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NFC East Rumors: Redskins, Cowboys, Giants

May 14th, 2019 at 9:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jay Gruden studied this year’s quarterback class extensively, watching every throw each of the high- and mid-tier prospects made. The sixth-year Redskins coach said he did more work on this year’s QB class than he had in any draft since 2011, when the Bengals, Gruden’s employer at the time, selected Andy Dalton. In addition to Dwayne Haskins‘ arm strength, Gruden said the one-year Ohio State starter’s presence reminded him of Cam Newton.

“They’re all pretty confident kids, bright-eyed. I was impressed with the entire class,” Gruden said, via Albert Breer of SI.com. “But (Haskins) has a demeanor and aura about him, kind of similar to Cam Newton coming out, just an aura of confidence. There’s something about him. When you’re around him, you feel like he’s got it, everything’s going to be OK — that he’s going to be successful, because he believes it.”

Haskins and Case Keenum will split the Redskins’ first-team reps, with Colt McCoy still out because of his fractured fibula injury. However, McCoy is expected to participate partially in Washington’s minicamp and be ready for training camp, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While Gruden said Haskins is no lock to play this year, nearly every recent first-round passer chosen becoming a first-season starter points to the newcomer taking the reins early.

Here is the latest from the NFC East, shifting to news out of Dallas:

  • The Cowboys will not have Taco Charlton in action for a bit. The former first-round pick underwent ankle surgery recently, Calvin Watkins of The Athletic tweets. While Watkins describes this as a minor procedure, Charlton will likely miss Dallas’ offseason activities. He is expected to be ready for camp. This marks the second operation Charlton has undergone this offseason. Shortly after the Cowboys’ 2018 season concluded, the 24-year-old defensive end had shoulder surgery.
  • One of Charlton’s defensive line mates may have to face the prospect of missing regular-season time. Tyrone Crawford was popped with a misdemeanor charge of unlawful assembly related to the March incident at a Florida bar, Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com writes. An affidavit indicates Crawford, after being removed from the bar, threw punches at multiple security officers and hit at least one of them. This seems likely to produce a suspension for the veteran defensive lineman.
  • Cowboys seventh-round running back Mike Weber injured his knee over the weekend, but it appears he avoided a serious setback. Weber went through an MRI but was back on the practice field Sunday, per Breer. Weber is expected to compete for time behind Ezekiel Elliott and fourth-round pick Tony Pollard, with Weber profiling as more of a traditional back compared to the versatile Pollard. The Cowboys lost previous Elliott backup Rod Smith to the Giants in free agency.
  • Mike Remmers will not have a free pass to the Giants’ starting lineup. Offensive line coach Hal Hunter named incumbent Chad Wheeler the first-string right tackle last week, but that was before Remmers was signed. “It is up to (Wheeler) to hold that position,” Hunter said, via Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com. “It is up to everyone else to beat him out.” Remmers’ contract (one year, $2.5MM), history (64 starts) and connections to Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur would point to him having the upper hand. Wheeler took over for Ereck Flowers early last season and graded as Pro Football Focus’ third-worst full-time tackle. The Giants were connected to multiple free agent right tackles this offseason.

Latest On Redskins’ QB Situation

May 12th, 2019 at 10:45am CST by Rory Parks

The Redskins’ starting quarterback race is wide open at the moment, but as John Keim of ESPN.com writes, 2019 first-rounder Dwayne Haskins is already making his case for the job.

Haskins has impressed after two days of rookie minicamp, and head coach Jay Gruden said of the Ohio State product, “[i]t’s been a treat. He’s made some throws that turn your head without a doubt.”

Of course, Haskins still has a long way to go, and two days of rookie minicamp will not make or break his future with Washington. But as the No. 15 overall pick, he will certainly be given ample opportunity to start right away, and his performance thus far has been promising.

The Redskins’ OTAs and mandatory minicamp will be critical in clarifying the team’s quarterback situation, because Gruden does not like to have a three-man competition in training camp. He believes, understandably, that it is too difficult to divide meaningful repetitions between three players, so the pressure is on Haskins and veterans Case Keenum and Colt McCoy over the coming weeks.

Given that Haskins has a lot of basics to master — like his footwork and dropping back from under center, which he did not do in college — Keenum and McCoy may have a leg up for the time being, especially since Gruden’s job security is tenuous at best and he needs to win games in 2019 to keep his post. But Haskins obviously has the highest upside of any of the three competitors, and the Redskins expect him to develop quickly.

Gruden said, “The most important thing in the next couple weeks is, let’s see how far we can push [Haskins]. Let’s see if there is a chance he can win the job. If we feel like he’s coming along slower, then we have to maybe push Case or push Colt. But if we feel like [Haskins] is coming along and he’s firing and he’s comfortable, then we’ll play it out and see what happens.”

Gruden sounds like a man who wants his rookie signal-caller to seize the opportunity and run with it, and Haskins is up for the challenge. He said, “I’ll be ready for whatever the coaches want from me, whether that’s starting right away or next year or through the season. I’ll prepare like I’m the starter.”

Redskins In Talks With Peterson, Scherff

February 5th, 2019 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two key Redskins players, at different points in their respective careers, have engaged in discussions with the team about new deals.

Adrian Peterson has participated in preliminary talks with the Redskins, John Keim of ESPN.com notes, adding Brandon Scherff — under contract via fifth-year option in 2019 — has been in discussions with Washington about his next contract.

Peterson has said on multiple occasions he would like to return to the Redskins. The future Hall of Famer was a free agent throughout the 2018 offseason. Derrius Guice‘s injury led Peterson to Washington, and he responded with his eighth 1,000-yard rushing season. He also played all 16 games for just the second time in the past six seasons, the other being when he won the 2015 rushing title.

Guice, though, is expected to be healthy for the 2019 season. The Redskins also have passing-down back Chris Thompson under contract. Peterson’s skill set would seemingly overlap with Guice’s, but the soon-to-be 34-year-old back is obviously the more proven NFL runner and could be used in a timeshare with the LSU alum.

Scherff’s salary will spike from $6.8MM to $12.5MM this season. An extension would help the Redskins lower that cap number by a bit and help a team that will carry Alex Smith‘s contract in addition to a potential extra veteran starter-level salary, perhaps similar to the Dolphins’ 2017 Ryan Tannehill–Jay Cutler setup.

It’s also possible the Redskins do not look to the veteran market to fill in for Smith. Washington is “looking hard” at quarterback prospects and continues to believe in Colt McCoy, Keim adds, pointing out a cheaper bridge-type option may be the better bet for Washington than a veteran starter.

An upper-echelon guard since coming into the league, Scherff can be expected to command a deal in the neighborhood of the highest-paid guards in the NFL. Zack Martin and Andrew Norwell became the NFL’s first guards to sign for $13MM-plus per year. Washington, though, already has Trent Williams and Morgan Moses signed to high-end deals and holds barely $20MM in cap space. Navigating toward a Scherff extension won’t be easy.

Redskins Place Reed, McCoy On IR

December 27th, 2018 at 10:50am CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday, the Redskins placed quarterback Colt McCoy and tight end Jordan Reed on injured reserve. To take their places, they added defensive end Marcus Smith and defensive back Alex Carter. 

[RELATED: Cardinals Claim D.J. Swearinger]

The playoffs are out of reach for the Redskins, so there was little sense in jeopardizing the health of two key players for Sunday’s wrap-up game against the Eagles. Reed, who has missed the last couple of games with foot and ankle injuries, did not practice this week, so his IR placement does not come as a surprise. McCoy, meanwhile, was pushing to play roughly four weeks after suffering a broken fibula, but the club will now allow him to put himself in harm’s way for little gain.

Smith had a cup of coffee with the Redskins earlier this month and they may be curious to see what he can do in the final game of the season. At minimum, he’ll be an extra body over the next couple days of practice.

Colt McCoy Out For Season

December 3rd, 2018 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Redskins are now going to be without their top two quarterbacks the rest of the way. Colt McCoy suffered a fractured fibula and will miss the rest of the season, ESPN’s Lisa Salters reports.

McCoy went down in the first half, and X-rays revealed the fracture. Signed last month after Alex Smith‘s leg breaks, Mark Sanchez is now the pilot for the 6-5 Redskins.

Washington entered Week 13 with only McCoy and Sanchez on its 53-man roster. No quarterback resides on Washington’s practice squad. But Sanchez will soon be joined by a to-be-determined player.

Prior to signing Sanchez, the Redskins auditioned both E.J. Manuel and T.J. Yates. Kellen Clemens and now-AAF-affiliated Josh Johnson also received workouts. There’s a good chance one of these players will be on Washington’s roster soon. Colin Kaepernick is obviously unaffiliated and remains interested in playing, but given the events of the past two years, it’s unlikely the Redskins will go this route.

This is brutal news for McCoy, who had a chance to steer a team to the playoffs following Smith’s injury. He is signed through 2019 and is attached to a $3MM base salary next season. McCoy started two games for Washington, finishing 24 of 38 for 268 yards, two touchdown passes and three interceptions on Thanksgiving. Previously sitting behind Kirk Cousins for three seasons, McCoy entered this season having not started a game since 2014. He’d started in 21 Browns games from 2010-11.

Washington entered play tonight in the thick of the NFC East and wild-card races. With Sanchez (no starts since working with the 2015 Eagles’ first-stringers twice), their path becomes more difficult.

Redskins QB Colt McCoy Could Become Free Agent In 2019

November 26th, 2018 at 9:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Colt McCoy took over as the Redskins’ starting quarterback after Alex Smith suffered a gruesome leg injury last week, and while the veteran signal-caller is technically under contract through 2019, he’s on pace to become a free agent if he stays under center for the rest of the season. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com explains, McCoy’s deal will void if he plays 30% of Washington’s offensive snaps, an easily attainable figure providing the McCoy stays healthy.

However, if McCoy does exercise his option to become a free agent, the Redskins have the right to buy back the 2019 season while giving McCoy a raise. The details of that raise aren’t exactly clear, but Rapoport says it would be worth anywhere from $750K to $4MM, depending on how McCoy performs for the rest of the year.

Rapoport does pass along one example for reference: if McCoy starts the rest of the season and plays in two playoff games, he’d be entitled to a $2MM buyback, a figure that would be fully guaranteed. So instead of earning a $3.5MM and $2MM guaranteed (which is what his contract currently calls for), McCoy could collect $5.5MM in total and $4MM guaranteed.

Whether the Redskins have interest in using their buyback clause will likely rest on two factors: how well McCoy plays, and their optimism regarding Smith’s health. Per Rapoport, Washington would have been comfortable deploying McCoy as its starter this season had it not been able to acquire Smith from the Chiefs, so the club clearly has confidence in the 32-year-old. As far as Smith goes, the Redskins are optimistic that he’ll be ready for the 2019 campaign, but his recovery timeline is uncertain.

Redskins To Work Out Mark Sanchez, Others

November 18th, 2018 at 5:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are bringing in a group of quarterbacks to work out on Monday, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Mark Sanchez, E.J. Manuel, and T.J. Yates will show their stuff for Washington as they seek a new backup quarterback for new starting QB Colt McCoy. Kellen Clemens and Josh Johnson will also get a workout, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

McCoy was thrust into the starting lineup when Smith suffered a broken tibia and fibia. This trio of prospective QBs is not the most exciting bunch, but the Redskins are hoping that none of the three veterans will have to see action.

McCoy has not attempted a pass since 2015, but he is considered one of the NFL’s better No. 2 signal callers. In recent years, the team has flirted with the idea of starting him, so they clearly have confidence in his ability.

On the plus side, all four veterans offer NFL experience. By the end of business on Monday, one of them will take a step closer to seeing live action.

Redskins Sign QB Colt McCoy To Extension

July 26th, 2018 at 5:54pm CST by Ben Levine

The Redskins have extended quarterback Colt McCoy through the 2019 season. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the organization has signed the 31-year-old to a one-year extension that can be worth up to $7MM.

In a follow-up tweet, Rapoport notes that McCoy could still have the ability to hit free agency next summer. The deal contains a “void and buyback provision,” and if the quarterback hits the “void criteria,” the organization will have the ability to buyback for six different amounts, each of which is based on playing time and performance. McCoy it set to earn a $2.8MM base salary in what would have been the final season of his contract in 2018. He originally inked a three-year, $9MM extension with the organization back in 2016.

After spending the first four years of his career with the Browns and 49ers, the 2010 third-round has found a home in Washington. The quarterback has spent the past four seasons with the Redskins, including a 2015 campaign where he completed 71.1-percent of his passes for 1,057 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions in five games (four starts). However, McCoy slid into a backup role following the emergence of Kirk Cousins, and he’s only appeared in a single regular season game over the past two seasons.

It will likely be more of the same for McCoy in 2018. While Cousins is gone, the team added veteran signal-caller Alex Smith this past offseason. McCoy will likely serve as Smith’s backup, with Kevin Hogan rounding out the depth chart.

Redskins Sign Long Snapper Rick Lovato

November 19th, 2016 at 11:54am CST by Sam Robinson

With their regular long snapper ailing, the Redskins signed former Packers specialist Rick Lovato, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

This points to Nick Sundberg not being available for Washington’s Sunday-night game against Green Bay, which deployed Lovato last season. The second-year long snapper will venture to Washington, D.C., after being one of the Packers’ final cuts out of training camp.

This move prevents what would have been an interesting, if slightly unrealistic, scenario. Jay Gruden insisted Colt McCoy resided as his team’s emergency long snapper, but his status as Kirk Cousins‘ top backup intervened to induce an outside hire.

Washington’s long snapper since 2010, Sundberg injured a muscle in his back while lifting weights. He’s been active for each of the Redskins’ nine games this season and snapped in all 16 of the franchise’s regular-season contests in 2014 and ’15. Originally a Bears UDFA in 2015, Lovato caught on with the Packers last season and snapped in their final two regular-season games and in both of the subsequent playoff contests — including Green Bay’s wild-card win in Washington.

 

 

NFC Contract Details: Vernon, Jenkins, Mack

March 9th, 2016 at 9:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are some of the latest details on many recent agreed-upon and signed contracts from out of the NFC (all links via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post unless otherwise indicated)…

NFC East:

  • Olivier Vernon, DE (Giants): Five years, $85MM. $52.5MM guaranteed. $20MM signing bonus. $7MM roster bonus due on fifth day of 2016 league year (Twitter links).
  • Janoris Jenkins, CB (Giants): Five years, $62.5MM. $28.8MM guaranteed. $10MM signing bonus. $1.4MM base salary in 2016 (Twitter link).
  • Brandon Brooks, G (Eagles): Five years, $40MM. $21MM guaranteed. $11MM signing bonus. $1MM base salary in 2016 and $5MM base salary in 2017 fully guaranteed (Twitter link).
  • Chase Daniel, QB (Eagles): Three years, $21MM base value. $36MM max value. $3MM signing bonus. $3MM roster bonus due on March 14. $3MM base escalators in 2017 and 2018 (Twitter link).
  • Colt McCoy, QB (Washington): Three years, $9MM base value. Third year can be voided based on playing time. $1.8MM signing bonus. $1MM annually in playing-time incentives (Twitter link).
  • Ron Brooks, CB (Eagles): Three years, $5.5MM. $1.55MM guaranteed. $750K signing bonus (Twitter link).

NFC South:

NFC North:

  • Marvin Jones, WR (Lions): Five years, $40MM. $20MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
  • Alex Boone, G (Vikings): Four years, $26.8MM. $10MM guaranteed. Annual $100K workout bonus (Twitter link).
  • Danny Trevathan, LB (Bears): Four years, $24.5MM. $12MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. $3.5MM roster bonus due on March 14 (Twitter link).
  • Michael Griffin, S (Vikings): One year, $2.5MM. $250K signing bonus. $500K of $1.65MM base salary guaranteed. Up to $500K in playing-time incentives (Twitter links).
  • Tavon Wilson, S (Lions): Two years, $2.2MM. $500K signing bonus. Up to $500K in annual playing-time incentives (Twitter link).

NFC West:

  • Mark Barron, OLB (Rams): Five years, $45MM. $20MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
  • William Hayes, DE (Rams): Three years, $17.5MM. $10MM guaranteed. $4MM roster bonus due on March 13 (Twitter link).
  • Tyvon Branch, S (Cardinals): Two years, $8MM. $1MM signing bonus. $1.75MM roster bonus in 2016, $1MM roster bonus in 2017 (Twitter link).
  • Tim Barnes, C (Rams): Two years, $5.6MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $1.25MM roster bonus due in four days. $750K roster bonus due on third day of 2017 league year guaranteed for injury, skill; becomes fully guaranteed if on roster June 17. Up to $1MM in annual playing-time incentives. $250K annual Pro Bowl incentive (all Twitter links).
  • Brian Quick, WR (Rams): One year, $1.75MM. $1.5MM guaranteed ($1.25MM bas salary, $250K roster bonus due on March 15). $2MM stats incentive (Twitter link).
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