Dez Bryant - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Mailbags: Lions, Saints, Cowboys

October 11th, 2014 at 9:51am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and you know what that means – new mailbags from ESPN’s NFL writers. Let’s check out some of the notes from the NFC…

At the moment, Michael Rothstein doesn’t believe that Lions general manager Martin Mayhew or coach Jim Caldwell are on the hot seat.
Following the release of Saints fourth-rounder Khairi Fortt this past week, many fans asked Mike Triplett about the team’s inability to develop linebackers. The writer acknowledges that the team’s last real success was Mark Fields in 1995, but he adds that the team hasn’t invested high draft picks into the position.
If the Cowboys season continues on a similar path, Todd Archer could envision the team bringing back Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray and Rolando McClain. If there were to be one odd man out, however, the writer leans towards McClain.
Even if the Cowboys were looking to promote a defensive lineman from the practice squad, Archer says that rookie Michael Sam wouldn’t be the team’s first choice. Instead, the Cowboys would likely bring up Kenneth Boatright.
David Newton envisions the Panthers transitioning to their next group of running backs once DeAngelo Williams‘ contract expires following the season.
Rom Demovsky says it’s likely that the Packers and representatives for Randall Cobb have already started discussing a new contract. The writer suggests that the wideout could be delaying the process until he begins compiling statistics that would warrant a larger payday.

Extra Points: Brady, Cowboys, Oliver

October 10th, 2014 at 10:27pm CST by Rob DiRe

Even after the Patriots‘ 43-17 throttling of the previously undefeated Bengals, stories persist of the ongoing tensions between Tom Brady and the team. Kirk Minihane and Gary Tanguay joined Arbella Early Edition to discuss the chances that the recent rift will lead to a split.

They came to a surprising conclusion, both figuring that there is a more likely than not chance that Brady could finish his career with another franchise. They can see the team considering trading him if the right offer came along.

“If I’m Belichick I say… ‘Tom, thanks for the memories, swell, here’s the watch, goodbye,’” says Minihane. “You’d be insane not to do it. They’re going to at least explore trading Brady in this offseason. I’m convinced of that.”

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

The Cowboys are 4-1, and most of the credit has gone to the offensive line, but not forgotten are the team’s two stars, Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray. Both players will be free agents at season’s end, but the team is not worried about getting extensions signed during the season, writes Jon Machota of DallasNews.com. The team has already targeted both players as pieces moving forward, making their pursuits known.
Chargers‘ running back Branden Oliver had a breakout game Sunday against the Jets, racking up 182 yards and two touchdowns rushing and receiving. The electric rookie went undrafted, and considered signing with the Colts before joining the Chargers, reports Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter).
Finally, Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel spent some time with Packers‘ first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. Dunne got to know a lot about the future star safety and his life off-the-field.

NFC East Links: Jones, Claiborne, Maclin

September 27th, 2014 at 12:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Having not made the playoffs since 2009, plenty of pundits have discounted the Cowboys chances this season. Owner Jerry Jones would disagree with those critics, and he said as much on his weekly radio show on KRLD (via Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram)…

“I think we’ve shown some things that would cause you to hold in discounting us,” he said. “That’s an awkward way of saying that we should be looked at out of the corner of peoples’ eye. We’ve got to do it, though. We’ve got to put it together, with putting the right people on the field as it relates to injury, and that’s happening for us. We could have [Henry] Melton out there this weekend. We could have [Rolando] McClain out there this weekend. We could have [Tyrone] Crawford moving over as the No. 3 tackle, and then moving out to end. Why? Because Anthony Spencer is going to be out there taking some snaps. Now that’s serious stuff.

“Get [Justin] Durant back in there, get McClain back at linebacker. Now, all of a sudden we’ve got about three or four players out there that arguably are the best defensive players that we hadn’t had the last two or three games. That’s a big deal. And if we’re that, then I think [Tony] Romo’s certainly getting his timing down. I like the experience our offensive line is getting and has gotten in these three games. Yes. Yeah. We need to be glanced at over here.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC East…

The Cowboys have a list of players playing on the final year of their respective contracts. ESPN.com’s Todd Archer opines that the team should first focus on extending Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray and Dwayne Harris.
In another article, Archer expresses belief that unless things improve, Morris Claiborne will not be back with the Cowboys next season. Since Claiborne’s salary is guaranteed, Archer says the player could play out his contract, but likely won’t have his fifth-year option picked up for 2016.
Following his strong start to the season, Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin should soon be hearing from the front office regarding an extension, writes Jeff McLane of Philly.com. “I’m not pressing it. That time will come when it comes,” Maclin said. “But, yeah, this is where I want to be. I’ve always said that.”

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Mathis, Barbre

September 8th, 2014 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Dez Bryant and the Cowboys appeared to be making progress toward a contract extension in the weeks leading up to the regular season, but the two sides didn’t reach an agreement before the team’s opener against the Niners yesterday. According to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News, Bryant said he still intends to table discussions during the season, but seemed disappointed that he and the team couldn’t work something out before that unofficial deadline.

“Truly, I really understand that this is a business,” Bryant said. “I only worry about the things that I can control.”

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

Peter King of TheMMQB.com, who reported last week that the NFL encouraged multiple clubs around the league to consider Michael Sam as a practice squad candidate, writes today that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones denied that the league reached out to him to consider the rookie defensive end.
An MRI on Eagles guard Evan Mathis revealed an MCL sprain of his right knee, a source tells Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The injury isn’t expected to end Mathis’ season, but it should sideline him for an extended period, so he may be a candidate for the IR list with the designation to return.
Allen Barbre, who was stepping in for the suspended Lane Johnson, suffered a high ankle sprain during Sunday’s game and is also expected to miss multiple weeks, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. With Johnson slated to miss the next three games, and Mathis and Barbre likely out for those contests as well, the Eagles will likely be forced to feature a makeshift offensive line for at least the rest of September.
Ex-Falcons wideout Darius Johnson is looking for another shot with an NFL team, and has a workout lined up with the Giants this week, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.

East Notes: Tannehill, Jets, Bryant

September 7th, 2014 at 10:13am CST by Rory Parks

For Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, 2014 may well be the season that determines his future in the league. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes, the Dolphins must decide by May 2015 if they want to exercise Tannehill’s fifth-year option for 2016. Since Tannehill was a top-10 pick, that option would pay him the average salary of the 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the league (about $15MM).

However, if Tannehill and the Dolphins offense thrive this season under the leadership of new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, Miami could offer their young-signal caller a long-term extension, which the Bengals gave to Andy Dalton and the 49ers gave to Colin Kaepernick after their third seasons in the league.

Statistically, Tannehill’s second season compares favorably to Matt Ryan‘s, which is certainly encouraging for Miami fans. On the other hand, out of the 18 quarterbacks drafted in the top 10 from 2000-2011, seven saw their quarterback ratings drop in their third season.

Whether Tannehill takes a third-year leap like Ryan or a third-year tumble like Mark Sanchez will of course play a significant role in his own fortunes, but it will also go a long way in determining the fate of the franchise. As Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes, “This is going to be one of those defining seasons that either settles the franchise for the near future or points the whole place in a completely different direction.” And so much of that hinges on Tannehill’s right arm.

Now for a couple more notes from the league’s east divisions:

In the same piece linked above, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins made an inquiry, but not an offer, to former starting safety Chris Clemons after he was released by the Texans. Reshad Jones is serving a four-game suspension to begin the season, and if the Dolphins do not like what they see from their secondary in today’s opener against New England, they could bring Clemons back into the fold next week and would not have to guarantee his salary for the remainder of the season.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes that, given the Jets‘ ample salary cap space, created in large part by GM John Idzik‘s failure to adequately address the team’s cornerback position this offseason–along with the holes stemming from those failures–head coach Rex Ryan should not be worried about his job security at the end of the season.
I wrote up the latest piece of news on the Bills‘ ownership saga earlier today.
Kevin Patra of NFL.com writes that, since the Cowboys and star wide receiver Dez Bryant were unable to hammer out an extension before today’s season opener, Bryant will be a logical candidate to get the franchise tag.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/09/06/4332422/armando-salguero-history-says.html#storylink=cpy

East Notes: Bills, Giants, Jets, Cowboys

September 2nd, 2014 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Although a report last week suggested that the Toronto-based attempting to buy the Bills had parted ways with lead bidder Jon Bon Jovi, that’s not exactly the case, says John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. According to Kryk, Bon Jovi never left the group, but he and his partners remain “highly pessimistic” they’ll be able to buy the franchise. With final bids due a week from today, sources tell Kryk it wouldn’t be a surprise if Bon Jovi’s group disbanded before that deadline, but for now they continue to consider whether or not to submit a final bid.

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

Six players are auditioning today for the final two spots on the Giants‘ practice squad, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Per Graziano, former Ball State wideout Willie Snead will be among the players in attendance, and we heard yesterday that offensive lineman Adam Gettis would also be working out for the team.
Jets GM John Idzik continues to say he has no regrets about the Jets’ approaching to fortifying the cornerback position this offseason, even after the release of the team’s only notable free agent signee (Dimitri Patterson). Seth Walder of the New York Daily News has the details and quotes.
Appearing on his weekly radio show on KRLD-FM in Dallas, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones weighed in on Dez Bryant and Kyle Orton, suggesting that not having a contract extension in place by Week 1 wouldn’t be a distraction for Bryant. Jones added that Orton expressed some interest in continuing his career with the Cowboys before the team released him, but that Dallas had opted to go with Brandon Weeden as its backup instead (links via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
Earlier today, we rounded up some comments made by Tom Brady on his future with the Patriots and the team’s decision to trade Logan Mankins.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Bryant, Garrett, Giants

August 29th, 2014 at 8:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although undrafted free agent Carey Spear’s performance wasn’t worthy of wresting a roster spot from incumbent Eagles kicker Alex Henery, it appears recent Philadelphia acquisition Cody Parkey has in fact unseated the veteran. Sources tell Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com that Parkey has won a place on the Eagles’ 53-man roster — if confirmed, the news doesn’t bode well for Henery, as most teams don’t carry two kickers. Parkey, acquired from the Colts on August 20, made two field goals from 50-plus yards in Philadelphia’s preseason game against the Jets on Thursday. More from Philly and the rest of the NFC:

The Eagles are trying to trade third-year receiver Damaris Johnson, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). It sounds like the 24-year-old Johnson, who saw just 53 offensive snaps last season, will be waived if Philadelphia can’t find any takers.
Though progress has been made towards an extension, “there’s nothing all that close” to a new deal between Dez Bryant and the Cowboys, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett is entering the final year of his contract, and owner/GM Jerry Jones tells Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News that he’s content to let Garrett lead the team as a lame duck coach. “I, in no way, have shut that door [on extending Garrett’s deal],” said Jones. “But I have already decided that we were going to operate this year with his contract status the way that it is.”
Unsurprisingly, Garrett’s name is on Adam Caplan of ESPN.com’s list of coaches entering 2014 on the hot seat. Mike Smith and Jeff Fisher are the other NFC head men that Caplan thinks could be in trouble.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post looks at some Giants who could be on the roster bubble.

Cowboys Notes: Hamilton, Brent, Bryant

August 28th, 2014 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up the latest items out of Dallas, as the Cowboys gear up for their final preseason game against the Broncos….

The Cowboys’ defense hadn’t expected to be an elite unit this season by any means, but suspensions may further diminish its effectiveness. As ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Todd Archer report, second-year defensive back Jakar Hamilton is facing a four-game ban for violating the league’s policy on substances of abuse. Hamilton becomes the second member of Dallas’ secondary this month to be hit with a four-game suspension, as Orlando Scandrick will also miss the season’s first month. Of course, unlike Scandrick, Hamilton isn’t necessarily guaranteed a spot on the Cowboys’ 53-man roster.
Now that the Josh Gordon situation has been resolved, one player still awaiting a decision from the NFL is Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent. Brent, who was charged with intoxication manslaughter, and served a six-month jail sentence, has already voluntarily taken a full season off. So, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, it’ll be interesting to see whether the NFL suspends him upon reinstating him or whether the league determines that by voluntarily – and temporarily – retiring, Brent has already served his penalty.
Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News doesn’t think it’d be a bad idea for the Cowboys to let Dez Bryant play for his money. Bryant and owner Jerry Jones met yesterday to discuss a possible contract extension, but the talks did not advance.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Bryant, Cowboys Making Progress On Extension

August 27th, 2014 at 7:43pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 7:43pm: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones met with Bryant this morning and an extension was discussed, tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. However, the talk didn’t bring the two sides closer to a deal.

TUESDAY, 10:30pm: Michael Silver of the NFL Network says a deal could be struck between now and Thursday night’s preseason finale against the Broncos, writes NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling.

6:45pm: Talks between Bryant and the Cowboys have “intensified greatly,” according to Mike Silver of NFL.com (via Ian Rapoport on Twitter). He adds that it’s now clear that the team is ready to commit to Bryant as its franchise wide receiver.

9:19am: Earlier this month, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones suggested there was no need to accelerate extension talks for star wideout Dez Bryant. However, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Bryant said yesterday that there’s a “big chance” the two sides work something out before the regular season begins, and Jones didn’t rule out that possibility.

“I wouldn’t refute that. I just wouldn’t,” Jones said. “I think that’s the best way to respond to that. He’s got a good sense of it. He obviously feels in the right circumstances he wants to get something done. We do, too. That can be good.”

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) also hears that Bryant and the Cowboys have been making progress on a new contract, though his source says it’s “up in the air” whether anything will get done by Week 1. As Rapoport adds in a second tweet, both sides are motivated to reach an agreement, but it remains to be seen if the Cowboys are willing to pay the 25-year-old like one of the league’s top five wideouts.

If no deal is reached within the next couple weeks, discussions will likely be tabled until after the season. Bryant is eligible for free agency in 2015, but it’s hard to imagine the club letting him hit the open market rather than signing him to an extension, or at least using its franchise tag. As Jones tells Williams, he has no problem with not negotiating during the season if the two sides don’t finalize a new deal by Week 1.

“I know Dez, know him well, and he wants to have his mind on nothing but football,” Jones said. “Obviously, he wants to be responsible as it pertains to his business, but it’s a pleasure to have someone that the only thing other than his family that matters to him is playing football for the Dallas Cowboys. I know he wants to be able to walk out there against San Francisco and not think about anything else. That’s a plus for everybody.”

Our Rob DiRe examined Bryant as an extension candidate back in June.

Jones: No Need To Accelerate Dez Bryant Talks

August 15th, 2014 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Coming off a pair of seasons in which he averaged 92 receptions and 1,308 receiving yards, compiling 25 total touchdowns, Dez Bryant is entering a contract year and appears to be in line for a big extension. According to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones though, there’s no rush to accelerate contract talks with the team’s star wide receiver at this point, as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News details.

“We have Dez for several more years, as it would be under contract as well as with the league-type structure that’s available to us with the franchise [tag] and the transition [tag] and all that,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “It’s an important thing. We think Dez has made a lot of progress, but it’s something that is going to be very impactful on our team, so it’s just not necessary to move at any faster rate than we’re moving.”

Although Jones confirmed that the two sides have begun negotiating, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it’s unlikely a deal gets done before the season. A new contract for Bryant would be pricey at this point, but waiting until after the season could increase the cost even more for the Cowboys. Another huge season would increase the 25-year-old’s stock, and as Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap points out (via Twitter), other wideouts like Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones could sign extension of their own soon — if they’re awarded huge money, it would be hard for Dallas to pay Bryant any less.

As Jones notes, the franchise or transition tag is also an option for Bryant. Those franchise and transition numbers will increase a little for 2015, but in 2014, the cost of franchising a receiver was $12.312MM, a figure oft-repeated during Jimmy Graham‘s fight to be classified as a wideout. The transition figure was $10.176MM.