HEADLINES

Dontari Poe

West Notes: Bowlen, L.A., Kaepernick, Seahawks

June 4th, 2015 at 7:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Broncos owner Pat Bowlen‘s son John Bowlen Jr. was released on a $1,000 bond after being arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault and harassment stemming from a domestic violence incident Wednesday night, reports Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.

Bowlen Jr. allegedly pushed his girlfriend against a wall as she was trying to call the police as a result of his “erratic behavior,” per Jhabvala. She told police he was under the influence of nitrous oxide and alcohol.

“This is the owner of the Denver Broncos. I am sorry. Nothing is wrong,” Bowlen Jr., 29, said when he picked up the phone, according to the police report.

The Broncos placed him on an indefinite leave of absence. Bowlen Jr. works as an administrative employee with the team but is a candidate to take over when Pat Bowlen, 71 and stricken with Alzheimer’s, decides to cede ownership to one of his seven children. Per Jhabvala, Bowlen Jr. had drug charges dismissed and was arrested under suspicion of alcohol-induced driving in 2003 and 2005, respectively.

Here are some (lighter) notes from the Western divisions.

  • The Rams may have adjusted contracts with seasonal contractors to coincide with the NFL’s February 2016 deadline for relocation bid submissions, reports Brian Feldt of the St. Louis Business Journal. According to Feldt, these contracts typically run from May to May, but with owner Stan Kroenke securing land in Inglewood, Calif., for a possible $2 billion stadium, he likely plans on posting a bid between Jan. 1 and Feb. 15, 2016. Two Rams contractors told Feldt their contracts were changed, with the Rams saying telling one it’s to coincide with the end of the season.
  • The NFL will hold a special owners meeting Aug. 11 in Chicago on the topic of the three-team Los Angeles relocation derby, according to Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal (via Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Miklasz notes this date is important for St. Louis in its effort to securing a site and funding for a new stadium on the north Mississippi riverfront. The Post-Dispatch columnist also notes the NFL is expected to let teams apply for relocation starting this fall.
  • League executive Eric Grubman, who’s serving as the NFL’s point man on the Los Angeles efforts, told reporters the special meeting will determine if the NFL needs to provide an “expedited timetable” for teams looking to move, meaning the Feb. 16 deadline could indeed be moved up, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. For San Diego’s prospects, Williams reports Chargers and NFL officials think the $1.1 billion proposal put forth by a local advisory group for a stadium in Mission Valley, Calif., is “nowhere near enough” to bring about an actionable plan to keep the Chargers in the city they’ve played in since 1961.
  • The Rams appear to have more zone-blocking concepts in store this season under new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr., reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. And though Todd Gurley remains a ways away from full practices, the rookie runner worked on some straight-line speed with Rams trainer Byron Cunningham and caught passes from rookie quarterback Sean Mannion, although those weren’t at full speed.
  • After working at EXOS training facility in Phoenix from January to April, Colin Kaepernick appears to have a quicker release, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Entering his third full season as the 49ers QB, Kaepernick is expected to return to the facility to finish up his offseason work in July.
  • Albert Wilson joined Dontari Poe in leaving early from Chiefs OTA practice, exiting Thursday’s workout due to a hamstring injury. Poe departed Wednesday’s workout with a back ailment, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
  • Speaking at a town hall meeting with fans, Pete Carroll noted this team’s depth may be the best it’s been in his tenure. Of course, town hall addresses aren’t exactly hard-hitting reports, but offensive line coach Tom Cable said the competition to replace Max Unger could soon be down to two or three players, according to the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. Lemuel Jeanpierre is leading that competition — or at least receiving the first opportunity to do so by trotting out with the starters in OTAs.

Chiefs Pick Up Dontari Poe’s 2016 Option

April 24th, 2015 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Defensive tackle Dontari Poe has become the latest 2012 first-round draftee to have his fifth-year option picked up, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Breer reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs have exercised their 2016 option on Poe.

Because he was selected 11th overall, Poe’s salary for the 2016 season isn’t subject to the rules for 2012’s top 10 picks, making the option more affordable for the Chiefs. Assuming he remains under contract with Kansas City and doesn’t rework his contract, the Memphis product will earn a base salary of $6.146MM in 2016 — that figure, currently guaranteed for injury only, will become fully guaranteed on the first day of the ’16 league year.

Having started all but one game for the Chiefs since entering the league three years ago, Poe has been one of the team’s best defensive players, earning spots in the last two Pro Bowls. In 2014, he recorded 46 tackles to go along with six sacks, and according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), no player appeared in more snaps at defensive tackle than Poe’s 966. In fact, only two other DTs – Ndamukong Suh (875) and Jared Odrick (817) – played more than 800 snaps.

To keep tabs on all the decisions on fifth-year options for 2012 first-rounders, be sure to check out our tracker. Teams have until May 3 to decide one way or the other on those option years.

Free Agency Links: Giants, Poe, Clay

February 22nd, 2015 at 9:20am CST by Sam Robinson

Despite landing one of the marquee receivers with 2014 first-rounder Odell Beckham, Giants GM Jerry Reese intends to invest further in that spot this offseason.

“We’ll upgrade receiver,” Reese told Connor Orr of NFL.com on a decision that has more to do with slot bastion Victor Cruz, who suffered a ruptured patellar tendon midway through last season. Cruz is signed through 2018 and carries an $8.2MM cap number — the second-highest figure on the team behind Eli Manning, according to OverTheCap — as by far the Giants’ highest-paid receiver but regaining his top form after a gruesome ailment isn’t a lock. Beckham and Rueben Randle remain on their rookie deals.

Cruz hasn’t come close to replicating his 1,500-yard 2011 season, but the Giants have yet to see him team up much with Beckham, as the two played just one full game together last season. Although this is the team that took Jason Pierre-Paul in 2011 with Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck on their roster at the time, seeing the Giants go receiver at No. 8 overall or allocate significant funds to the spot via free agency would surprise, considering their other needs.

  • Occupying one of the tightest salary cap situations with less than $5MM of room (OverTheCap), the Chiefs have a slew of decisions to make to become active in this season’s free agent market. But one they must exercise by May 3 is whether to pick up their fifth-year option on nose tackle Dontari Poe, their Pro Bowl nose tackle, and GM John Dorsey is putting that decision on the back burner, writes the Kansas City Star’s Terez A. Paylor. If Kansas City picks up this option, Poe’s salary in 2016 will be an average of the league’s DTs paid between third- and 25th-most at the position. Poe’s been a regular who’s played high snap counts in the middle of the Chiefs’ defense since being selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, but their decision isn’t open and shut considering the statuses of high-priced players Tamba Hali, Dwayne Bowe and Eric Berry, who saw his fifth-year option picked up last spring. Poe graded out as the 11th-best defensive tackle in a breakout 2013 season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), but didn’t crack the site’s top 40 in his other two seasons.
  • The Bills were probably going to take current Lions tight end Eric Ebron before trading up for Sammy Watkins last May and may not deviate from a tight end-based plan this time around, writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Carucci picks out Charles Clay, one of the top free agents at the position this offseason after being a steady performer with the Dolphins the past two years, as a possible upgrade on the Scott Chandler-led corps. Clay’s ability to work as a fullback in Rex Ryan‘s offense would be key here, Carucci said. The Bills haven’t had much of note, receiving-wise, at this spot in the modern era after deploying the likes of Chandler, Robert Royal and Jay Riemersma over the past 15 years.
  • Clay, who caught 58 and 69 passes the past two years, respectively, may not be a fit for the Super Bowl champion Patriots, tweets the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe, however. Clay’s price may be out of the range of a team that employs the second-highest-paid player, by seasonal value, in Rob Gronkowski.

West Notes: Singletary, Poe, Flowers, McGloin

July 1st, 2014 at 7:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Mike Singletary wants to return to the NFL in a head coaching capacity, and has signed with agent Gil Scott in the hopes of pursuing that goal, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (Twitter links). The Hall of Fame linebacker has been coaching in the league for 11 years, most notably as the head coach of the 49ers from 2009-10. The 55-year-old spent the past three seasons as the assistant head coach of the Vikings, but will not return to Minnesota after Leslie Frazier’s firing. Singletary is certainly respected around the league, but I’d be surprised if he got another chance at a head job; San Francisco’s immediate turnaround following his departure probably won’t help his case.

  • Dontari Poe rarely came off the field last season, and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid doesn’t think things will change in 2014. “To get him off the field you have to pull him off,” Reid told Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “He’s not one to tap out. That’s not how he goes. You monitor that the best way you can. We didn’t see a decline in his play as the season wore on. There are a handful of teams that do what we do where you play certain guys a high percent of the plays.’’ Poe played on 1004 snaps last season, the most among all defensive tackles.
  • Many Chargers veterans were hoping the team would sign Brandon Flowers following his release from the Chiefs, none more so than Flowers’ college teammate, and current Charger, Eddie Royal. “I shot him a text,” said Royal, per Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. “I called him shortly after. Even before I knew our team was interested, I wanted to put it out there that I would love to play with him again.”
  • Matt McGloin, who started six games as an undrafted rookie for the Raiders last season, now sits third on Oakland’s quarterback depth chart, but he is still optimistic about his career, writes Scott Walsh of Citizens’ Voice.
  • The coaching staffs of the 49ers and the Seahawks claimed the top two spots in Alessandro Miglio of Bleacher Report’s ranking of all 32 coaching cadres.