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NFC East Notes: Maclin, Henery, Cowboys

June 2nd, 2014 at 9:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Onlookers held their breath today during the Eagles’ OTAs after receiver Jeremy Maclin fell to the ground holding his knee, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While Maclin tore the ACL in his right knee last year, causing him to miss the entire season, today’s incident left him clutching his left knee. Still, any injury to Maclin, who is expected to be leaned on heavily following the release of DeSean Jackson, would have terrified the Eagles’ coaching staff. Luckily, Maclin quickly got to his feet, and later noted that he felt fine.

More from around the NFC East:

  • While Eagles kicker Alex Henery‘s accuracy has decreased each season during his time in the NFL, he remains confident he can win a competition with undrafted free agent Carey Spear (nickamed “Murderleg”), according to Kevin Rossi of CSNPhilly.com.
  • Justin Durant has some experience at middle linebacker, and is also is well-versed in the 4-3 defense after playing under Rod Marinelli with the Lions, so he’s the most natural replacement for the Cowboys at the MIKE position following the loss of Sean Lee, per Calvin Watikins of ESPNDallas.com.
  • Fourth-round rookie linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who signed with the Cowboys yesterday, is also trying to help offset the loss of Lee by adjusting to middle linebacker after playing on the outside while at Iowa, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  • Mackenzy Bernadeau isn’t complaining after losing the Cowboys right guard job to rookie Zack Martin, writes Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Bernadeau started all 16 games at RG for Dallas last season, but is taking reps at all three interior line positions during OTAs in an attempt to become more versatile. “It’s like learning to write with your left hand instead of your right hand,” Bernadeau said about playing left guard. “The only difference is that I was able to play the left side before, so I have some experience there, and it’s just getting used to the technique and the guys end up playing next to you. It’s more important to get used to the guys next to you and what their steps are than the techniques because I’ve played both sides before.”
  • As of yet, Jermichael Finley has no plans to work out for the Giants, but that could change, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. New York’s tight end depth chart is currently headlined by Adrien Robinson and Kellen Davis.

NFC Notes: Saints, Washington, 49ers

May 30th, 2014 at 10:53pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Saints have a few positions battles that might not be decided until late in training camp, according to Rachel Whittaker of NOLA.com. She mentions options at starting center, as well as the overhaul of the receiving corps.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

  • Another position on the Saints that is left in limbo is the defensive backfield, writes Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. The team knows who the starting safeties should be, but they have a deep group of cornerbacks behind Keenan Lewis fighting for the second corner job. The team gets Patrick Robinson back from injury, in addition to Corey White, free agent veterain Champ Bailey, and second-round pick Stanley-Jean Baptiste, among others. There are 11 cornerbacks on the 90-man roster, when only five made the final roster last season.

  • Recently suspended Cardinals‘ linebacker Daryl Washington stand to lose a lot of money due to his most recent transgressions, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. Washington will forfeit his 2014 base salary of $2.9MM and his prorated signing bonus of nearly $500,000, but will still have almost $13MM of potential earnings upon his return, as his current contract runs through 2017.
  • 49ers‘ linebacker Michael Wilhoite and third-round pick Chris Borland will fight for a starting job at inside linebacker to begin 2014, writes Eric Branch of SFGate.com. The position is open due to NaVorro Bowman‘s injury at the end of the NFC Championship Game, and one of those two players could be lining up next to Patrick Willis at times in the upcoming season.
  • Jeremy Maclin is back with the Eagles, and head coach Chip Kelly is excited to have another weapon in his offensive arsenal, writes Andy Jasner of ESPN.com. “Mac’s doing a really good job, just getting back familiar with it. I was really excited about how he would fit into what we do because of what he can do. And then to lose him that early in camp was disappointing. You got a taste of him,” said Kelly. “But having him out there full speed running out there right now, he’s doing a really good job.”
  • The Falcons have a long list of expiring contracts on their roster, and as they move to more 3-4 opportunities on defense, they could be in store for a major overhaul in talent, writes David Choats of TheFalcoholic.com. They put together a list of these players who will be free agents in 2015.

Minor Moves: Benn, Steelers, Bucs, Chapas

May 19th, 2014 at 9:35am CST by Matt Feminis
  • As expected, the Eagles have re-signed receiver Arrelious Benn days after releasing him. Terms of the deal weren’t announced, but Benn’s contract was reworked in order to avoid the $1.1MM he was due this season, writes Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. Benn, who missed last season because of a torn ACL, is not guaranteed a roster spot, however, as the Eagles added a pair of rookie receivers — second-rounder Jordan Matthews and fifth-rounder Josh Huff — to groom behind veterans Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper.
  • The Steelers have inked sixth-round nose tackle Daniel McCullers (all 6-7, 350 pounds of him) and seventh-round tight end Rob Blanchflower, per Pro Football Talk. McCullers in particular has a realistic chance of carving a niche with the team, as the mammoth nose tackle with exceptionally long arms is an ideal, two-gapping anchor if he plays to his potential. He’s underachieved to this point, however, and was drafted lower than his ability dictates for a reason.
  • Meanwhile, the Steelers will have to wait until June 2 to free up money to sign their top three draft picks, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter).
  • The Buccaneers announced they’ve signed fifth-rounder Kevin Pamphile, an offensive tackle out of Purdue.
  • The Ravens will sign ex-Jaguars fullback Shaun Chapas, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Chapas, 26, was a seventh-round pick of the Cowboys in 2011. He had a brief stint with the Lions in 2012 and spent time on Jacksonville’s practice squad and active roster last season.

Volin On Roster Crunches: Roos, Hardy, Hali

May 18th, 2014 at 8:41am CST by Rory Parks

The more successful franchises in the league always have an eye towards the so-called “second wave” of free agency when they construct their draft boards and begin drafting players. They can determine the potential cap casualties and the players who might be released from another squad simply because of a roster crunch, and they can identify which of those players might fill a need on their club that was not necessarily addressed via the draft. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe takes a look and those players whose security with their current club took a hit after last week’s draft. Some of the highlights:

  • Michael Roos: Roos is perhaps the most obvious name of the group, given that the Titans signed Michael Oher in free agency and selected Taylor Lewan in the first round of the draft. That’s not to mention Roos’ $6.62MM salary cap number and the fact that Tennessee would not take on any dead money by releasing him.
  • Matt Forte: Forte’s inclusion on this list is somewhat surprising, and although Volin notes he will almost certainly remain with the Bears this season, Volin goes on to say that the tread on Forte’s tires, along with his $8.8MM 2015 cap number and the team’s drafting of Ka’Deem Carey, could lead to Forte’s release after the season.
  • Jeremy Maclin: “The writing is on the wall for Maclin,” as Volin points out that the Eagles gave Riley Cooper the long-term deal while handing out a one-year contract to Maclin, and then went on to draft Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff on the second day of the draft.
  • Tamba Hali: Hali is another player who will remain with the only team he has ever known in 2014, but the Chiefs drafted Dee Ford in the first round of the draft and Hali has a $12MM cap number in 2015 (his contract expires at the end of 2015).
  • Greg Hardy: obviously Hardy is safe for 2014, having signed the franchise tender worth over $13MM, but Volin writes the Panthers will have to reevaluate the future of their star defensive end considering his legal troubles this offseason and the selection of Kony Ealy in the second round of the draft.

NFC East Notes: Manning, Eagles, Doughty

March 31st, 2014 at 9:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest from the NFC East:

  • Recently-released safety Danieal Manning grew up in the Dallas area, and has always fantasized about playing for the Cowboys, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
  • Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com lists safety, defensive end, interior offensive line, and receiver as areas where the Cowboys could look to add depth through free agency. Archer lists Thomas DeCoud, Robert Ayers, Kyle Cook, and Nate Burleson as players who could potentially help at those respective positions. The Cowboys have about $6.4MM in cap space with which to work.
  • In separate pieces, Zach Berman of Philly.com and Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com make much the same point: the Eagles need to find a way to continue to beat man coverage following the departure of DeSean Jackson. Opposing defenses primarily employed man coverage because it was the simplest to way to combat the Eagles fast-paced offensive attack. Jeremy Maclin will now become the focal point in the receiving game, but the team is expected to add a receiver from what is regarded as a loaded wideout class. Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin, at 6’4″ and 240 pounds, is the type of physical receiver who could take on opposing defensive backs.
  • NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock disputes the notion that the Eagles need a receiver, and thinks they should draft their highest-rated defensive player left on the board (via Bryan Fischer of NFL.com).
  • The “door is not closed” between safety Reed Doughty and the Redskins, but he is not a priority in Washington, tweets Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington, also noting that several other teams have inquired on Doughty.
  • New Redskins safety Ryan Clark will act as a mentor to young defensive backs Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo, and try to fill the leadership void left by the retiring London Fletcher, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. But Clark was signed due to his ability, as well, as Keim notes (in a nice turn of phrase highlighting the Redskins ineptitude on defense last season): “[W]hile Pittsburgh let [Clark] walk because he’d lost a step, the Redskins have been seeking a safety who had any steps to begin with. They weren’t losing steps; they never had any.”

Eagles Notes: Maclin, Sproles, Jackson

March 30th, 2014 at 7:47pm CST by Peter Sowards

The time is now for Jeremy Maclin to thrive in Philadelphia, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As the team’s No. 1 receiver with the jettisoning of DeSean Jackson, it’s unclear whether Maclin will be at full strength come training camp after an ACL injury last July, according to general manager Howie Roseman: “In terms of the exact timetable, my understanding is with an ACL, when you get to this point this far along, then the process … comes in weekly increments. I think we’ll know more as it goes. Obviously we feel really good about his progress. We signed him. We were aggressive trying to bring him back.” Roseman re-signed Maclin to a one-year, $5.5MM deal at the end of last month, and a big year could turn into a big contract for the sixth-year receiver from Chesterfield, Missouri.

More news and notes from arguably the busiest franchise this offseason…

  • ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins a number questions regarding Jackson’s release, asking why the team didn’t demand more from Jackson or confront him about having supposed gang relations.
  • Chip Kelly doesn’t see Darren Sproles as a replacement player for Jackson. “Totally different positions,” Kelly said, via Ed Kracz of the Burlington County Times. “Darren is a running back. DeSean a wideout, so our whole thing, and I mentioned it when we got Darren, we’re excited about him, but we’ve got a long way to go here before we play a game so let’s get him in here. Let’s go through phase one, OTA, minicamp, and all that, and find out what his strengths are and play to them, but I’m real excited with the addition and what he can give us.” Kelly’s comments came at the NFL owners’ meetings when Jackson was still on the team, but the meaning remains the same.

Eagles May Gauge Interest In DeSean Jackson

March 2nd, 2014 at 4:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles could possibly look to trade receiver DeSean Jackson, according to Jimmy Kempski of CSNPhilly.com. Kempski is clear that the team will not actively shop Jackson, but if another team called with interest, “the Eagles certainly wouldn’t laugh and hang up.”

Jackson is entering the third year of five-year, $47MM deal he signed in March 2012. The star receiver, who enjoyed the best season of his career in 2013 in Chip Kelly’s new offense, has had contract squabbles before, including this year, leading a team source to state that a new pact was unlikely. According to Kempski, Jackson’s attitude has rubbed some in Eagles headquarters the wrong way, and his personality may run counter to the type of “locker room culture that Chip Kelly is trying to cultivate.” Additionally, fellow receiver Jason Avant had acted as something of a buffer between Jackson and receivers coach Bob Bicknell; Avant, however, is expected to be released.

There is also a disconnect between recent comments by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and the team’s roster construction. The team recently re-signed both Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin, and is now second in the league in wide receiver investment, something Roseman might be concerned about. “We’re trying to figure out the whole dynamic of it,” said the GM. “You can only put a limited amount of resources at a particular position before it starts taking out from other places.”

Still, a trade of Jackson does seem unlikely. He is a great fit in Kelly’s scheme, with his ability to both stretch the field and act as a weapon on short out patterns. He ranked as the seventh-best receiver by both Pro Football Focus’ and Football Outsiders’ metrics. The Eagles, meanwhile, would be relegated to relying on the one-year sample size of Cooper, and, in Maclin, a player coming off of a torn ACL. In the event of Jackson’s being made available, there would certainly be a market for his services, with the 49ers among his potential suitors, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Jeremy Maclin Passed On Long-Term Deal

February 28th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

Earlier today, Jeremy Maclin and the Eagles came to terms on a one-year deal that will keep the wide receiver with the team in 2014. In the negotiations, Maclin reportedly turned down a five-year contract in favor of the short-term, prove-it deal, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Enquirer (via Twitter).

Maclin is thought to have preferred the shorter contract that would allow him to show that he has recovered from an ACL tear that sidelined him for all of 2013, writes Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com.

“There was a multiyear deal out there,” Maclin said. “It just wasn’t what I particularly wanted or my side particularly wanted. But we knew that we wanted to be here so I think this was the way to get it done, for me to come back here and play football.”

While the deal makes sense in that a long-term contract at a higher price could be available after a productive season, it stands to reason that Maclin could have entertained long-term deals on the free market this offseason, possibly at a higher price than the Eagles were willing to pay. Many teams were thought to be interested in the 25-year-old receiver, including the Broncos and Jets.

Maclin does not think the deal will truly turn into a one-year stint with the team. Likely he believes that a long-term contract could come during the 2014 season, a deal that would keep him with the Eagles for a long time.

“I’m excited to get a chance to play in Chip’s offense,” Maclin said. “I’m excited to be able to help this team get to the next level. I think this is a place where I can showcase my skills and I’m comfortable around all my teammates, guys who have been here. I think this was just the right spot for me.”

Eagles Re-Sign Maclin To One-Year Deal

February 28th, 2014 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles and Jeremy Maclin have reached an agreement on a one-year, $5.5MM contract, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). It’s the latest in a series of new deals for Eagles players, on the heels of multiyear contracts for offensive linemen Jason Peters and Jason Kelce and wide reciever Riley Cooper. Jeremy MaclinThe team has confirmed the agreement, which could be worth up to $6MM, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports 1 (Twitter link). $3.5MM of that figure is guaranteed, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

“Jeremy is an ideal player for our scheme with his combination of size, speed, strength and route-running ability, in addition to his dynamic playmaking talent,” Eagles GM Howie Roseman said in a statement. “We’re happy to see him rehabbing well and to get him under contract for the 2014 season.”

When the Eagles re-signed Cooper, a report suggested that a new deal for Maclin was expected as well. However, we heard yesterday that Maclin was seeking a one-year, make-good contract, while the team preferred a multiyear pact. By the looks of it, the Eagles relented, which will allow the former first-round pick to hit the open market a year from now, if he so chooses.

Maclin, 25, grabbed between 56 and 70 balls for the Eagles in each of his first four seasons, with 26 total touchdowns. However, he suffered a torn ACL in training camp in 2013, sidelining him for the season and derailing his chances of putting up big numbers in a contract year. By inking a one-year deal, Maclin, who should be healthy for the 2014 season, will get a chance to be a part of Chip Kelly‘s explosive offense — a return to his usual form could result in more lucrative multiyear offers for Maclin next winter.

The Eagles’ agreement with Maclin takes another top-tier receiver off the 2014 market. The Jets and Broncos were among the teams prepared to make a run at the Missouri alum, according to Schefter (Twitter link). Now, those clubs will have to look elsewhere in a free agent class that could feature Eric Decker, Julian Edelman, Hakeem Nicks, Golden Tate, and Emmanuel Sanders, among others.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jeremy Maclin Rumors: Thursday

February 27th, 2014 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles have been the league’s most active team this week, locking up two offensive linemen, Jason Peters and Jason Kelce, to lucrative long-term extensions, and re-signing prospective free agent agent receiver Riley Cooper. However, the team still isn’t done. According to several reports, Philadelphia would like to get something done with free-agent-to-be Jeremy Maclin before he hits the open market on March 11. Here’s the latest on negotiations between the two sides, with the newest updates up top:

  • A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Maclin hopes to sign a one-year, make-good contract, while the Eagles prefer a multiyear deal. Presumably, the club is looking to buy low on Maclin’s upside, while the receiver would rather bet on himself in the hopes of landing a bigger deal a year from now.

Earlier updates:

  • A league source tells Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com that Maclin and the Eagles are “talking and making progress” toward a new contract, but no deal is imminent, and the wide receiver could still decide to test the market in March. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter also hears that the two sides are having conversations but aren’t close to an agreement yet (Twitter link).
  • Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer says (via Twitter) there are still hurdles to clear in the discussions between Maclin and the club, but that a deal “should happen” within the next week or two.
  • There’s a “lot of optimism” that an agreement will be reached, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that the Eagles and Maclin are hoping for major progress in the next day or two.
  • If the Eagles don’t lock up Maclin by March 11, he figures to draw interest from at least four to six teams, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
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