HEADLINES

Duron Carter

Sunday Roundup: Big Ben, Cobb, 49ers

December 7th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

The Steelers plan to begin contract talks with Ben Roethlisberger, who is under contract through 2015, after this season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Pittsburgh realizes that Roethlisberger, despite his age and the number of hits he has taken over the course of his career, will command at least $20MM a year, but that will not prevent the club from making its two-time Super Bowl champion its top offseason priority.

La Canfora adds that he would not be surprised if the Steelers and Roethlisberger were able to work out an extension prior to the beginning of the free agency period in March, which would allow them to know exactly how much cap flexibility they would have to acquire players from other organizations and to retain their own free agents. Last season’s rumors that Roethlisberger once considered asking for a trade were apparently untrue, La Canfora writes, and now all interested parties agree that a third contract with the team is inevitable.

Now for some more links from around the league as Week 14 kicks off in full force:

  • ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the Steelers will have an important decision to make regarding cornerback Cortez Allen this offseason, as Allen is owed a $3MM roster bonus on the fifth day of free agency.
  • Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that Randall Cobb is the Packers‘ top free agent priority and that the team is working to work out a long-term extension with him.
  • Although a possible 49ers trade of head coach Jim Harbaugh following the 2014 season has been widely discussed, the machinations of such a deal are a little less clear. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Harbaugh would pick his new team, the 49ers would agree to trade terms with that team, the 49ers would release Harbaugh from his contract, and Harbaugh would sign a new deal with the other club.
  • Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that Vernon Davis‘ disappointing 2014 season has created a great deal of uncertainty for the 49ers moving forward, as Davis is owed just shy of $5MM in 2015, the last year of his current contract.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that highly-coveted CFL prospect Duron Carter will hold a Pro Day in Florida in early January and then will begin visiting teams. Almost half of the league has expressed some form of interest in Carter to date.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Mike Singletary could be a surprise head coaching candidate in 2015. According to Rapoport, several “high-ranking people” believe Singletary will get another crack at the top job next season.

NFC West Notes: Harbaugh, Cards, Carter

December 2nd, 2014 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

It’s still early on the west coast, but we’ve already got our first batch of links from out of one of the league’s most competitive divisions to get Tuesday started. Here’s the latest out of the NFC West:

  • A Monday report indicated that the price tag in a trade for 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh could be somewhere in the ballpark of what the Buccaneers paid the Raiders for Jon Gruden 12 years ago. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out that the Browns nearly acquired Harbaugh for two third-round picks earlier this year in a deal that was “far closer to happening that anyone will admit on the record.” In Florio’s view, that sort of haul is more likely than a Gruden-esque package in any Harbaugh deal, particularly since the head coach won’t want his new team giving up a ton of draft picks before he even arrives.
  • The Cardinals addressed their lack of veteran running back depth last week by bringing in Michael Bush, then saw their starting back – Andre Ellington – leave Sunday’s game with a hip pointer. Nonethless, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears from a source that Arizona has “no interest” in recently-reinstated free agent Ray Rice.
  • Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Duron Carter, the son of former Vikings wideout Cris Carter, has drawn interest from about 15 NFL teams, and the Seahawks, 49ers, and Colts are all “very interested,” says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. With the CFL season now over, Carter can begin visiting with NFL teams, though he can’t sign anywhere until February. According to La Canfora, the 23-year-old may take a little time off to allow his body to heal, then pursue individual visits after that.

Heated Competition Expected For Duron Carter

November 16th, 2014 at 9:34am CST by Rory Parks

Duron Carter, current wide receiver for the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes and son of former NFL great Cris Carter, appears ready to get his shot in the States in 2015. As Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, Carter has emerged as a star in the CFL over the past several seasons and has led Montreal to an improbable berth in the league’s playoffs. Although the former top college recruit has dealt with myriad off-field issues and has therefore been forced to prove himself in Canada, he has apparently matured while playing north of the border and finally appears ready to capitalize on his tremendous potential.

At 6-5 and 205 pounds, Carter has tantalizing physical tools and caught 75 passes for 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns in 2014 after a 2013 campaign that saw him average an astounding 19 yards per catch. La Canfora writes that at least 10 teams have interest in the 23-year-old but that the Colts are currently viewed as the frontrunner for his services. Although the 49ers and Seahawks are also seen as contenders, the impending departure of Reggie Wayne and Indianapolis’ history of gambling on wideouts with checkered pasts–combined with GM Ryan Grigson‘s willingness to take chances and connections with the CFL–point to the Colts as the most likely landing spot at the moment.

In a separate tweet, La Canfora notes that several GMs and scouts believe Carter can be a quality starter in 2015, though he must demonstrate that he has outgrown his previous maturity issues. NFL rules dictate that Carter can begin working out for and negotiating with NFL clubs on December 1, shortly after the CFL season ends, but he cannot officially sign with a team until February. With a thin wide receiver market and a draft class that is not nearly as deep at the wideout position as the historic 2014 group, there will be heavy competition for Carter as he looks to make a belated entrance into the league that his father once dominated.

Browns Notes: Hoyer, Cameron, Farmer, WRs

July 29th, 2014 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

Jason La Canfora’s latest dispatch for CBSSports.com as he tours various training camps comes from out of Berea, Ohio, after his trip to Browns camp. Leading off his column, La Canfora explores the competition between Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel, writing that Hoyer has surprisingly looked faster and more nimble than the highly-touted rookie. While Manziel still has time to make up ground, everything that La Canfora has seen and heard so far suggests to him that Hoyer should keep his job as the starter heading into the regular season.

Let’s dive into the rest of La Canfora’s piece and round up the highlights….

  • There have been extension talks between Jordan Cameron and the Browns, but the two sides aren’t close to anything. La Canfora hears that the Browns’ offers were in the $5-6MM per year range, so it’s possible Kyle Rudolph signing a deal worth about $7MM annually with the Vikings will help boost the team’s offer and accelerate discussions. According to La Canfora, Cameron admitted that he’d had a look at the numbers on Rudolph’s deal.
  • La Canfora praised general manager Ray Farmer, who has installed a diverse collection of front office executives around him since being promoted to GM earlier this year. “We definitely made some changes,” Farmer said. “I think we have a good mix now. We added some folks – older guys who have a depth of experience – and guys that have a lot of history in this league. Those guys will be beneficial, as well as the young guys who are eager to grow and learn. So we are in a position where we can share ideas and learn together and hopefully improve the Browns.”
  • Expect the Browns to be as active as any team exploring wide receiving options on the waiver wire this years, according to La Canfora, who adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if the team pursues Montreal Alouettes standout Duron Carter (the son of Cris Carter) once the CFL season is complete.
  • In La Canfora’s view, the battle in the backfield between free agent signee Ben Tate and rookie third-rounder Terrance West will be much more competitive than the QB competition. If West continues to make strides in pass protection, he has the ability to make an impact immediately.

Extra Points: Johnson, Carter, Facemasks

June 30th, 2014 at 4:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Former All-Pro wide receiver Chad Johnson only caught a pair of passes in his CFL regular-season debut with the Montreal Alouettes. That didn’t matter to the 36-year-old, who just was thrilled to be playing football again. Johnson spoke to Peter King of TheMMQB.com about the feeling that accompanies playing professional football for the first time in nearly three years:

“A joy,” he said. “A joy. That feeling, as a kid, you wake up on Christmas, the excitement. I’m just thankful to have a chance to play again. I didn’t care about catches, I didn’t care about the ball. I mean, the feeling just being part of something again, being part of this organization … I mean, words really can’t describe how it felt, to lose something that I worked for all my life and have it snatched from me because of my irresponsibilities and my mistakes. A lesson was learned. Humbling experience. I don’t know what to say. It’s awesome.”

Let’s check out some more assorted notes from the CFL and NFL…

  • Meanwhile, Alouettes general manager Jim Popp is more excited about another one of his wideouts: Duron Carter. Popp talked to King and described his infatuation with the 23-year-old: “Every NFL team should be after Cris Carter‘s son. Duron Carter is a phenomenal athlete. He’s got every measurable. He’s fast, 6-foot-4, can be a punt returner in the NFL with his size, can run with the ball, has got tremendous body control.” 
  • Today is the deadline for players to renew their therapeutic use exemption, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. The exemption (along with a prescription from a doctor) allows players to take otherwise banned substances.
  • Barring medical exemption, the NFL has banned “non-standard and overbuilt face masks,” tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. As the writer notes, the decision was based on research and will likely only impact the four players who wore such masks last season.