HEADLINES

Doug Free

East Notes: Cowboys, Jernigan, Giants, Bills

May 21st, 2014 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

First-round pick Zack Martin is expected to start his NFL career as a guard for the Cowboys, but as Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes, the assumption has been that Martin will shift over to right tackle in 2015, since Doug Free is in the last year of his contract. Still, Archer wonders if it might be more beneficial for the club to keep Martin on the interior a little longer and extend Free’s deal beyond this season, since he had a solid 2013 season and only just turned 30.

Here’s more from Archer on the Cowboys, along with some update on a couple other East teams:

  • Within the same piece, Archer explores the possibility of the Cowboys carrying four tailbacks on their regular-season roster now that they’ve added Ryan Williams, and wonders if players like Henry Melton and Anthony Spencer can even come close to reaching playing-time incentives, given Dallas’ depth on the defensive line.
  • Although this month’s selection of wideout Odell Beckham Jr. fortified the Giants‘ receiving corps, it raised question marks about the role Jerrel Jernigan will have in New York going forward, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. In Raanan’s view, Jernigan’s best chance for consistent playing time may come with another team, barring an injury to Beckham, Victor Cruz, or Rueben Randle.
  • In the NFL, signing a five-year contract with a team doesn’t assure a player of a long-term stay with that club, but Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is hoping to stick with the Giants for several years, as Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News writes. DRC also noted that the decision to sign with the Giants rather than the Jets in free agency was “very difficult.”
  • According to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link), the NFL expects the sale of the Bills to take a little longer than usual. The league wants to intensify the vetting process after what happened with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, whose business was investigated by the FBI and IRS just a few months after he was approved as the team’s majority owner.

NFC East Notes: Spencer, Martin, Smith, Moore

May 17th, 2014 at 11:28am CST by Matt Feminis

Cowboys veteran defensive end Anthony Spencer, recovering from microfracture surgery, will most likely start the season on the physically unable to perform list, projects ESPNDallas.com’s Calvin Watkins.

Here’s a handful more NFC East notes:

  • Cowboys first-rounder Zack Martin, praised for his consistency and versatility, is working at right guard during rookie minicamp, and head coach Jason Garrett thinks it’s a natural fit, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. Meanwhile, Martin has already sought out the help of veterans, and he told Carlos Mendez of the Star-Telegram that Doug Free “is like another coach on the field.”
  • “Most first-round edge rushers make mild contributions, or almost none at all, in their first year,” says the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, who writes the Eagles are prepared to be patient with first-rounder Marcus Smith if he doesn’t make an immediate impact.
  • Speaking with Les Bowen on Sulia.com, Eagles seventh-rounder Beau Allen said his predraft interview with the team was more formal and organized than other teams’.
  • Though defensive end was viewed as a need, the Giants did not spend a draft choice on the position, which shows some faith in second-year man Damontre Moore, writes Conor Orr in the Star-Ledger. Recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Moore hasn’t been cleared for contact yet, but says he’s 95 percent and working towards bulking up 15 pounds.

Mailbags & More: Cowboys, Lions, Rams, Jets

May 4th, 2014 at 8:47am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s have a look at some mailbags and related links to kick off this Sunday morning:

  • The Cowboys will have some contractual decisions to make regarding a few of their top offensive weapons, writes ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer in his latest mailbag. Although they have picked up the fifth-year option on Tyron Smith, thereby locking him up through 2015, they still would like to get a long-term deal done. Extension talks could take place this summer.
  • As for Dez Bryant, who is entering the final year of his contract, the Cowboys want him to stay and Bryant does not want to leave, so Archer predicts that something will get done. However, he does think that a lot of the money in any potential deal will be in the base salaries, which would give Dallas some protection. And although DeMarco Murray has been terrific, the market for running backs has stagnated and the Cowboys would be wise to approach him with a modest deal now to see if he would bite.
  • Finally, Archer believes that if the Cowboys are unable to land Zack Martin or another top tackle in the draft, they will try to extend Doug Free. If they do manage to snag a highly-rated tackle, they will be willing to set Free free.
  • ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein investigates the possibilities of the Lions‘ trading back from their No. 10 overall pick and the possibility of an Ndamukong Suh trade.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press is going all out in his pre-draft coverage of the Lions this week, taking a look at Detroit’s options at defensive back, the most likely candidates for the team’s first round pick, and he puts up another mock draft.
  • Chris McCosky of The Detroit News makes a case for the Lions to draft Zack Martin with their first-round choice.
  • Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com had a two-hour chat with fans on Friday regarding the most important draft-related topics facing the Rams.
  • Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains why Clemson WR Sammy Watkins would be an intriguing fit for the Rams.
  • Seth Walder of the New York Daily News looks at three players the Jets could target in the first-round: Odell Beckham, Jr., Brandin Cooks, and Darqueze Dennard.
  • Kimberly A. Smith of Newsday examines the importance of this draft for Jets GM John Idzik, who has 12 picks to work with and a healthy salary cap situation.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com looks at Rex Ryan’s influence in the Jets‘ draft room, the possibility they may trade up in the draft, and several other draft-related issues.