Emmanuel Sanders

AFC Notes: Patriots, McCown, Sanders, Colts

July 2nd, 2016 at 8:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots have a history of snatching up players who participated against them in joint practices, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who goes on to examine which Saints and/or Bears — the two clubs that will hold sessions with New England this summer — could be of interest to Bill Belichick & Co. While some New Orleans players such as defensive tackle John Jenkins and wide receiver Brandon Coleman could intrigue the Patriots, both are likely to make the Saints roster, so rookie running back Daniel Lasco or linebacker Davis Tull could be more New England’s speed. From Chicago, linebackers Sam Acho and Christian Jones, as well as first-year receiver Daniel Braverman, could face uphill climbs to make the Bears roster, and thus worth keeping an eye on from New England’s perspective.

Let’s take a look at a few more items from the AFC:

Veteran quarterback Josh McCown‘s status with the Browns seems to be in some dispute — while Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com believes the club would only trade McCown if they received a “tremendous offer,” Tony Grossi of ESPN.com disagrees (Twitter link), and doesn’t project McCown to make the final Cleveland roster. After waiving Connor Shaw on Thursday, the Browns now field Robert Griffin III, McCown, Austin Davis, and third-round rookie Cody Kessler on their depth chart, as Roster Resource shows. McCown was thought to be a trade candidate earlier this offseason, with the Broncos among the teams that reportedly expressed interest. If Cleveland ends up releasing McCown, the team would save nearly $3.4MM on its salary cap.
The Broncos have engaged in “good talks” with wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, but recent receiver contracts have altered the playing field in negotiations, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Allen Hurns, Keenan Allen, and Doug Baldwin have all agreed to extensions with their respective clubs in recent weeks, and all three inked deals that average more than $10MM annually and contain more than $12MM in full guarantees. Those figures would seem to be floors for Sanders, who tops that trio in receptions, yards, and approximate value since 2014. Denver management reportedly exchanged contract offers with Sanders and his camp at the end of last month.
Extending Andrew Luck is just the first step in turning the Colts into perennial contenders, opines Mike Wells of ESPN.com. Instead of trying to apply a “quick-fix” approach as they’ve done in years past — signing over-the-hill veterans in an attempt to go “all-in” — general manager Ryan Grigson and his staff plan to build through the draft; develop those players once they’re in the Colts system; and retain them with long-term contracts. All in all, this means the days of signing the likes of Trent Cole, Todd Herremans, and others over the ago of 30 are probably over in Indianapolis — extensions like the ones inked by Luck, tackle Anthony Castonzo, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, and tight end Dwayne Allen are more likely to become the norm.

Fallout From Doug Baldwin’s Extension

June 29th, 2016 at 4:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin‘s four-year, $46MM extension in the books, the Broncos’ Emmanuel Sanders is now at the front of the line of wideouts set to land new deals prior to the season, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN. Baldwin, the Chargers’ Keenan Allen and the Jaguars’ Allen Hurns have all signed extensions worth upward of $40MM – including $20MM-plus in guarantees – this month, but each is younger than Sanders. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns, having combined for 177 catches and 15 touchdowns during that span, and figures to net a sizable raise over the $5.6MM he’s scheduled to make in 2016. The Broncos and Sanders are already in negotiations, as 9NEWS’ Mike Klis reported earlier this month.

More out of Seattle:

The Seahawks will now turn their attention to locking up the Super Bowl-winning duo of general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Caroll, whose deals expire after this season, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Extensions for the pair could come during training camp, per Condotta. Defensive end Michael Bennett, meanwhile, is the next member of the Seahawks’ roster likely to rake in a big payday, writes Condotta. Bennett won’t be a free agent until after the 2017 campaign, however, so he might have to wait another year.
Baldwin went undrafted in 2011 out of Stanford, where he was teammates with superstar Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. After all 32 NFL teams snubbed Baldwin for seven rounds, Sherman – a fifth-rounder that year – contacted the wideout and encouraged him to sign with the Seahawks. “They’re going to call you. I want you to be here,” Sherman said (via Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times). Baldwin has since morphed into one of the pros’ best and richest wideouts because of his football-first mindset, which has come at a cost to his personal life, details Jenks. “I’m not the fastest, the strongest, the most athletic, the tallest,” Baldwin told Jenks. “But in order for me to be good at what I do, I have to focus on my craft so much that it alleviates those other things. I can’t have personal relationships like other people do. I can’t spend time on that.”
Baldwin’s extension means the Seahawks will enter camp with one fewer distraction, observes ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia, who adds that Baldwin’s 1,000-yard season in 2015 was just the fourth by a slot receiver over the past five years. Baldwin is also the only receiver since 1992 – when targets were first tracked – to rack up 1,000-plus yards while hauling in at least 80 percent of the passes intended for him, per Kapadia.

Extra Points: Ramsey, Jags, Sanders, Loadholt

June 25th, 2016 at 8:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Jaguars fans everywhere were scared earlier this offseason, when reports indicated that fifth overall selection Jalen Ramsey would require a knee operation — having already dealt with losing 2015 third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. to an ACL tear, Jacksonville held its collective breath awaiting further updates on Ramsey. Luckily, Ramsey is now expected to return by training camp, a sentiment that Ramsey himself confirmed today, telling Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times Union (Twitter links) that he isn’t experiencing any physical limitations. Ramsey, who is expected to play cornerback in Gus Bradley’s defense, says he felt comfortable with the Jaguars’ defensive scheme throughout the draft process, and feels even more locked in now that he’s continued to learn.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Entering the final year of his contract, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders seemingly isn’t worried about his ongoing contract negotiations with the Broncos, as he explains to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “I don’t think it weighs on me,” said Sanders. “I think it weighs on other people and then they talk about and it’s like, ‘All right, you’re trying to put the weight on me.’ If I could just keep my ears closed and not listen to the noise, I wouldn’t even know this is a contract year.” Sanders reportedly exchanged contract figures with Denver management last week.
Tackle Phil Loadholt is a possible cap casualty if he doesn’t win the Vikings‘ right tackle job, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. While free agent signee Andre Smith secured $1MM guaranteed on his one-year contract with the club, Loadholt doesn’t have any guaranteed money left after he restructured his deal earlier this year. Loadholt is reportedly progressing well in his recovery from a 2015 Achilles tear, but Minnesota’s offensive line has so much depth that it’s hard to see him making the final roster unless Smith is the one who gets cut (which could be an option, notes Goessling).
Locker room issues apparently played a part in Dominique Easley‘s release from the Patriots earlier this year, and former first-round pick doesn’t sound all that interested in changing that perception now that he’s joined the Rams. “I wouldn’t say it’s (among) my main goals, because (being a great person is) just who I am,” Easley said of his rumored off-field problems on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Facebook link). “But, yeah, there’s been obviously stuff said about me. I mean, we don’t know where it came from. Obviously, the person doesn’t want to come out and say it, either.”

Broncos, Sanders Exchange Contract Figures

June 19th, 2016 at 4:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders have each submitted contract proposals, reports Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter link), elaborating on his report earlier this month that Denver was engaged in extension talks with both Sanders and linebacker Brandon Marshall. Marshall agreed to a four-year, $32MM deal last week, and it looks as though Sanders could be the next Bronco to be extended, as sources recently told Connor Orr of NFL.com that Sanders is expected to be the next wideout to land a new deal.

The 29-year old Sanders is currently earning an average salary of $5MM as part of a three-year pact he signed prior to the 2014 season. The Broncos don’t have much 2016 cap space left (roughly $4.6MM), but they do have an ample amount in 2017, as their ~$63.2MM is currently second-most in the league. Denver general manager John Elway said earlier this year that the “ideal” scenario would be to lock up Sanders, Marshall, and Von Miller by mid-July, so the club is currently one-third of the way towards meeting that goal.

Sanders, for his part, has indicated that he’d like to retire as a Bronco, a claim that’s unsurprising given his success in the Mile High City over the past two seasons. Since 2014, Sanders has caught 177 passes for more than 2,500 yards, scoring 15 touchdowns during that time. Those numbers rank eighth, sixth, and 16th among all NFL wide receivers over that span, while Sanders places seventh in Pro Football Reference’s approximate value metric during that period.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Panthers, E. Sanders, Cards, Bills

June 15th, 2016 at 8:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Josh Norman out of Carolina thanks to a contract dispute and defensive tackle Kawann Short now angling for a big-money deal, Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman fired a warning shot at player agents Wednesday. “I’d like to think agents have figured out they can’t scare me; they can’t squeeze me. I’m not going to panic. It’s a waste of time,” he defiantly told Black & Blue Review (Twitter link).

Broncos Rumors: Miller, Sanders, Marshall

June 10th, 2016 at 4:40pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The six-year, $114.5MM offer from the Broncos that linebacker Von Miller is unwilling to accept actually includes a $58MM injury guarantee at signing, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio adds that the remainder of the $58MM would become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2018 league year. The Broncos, therefore, would have the chance to cut the reigning Super Bowl MVP loose after two seasons without any serious repercussions. Miller, however, would like the first three years of the deal guaranteed to ensure that doesn’t happen.

Here’s more on Miller and two of his Denver teammates:

The exact figure Miller wants over the first three years of his next deal is $70MM, which is the biggest stumbling block in negotiations between him and the Broncos, according to Florio. The Broncos are only willing to guarantee Miller $39.5MM over two years, and Florio doesn’t expect a resolution until right before the July 15 deadline for the team and its franchise player to work out a long-term agreement. That’s if a deal comes at all, of course, which doesn’t look promising at the moment.
Miller isn’t the only high-profile Bronco entering a contract year: Both receiver Emmanuel Sanders and linebacker Brandon Marshall are slated to hit free agency after the upcoming season. The team is engaged in contract talks with the pair, reports Mike Klis of 9News, who writes that Sanders’ agent, Todd France, recently sent the Broncos a counteroffer. “I want to retire a Bronco,” Sanders told 9News’ Rod Mackey. “I think everyone wants to know, but it’s all about being able to say, ‘I’m getting paid what I put out.’’ Negotiations in Marshall’s case are more advanced, per Klis, who notes that the defender’s deadline to sign his restricted free agent tender for 2016 is Wednesday. If Marshall doesn’t sign the tender, the Broncos will have a chance to reduce his deal from $2.553MM to a 10 percent raise over the $585K he made last season. Nevertheless, Klis expects Denver to award Marshall the $2.553MM even if he doesn’t put pen to paper by the tender deadline.
For in-depth analysis on what a Marshall extension might look like, check out this piece by PFR’s Sam Robinson.

AFC Mailbags: Bills, Titans, Broncos, Jets

June 4th, 2016 at 11:39am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means the NFL’s various beat reporters are opening their mailbags and answering questions from the readers. Let’s take a look at some of the notable responses out of the AFC…

Bills coach Rex Ryan and his staff are “operating under the premise that they have to “get it right” this year,” writes Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. While the writer wouldn’t definitively say if Ryan could end up on the hot seat, he did note that fans have started to recognize the weaknesses in his coaching style, allowing them to question whether he’s actually “the right man for the job.” With a lack of a coach’s salary cap and with more money to use, Carucci does acknowledge that NFL owners are justified in having a quick “trigger finger,” which might not bode well for Ryan.
Bills undrafted free agent Glenn Gronkowski isn’t necessarily competing for a tight end spot, notes Carucci. Instead, Ryan has been using him as more of a fullback, so Rob Gronkowski‘s brother would need to unseat Jerome Felton in order to make the roster.
Running backs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry are locks to make the Titans roster, and Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com believes Dexter McCluster will also make the team. As a result, Wyatt sees David Cobb, Bishop Sankey, Antonio Andrews and David Fluellen fighting for one roster spot.
It could be a “make or break” preseason for Broncos running back Kapri Bibbs, writes Mike Klis of 9News.com. With C.J. Anderson, Ronnie Hillman, and Devontae Booker having a secure hold on the top three spots on the depth chart, Bibbs will be competing with Juwan Thompson for one of the final spots on the roster.
The Broncos are trying to extend wideout Emmanuel Sanders, but Klis says it won’t be easy. If the 29-year-old wants to be paid like a top receiver (similar to Jeremy Maclin‘s $11MM annual salary), the Broncos may be priced out of the negotiations.
While a Darrelle Revis-type one-year (plus an option) contract would seemingly make sense for the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini outlines a number of reasons why this scenario probably wouldn’t work. Notably, the Jets apparent leverage would be greatly diminished if Fitzpatrick had an opportunity to test the market again next offseason.

AFC West Notes: Broncos, Marshall, Sanders

June 2nd, 2016 at 10:54am CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday night, Broncos GM John Elway spoke with Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter) about contract talks for linebacker Brandon Marshall, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, and defensive ace Von Miller. Elway says that he has gone back and forth with the agents for Marshall and Sanders but has no real update with regards to Miller. The GM says that he has a goal date in mind for all three deals.

“The ideal thing would be to get all three of them done (by mid-July). That’s the goal. That would be nice if we could do that,” Elway said (link).

Here’s more from the AFC West:

Now entering his contract year, it’s time for Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram to put his money where his talent is, Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes. Last season, Ingram notched at least one sack in each of the team’s final five games. If he can produce across a full season in 2016, he’ll be in line for a major payday, whether it be from San Diego or elsewhere.
Non-union construction workers are frustrated with the latest proposal for a new Chargers stadium in San Diego, David Garrick of U-T San Diego writes. It’s not immediately clear whether these non-union laborers would have any ability to stand in the way of the proposal as it’s currently put together.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman told ESPN that she has yet to discuss gambling regulations in the process of luring the Raiders (link via PFT). There has been some speculation that the city would be asked to restrict sports books from taking bets on games played in Las Vegas. “We’ve had years and years of experience in how to set regulations and enforce them. But I really don’t believe it’s going to be an issue for us at all,” she said. “At this point, the first step is to work through those numbers to make sure we can get a stadium built, do it high quality and most importantly in the right location.”
Earlier this week, we rounded up some more news on the Broncos.

Broncos Notes: Manning, Marshall, Sanders

May 28th, 2016 at 9:52am CST by Ben Levine

While the Broncos have been focusing most of their energy on a long-term deal for Von Miller, several of the linebacker’s teammates are also awaiting potential extensions. This includes linebacker Brandon Marshall, who hasn’t signed the one-year, $2.533MM tender he was slapped with.

Of course, there’s no need to panic in Denver, as both sides sound optimistic regarding a deal. Marshall, who finished last season with 102 tackles, gushed about the organization to ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold.

“I love it here. I love it here, man,” Marshall said. “Ever since I got here, in 2013, they’ve treated me like family, even when I was on the practice squad. It just shows, I’m really all about ball, getting better and being with the team. … To stay away, that’s not me. I feel comfortable being here.”

Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips hinted that an extension could be incoming.

“This club is always going to take care of somebody that helped them win a championship like that,” Phillips said. “So I feel like that will get worked out sooner or later. They’ll help anybody that does that.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the Mile High City…

Speaking of quarterbacks, Peyton Manning told Tennessean sports editor Dave Ammenheuser that he “was pretty close” to signing with the Titans instead of the Broncos in 2012. Having played for the University of Tennessee, Manning has an obvious connection to the state, and there were previous rumors that he could take a front office role with the organization.
The Broncos may have another “quarterback controversy” on their hands this season, writes Woody Paige of the Denver Post. After juggling Manning and Brock Osweiler last year, the coaching staff is eyeing two potential starters on their current roster: Mark Sanchez and rookie Paxton Lynch.
Manning’s retirement leaves a leadership void on the Broncos offense, and Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post believes wideout Emmanuel Sanders is a perfect candidate to fill that role.

West Notes: Rams, Austin, Broncos, Seahawks

April 30th, 2016 at 8:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams are expected to pick up their 2017 fifth-year option for wide receiver Tavon Austin, but Los Angeles hopes to sign Austin to a long-term extension before the ’17 season rolls around, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link). We heard in February that the Rams are intent on extending both Austin and linebacker Alec Ogletree. Bookmark our 2017 Fifth-Year Option tracker.

The draft is still dominating today’s coverage, but life goes on the NFL world. Let’s dive into some more notes from the NFL’s two West divisions…

Like the Rams, the Broncos must decide on a fifth-year option — in Denver’s case, it’s for defensive tackle Sylvester Williams, who would command a $6.757MM salary in 2017. Broncos GM John Elway said he’ll make a decision on Williams on Monday, but called the $6MM+ figure a “pretty big number” (links via Troy Renck of the Denver Post and Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com).
Though the Broncos‘ next offseason focus will obviously be coming to terms on a long-term deal with Von Miller, Elway says the club also wants to work something out with receiver Emmanuel Sanders and linebacker Brandon Marshall, tweets Renck. Both Sanders and Marshall are both entering the final years of their respective contracts, and Sanders, for his part, recently expressed a desire to stay with Denver.
Former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch still hasn’t filed his retirement papers, but Pete Carroll thinks Lynch is committed to remaining retired, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “Your guess is as good as mine,” said GM John Schneider when asked about Lynch’s plans (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).
Both Carroll and Schneider said the Seahawks are working on finding another quarterback, and are still speaking with free agent Tarvaris Jackson, tweets Condotta. For what it’s worth, the Seattle duo made those comments before reportedly agreeing to terms with former TCU QB Trevone Boykin.

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