HEADLINES

Derek Wolfe

La Canfora’s Latest: Kap, Glennon, Manziel

March 11th, 2016 at 3:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Colin Kaepernick‘s contract won’t be a stumbling block in a quarterback-needy team’s potential deal for the polarizing passer, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports.

Citing the deals given to Sam Bradford, Brock Osweiler and career backup Chase Daniel, La Canfora notes Kapernick’s contract — which the 49ers can shed prior to April 1 — represents less risk than the deals handed to the aforementioned signal-callers. Following this season, a team that trades for Kaepernick could move on from him and take on barely any dead money.

La Canfora, though, expects the 49ers to cut Kaepernick before his $11.9MM base salary becomes guaranteed in April. This will affect the kind of compensation teams are willing to provide in exchange for Kaepernick’s services, La Canfora notes.

The Browns have emerged as the latest team in the driver’s seat for Kaepernick, but the 49ers aren’t in a rush to make a deal. The Broncos, though, strike La Canfora as the best possible landing site for the 28-year-old passer. La Canfora doesn’t believe Ryan Fitzpatrick or Robert Griffin III are too appealing to the Broncos’ brass.

Here are more items from the CBS Sports reporter, beginning with another possible Peyton Manning replacement.

  • The Buccaneers turned down a second-round pick from an unknown team in exchange for Mike Glennon, La Canfora writes. Despite the 26-year-old backup quarterback’s contract expiring after this season, the Bucs are inclined to keep Glennon as of now.
  • La Canfora can’t envision a team taking a chance on signing Johnny Manziel after he clears waivers following his turbulent and ineffective Browns tenure and hasn’t heard any buzz surrounding a potential landing spot for the third-year quarterback.
  • Most personnel men La Canfora’s conversed with rate Derek Wolfe as superior to Malik Jackson, and La Canfora notes the former probably has buyer’s remorse after signing a team-friendly four-year, $36.7MM deal with the Broncos only to watch Jackson land with the Jaguars on a six-year, $85.5MM accord. Pro Football Focus rated Jackson as the far superior player in 2014, when both were healthy after a seizure derailed Wolfe in 2013, but tabbed Wolfe as having a better 2015 season.
  • Following the signings of Janoris Jenkins and Sean Smith, Patrick Robinson should be the most coveted cornerback in the remaining crop, La Canfora writes. Robinson had a bounce-back season with the Chargers, but Prince Amukamara and Casey Hayward remain unsigned as well. The respective markets for that duo’s services could well surpass Robinson’s.
  • La Canfora expects a run on defensive linemen to come this weekend, with the Bears, Jets, Steelers and Washington being the teams who will be atop the list of suitors. Greg Hardy, Robert Ayers and Nick Fairley are among the best still available.
  • Donald Penn would be a suitable replacement for Russell Okung with the Seahawks, La Canfora writes. Penn probably won’t require the annual commitment of Okung as he’s going on his age-33 season. Okung is visiting the Giants and Lions today. Although multiple teams have shown interest, Penn has yet to meet with any teams after his two-year Raiders contract expired.

AFC Rumors: Manziel, Wolfe, Gase, Jags

January 22nd, 2016 at 10:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Johnny Manziel will have to transform into the kind of constant presence around the team facility that Andy Dalton and Carson Palmer were under Hue Jackson with the Bengals and Raiders, respectively, per Albert Breer of NFL.com, if he’s to have any shot at staying with the Browns and competing for a job.

Jackson, understandably, prefers quarterbacks who make the team’s headquarters their home during the offseason. These characteristics are essentially the antithesis of Manziel’s behavioral pattern since arriving in Cleveland, and Jackson’s all-out interest in making the quarterback the fulcrum of the team’s progress will probably be spent on someone who isn’t on the Browns yet.

“[Jackson] changed Andy’s routine to get him around us more and around the other offensive players more,” a Bengals coach told Breer, before adding how Jackson pushed to get the game plan to Dalton early in the week, “so he could talk through it in more detail. Then, he pushed [Dalton] to meet separately with other skill guys and some offensive linemen to get them on the same page as him.”

Here are some more details on Manziel and some of the rest of the AFC franchises.

  • In an appearance on Jay Mohr’s Fox Sports Radio show earlier tonight, an initial filibuster from new Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta on whether Manziel would be on the team next year turned into the former baseball exec offering a “pass” as a response, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer relays. The comedian gave DePodesta yes, no or pass options, and after insisting he choose one after three initial responses, DePodesta said, “pass.” Obviously not a hard answer on the scrutinized ex-first-rounder, but signs continue to point Manziel away from Cleveland.
  • Derek Wolfe admitted he took “a big cut” compared to what he could have received on the open market in order to stay with the Broncos, Mike Klis of 9News reports. “I don’t really do this for the money. The money is great but you do it to win. That’s why I took a little bit of a haircut to stay here. I took a big cut. But you do it if you want to stay with the No. 1 defense,” said Wolfe in describing the process that went into his signing of a four-year, $36.7MM deal with the Broncos last Friday. In disclosing the terms of Wolfe’s full deal, Klis reports the defensive end will earn base salaries of $4.5MM in 2016, $5.5MM in ’17, $8MM in ’18 and $8MM in ’19, the latter two figures not guaranteed. Wolfe’s largest cap number in this deal will, as of now, loom in 2018, when he’s set to count $9.55MM against the Broncos’ cap.
  • Jaguars senior offensive assistant Frank Scelfo‘s accepted a position at the University of Texas-San Antonio, where he’ll become the Roadrunners’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports reports (on Twitter). Scelfo coached the Jags’ QBs in 2013-14 before assuming the senior offensive assistant title last season. He served as the OC for Tulane and Louisiana Tech from 1999-2009.
  • Gus Bradley leaned on Monte Kiffin to help make the decision to promote Todd Wash to defensive coordinator, Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union reports. The retired Kiffin still serves as a consultant to the Jaguars and Bradley, whom he hired in Tampa Bay when he was the Buccaneers’ DC.
  • Adam Gase has shown patience while sorting out his staff as holdovers decide whether to stay or go, according to Breer, who adds that sort of approach runs counter to the tumult that permeated through the Dolphins‘ facilities last season.

Broncos Extend Derek Wolfe Through 2019

January 15th, 2016 at 8:10pm CST by Luke Adams

8:10pm: Wolfe will have a $500K game-day roster bonus annually, which comes to $31,250 for each game he’s on the 46-man game-day roster, Klis reports. He’ll make $4.5MM in base salary in 2016.

5:08pm: Wolfe’s four-year deal features $12MM in fully guaranteed money, in the form of a signing bonus and his 2016 salary, reports Mike Klis of 9NEWS. An additional $5.5MM becomes guaranteed on the seventh day of the 2017 league year.

3:06pm: Just two days before their first postseason game of the year, the Broncos have locked up one of their top defenders, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed defensive end Derek Wolfe to a four-year contract extension. The deal will be worth $36.75MM, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter).Derek Wolfe

Wolfe, who turns 26 next month, saw his 2015 campaign get off to a disappoint start when he was suspended four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Considering he was entering a contract year, the suspension looked like it could have a negative impact on Wolfe’s stock, but he returned from the ban better than ever, enjoying perhaps his best seasons as a pro.

After seeing his sack totals decrease from six in his rookie year to four in 2013 to just 1.5 in 2014, Wolfe bounced back with 5.5 sacks in just 12 games this season. He also logged 50 total tackles, and was his reliable self against the run. Pro Football Focus graded Wolfe as the NFL’s 10th-best interior defender in 2015, ranking him fifth among that group as a run defender.

While Brock Osweiler and Von Miller have dominated the discussion when it comes to the Broncos’ potential free agents, Wolfe’s 2015 performance made him a potential marquee FA as well. The franchise tag wouldn’t have been an option for him, since the cost of 4-3 defensive ends bumps up the price on that tag and makes it unpalatable, so it makes sense that the Broncos worked out a new deal for Wolfe before March.

As a 3-4 defensive end, Wolfe won’t typically rack up the sort of eye-popping numbers that an edge defender like Miller does, so the $9MM+ annual average value on his new deal may seem pricey. But it falls in line with many other long-term contracts signed recently by players at his position — in fact, Wolfe likely would’ve landed an even larger deal on the open market.

As Over the Cap’s data shows, Cameron Heyward (Steelers), Corey Liuget (Chargers), and Mike Daniels (Packers) have all recently signed four- or five-year extensions with per-year salaries that exceed $10MM. The fully guaranteed money on those contracts ranged from $12-16MM, so I’d expect Wolfe to get something in that range, perhaps an amount on the lower end.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicates (via Twitter) that the pact features $17.5MM in guaranteed money. However, typically those initial reports include salary that’s guaranteed for injury only, so we’ll have to wait to hear how much of that is fully guaranteed.

Meanwhile, it’s unclear what this deal means for the Broncos’ other defensive end, Malik Jackson, whose rookie contract is also set to expire this year. Jackson matched Wolfe’s 5.5 sacks in 2015, and was graded a top-20 interior defender by PFF, so he should be in line for a similar deal. After investing in Wolfe though, the Broncos may not be the team to sign him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Gates, Hardy, Others Return From Suspensions

October 5th, 2015 at 8:45am CST by Luke Adams

With four weeks of the NFL season now in the books, several players – and one general manager – are eligible to return from their four-game suspensions, as Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link) notes. While Yates’ list isn’t exhaustive, he includes the most notable names who will be eligible to suit up for their teams’ next games:

In most cases, teams will be given a roster exemption for their returning players, so they won’t have to immediately make room for them on the 53-man roster today. However, teams will have to create an opening on their rosters by Thursday if they intend to activate these players, and there aren’t any players on this list that look like release candidates.

The Cowboys could get the biggest boost this week, with two of their best defensive players – Hardy and McClain – set to return. McClain’s career production has been somewhat up and down, and Hardy hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2014 season, so it’ll be interesting to see if either player is able to make an immediate impact for Dallas.

Richardson, meanwhile, could be a candidate for additional discipline — he’ll have his pre-trial hearing on street-racing charges today, but the legal process is expected to continue for about a month, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). The NFL could step in and hand out another suspension for Richardson before his trial, but it’s more likely that the league will simply wait until after it concludes to make a decision.

As for Farmer, the Browns GM, who was suspended for texting coaches on the sideline during games last season, will be able to resume making roster decisions today, though Cleveland wasn’t exactly closed for business over the last four weeks — with interim GM Bill Kuharich at the helm, the team locked up quarterback Austin Davis to a two-year extension last week.

Broncos Make Cuts, Down To 53 Players

September 5th, 2015 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos have officially announced the series of roster moves that reduces their roster to 53 players. In addition to confirming the previously-reported cuts of tight ends Dominique Jones and Marcel Jensen, along with the release of Tony Carter, the club announced 19 other moves.

Montee Ball‘s name was not mentioned among those moves, so the young running back, who was considered to be on the roster bubble, remains a Bronco for now. Here are the players who are no longer on Denver’s active roster, per a team release:

Released:

  • NT Sione Fua

Waived:

  • ILB Zaire Anderson
  • ILB Lamin Barrow
  • RB Kapri Bibbs
  • WR Isaiah Burse
  • C Dillon Day
  • S Josh Furman
  • G Ben Garland
  • ILB Steven Johnson
  • WR Corbin Louks
  • NT Chuka Ndulue
  • CB Taurean Nixon
  • OLB Gerald Rivers
  • T Kyle Roberts
  • T Charles Sweeton
  • WR Jordan Taylor
  • DE Josh Watson

Reserve/suspended:

  • S T.J. Ward
  • DE Derek Wolfe

Broncos’ Derek Wolfe Suspended Four Games

July 24th, 2015 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL is continuing its July pattern of announcing suspension news on Fridays, with the Broncos confirming in a press release that defensive lineman Derek Wolfe has been suspended four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Wolfe offered a “most sincere apology” to the Broncos, his teammates, and fans for his violation.

“During the offseason I took a medication which is on the banned substance list,” Wolfe said in the statement. “The medication is not a substance which would enhance my on-field performance in any way and I genuinely was unaware that it was prohibited, but players are responsible for what is in their bodies. … I will certainly exercise far greater caution in the future and will seek advice relating to the permissibility of any and all medications.”

While Wolfe can practice with the team throughout training camp, and can play in the preseason, he’ll be ineligible to play in Denver’s first four regular season contests. That means he’ll miss the club’s games against the Ravens, Chiefs, Lions, and Vikings before returning for the Broncos’ Week 5 contest against the Raiders.

Wolfe, 25, has started 43 games at defensive end for the Broncos since being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft. Although he has seen his sack totals decrease from six in his rookie year to four in 2013 to just 1.5 in 2014, he remains a steady piece on the Denver defensive line. As Pro Football Focus’ data shows (subscription required), he played significantly better against the run than as a pass rusher in 2014.

With new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips taking over a Broncos defense that was previously headed by Jack Del Rio, Wolfe’s role on the defensive line may evolve a little this season. However, for at least the first four weeks of the regular season, the team will have to rely more heavily on defensive ends Malik Jackson and Vance Walker.

Wolfe is entering the final year of his contract with the Broncos, making him extension-eligible this offseason, and eligible to reach unrestricted free agency next March.

AFC West Notes: Raiders, Broncos, Ball

August 4th, 2014 at 5:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Raiders have released an early version of their depth chart, and one of the big surprises is the absence of new addition James Jones from the first string, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Jones is expected to lead the group in production, but was listed as a part of the second string.

Here are some other notes from around the western divisions:

  • While he did analyze the Raiders‘ depth chart, Bair did say not to put too much stock in such an early version, even though he believes it will give some insight into the team’s plans at kick returner and punt returner (via Twitter).
  • Rahim Moore and Derek Wolfe are back on the field and impressing the Broncos‘ coaches, as they have taken starting jobs, at least for now, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Both players finished last season missing games due to injury.
  • Broncos‘ running back Montee Ball had his appendectomy today, but the team expects him to be ready for the first game of the season against the Colts, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).