Darren Sproles - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles Notes: Kelly, Matthews, Carroll, Long, Barkley, Villanueva

June 21st, 2014 at 11:56am CST by Matt Feminis

Eagles second-rounder Jordan Matthews “caught everything thrown his way and lined up both inside and outside,” according to Phillymag.com’s Sheil Kapadia, who took stock of the team’s draft picks now that spring work has concluded. Kapadia expects Matthews to emerge as the team’s No. 1 slot receiver.

Other Eagles tidbits:

Head coach Chip Kelly held a press this week and was again asked about the unceremonious divorce from DeSean Jackson, but Kelly made it clear that he’s not in the message sending business. Bob Grotz of the Delaware County Daily Times relayed that bit of information as well as a related quote from center Jason Kelce which indicates that, while the Jackson release resonated, it has not affected the team’s stability: “As opposed to the way a lot of the media portrays it I don’t think that the release was solely on character things and a lot of other things, I think that might be something that’s been played out way too far. I think there are a lot of different factors. His release has not changed in my mind anything about the way this organization runs, the culture of it or anything.”
Free agent acquisition Nolan Carroll and 2013 undrafted free agent Travis Long were among a handful of under-the-radar players highlighted by Matt Lombardo of NJ.com. Now two years removed from a reconstructed ACL, Long is pushing for a roster spot and has drawn praise from Kelly.
Long would help his chances of making the roster by proving himself valuable on special teams, an area the Eagles have made a concerted effort to improve, notes ESPN’s Phil Sheridan: “The Eagles added Bryan Braman, a linebacker who excelled on special teams in Houston, and cornerback Nolan Carroll, an excellent gunner on coverage teams. Safety Chris Maragos was a special teams regular for Seattle last year. Darren Sproles, who will see plenty of time on offense, is a first-rate return man.”
Is Matt Barkley‘s arm strength a major concern? Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com thinks so.
Army product Alejandro Villanueva, an undrafted free agent, is a long shot, but his work ethic is noteworthy and worth reading about. Kelly told team website writer Bo Wulf he’s “amazed at everything that Alejandro does.”

Bills Acquire Bryce Brown From Eagles

May 10th, 2014 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

1:14pm: The pick the Eagles received from the Bills could become a third-rounder in 2016 only if Johnson meets his conditions that would defer the pick to 2016, and then Brown also meets his conditions, reports Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 Sports Radio (via Twitter).

12:22pm: The Eagles have confirmed the trade (via Twitter) and provided more details. In exchange for Brown, the Birds will receive either a 2015 fourth-rounder or a 2016 third- or fourth-rounder. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out (via Twitter) the condition is tied into Stevie Johnson’s performance in San Francisco because he was acquired from Buffalo for a conditional fourth-rounder.

Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport says the trade is simply a depth move, and Jackson’s job is safe (via Twitter).

11:49am: The Eagles have traded a player for a draft pick, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, who reports (via Twitter) that running Bryce Brown will be sent to the Bills. Philadelphia acquires a future pick in the deal, per Mosher.

Brown became expendable following the addition of Darren Sproles. In Buffalo, Brown will provide depth behind C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, both of whom are entering the final year of their deals.

Eagles Inquired On Spiller Before Acquiring Sproles

April 14th, 2014 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles added a dynamic playmaker to their offense when they acquired running back Darren Sproles last month in a trade with the Saints. However, prior to landing Sproles, the team looked into trading for a younger back, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Mosher reports that the Eagles contacted the Bills in the hopes of trading for running back C.J. Spiller. However, Buffalo wasn’t interested in moving Spiller, so Philadelphia never made a formal offer.

Mosher’s report isn’t exactly groundbreaking, since it’s not as if the Bills are shopping Spiller — the Eagles asked and Buffalo essentially shot them down. Still, it shows that Philadelphia didn’t simply trade for Sproles because the opportunity fell into the team’s lap. Sproles became available relatively cheaply when it seemed as if New Orleans was leaning toward releasing him, but even before then, the Eagles were exploring ways to add playmakers to their offense.

Sproles, 30, is a better receiver than Spiller, having caught more passes in the last two seasons (146) than Spiller has in his entire four-year NFL career (139). However, Spiller, who turns 27 in August, is the more dangerous runner, having accumulated 2,177 yards on the ground on just 409 carries over the last two seasons — good for an average of 5.3 yards per carry.

As Sproles prepares to make his debut in Philadelphia, Spiller is set to split the Bills’ backfield workload with Fred Jackson again in 2014. Spiller, who is due to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2015 season, is owed a base salary of about $3.5MM in 2014 and $2.2MM in 2015.

Eagles Notes: Maclin, Sproles, Jackson

March 30th, 2014 at 7:47pm CST by Peter Sowards

The time is now for Jeremy Maclin to thrive in Philadelphia, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As the team’s No. 1 receiver with the jettisoning of DeSean Jackson, it’s unclear whether Maclin will be at full strength come training camp after an ACL injury last July, according to general manager Howie Roseman: “In terms of the exact timetable, my understanding is with an ACL, when you get to this point this far along, then the process … comes in weekly increments. I think we’ll know more as it goes. Obviously we feel really good about his progress. We signed him. We were aggressive trying to bring him back.” Roseman re-signed Maclin to a one-year, $5.5MM deal at the end of last month, and a big year could turn into a big contract for the sixth-year receiver from Chesterfield, Missouri.

More news and notes from arguably the busiest franchise this offseason…

ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins a number questions regarding Jackson’s release, asking why the team didn’t demand more from Jackson or confront him about having supposed gang relations.
Chip Kelly doesn’t see Darren Sproles as a replacement player for Jackson. “Totally different positions,” Kelly said, via Ed Kracz of the Burlington County Times. “Darren is a running back. DeSean a wideout, so our whole thing, and I mentioned it when we got Darren, we’re excited about him, but we’ve got a long way to go here before we play a game so let’s get him in here. Let’s go through phase one, OTA, minicamp, and all that, and find out what his strengths are and play to them, but I’m real excited with the addition and what he can give us.” Kelly’s comments came at the NFL owners’ meetings when Jackson was still on the team, but the meaning remains the same.

NFC Notes: Johnson, Eagles, Sanchez, Jackson

March 30th, 2014 at 3:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Falcons have no interest in Titans running back Chris Johnson, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. On Friday, Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean tweeted that Atlanta would be a prime destination for Johnson, but a source tells Florio that this union will not come to fruition. It seemed dubious that the Falcons would want to invest in another aging running back to pair with veteran Steven Jackson, and the draft seems like a more viable way for Atlanta to infuse talent into their backfield. For his part, Johnson is widely expected to be released within the coming weeks.

More notes from the NFC:

Following the release of DeSean Jackson, the Eagles are thin at wide receiver, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Besides Riley Cooper, Jeremy Maclin and Arrelious Benn are both coming off torn ACLs, and Damaris Johnson is unproven. Newly-acquired Darren Sproles, with his acumen in the passing game, could play a key role in the Eagles offense this season.
The Eagles signing of Mark Sanchez doesn’t figure to start any type of quarterback controversy, but that doesn’t mean Sanchez has lost his competitive edge, notes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. “I’m always going to want to start,” said the quarterback. “It doesn’t matter where you are, you want to play. There’s nothing wrong with having that drive. I’ll keep that fire going and try to help this team the best I can.” A nice preseason, followed by competency in the case of a Nick Foles injury would the best way for Sanchez to rehabilitate his value.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com mentioned the 49ers as a team that could be in play for Jackson (podcast link). We noted earlier this week that the 49ers may not be able to fit him on their roster financially, but Fitzgerald argues that Anquan Boldin will likely be cut after this season, and that Jackson could be signed to contract with a low first-year base salary.

Eagles Sign Darren Sproles To Extension

March 18th, 2014 at 6:04pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 6:04pm: Sproles’ deal gives him $5.5MM fully guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. It’s basically a two-year deal for the tailback with no guaranteed money in year three.

FRIDAY, 2:29pm: Sproles’ new contract will pay him $10.5MM over there years, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Sproles has a base salary of $3.4MM for 2014, with a $100K workout bonus, so the new deal seems to maintain his average of $3.5MM per season.

12:25pm: Shortly after acquiring him from the Saints, the Eagles have extended the contract of running back Darren Sproles through the 2016 season, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Sproles was set to become a free agent a year from now, so the new agreement extends his contract by two years, as the Eagles have confirmed (via Twitter).

When rumors of a Sproles trade swirled earlier this week, the running back expressed some frustration about learning of the talks through Twitter updates. Sproles suggested he’d prefer to be cut, rather than traded, in order to control his own future. Considering he has already agreed to an extension with the Eagles, it appears the former fourth-round pick is happy with the outcome of those trade discussions.

Although Sproles is technically a running back, he did most of his damage in recent years through the passing game. During his three seasons with New Orleans, the 30-year-old recorded 1,067 rushing yards on 188 carries, and 1,981 receiving yards on 232 receptions, with 21 total offensive TDs (five rushing, 16 receiving). Starting next season, he’ll become one more dangerous weapon for Eagles coach Chip Kelly to employ in an already explosive offense.

Contract Details: DRC, Hauschka, Edelman

March 18th, 2014 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve got plenty more contract details to round up, so let’s dive right in….

Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and Albert Breer of the NFL Network pass along several key details on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie‘s contract with the Giants, which seems to include $12MM in fully guaranteed money, and a little more in salary guaranteed for injury only. Here are the relevant Twitter links to read up on all the specifics.
Wilson also shares the specifics on Steven Hauschka‘s three-year contract with the Seahawks (Twitter link), Walter Thurmond‘s one-year deal with the Giants (Twitter link), and Dane Fletcher‘s one-year deal with the Bucs (Twitter link).
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has been doing a great job all week getting finalized contract details up in his database, and he passed along several new entries today. Among them: The Raiders‘ two-year deals for LaMarr Woodley and Justin Tuck, the Eagles‘ extension for Darren Sproles, and the Saints‘ five-year pact with Zach Strief.
Julian Edelman received a $5MM signing bonus from the Patriots on his new contract, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
John Keim of ESPN.com has the details on Santana Moss‘ minimum salary benefit contract and Clifton Geathers‘ two-year deal with the Redskins.
Although Michael Oher‘s four-year deal with the Titans was initially reported as including $9.5MM in guaranteed money, it’s actually a little less than that, and only $6MM is fully guaranteed, with another $3.35MM guaranteed for injury only. Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com has the details.
Emmanuel Sanders‘ three-year, $15MM contract with the Broncos features $6MM in guaranteed money and cap hits of $6MM (2014), $4MM (2015), and $5MM (2016), tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
Updating his earlier report on Charles Tillman‘s contract with the Bears, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that the deal includes $150K in performance incentives (based on total interceptions), so it could max out at $3.4MM instead of $3.25MM.
Frank Zombo‘s two-year deal with the Chiefs is worth $1.6MM and includes a $100K signing bonus, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. A minimum-salary deal for Zombo with a $100K bonus would work out to $1.575MM, so either that $1.6MM figure is rounded up, or the linebacker received slightly more than the minimum.

Eagles Acquire Darren Sproles From Saints

March 13th, 2014 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

9:23am: The Eagles have officially announced the transaction (Twitter link).

8:14am: The Eagles will send a fifth-round pick to the Saints in the deal, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). According to Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter), it’s the pick Philadelphia had acquired from New England for Isaac Sopoaga.

7:55am: Having already re-signed Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper this offseason, Chip Kelly‘s offense in Philadelphia is adding another intriguing offensive weapon. The Eagles have reached an agreement with the Saints to acquire running back Darren Sproles in a trade, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).

Sproles, 30, was initially expected to be cut by New Orleans this month, but when they received strong interest in trade talks for the versatile veteran, the Saints decided to trade him instead. The Redskins had reportedly been making a push to acquire Sproles, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeted this morning, but according to the Washington Post (via Twitter), the team was reluctant to part with draft picks. In the end, the Redskins lost out on Sproles to their division rivals.

Although Sproles is technically a running back, he did most of his damage in recent years through the passing game. During his three seasons with New Orleans, the former fourth-round pick recorded 1,067 rushing yards on 188 carries, and 1,981 receiving yards on 232 receptions, with 21 total offensive TDs (five rushing, 16 receiving).

While rumors of a Sproles trade swirled this week, the running back himself expressed some frustration about learning of the talks through Twitter updates, and said yesterday that he’d prefer to be cut instead of traded, so he could control his own future. Still, despite the presence of No. 1 back LeSean McCoy in Philadelphia, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be upset with his landing spot, since he should have a great opportunity to shine in Kelly’s offense during a contract year.

The Saints will be on the hook for $750K in dead money, the amount of the prorated bonus money remaining on Sproles’ deal. For the Eagles, the running back will be owed a $3.4MM base salary, plus a $100K workout bonus, in the final year of his contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Darren Sproles Prefers To Be Cut, Not Traded

March 12th, 2014 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

After initially looking like they’d cut Darren Sproles, the Saints received more interest than expected, and now figure to trade the versatile running back, according to various reports. However, if it were up to him, Sproles would prefer to be cut so that he can control his own future, as he tells Josina Anderson of ESPN (TwitLonger link).

“I want to get released. I don’t want to be traded,” Sproles said. “I don’t know where they would send me because I have no control over it and I want to be able to pick. The good thing is none of the teams I’m told they’re talking to are terrible. It’s more than two. I feel I should have more of an idea later on today.”

While it’s not known which teams are engaged in trade discussions for Sproles, at least 10 clubs were prepared to express interest if he hit the market, and the Redskins, Vikings, and Bears are among the teams that have been mentioned as potential fits. New Orleans may be more inclined to send Sproles to an AFC team, where he’s less likely to hurt the Saints in the regular season or playoffs. That’s just my speculation though.

Saints Revisit Trade Options For Sproles

March 11th, 2014 at 6:21pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 6:21pm: After receiving heavy interest in Sproles, the Saints are now planning to trade him rather than release him, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). While no trade agreement is in place yet, it looks like the veteran running back won’t become a free agent quite yet.

FRIDAY, 5:59pm: Shortly after parting ways with one of their longtime offensive weapons, Lance Moore, the Saints are expected to cut another one. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that New Orleans is releasing running back Darren Sproles. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the move isn’t official yet and the Saints are still trying to find a potential trade partner for Sproles, but will cut him if no deal can be found.

The Saints were said to be shopping both Moore and Sproles earlier this week, along with Pierre Thomas, in an effort to create some cap flexibility. With younger, less expensive players like receiver Kenny Stills and running back Khiry Robinson ready for larger roles, the team can better afford to part ways with veteran contributors like Sproles. The 30-year-old was on the Saints’ cap for a $4.25MM cap number in 2014, but that will now be reduced to $750K in dead money, creating $3.5MM in cap savings for the club.

When the move becomes official, Sproles should draw plenty of interest from teams looking to add running back depth. The ex-Charger had developed into one of the league’s best receiving threats out of the backfield, averaging more than 77 catches per season in his three years with the Saints.