HEADLINES

DeMarco Murray

West Notes: Chargers, Raiders, Murray, 49ers

March 24th, 2015 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters this morning in Phoenix at the AFC coaches’ breakfast, Chargers head coach Mike McCoy addressed the team’s backfield, including quarterback Philip Rivers. Asked about Rivers’ decision to play out his contract, McCoy responded that the team plans on Rivers “retiring as a Charger” (Twitter link via Ed Werder of ESPN.com).

McCoy also indicated he’s confident the Chargers can win with the three running backs they have on the roster at the moment (Twitter link via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune). Donald Brown, Branden Oliver, and Danny Woodhead are currently slated to share the load for San Diego, with Ryan Mathews having departed in free agency. The club could also address the position in the draft.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two West divisions:

  • Within a piece on Jeremy Maclin, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, citing a league source, that the Raiders offered running back DeMarco Murray “significant more guaranteed money” than the Eagles did.
  • Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio identified defensive end and pass rusher as two spots he expects his team to focus on early in the 2015 draft, tweets Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Del Rio added that receiving help could also come via free agency, as Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
  • 49ers general manager Trent Baalke confirmed that his club has interest in several free agent inside linebackers, including Brandon Spikes. However, according to Baalke, there’s no official visit lined up for Erin Henderson at this point (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).
  • Casey Pearce of the Rams clarified today (via Twitter) that the Rams will have their own seventh-round pick this year — it was the Patriots‘ pick that St. Louis sent to the Falcons in a subsequent trade. With 2015’s compensatory picks now announced, the league should officially confirm the complete draft order soon.
  • UCLA’s Brett Hundley, considered perhaps the best 2015 quarterback prospect not named Jameis or Marcus, has a private workout scheduled with the Cardinals, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Extra Points: Peterson, Rivers, Murray, Hardy

March 23rd, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Monday evening…

  • Adrian Peterson‘s agent, Ben Dogra, reiterated that his client shouldn’t be playing for the Vikings in 2015. “I don’t think it’s in the best interests of [Adrian Peterson] to play for the Minnesota Vikings,” Dogra said (via Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole on Twitter).
  • However, Vikings owner Mark Wilf whistled a different tune to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero. “He’s an important part of the Minnesota Vikings and we look forward to him being part of our team in 2015,” the owner said (Twitter link).
  • Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said the the team isn’t considering trading quarterback Philip Rivers, according to ESPN.com’s Eric Williams (on Twitter).
  • ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson says (via Twitter) the Raiders are not currently pursuing Eagles offensive guard Evan Mathis.
  • Jaguars general manager David Caldwell said the Eagles offer to DeMarco Murray exceeded his team’s offer by a “large amount,” tweets Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com.
  • Cowboys coach Jason Garrett touched on his team’s addition of defensive end Greg Hardy (via David Moore of SportsDayDFW.com on Twitter): “If we didn’t believe that Greg Hardy could become the right kind of guy we would not have signed him.”
  • Moore also tweets that the Cowboys have interest in bringing back linebacker Rolando McClain, but Garrett said the sides haven’t made any recent progress on a contract.

King’s Latest: Peterson, Hardy, Winston

March 16th, 2015 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

After publishing a Wednesday Morning Quarterback last week to recap a crazy first day of NFL free agency, Peter King of TheMMQB.com returns to his usual Monday Morning Quarterback piece this week, and the latest installment includes several noteworthy tidbits from around the league. Let’s round up the highlights….

  • Addressing a report about the Cardinals‘ possible interest in Adrian Peterson, King cites a “reliable Cardinals source” who indicates Arizona hasn’t had any contact with the Vikings about Peterson. “There is no way we could live with those numbers,” the source said, referring to the three years and $45MM left on the running back’s contract. “We just got Larry Fitzgerald’s contract under control. No way we’d add that salary.”
  • One general manager tells King that Greg Hardy is on his club’s free agent list, “but pretty far down.” Many teams believe the veteran defensive end will be suspended by the league for the first six games of the 2015 season.
  • Jameis Winston isn’t currently planning to attend the 2015 NFL draft in Chicago, preferring to spend it with family and friends down south, says King.
  • King thinks a team like the Falcons or Buccaneers would be a nice fit for free agent pass rusher Dwight Freeney.
  • The Jets likely would have blown any rival offer for Darrelle Revis out of the water, so even if the Patriots had been willing to get into the neighborhood of New York’s five-year, $70MM proposal, the Jets probably would’ve just upped the ante.
  • The Cowboys started out at a $5MM-per-year price tag for DeMarco Murray, and were willing to stretch that to $6MM annually, but never considered matching the Eagles‘ final offer, which got up to $8MM+.

East Notes: Cowboys, Harvin, Bills, Giants

March 13th, 2015 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports examines the situation in the Cowboys‘ front office, deducing that Stephen Jones is currently winning out on key decisions over his father Jerry Jones. According to Robinson, the Cowboys owner would have been willing to go up to at least $6-7MM per year for DeMarco Murray, while his son, the team’s executive VP, drew a line in the sand in the neighborhood of $5MM annually. Of course, the Eagles‘ final offer ultimately averaged $8MM per year, so it’s not clear if Dallas would have landed him even if Jerry made the final call.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Percy Harvin had a two-day visit in Buffalo with the Bills and is now taking some time to plan his next move, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Per Florio, the former Seahawks and Jets wideout has a couple more visits that he could take, but he’s debating whether to continue that process or to accept an offer, perhaps from the Bills.
  • The Giants have missed out on a couple potential free agent targets at safety, and one source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that the team’s plans at the position are unclear. “Nobody knows what [they’re] going to do at free safety,” the source said. “They don’t have one on the roster that started an NFL game.”
  • Speaking to the media today, including Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), new Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron claimed he never agreed to a deal with the Browns, despite multiple reporters confirming it yesterday. “It’s the NFL free agency for you,” Cameron said. “Talks heated up.”

Eagles Rumors: Murray, Mathews, Kelly

March 12th, 2015 at 6:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles coach Chip Kelly took the podium today to announce the team’s signing of DeMarco Murray. Here’s a look at some of the highlights from that and more concerning the Eagles..

  • Kelly said his plan was always to bring in two running backs, according to the staff at PhiladelphiaEagles.com (on Twitter). Kelly believed that the three best backs in free agency were Murray, Ryan Mathews, and Frank Gore, and he wanted to get two to replace LeSean McCoy (link).
  • Despite speculation that the signing of Murray could dissuade Mathews from going through with his agreement, Mathews said the situation was never in doubt, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Breer also writes that people within the Eagles’ organization were uncertain of Mathews would sign with the team after Murray was signed (via Twitter).
  • Kelly said he thought Murray would be out of the Eagles’ price range, but Murray turned down more money to go to Philly, Chearean Williams of the Star-Telegram tweets.
  • Despite having Murray, Mathews, and Darren Sproles on the depth chart, Kelly said he still plans to retain restricted free agent Chris Polk, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets. Kelly also said that he might only carry three tight ends this year.
  • Kelly isn’t sure if he can or will make a move towards a wide receiver in free agency, but he’ll look hard at this year’s wide receiver crop in the draft, Mosher tweets.
  • Kelly went into free agency with dollar figure earmarked for each position, Mosher tweets. He said the numbers were flexible, but his actions clearly show that he values running backs over wide receivers.
  • Murray told reporters that he felt that the Eagles gave him a great opportunity to win a Super Bowl and that the deal “wasn’t about financial security or anything like that,” Williams tweets.

Eagles Sign DeMarco Murray

March 12th, 2015 at 6:06pm CST by Zachary Links

6:06pm: The Eagles announced that they have signed Murray to a five-year deal, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

12:58pm: The Eagles and DeMarco Murray have reached financial agreement on a deal, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network (on Twitter). The deal is expected to be a five-year, $42MM pact, according to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The pact will include a whopping $21MM guaranteed. DeMarco Murray (vertical)

Murray, who has struggled with injuries in years past, put it all together in 2014 for his best campaign yet. The 26-year-old ran for 1,845 yards and 13 scores with 2,261 all-purpose yards. After a season in which he showed that he can stay healthy, produce (4.7 YPC), and work at a nearly unprecedented rate, Murray hit the open market as the top available. The advanced numbers also showed that Murray was also at the top of the heap last season. Pro Football Focus‘ numbers (subscription required) resulted in an overall score of 15.2, placing him fifth amongst all tailbacks in 2014. His lack of meaningful production in the passing game, fumbles, and below average blocking were his only real demerits.

Still, there were some critics who felt that his workload in 2014 was actually a negative given his age and medical records. In fact, the incumbent Cowboys were only willing to spend so much to retain the running back after cranking up his odometer. Based on a recent round of Murray rumors, it sounds as if the Cowboys’ most recent offer to their running back was in the $5MM per year range. The Eagles didn’t just beat the Cowboys’ total offer; they also put far more guaranteed money on the table than Dallas did.

With Murray in the fold, it’ll be interesting to see what happens with running back Ryan Mathews. The former Chargers notable agreed to sign with Philly this week but the addition of Murray could throw his situation into flux. The addition of Murray might not lead to Mathews’ deal getting ripped up, but it could lead to a reworking of the terms as they relate to his performance incentives.

As for the Cowboys, they’re probably going to turn their attention to the draft to find reinforcements at running back, Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com tweets. There likely isn’t a tailback worth spending big bucks on in free agency and they’d be better off spending that cash on defensive reinforcements. Murray texted Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter) on Thursday, presumably to let her know that he won’t be returning to the Cowboys:

“Things didn’t work out. No hard feelings at all. Wish those guys the best,” Murray said.

The Jaguars and Raiders were also heavily linked to Murray during the free agency period.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Reactions To DeMarco Murray Joining Eagles

March 12th, 2015 at 3:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Eagles reached agreement on a deal with the 2014’s rushing leader, DeMarco Murray. The Eagles have been aggressively revamping their roster over the last week and the addition of Murray gives them major star power in their backfield after dealing LeSean McCoy to the Bills. Here’s a look at some of the reactions and fallout from the Murray deal..

  • Murray was offered a deal very heavy on incentives that would have maxed out at an average of $8MM per year from another team, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of incentives he got in Philly, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets.
  • Meanwhile, the fate of Ryan Mathews lingers. The Raiders and 49ers are the teams to watch when it comes to the former Bolts back, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network tweets.
  • The Eagles’ deal with Murray was considerably head of the Cowboys offer in terms of average, guarantee, incentives, and more, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.
  • One source told Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that it was the Eagles who asked if Murray could talk with coach Chip Kelly on Wednesday. That helped to bump up an already strong offer that was in place. It was widely reported that Murray was doing most of the campaigning to make a union between him and the Eagles happen.
  • With Murray out of the picture, Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com cautions Cowboys fans not to expect Adrian Peterson to walk through the door.

Contract Details: Maxwell, Murray, McPhee

March 12th, 2015 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are some key details on some of the notable contracts agreed to or signed around the NFL this week:

NFC deals:

  • Byron Maxwell, CB (Eagles): Six years, $63MM base value. $25MM fully guaranteed. $6MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Tom Pelissero of USA Today and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
  • DeMarco Murray, RB (Eagles): Five years, $40MM base value. $42MM max value. $18MM fully guaranteed (Twitter link via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).
  • Pernell McPhee, OLB (Bears): Five years, $38.75MM base value. $8.675MM fully guaranteed (Twitter link via Pelissero).
  • Antrel Rolle, S (Bears): Three years, $11.25MM base value. $4.9MM guaranteed. $3.9MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Tom Johnson, DT (Vikings): Three years, $7MM base value. $2.75MM guaranteed. $1.5MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Matt Prater, K (Lions): Two years, $4.55MM base value. Third-year team option for 2017 (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).

AFC deals:

Eagles Expected To Sign DeMarco Murray

March 12th, 2015 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

12:44pm: If and when it becomes official, Murray’s deal with the Eagles is expected to be worth $42MM over five years, with $21MM guaranteed, according to Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Schefter adds (via Twitter) that $18MM of that guarantee is for both skill and injury.

12:04pm: There’s a lot of guaranteed money in the Eagles’ offer to Murray, and significantly more than the Cowboys are offering, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports and Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Schrager adds (via Twitter) that Philadelphia is prepared to pay Murray like a top-five running back.

11:21am: Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) also expects the Eagles to get a deal done with Murray, adding that it will likely come in around $6MM per year.

11:16am: Murray, en route to Philadelphia, is expected to sign with the Eagles, tweets Schefter. While nothing is official yet, the Cowboys are calling around for other running backs in anticipation of Murray signing with the Eagles, Schefter adds (via Twitter).

8:54am: The meeting between the Eagles and Murray will take place early this afternoon and will include Chip Kelly, who isn’t at Oregon’s Pro Day, tweets Peter Schrager of FOX Sports. Meanwhile, John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game tweets that the Raiders wanted Murray and were “very aggressive financially,” but still appear to be on the outside looking in

8:05am: Free agent running back DeMarco Murray is visiting Philadelphia today, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says the NFL’s leading rusher intends to sign with the Eagles. That doesn’t mean it’s a done deal yet. Schefter notes that Murray would consider a final, last-minute offer from the Cowboys, so there’s a chance this is a negotiating tactic. However, it looks like Murray is prepared to jump from one NFC East team to another if Dallas doesn’t make a satisfactory offer.

The Raiders and Jaguars have also been frequently mentioned as potential Murray suitors, but at the moment it appears that the running back’s top two choices are the Cowboys and Eagles, in some order. As Schefter notes, part of the reason Murray is interested in Philadelphia is because of his belief in the team’s chances to win — Oakland and Jacksonville are a little further away from contention.

Based on yesterday’s round of Murray rumors, it sounds as if the Cowboys’ most recent offer to their running back was in the $5MM per year range. Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports confirms today (via Twitter) that Dallas would like to keep Murray at around that price, so if the Eagles are willing to go to $6MM per year or higher, there will be pressure on Jerry Jones and company to increase that offer.

One interesting wrinkle that affects the Murray situation is the status of Ryan Mathews. The former Chargers back reportedly agreed to terms with the Eagles yesterday, but has yet to officially sign his contract. It would be surprising if the team backed out of an agreement with Mathews if there was one in place, but it’s still worth monitoring as Murray heads to Philadelphia.

Latest On Ryan Mathews

March 12th, 2015 at 10:09am CST by Zachary Links

After dealing LeSean McCoy to the Bills, the Eagles appeared set to try and replace his production with the addition of Ryan Mathews. Well, after already agreeing to a deal with one notable back and having it fall apart, nothing is a sure thing in Philly until it’s signed. The Eagles are now talking with DeMarco Murray, and some can’t help but wonder if that will put their deal with Mathews in flux.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) says it’s worth noting that the Raiders have always been high on the Chargers free agent. However, John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter) says that the Eagles trying to sign Murray has no impact on Mathews. Coach Chip Kelly, he hears, wants them both. Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter) notes that if If Murray joins Philly, it could affect tone of Mathews’ contract. Any playing time, performance incentives built into Mathews’ deal would more difficult to earn with a presumably reduced workload.

Mathews rushed for a career-high 1,255 yards in 2013 but was unable to stay healthy in 2014, playing just eight games for San Diego due to injuries. He could have a chance to turn things around in the Eagles’ revamped offense, but we won’t know for sure until he puts pen to paper.

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