB once since he was hired.
The Niners own the No. 7 pick in the draft this year and many have wondered if they could make a play for Cal product Jared Goff. However, he has yet to talk to anyone from the Niners. “I get this question a lot,” Goff told Jeff Faraudo of the Bay Area News Group. “I literally haven’t talked to anybody. Zero people I’ve talked to.“
Panthers cornerback Josh Norman, a pending free agent, has an affinity for the Bay Area, as Cam Inman of The Mercury News writes. The 49ers have tons of cap space this spring, but it’s pretty unlikely that Norman will reach the open market. The Panthers have the right to hit the cornerback with the franchise tag.
49ers tight end Vance McDonald is hopeful that Kaepernick can get back to his old form under Kelly, as Alex Marvez of FOX Sports writes. “I’m not saying we don’t all do it, but that guy just beats himself up over making a mistake harder than anyone else,” McDonald said. “I’ll be the first to always step up and say I’m right there in his corner. Any time he has a bad game or bad taste in his mouth or makes a bad play, I just want that guy to understand his potential because he can be a tremendous player.”

Colin Kaepernick Wants To Join Jets?

February 3rd, 2016 at 9:19pm CST by Zachary Links

WEDNESDAY, 9:19pm; The Jets are not interested in Kaepernick, hears Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Still, he says Kaepernick has wanted out “for some time” and new coach Chip Kelly apparently hasn’t done much to build a relationship with him.

TUESDAY, 5:42pm: Apparently, the coaching change in San Francisco hasn’t sold Colin Kaepernick on staying put. The athletic quarterback now wants to move on from the 49ers and he considers the Jets to be his preferred destination, sources tell Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

While Chip Kelly should have the final say on who the 49ers‘ starting quarterback will be in 2016, team management would reportedly like to see Kaepernick get another opportunity. The 49ers front office apparently views Kaepernick’s $11.9MM base salary as reasonable for a starting quarterback, and believes he has the potential to bounce back under Kelly. However, it’s not yet clear how Kelly currently feels about Kaepernick’s upside, even though he has been said to be a fan of the QB in the past.

No. 7 still has five years left on his hefty $114MM extension, but there are plenty of opportunities for the 49ers to escape that deal without major penalty. Following two seasons where he guided the 49ers to the NFC title game, Kaepernick signed a team-friendly extension that called for his salaries from 2015-17 to be guaranteed for injury only.

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles have been vocal about wanting to re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, but it’s not a slam dunk that they will given the number of teams that are in need of help under center. Of course, if the Jets want him, they’ll have to either work out a trade with the Niners or wait until he is cut. The 49ers must make a decision to keep, trade or cut Kaepernick before April 1 when his 2016 base salary of $11.9MM becomes guaranteed. San Francisco would save $8.5MM by cutting Kaepernick, who is scheduled to have a $15.9MM cap charge this season.

NFC West Notes: Kaepernick, Irvin, Fitzgerald

February 3rd, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

A New York Daily News report on Tuesday suggested that 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick would prefer to leave San Francisco this offseason, with the Jets named as his potential destination of choice. Kaepernick is still recovering from surgeries on his thumb and knee, and the 49ers don’t have to make a decision on his future until April 1st, so there likely won’t be any resolution to the QB’s situation anytime soon.

There’s little doubt that Kaepernick would prefer a fresh start, but even if he prefers to join a team like the Jets, he doesn’t control his own fate, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. As Maiocco points out, new head coach Chip Kelly will be the one deciding whether or not Kaepernick remains a Niner — if Kelly wants Kaepernick on the roster, he’ll stay on the roster. While it’s possible that Kaepernick will ultimately be traded or released, a new coaching staff in San Francisco could help give him the fresh start he seeks.

Here’s more from around the NFC West:

Even if the Jets don’t want Kaepernick, they could use his reported interest in them as leverage in negotiations with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) opines. If the 49ers still haven’t made a decision on their quarterback by the time free agency opens on March 9th, it’ll be interesting to see how that situation affects the Jets — if at all.
Vinny Curry‘s new deal with the Eagles should provide a good “data point” for Seahawks outside linebacker Bruce Irvin and his contract talks, tweets Corry. Seattle turned down its fifth-year option on Irvin, so he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency this winter.
Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald is entering the final season of his contract, and it’s possible it will also be the final season of his NFL career, though he has yet to directly address the issue. Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic discusses that possibility.
The 49ers have added J.P. Crowley Hanlon, who worked under Chip Kelly in Philadelphia, as an assistant to the coaching staff, says Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

West Notes: Chargers, Kaepernick, Manning

January 29th, 2016 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

Those familiar with the proposal put on the table in Houston earlier this month for a Rams/Chargers partnership tell Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times that it makes more sense for the second team – the Chargers – to be a tenant instead of a co-owner for the Rams’ stadium project. As such, if the Chargers end up moving to Los Angeles, it will probably be as Stan Kroenke‘s tenant.

As Farmer and Fenno explain, the proposal that surfaced in Houston has remained relatively unchanged for the last two and a half weeks, so the current situation is viewed as “less of a back-and-forth negotiation than a choice confronting the Chargers.”

As we wait to find out what the Chargers decide, let’s check in on some items from around the NFL’s West divisions…

Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, 49ers CEO Jed York pointed to the team’s salary cap room as one reason why it’s viable for Colin Kaepernick to remain in San Francisco in 2016. “This is a fresh start for everybody,” York said, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. “Colin needs to get back healthy, be ready to come in and compete, and we’ll see where it goes.”
Joel Corry of CBSSports.com examines Peyton Manning‘s options if the future Hall-of-Famer decides to continue his career in 2016. Corry believes the Rams look like a logical suitor for Manning if the Broncos decided they didn’t want to keep him.
Chip Kelly has added another assistant to his coaching staff, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the 49ers have hired Colts safeties coach Roy Anderson as their defensive backs coach.
Former Bears assistant Skip Peete is joining the Rams as the team’s new running backs coach, a source tells Thayer Evans of SI.com. Peete has previously served as the RBs coach in Oakland, Dallas, and Chicago.
After undergoing surgery for Papillary Type 2 last spring, Seahawks defensive tackle Jesse Williams, who spent the 2015 season on the non-football illness list, tweets that he has been cleared to return to action. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times provides some details on Williams, who is eligible for exclusive rights free agency.

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, 49ers, Graham

January 26th, 2016 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

The Cardinals will have a handful of key contributors eligible for free agency this offseason, and if you ask the players on the roster which of those free-agents-to-be is the most important to re-sign, you won’t necessarily get the same answer. While one Cardinals player suggested to Zach Buchanan of the Arizona Republic that locking up safety Rashad Johnson should be the team’s top priority, another gave his vote to an offensive tackle.

“Bobby [Massie],” the player said. “I thought he had a great year. Whether he stays here or whether he doesn’t, he’s going to get paid a lot of money.”

As we wait to see how the Cardinals approach their offseason, let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFC West….

The Cardinals may have a few notable players eligible for free agency, but head coach Bruce Arians remains excited about how the roster looks for 2016, writes Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com. “Looking at the team that’s coming back versus where we were this time last year, very few holes to fill,” Arians said. “[GM] Steve [Keim]’s already off starting to do it and this offseason already has begun.”
While Chip Kelly should have the final say on who the 49ers‘ starting quarterback will be in 2016, team management would like to see Colin Kaepernick get another opportunity, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole indicates that the 49ers front office views Kaepernick’s $11.9MM base salary as reasonable for a starting quarterback, and believes he has the potential to bounce back under Kelly.
Kelly didn’t use a fullback during his three seasons as the head coach in Philadelphia. What does that mean for 49ers fullback Bruce Miller? Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com examines the issue, suggesting it’s not a lock that Miller will be looking for a new home this offseason.
Following up on John Schneider‘s comments about the Seahawks planning to bring back tight end Jimmy Graham next season, Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com breaks down why it makes sense to take the GM at his word.

Sunday Roundup: Manning, 49ers, Norman

January 24th, 2016 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Parks

In a few hours, we will know which teams will be heading to San Francisco for Super Bowl 50. In the meantime, let’s dive into some news and notes from around the league:

Although the story has largely fallen out of mainstream coverage, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the NFL is still reviewing the HGH allegations surrounding Broncos QB Peyton Manning and that the matter is not yet resolved.
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly has been very noncommittal in his comments regarding Colin Kaepernick, suggesting that Kelly is less excited about the prospect of having Kaepernick run his offense than one might think. It is especially strange that Kelly claimed he could not discuss how Kaepernick might fit into his offense because it was against NFL offseason rules, when in fact it is not against league rules to discuss a player who is under contract. Of course, Kelly’s comments could just be a reflection of his guarded, introverted personality, but the lack of enthusiasm is still somewhat surprising.
The 49ers are still looking for a new defensive coordinator, and per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), the team is interested in former Browns DC Jim O’Neil. Former Browns head coach Mike Pettine has said he wants to take the 2016 season off.
Panthers CB Josh Norman, an impending free agent, is set to cash in on his terrific 2015 campaign, and as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com) observes, Norman will likely seek a contract in the Richard Sherman/Patrick Peterson neighborhood (both of whom recently signed deals with more than $40MM in guarantees). The Panthers could, of course, put the franchise tag on Norman–at a value of $13-14MM–but Carolina should have around $20MM in cap space and does not have many other high priority free agents to worry about.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the Steelers must improve their secondary in the offseason, but the problem is that they have few internal options that they can reasonably rely upon. The team may be forced to open its checkbook, and Bouchette thinks it would be wise for the Steelers to re-sign Brandon Boykin. He also names Eric Weddle as an intriguing possibility.
According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, one of the reasons the Jaguars handed a one-year extension to head coach Gus Bradley was to avoid a situation like the one Chuck Pagano recently faced in Indianapolis. Pagano’s expiring contract, of course, created a season-long distraction that Jacksonville hopes to avoid.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com compared the Giants‘ roster to those of the four conference finalists, and in so doing, he discovered the biggest problem that the team faced in 2015 and may continue to face moving forward. Although the Giants do not have enough homegrown talent, and although they need to get more production from their first-round draft picks, the most significant concern the team faced relative to the league’s more successful franchises is that it did not get enough production from its highest-paid players. Big Blue got nothing, or next to nothing, from three of its highest-paid players–Victor Cruz, Will Beatty, and Jason Pierre-Paul–which will make for some interesting decisions in the offseason.

West Rumors: St. Louis, Chiefs, Kaepernick

January 23rd, 2016 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

More than a week after St. Louis lost the Rams after 21 seasons, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon fired back at the NFL, via David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Part of the task force that assembled a plan for a new stadium in St. Louis, Nixon charged the NFL with making up reasons to move the team to Los Angeles.

“It was very disappointing that we followed the guidelines, did what folks said, and that wasn’t enough here,” Nixon said. “When you look at everything that was done, we met the guidelines.”

The league countered by noting how much time the league spent helping cities plan their stadiums and “took a tremendous amount of information into account before making their decision.”

Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood stadium cost has now risen to a stadium-record $2.66 billion, Hunn reports, and Nixon remains focused on trying to recoup the $16MM St. Louis spent on planning for the Rams’ prospective next riverfront stadium.

Here is the latest from the Western divisions.

The Chiefs will begin marketing in the St. Louis area in an attempt to reach out to the fans left without a local team by the Rams’ exit, according to Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Although St. Louis is a baseball-centric city, Chiefs president Mark Donovan said the team will strategically go about seeking out new fans on the eastern side of the state that are now without a football team. Believe it or not, Donovan said Indianapolis has reached out to St. Louis about welcoming Rams fans under the Colts umbrella, and the Chiefs are hoping more of their contests will be available regionally in St. Louis now that 16 new time slots should be available.
In an expansive look at assessing which free agents the Chiefs will keep and in what order they should address doing so, Paylor lists Eric Berry and Derrick Johnson as the team’s top two free agents to consider keeping. Tamba Hali, Sean Smith and Jaye Howard round out the top five, with Joel Corry of CBSSports.com painting Smith as a highest-bidder defector. “He’s also a guy that was in the worst free agent cornerback market in recent memory (in 2013). Nobody his year got over $6 million a year, so he’s not taking a discount,” Corry told Paylor. … I think he’s wearing silver and black next year. He’s a big corner, and (defensive coordinator) Ken Norton comes from Seattle, and they love big corners.” As for Berry, Corry expects the 27-year-old comeback player of the year candidate to be the top safety on the market and command a guarantee in the neighborhood of those given to Devin McCourty ($28.5MM) and Earl Thomas ($27.72MM). The former agent also notes the Chiefs, as they did with Jeremy Maclin last year, can backload the deal and give Berry around a $3.5MM cap figure in 2016 in an effort to help the team work toward keeping some of its defensive stars.
49ers GM Trent Baalke effectively pumped the brakes on those assuming a Chip Kelly–Colin Kaepernick union’s too promising to pass up, according to a CSNCalifornia.com report. “We’ve got two guys. Blaine (Gabbert) stepped in and did some awfully good things,” Baalke told 95.7 The Game in a radio interview. “Obviously, Colin has done a lot of good things through his career here. And Chip’s looking forward to getting together with both of them, and getting them on the field, and putting them into his system, and going to work.” Kelly’s already reached out to Kaepernick in an introductory manner, but Baalke isn’t ready to write off the 26-year-old Gabbert yet. Gabbert finished his audition with 10 touchdown passes, seven interceptions and a 63.1% completion rate. It marked the only time in his career the former first-round pick connected on more than 59% of his throws. Should the 49ers keep the 28-year-old Kaepernick on their roster past April 1, the embattled quarterback will have a team-high $15.89MM cap number. Gabbert’s set to make $1.75MM in base salary in 2016.

NFC Notes: Kaepernick, Schraeder, Henderson

January 22nd, 2016 at 7:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chip Kelly‘s official preference on Colin Kaepernick now that he’s in control of the 49ers hasn’t been established. But rival defensive coordinators are under the impression the former Eagles coach will extend an olive branch to the maligned quarterback once thought set for the trade market, given what the pair could accomplish together, NFL.com’s Albert Breer writes.

Whereas the DCs informed Breer that Sam Bradford did not evoke much fear in Kelly’s attack, the mobile Kaepernick could, considering how Kelly’s offense looked when he was coaching Marcus Mariota or Darron Thomas at Oregon.

“I think [Kaepernick] is a good enough passer, but obviously what’ll be a nightmare is his ability to run. That offense is straight ‘Freddy Krueger’ when you have a quarterback that can pull the ball and run at any given time,” one rival coordinator told Breer.

Kelly’s Philadelphia tenure began with Michael Vick at the controls, but Vick at that point did not represent the kind of dual-threat signal-caller Kaepernick has shown himself to be at his best. The former second-round pick’s strong arm will bring something else Bradford didn’t last season, per another rival DC, along with his ability to play a zone-read-style system alongside Carlos Hyde.

“Awesome — could be scary. You get the run threat back to keep the ball on zone read,” the coordinator said. “… And Kap can throw it deep. Chip stretched the field with [Nick] Foles vertically, and not as much with Bradford. … And Kap did a good job with simple reads and progressions early in San Francisco. Chip’s intermediate pass game in Philly had those features.”

Assuming Kelly wants to see how Kaepernick looks in his offense, the 28-year-old will enter the third year of his contract and cost the 49ers $15.9MM against their 2016 salary cap once he’s on the roster after April 1.

Here are some other items from around the league as 28 teams are in their early offseason phases.

With the Cowboys and Jaguars’ coaching staffs set to instruct sides at next weekend’s Senior Bowl, a source told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News secondary coach Jerome Henderson‘s status will be resolved by Monday when the staff leaves for the all-star game. The 46-year-old Henderson interviewed for the Browns’ head-coaching job, the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator role and on Friday spoke with the Falcons regarding an unspecified position with the Atlanta defense. Cowboys officials, however, have expressed desire to retain Henderson, however, according to Moore. His contract expires at the end of the 2016 season. Henderson and the Cowboys have discussed his contract, with the understanding that Henderson will only depart if he can become a coordinator somewhere.
Falcons restricted free agent Ryan Schraeder may require more than a second-round tender to keep after a dominant third season, McClure writes. A first-team All-Pro right tackle, according to Pro Football Focus, Schraeder receiving the second-round tender would cost the Falcons $2.47MM but would allow another team to sign him while surrendering only a second-round pick. An ex-UDFA, Schraeder made $585K last season. “Atlanta has given me an opportunity,” Schraeder told McClure. “I felt like I’ve tried to make the most out of it. Whatever happens in the future, happens. But I know deep down inside that I can play in this league. My agent [Joel and Justin Turner], I feel like I have the best agents in the business. They’ll handle a lot of that. And I’ll probably give them some input.” A first-round tender cost a team $3.354MM last year.
The Lions fired senior vice president of football operations Cedric Saunders, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports. Saunders joined the Lions 10 years ago under Matt Millen and began overseeing the Lions’ budget with regards to personnel under Martin Mayhew. He’s one of several executives to be ousted since new GM Bob Quinn‘s arrival.
The Giants‘ ideal free agent targets, in the mind of NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan, should be Olivier Vernon, Danny Trevathan and Tashaun Gipson. Big Blue’s defense risks losing its most accomplished players this offseason in Prince Amukamara and Jason Pierre-Paul, although Raanan tabs Amukamara as having a “better than 50% chance” of staying, and hasn’t had much luck fortifying its defense with talent through the draft. Gipson went through a contentious stretch with the Browns last summer as a restricted free agent, and Trevathan faces a long road back to Denver next season due to potential eight-figure AAV players the Broncos have yet to sign in Von Miller and Brock Osweiler.

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