Drew Brees - Pro Football Rumors

South Notes: Jags, Brooks, Saints, Mariota

October 22nd, 2015 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Through at least the 2020 season, EverBank Field will continue to host seven Jaguars regular season games annually, rather than eight, as we learned earlier today. With Jacksonville having extended its relationship with Wembley Stadium through 2020, with an option for five additional years, the Jags will play at least one home game per year overseas for the foreseeable future.

While that announcement wasn’t a surprise, it’s worth keeping an eye on the Jags’ schedule over the next few years to see if they spend even more time in the United Kingdom. The team is a good candidate to become the first to play two consecutive games in London — likely one as a home team and one as a road team. Additionally, once Tottenham’s new stadium opens in 2018, the Jags would look like a prime candidate to play games there as well, given owner Shad Khan’s fondness for the market.

Here’s more on Khan, the Jaguars, and some other teams from the NFL’s two South divisions:

While Khan is disappointed with the Jaguars‘ 1-5 record to open the 2015 season, he said today that he still has “a huge amount of confidence” in GM Dave Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
Texans guard Brandon Brooks, who figures to be one of the more intriguing free agents at his position in 2016, was impressed by Marshal Yanda‘s new contract with the Ravens, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “Not bad at all,” Brooks said. “He deserves it.” For his part, Brooks could end up seeking a similar deal this winter.
Drew Brees is 36, and it’s time for the Saints to face reality and think about the future of the position, writes Pat Yasinskas of WalterFootball.com. Although Brees is coming off his best game of the season against Atlanta, Yasinskas rightly notes that there have been some signs that the veteran signal-caller is slowing down. If the Saints finish near the bottom of the league this year, they may have a chance to draft California quarterback Jared Goff, and that’s a pick that Yasinskas endorses.
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota didn’t take part in practice today, and head coach Ken Whisenhunt said that tomorrow’s practice will reveal a lot about the QB’s availability for Week 7 (Twitter links via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com). Reports on the severity of Mariota’s injury have varied, with some suggesting he could be sidelined for multiple weeks, while others have indicated he should play this weekend.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC South Notes: Roddy, Brees, Brindza

October 4th, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Falcons receiver Roddy White is the franchise’s career leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns, but his role in their offense has dwindled significantly this year. White finished without a catch in Week 2, which snapped a streak of 130 straight games with a reception. He also went catchless in Week 3 and was quiet again Sunday, grabbing two passes for just 8 yards in Atlanta’s 48-21 drubbing of the Texans. The 33-year-old isn’t upset about his nearly nonexistent production, however, as the Falcons are 4-0.

“No complaints from me. We are winning. We’ve just got to continue to do what we’ve been doing and try to get better every week,” White said, according to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Saints Rework Drew Brees’ Contract

September 30th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have created a little additional breathing room under the cap this season by converting $5.2MM of Drew Brees‘ base salary into a signing bonus, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move creates $2.6MM of cap room for 2015, since the bonus is prorated over the two years remaining on Brees’ deal.

While the restructure creates cap room this year, it increases Brees’ 2016 cap hit to $30MM, exceeding Ndamukong Suh‘s and Joe Flacco‘s cap numbers and making it the highest in the NFL. Of course, it’s unlikely that the Saints will carry Brees at that $30MM figure next year, but the latest tweaking of his contract makes things a little trickier for New Orleans.

As I observed last week when I examined the Saints’ cap outlook for 2016, no NFL team has more salary on its 2016 books, so addressing Brees’ contract is crucial in order for the club to reduce its cap commitments for next season. Extending the Pro Bowl signal-caller – who is currently battling a shoulder injury – makes the most sense, though a trade, release, or pay cut could also be in play, depending on how this season plays out.

Trading or cutting Brees would leave the Saints with $10MM in dead money on their cap, creating $20MM in cap savings, but they’d have to make that decision quickly. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter), over half of the quarterback’s $19.75MM base salary for 2016 becomes guaranteed on the third day of the league’s waiver period in February.

As for the short-term benefits of the Saints’ reworking of Brees’ contract, head coach Sean Payton says his club is “one short at tight end” and would like to add another player at that position. However, he cautioned that Brees’ contract adjustment wasn’t done for the purpose of adding a single player — it’s more about creating “wiggle room” for typical in-season moves (Twitter links via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune).

Sunday Roundup: Browns, Whitworth, Brees

September 27th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Parks

Dwayne Bowe is a healthy scratch for the Browns in Week 3, which, given Cleveland’s dearth of talent at wide receiver, speaks volumes about Bowe’s present ability. Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com appears to believe that the team will cut ties with Bowe sooner rather than later, tweeting that the team will wait for GM Ray Farmer to return from suspension after next week’s game and then pull the plug on Bowe. Grossi’s ESPN colleagues Adam Caplan and Jeremy Fowler, however, disagree. Fowler tweets that the Browns will at least wait to see if Bowe can get himself into game shape, while Caplan tweets that, between the $9MM in guaranteed money the Browns invested in Bowe, combined with the team’s need at wideout, Bowe will have a little more time to prove himself.

Now let’s take a peek at a few more links from around the league:

Johnny Manziel may not be playing for the Browns this week, but as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, he continues to impress Cleveland brass with the strides he has made both on and off the field. The team will continue to roll with veteran Josh McCown for the time being, but if the Browns should begin to slip from the playoff picture, Manziel will get the chance to prove he is the team’s long-awaited solution under center.
Coley Harvey of ESPN.com believes the extension that the Bengals recently gave to Andrew Whitworth is a clear indication that the team does not see its window of opportunity closing, and that they will continue to be championship contenders for the foreseeable future. Although the team has not officially announced the extension, Harvey tweets that the announcement could come after today’s game against Baltimore.
Drew Brees‘ injury clouds his future with the Saints, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the team could free up $20MM in salary cap room by parting ways with Brees next year and beginning the rebuilding process. Of course, before that happens, the team would have to have a viable alternative under center; Luke McCown is not the answer, and rookie Garrett Grayson, needless to say, has a long way to go.
If Brees should end up looking for a new home next year, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says the Jets would likely be a strong contender for his services.
Chuck Pagano may be coaching his last season in Indianapolis, but he is apparently unafraid to make drastic changes to jump start his struggling club. As Mike Wells of ESPN.com tweets, the Colts went with a new-look offensive line today, starting Jack Mewhort at left guard, Hugh Thornton at right guard, and Joe Reitz at right tackle. Free agent acquisition Todd Herremans, notably, moves to the bench.
During the 2009 draft, the Jaguars traded their seventh-round pick in that draft and their second-round pick in the 2010 draft to the Patriots in exchange for New England’s third-round pick in 2009. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, Jacksonville selected Derek Cox with that third-round pick, and the Pats parlayed their two choices into Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.

Injury Updates: 9/27/15

September 27th, 2015 at 10:38am CST by Rory Parks

We’ll keep an eye on any major injury news throughout the course of the day and add to this post as necessary to reflect any updates:

DeMarco Murray is inactive for the Eagles this afternoon, per Howard Eskin of Fox 29 Philadelphia (via Twitter). Murray has been bothered by a hamstring injury, and though he had been expected to play today, his hamstring did not respond well to his morning workouts. It is unclear how the injury will impact his status moving forward, but at this point it appears as though he should be ready for Week 4.

Earlier updates

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says Saints QB Drew Brees, who has already been ruled out for Week 3, is a long-shot to return for his team’s Week 4 matchup against Dallas (Twitter link). Interestingly, Rapoport adds in a separate tweet that Brees’ injury, which has been called a bruise, is actually a rotator cuff sprain. A sprain indicates a stretch or tear in a ligament, and we heard from ESPN’s Ed Werder just a few days ago that Dr. James Andrews had confirmed Brees did not, in fact, suffer a torn rotator cuff. This is not the first time in recent memory that Werder and Rapoport have delivered conflicting news regarding a major injury; the two well-known scribes also issued differing reports on when Dez Bryant might return to the field in 2015.

NFC Notes: Cousins, Brees, Patterson, Graham

September 25th, 2015 at 6:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Prior to winning Washington’s starting quarterback job this year, Kirk Cousins had trouble taking care of the football as a backup from 2012-14, throwing 19 interceptions in parts of 14 games. Those issues have carried into this season, as Cousins has tossed four picks in the first three games for his 1-2 team. Despite that, he’s not in danger of losing his job to backups Colt McCoy or Robert Griffin III, head coach Jay Gruden said Friday.

“There’s too many good things going on with Kirk and his progression for us to pull the plug right now because he threw an interception or two,” said Gruden, according to The Associated Press. “But he’s got to be aware and he’s got to protect the football – as does Matt Jones, as does the rest of our football team – for us to have a chance.”

“We’re hoping that a more mature Kirk Cousins will bounce back from these performances,” Gruden added.

To his credit, Cousins has shown an ability to bounce back from a less-than-stellar showing this year. After a subpar Week 1 performance in a 17-10 loss to Miami, Cousins responded by going 23 of 27 for 203 yards, a touchdown and no turnovers in Washington’s 24-10 win over the Rams last Sunday. He’ll be tasked with trying to get off the mat in Week 4 against the Eagles after Thursday night’s two-pick output in a 32-21 loss to the Giants.

Here’s more from the NFC:

The winless Saints aren’t Super Bowl contenders this year and probably won’t be next season, and Drew Brees will be a 37-year-old set to count $27.4MM against their salary cap in 2016. That doesn’t mean they should let Brees go, writes ESPN’s Mike Triplett, who opines that parting with the nine-time Pro Bowler without an obvious successor would be foolish. Triplett believes Brees and the Saints will eventually agree to an extension to keep him in New Orleans beyond 2016, the last year of his current contract.
Given his status as a first-round pick in 2013, Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson‘s production during the first two years of his career was underwhelming (78 catches, 800-plus yards, five touchdowns). Now the Vikings seem to be phasing Patterson out of their game plan, as he has just one reception and, unlike the prior two seasons, hasn’t been a factor on returns. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old remains upbeat. “I really can’t control what goes on,” Patterson said, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “Whatever the coaches are going for, you’ve got to stick to their plan and just keep trying to get better.”
Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham is similar to Patterson in that his production is down this year. And, like Patterson, he’s not worried. “This team runs the ball. Simple as that,” said Graham, according to ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia. “We’re not slinging the ball 60 times a game. And if we are, then that means we’re in trouble. I’m just going to keep doing what’s asked of me.” Graham – who averaged 89 catches, 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns per season with the Saints from 2011-14 – is on pace for 56 grabs, 496 yards and eight TDs in his first year in Seattle.

Extra Points: Cowboys, Brees, Pryor, Hampton

September 22nd, 2015 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, former NFL receiver Terrell Owens said he and his agent had contacted the Cowboys to let them know that the former Pro Bowler would be an option if the team was interested in his services. Of course, at age 41, Owens knows he probably won’t get a call from Jerry Jones, but the former Cowboy says he’d love the chance to play for the team again, after things didn’t go totally smoothly the last time.

“We all know what happened when I was there, and there were some things said where it kind of maybe fractured the relationship between myself and [Jason] Witten and [Tony] Romo,” Owens said, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “Time has passed, and hopefully, they know that I’ve moved on beyond that. Maybe, hopefully, they have. But for me, it’s all about giving myself an opportunity. That’s all I ever really wanted.”

As Owens waits on that opportunity that almost certainly isn’t coming, let’s round up some more odds and ends from around the NFL…

Dr. James Andrews confirmed today that Saints quarterback Drew Brees doesn’t have a tear in the rotator cuff of his throwing shoulder, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Brees’ official status is still up in the air, but he’ll make a push to try to play in Week 3 for New Orleans.
Last night, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweeted that quarterback-turned-wide-receiver Terrelle Pryor was set to visit the Seahawks on Tuesday. However, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post says (via Twitter) that the Jets are working out the former Brown today. While Pryor’s schedule isn’t exactly clear, it appears he’ll audition for both the Seahawks and Jets this week.
Free agent cornerback Victor Hampton, who last played for the Ravens, has been suspended for two weeks by the NFL, stemming from a DUI arrest, tweets Wilson. Hampton, who also spent time with the Giants last year, has yet to play in a regular season game, and likely won’t do so anytime soon now that he has run into off-field trouble.
Wilson also passes along updates on a couple workouts, reporting (via Twitter) that the Jets are auditioning former Ravens quarterback Bryn Renner, while the Broncos are taking a look at ex-Falcons tackle Matt Huffer.
After playing without representation for some time, Washington running back Alfred Morris, who is in a contract year, has hired agent Sean Stellato of SES Sports, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a look at a few players who improved their stocks with their performances over the weekend, as well as those whose play had a negative impact on their value. Unsurprisingly, Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is among the players who saw his stock drop a little in Week 2, according to Fitzgerald.

NFC Notes: Cutler, Brees, Cowboys, Eagles

September 22nd, 2015 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will miss at least two weeks with a hamstring injury, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Backup Jimmy Clausen will now start in Cutler’s absence, but one has to wonder if Chicago might look out-of-house for veteran reinforcements if Cutler is out for an extended period of time. At the very least, David Fales could be in line for a promotion from the practice squad.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Saints quarterback Drew Brees believes there’s a reasonable possibility he overcomes his rotator cuff injury enough to play in Week 3, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter links). It will require an aggressive rehab process, and Brees and the Saints will have to see how the injury responds to that rehab and treatment.
The Cowboys are still mulling whether or not to use their IR-DTR slot on Tony Romo, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. In the meantime, Dallas is auditioning several signal-callers. In addition to the names we heard reported yesterday, McLeod Bethel-Thompson will also work out for the club, per Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan (Twitter link).
The Eagles plan on bringing quarterback Stephen Morris, who was just released from the 53-man roster, back to their practice squad, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Morris will have to clear waivers today first.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Drew Brees Could Miss Several Games?

September 21st, 2015 at 7:20pm CST by Zachary Links

7:20pm: Coach Sean Payton referred to the report that Brees could miss several games as “inaccurate” in an interview with WWL-AM (via Saints on Twitter).

3:37pm: The Saints believe that quarterback Drew Brees has a shoulder injury that will likely cause him to miss some games and potentially several games, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Brees appeared in all 16 games in 2014 while battling an oblique injury and completed over 69 percent of his passes for 4,952 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. While that was not among his best showings, Brees was optimistic that he could get back to form when healthy this season. Now, it sounds like the veteran could wind up spending significant time on the sidelines.

Heading into the season, some posited that Brees was in decline and no longer capable of being a top quarterback. However, the stats tell a different story. Brees attempted 35 throws of 40-plus yards from 2009-11 and completed only seven for 356 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions. Compare that to 2012-14, when Brees went a far better 15-of-35 for 773 yards, seven scores and no picks, and it’s obvious the 36-year-old can still get the ball downfield. That said, in 2014 Brees did put up his lowest yardage and TD totals since 2007 on throws that traveled 20-plus yards.

Extra Points: Brees, Mathis, Seahawks

August 22nd, 2015 at 9:29pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Let’s take a look at the latest from around the NFL as Saturday comes to a close…

Saints quarterback Drew Brees spent two months working with coach Tom House to improve poor throwing mechanics that came as a result of an oblique injury last year, ESPN’s Ed Werder tweeted. “There was a lot I needed to fix,” said Brees (Twitter link). Despite the injury, Brees still appeared in all 16 games in 2014 and completed over 69 percent of his passes for 4,952 yards, 33 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Free agent guard Evan Mathis’ visit with the Seahawks on Saturday went well, according to Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). While a signing doesn’t appear imminent, Garofalo tweeted that Seattle will remain an option for the two-time Pro Bowler.
Although 49ers safety Eric Reid has suffered three concussions during his first two NFL seasons, ex-teammate Chris Borland‘s offseason decision to retire over head-trauma concerns didn’t tempt Reid to do the same. “No. Not at all,” Reid said, per Eric Branch of SFGate.com. “Football is a violent sport, but you know what you sign up for when you put those shoulder pads on. I agree with certain aspects of it. I disagree with certain aspects of it. But you have to respect his decision either way. I’ve had concussions and I’m still here. I still love the sport. I think I’m still very healthy.”
One of the main focuses of the Steelers’ Keith Butler is making sure his defense is unpredictable. Butler, who’s taking over for longtime defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, is loath to call Pittsburgh a 4-3 or 3-4 team. “We are not strictly anything,” he said, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We just can’t be a 3-4 team and can’t just be a 4-3 team. I don’t think you can get around that. Offenses are multiple, so you have to do what you have to do to stop them. In order to do that, you try to match up your people with their people.”