Cordy Glenn

La Canfora’s Latest: Bills, P. Manning, Giants, Goodell

November 19th, 2017 at 9:21am CST by Rory Parks

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor is likely to be an attractive trade chip this offseason due to his relative youth, upside, and athleticism (not to mention his reasonable salary). Taylor is due a $6MM roster bonus in the first week of free agency this March, and even when he inked his current deal, it was speculated that Buffalo could cut Taylor before having to pay out that bonus. So while teams theoretically could wait for the Bills to release Taylor — they did just bench him, after all — La Canfora’s sources indicate that the ability to land him at a reasonable contract and secure his rights for at least 2018 would lead to someone giving Buffalo something of reasonable value.

Indeed, aside from the $6MM roster bonus, Taylor is owed a fairly modest $10MM base salary, and it’s not as if the free agent QB market is likely to set the world on fire. Plus, there will be plenty of teams who are unable to address their QB needs in the draft. La Canfora names the Jaguars, Broncos, Cardinals, and Saints as potential landing spots for Taylor, and he says the Bills will be doing their own homework on the 2018 quarterback draft class. He also says the Bills could continue to look to trade Cordy Glenn this offseason.

Now for more from La Canfora, who has again treated us to a bevy of Sunday morning notes:

Taylor might draw plenty of trade interest this offseason, but La Canfora writes that the Bills had been weighing the decision to start Nathan Peterman over Taylor for weeks, and the team’s slow starts and inability to throw the ball downfield ultimately forced the change.
We have heard plenty of speculation about the Browns‘ desire to bring future Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning on board in some sort of high-level capacity, and La Canfora writes that club owner Jimmy Haslam is serious about recruiting Manning and could be willing to offer him a small stake in the team as incentive to take on a team president/top executive role.
Although Giants ownership recently indicated that head coach Ben McAdoo would at least get the opportunity to finish out the season before they make a decision on his future with the club, La Canfora says the club’s evaluation will not be limited to the coaching staff. He believes ownership could also make changes to the personnel side of team operations, suggesting that GM Jerry Reese could be on the hot seat.
La Canfora says that Roger Goodell never demanded $50MM per year and use of a private jet for life as part of his contract extension, as was reported last week. Instead, the structure that Goodell agreed to weeks ago will pay him a base salary of $20MM per year, with a chance to hit $200MM over five years if all incentives are met (Goodell had been earning about $40MM per year under his present contract). His new deal is still awaiting a formal signing/announcement.

AFC East Rumors: Dolphins, Jets, Glenn

November 17th, 2017 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins have invested heavily at wide receiver in recent years, selecting Jarvis Landry in the 2014 second round and DeVante Parker in the 2015 first before authorizing a higher-end contract to re-sign Kenny Stills. But at least some within the organization are missing a former lower-level investment, with Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reporting (on Twitter) a common lament among the Dolphins is they wish they’d retained Rishard Matthews — a UFA in 2016. Now an integral component on the Titans, Matthews did not require much to sign. As players like Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu and Travis Benjamin required at least $6MM per year to sign in 2016, with Jones costing the Lions $8MM annually, Matthews signed a three-year, $15MM deal in Tennessee. (Stills signed for $8MM AAV in 2017.)

A 2012 seventh-round pick, Matthews easily established a new career high with 945 receiving yards last season and is on pace to top that this year, exiting Week 11 with 626. He averaged more than 15 yards per reception in his final year with the Dolphins and is sitting on 15.3 through 10 2017 Titans games. No Dolphin has 500 air yards this season. Stills has 408 through nine games, while Parker’s at 378.

Here’s the latest out of the AFC East.

Cordy Glenn will miss Sunday’s Bills-Chargers game with what the team is calling a foot/ankle malady. Glenn has run into rampant injury trouble since signing an extension in 2016. Sunday will mark his fourth missed game of this season. He missed five in 2016 after being absent for none the previous three seasons. Dion Dawkins filled in for Glenn the last time he couldn’t go because of an ankle problem, one that’s dogged him for the past two seasons. Glenn has three seasons remaining on his five-year, $60MM contract authorized by the Doug Whaley regime.
Speaking of the Bills, their handling of Tyrod Taylor could make the 2018 draft more complicated. The Bills, who are starting fifth-round rookie Nathan Peterman in his place, figure to be in the hunt for a franchise passer in Round 1, and Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com writes that will make the Jets‘ search for one more complex. The new Buffalo regime took over after the draft, so Peterman did not arrive on their watch. That would point to the Bills, who almost certainly will be moving on from Taylor after this season, thoroughly examining the 2018 quarterback prospects. Vasquez adds Taylor could be a Jets option as well. There was interest from Gang Green in the now-28-year-old passer had the Bills not reworked his contract this offseason.
The Jets could also be in the market for a new head coach despite Todd Bowles‘ unexpected success with this bare-bones roster thus far, with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writing the third-year Jets coach is not secure for 2018. Bowles was viewed as a hot-seat candidate entering this season, one that came after an offseason purge of veterans from the roster, but the Jets sitting at 4-6 when many viewed four wins as a ceiling for the season may put Mike Maccagnan to a decision. Mehta argues it’s hard to judge Bowles based on the talent available presently. He’s 19-23 as Jets coach in just more than 2 1/2 seasons.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Redskins

November 5th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the NFL and NFLPA haven’t shown any inclination to pursue a settlement in Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension case, Elliott and his attorneys have indeed been pushing for some sort of settlement, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. While it’s unclear how many banned games Elliott and his team have offered to the league, the NFL is not interested in any agreement. Elliott will play against the Chiefs this week after being granted an administrative stay, and could potentially be available for several months if he wins an injunction from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

While the Eagles didn’t acquire a left tackle in advance of last week’s trade deadline, they did engage in talks for both Cordy Glenn (Bills) and Duane Brown (Texans), according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com and Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). However, Philadelphia quickly realized no fit existed in regards to a possible Glenn deal, while the trade of Brown to Seattle — which netted the Texans second- and third-round picks — drove up the price for left tackles across the board, per La Canfora. The Eagles, who eventually picked up only running back Jay Ajayi before the deadline, were on the lookout for a blindside protector after losing stalwart Jason Peters for the season.
The Redskins worked out running backs Marcus Murphy, Dare Ogunbowale, Jhurell Pressley, Josh Rounds, and Trey Williams last week, per Howard Balzer of Sports on Earth (Twitter link). Of the group, Murphy is by far the most experienced, as he’s 16 games since entering the league in 2015. He’s mostly served as a return man (just two career touches on offense), and that’s likely the role he’d hold in Washington if signed.
Already fielding one of the league’s worst offensive lines, the Giants‘ front five was further weakened last week when center Weston Richburg was placed on injured reserve with a concussion. Richburg, 26, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the spring.

Seahawks Willing To Trade Jimmy Graham?

October 29th, 2017 at 8:28am CST by Rory Parks

Texans LT Duane Brown is expected to suit up for Houston for the first time this season as the club takes on the Seahawks in Seattle today. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, though, today might be Brown’s last day in a Texans uniform.

Per Rapoport (Twitter links), the Seahawks are continuing their attempts to acquire a veteran left tackle, and Seattle and Houston have engaged in talks involving Brown. Brown, of course, has held out all season to express his dissatisfaction over his current contract, and he has only reported to the team in order to accrue a year of service time; if he missed any more game action, he would not receive any credit for the 2017 season and would remain under club control for two more years instead of being eligible for free agency at the end of the 2018 campaign.

Seattle, though, is pretty strapped for cap space, and as Rapoport points out, if the Seahawks were to trade for a left tackle like Brown — they are also interested in the Bills’ Cordy Glenn and the Colts’ Anthony Castonzo — they would need to cut or trade other players to remain under the salary cap. One player who could be moved is TE Jimmy Graham, who is earning $7.9MM in base salary this year and who is counting for $10MM against the cap. Rapoport says Seattle would be willing to move Graham if such a move would allow them to acquire a left tackle.

However, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll strong denied that Graham would be available before Tuesday’s deadline, calling any reports to that effect “total bull—-“, as Michael Silver of NFL.com tweets. Similarly, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) has been told Seattle has no plans to trade Graham.

Graham, 30, is averaging a career-low 9.6 yards per catch through six games this season, which comes on the heels of an excellent 2016 season, his best in Seattle. The Seahawks continue to believe Graham is a critical part of the offense, but they feel acquiring a quality left tackle is more important.

For what it’s worth, Rapoport says it is unlikely that the Seahawks and Texans agree to a one-for-one swap involving Brown and Graham, but it could be a possibility (Twitter link). Houston, however, is probably more interested in acquiring draft capital than a 30-year-old tight end on an expiring contract.

Hawks, Bills Discussed Cordy Glenn Trade

October 25th, 2017 at 5:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As part of their ongoing search for offensive line help, the Seahawks approached the Bills about left tackle Cordy Glenn, but those talks “fizzled,” according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

Glenn returned to Buffalo’s lineup on Sunday having been sidelined by injuries since Week 2, and despite some questions as to whether Glenn would regain his starting job over rookie Dion Dawkins, Glenn did indeed play a large role in the Bills’ victory (85% of offensive snaps). But Buffalo clearly is pleased with Dawkins’ production thus far, creating an opportunity to possibly move Glenn.

General manager Brandon Beane isn’t afraid to deal veteran assets, as evidenced by his preseason trades of wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby. And the Bills probably wouldn’t mind getting Glenn’s contract off their books as they retool their roster in the mold of head coach Sean McDermott over the next few years. An acquiring club would take on the rest of Glenn’s $9MM salary for 2017, plus base salaries of $9.25MM, $7.25MM, and $7.25MM over the next three seasons (Glenn also has $2MM roster bonuses in each year).

Like Beane, Seattle general manager John Schneider has shown a willingness to trade, and he recently said the Seahawks are “constantly in talks” with other teams regarding possible swaps. Seattle’s front five once again ranks as one of the NFL’s least productive, and several of the club’s projected starters — George Fant, Luke Joeckel — are now sidelined with injuries. Rees Odhiambo, the Seahawks’ current blinside protector, has graded as the league’s worst tackle, per Pro Football Focus.

Other options to help the depleted Seattle line have been discussed. The Seahawks reportedly focused on disgruntled Texans offensive tackle Duane Brown in recent weeks, but Brown has since ended his holdout and Houston may not have any inclination to deal their best offensive lineman during a competitive season. Free agent Branden Albert, meanwhile, turned down Seattle’s contract offer last week and is still on the open market.

AFC East Notes: Bills, Glenn, Clay, Patriots

October 20th, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While left tackle Cordy Glenn is no longer listed on the NFL’s injury report after recovering from an ankle injury, he’s not a certainty to regain his starting role along the Bills‘ offensive line, according to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. Head coach Sean McDermott admitted as much today, noting that Buffalo hasn’t decided whether Glenn will take starter’s snaps against the Buccaneers on Sunday, per Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter links). While Glenn has lined up with the Bills’ first team during practice this week, the club’s coaching staff is reportedly high on rookie Dion Dawkins, who’s started on the blindside in Glenn’s absence. Still, benching Glenn — who earns $12MM annually and graded as the league’s No. 21 tackle a season ago, per Pro Football Focus — would be a surprising decision by Buffalo brass.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Speaking of Bills‘ injuries on the offensive side of the ball, McDermott indicated he’s “very encouraged” by tight end Charles Clay‘s progress after undergoing knee surgery earlier this month, and said the veteran pass-catcher could return later this season, tweets Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Initial reports suggested Clay would miss multiple weeks after going under the knife, and the fact that Buffalo hasn’t placed Clay on injured reserve bodes well for a potential return. Had Clay been IR’d, he would have been eligible to play again in early December. With Clay sidelined, the Bills have turned to Nick O’Leary as their starting tight end — he managed receptions for 54 yards in Buffalo’s Week 5 loss to Cincinnati.
Patriots linebacker Harvey Langi is likely to miss the remainder of the 2017 campaign after being involved in a car accident last week, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Langi and his wife reportedly suffered serious injuries after being rear-ended last Friday, but thankfully the issues are not thought to be life-threatening. Still, Langi’s back injury is apparently significant enough to rule him out for the rest of the season. A highly sought-after undrafted free agent earlier this year, Langi had only appeared in one game for New England.
Cornerback Ryan Lewis is now earning an active roster salary rate ($465K) as a member of the Patriots‘ practice squad, and that’s because the Bills recently expressed interest in adding Lewis to their 53-man roster, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Instead of signing with Buffalo, however, Lewis opted to stick with New England’s taxi squad given his familiarity with the Patriots’ coaching staff. Lewis, an undrafted Pitt product who originally signed with the Cardinals earlier this year, managed two sub-4.40 40-yard dash times during the predraft process, but his “lack of experience shows up on tape,” according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Fins, Glenn, Raiders

August 6th, 2017 at 8:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

It’s not exactly a secret the Broncos are hoping their 2016 first-round pick takes the quarterback reins by Week 1, but Paxton Lynch has yet to offer much evidence he’s ready to do that. The obvious caveat of the Broncos being yet to begin their preseason slate applies, but Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com notes Trevor Siemian is in control of this job by default. Broncos staffers aren’t sensing a different vibe from this competition compared to last season, Robinson reports, adding current Broncos personnel view Siemian in front of this race due to Lynch’s inconsistency.

While the Broncos would still hold out hope for Lynch to seize this job at some point in the season, he has lost “every single practice” to the less heralded Siemian, Robinson writes. Siemian’s backstory as a seventh-round pick holding off a player of Lynch’s pedigree for a second season would be interesting for a Broncos team expected to again rely on its defense, but as of now the ex-Northwestern part-time quarterback has a legitimate chance to keep the job.

Here’s the latest out of the AFC:

Two anonymous agents told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald any possible Dolphins overtures to coax Ryan Tannehill into a pay cut are likely to be met with a rejection on agent Pat Dye’s part. Only $5.25MM in injury guarantees remain on Tannehill’s deal, which runs through 2020. Tannehill’s 2018 salary ($17.5MM) becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the next league year. And although there may be higher-end quarterbacks available in 2018 compared to the past several years, they would likely cost more per year than Tannehill’s deal requires, Jackson writes.
The Raiders return their entire starting secondary from last season, but they are not using Sean Smith as a first-unit player presently. Smith worked as a reserve corner on Sunday while the team shuttled rookie UDFA Breon Borders into the fray. Jack Del Rio confirmed this was a performance-based promotion for Borders, via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). David Amerson and T.J. Carrie worked as the starting corners, with Borders at nickel, per Scott Bair of CSN Bay Area (via Twitter). The 6-foot-3 Smith has been used as a boundary corner for years, and Carrie patrolled the slot for the Raiders after D.J. Hayden went down last season. This marked the third day Carrie played ahead of Smith, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com notes. Smith’s $9.25MM salary is guaranteed for 2017, while no guaranteed money remains on the 30-year-old defender’s four-year deal after this season. Gareon Conley has yet to factor into this equation.
Cordy Glenn returned to Bills practice Sunday after a bout of ongoing foot trouble, and the sixth-year left tackle said he would “hopefully” be ready to go by Week 1, via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Ankle and foot injuries have dogged Glenn since last season. He recently received a second opinion from a specialist in Charlotte.
The Chiefs worked out defensive lineman Connor Wujciak on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Originally a UDFA with the Eagles in 2016, Wujciak missed all of his would-be rookie season with a shoulder injury. The Eagles waived him in February.

East Notes: Dolphins, Glenn, Reed, Eagles

August 6th, 2017 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins‘ Jay Cutler addition easily became the NFL story of the week, and more specifics on the agreement are emerging. Cutler’s $5MM base salary will be augmented by $5MM in bonuses and $3MM in incentives, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Between Cutler, Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore, the Dolphins are spending more than $32MM on quarterback salaries this season. This salary will represent Cutler’s lowest in a season since 2013, prior to his second Bears pact.

Rapoport (video link) didn’t rule out the possibility of a multiyear Dolphins/Cutler union, but said as of now the plan is just for this season. He cites Cutler’s desire to play, noting the interest he had in the Texans’ job, and possible success with Adam Gase as a reason the door is slightly ajar for the 34-year-old passer to have a beyond-2017 future with the Dolphins.

Here’s the latest from the Eastern divisions.

Of course, Tannehill is under contract through the 2020 season. But Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com notes (via Twitter) the Dolphins can escape from Tannehill’s contract after this season, if they choose. No fully guaranteed money remains on Tannehill’s deal, although a $5.25MM injury guarantee for 2018 is in place. Breer categorizes the 2018-20 portion of Tannehill’s contract as team options. The Dolphins, though, don’t have another long-term solution lined up beyond the suddenly injury-prone Tannehill.
This Cutler signing will make a Jarvis Landry extension more difficult, James Walker of ESPN.com offers. The Dolphins entered Sunday with $17MM-plus in cap space, with just $3MM projected to be available in 2018. While the latter figure doesn’t mean a ton yet due to roster moves that could me made to increase it, the Dolphins lost some possible carryover money due to the Cutler signing, one Walker calls a mistake. Gase’s Bears campaign produced the 23rd-ranked passing offense in 2015 and a 6-10 record. Although, the Bears were playing without some skill-position talent that season. But Cutler has only led one team, the ’10 Bears, to the postseason and is coming off an injury-marred season. As for Landry, not much has developed on that front.
Cordy Glenn has struggled with lower-leg and foot problems since last season, and the Bills‘ franchise left tackle still has some uncertainty surrounding his status. That said, Glenn returned to practice on Sunday after seeing a foot specialist, Rapoport reports (on Twitter). Glenn recently received a second opinion on his foot from foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News reports. Sean McDermott called the veteran blocker day-to-day.
Jay Gruden is optimistic Jordan Reed will be able to shake his toe injury and be ready to go by the time the Redskins take the field in Week 1. “From every indication I’ve received from the doctors and trainers and from Jordan, I feel he’ll be ready for the season,” Gruden said, via John Keim of ESPN.com. “But you never know, so we’ll still have to wait and see. Things are odd from time to time, but I have total faith that he’ll be ready.” Reed is on the Active/PUP list and struggled with the toe malady throughout last season. Reed also visited with Dr. Anderson last week but has ramped up his work since.
Corey Graham has experience at both secondary positions, but Jim Schwartz plans to use his former Bills charge at safety despite the Eagles being weaker at corner, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com notes, adding that Malcolm Jenkins could shift into the slot on sub-packages. Graham has played most of his career at corner but moved to safety full-time in 2015.

Extra Points: Donald, Gruden, Titans, Bills

August 4th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There’s no end in sight to the standoff between the Rams and holdout Aaron Donald, but the two sides remain on “amicable” terms, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. The superstar defensive lineman is under control through the next two seasons at low costs relative to his play and could be a franchise tag candidate in 2019 and ’20, meaning the Rams don’t have any incentive to give him a long-term mega-deal, one NFL agent told Gonzalez. “The Rams should sit back and do nothing. Let him play out this year, let him play out the fifth-year option, and franchise him,” said the agent.

The agent’s point of view makes sense from a financial perspective, but it wouldn’t be acting in good faith, notes Gonzalez, who writes that Donald is worth breaking the bank for and someone who’s clearly a franchise player. While the Rams are aware of the 26-year-old’s greatness, they also realize that they technically don’t have to cave into Donald, which puts them in a tough situation. Ultimately, if a deal does come together, it might not be until closer to September, observes Gonzalez. That’s when the Rams extended wide receiver Tavon Austin, edge rusher Robert Quinn and nose tackle Michael Brockers in past years. In the meantime, they can fine Donald $40K per day as long as he’s absent.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden wouldn’t be surprised if his brother, Jon Gruden, returned to coaching. “It wouldn’t shock me, no,” said Jay Gruden (via John Keim of ESPN.com). “I don’t know why he would want to do that. He has a pretty good job. He has a passion for the game, the way he talks and prepares for the job he has is second to none. He loves coaching and he loves preparing. I don’t know if he’ll come back or not.” Jon Gruden hasn’t coached since 2008, and while the Monday Night Football commentator suggested last week that a comeback was possible, he indicated he’s content in his current role a few days later.
Titans receiver Corey Davis, the fifth pick in this year’s draft and the last rookie to sign his contract, will sit out at least a week after suffering a hamstring injury Thursday, head coach Mike Mularkey told 104.5 The Zone in Nashville (via Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com). Davis will not need surgery, fortunately, though the Titans will evaluate him week to week. He expects to be in Tennessee’s lineup come Week 1, tweets Wolfe.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott didn’t rule out foot surgery for left tackle Cordy Glenn. Both the Bills and Glenn can now breathe a sigh of relief, though, as the stalwart’s “fine” and will likely resume practicing next week, reports John Wawrow of The Associated Press. Glenn’s ankle injury limited him to a career-low 11 games last season, but the five-year veteran’s play still ranked an impressive 21st among 76 qualified tackles at Pro Football Focus.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Texans, Bills, Chiefs, Jets

August 4th, 2017 at 5:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the most important weapon in the Texans’ aerial attack, has caught passes from unheralded veteran Tom Savage and first-round rookie Deshaun Watson this summer. Asked Friday which of the two should start, Hopkins endorsed Savage (via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com). “If anybody should be a judge of quarterbacks, I’ve played with the most quarterbacks in NFL history throughout my first four years,” Hopkins said. “So I put the stamp on Savage, and I think that’s all that needs to be said about that.” The 27-year-old Savage “does everything well,” according to Hopkins, who went on to discuss his own status with the Texans. Hopkins is in a contract year, but he insisted that he has no desire to test free agency after the season. “I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of teams in the NFL that would love to have me, but the Houston Texans is my home and the team that I want to play for forever,” he declared.