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NFC Notes: Bucs, Peterson, Washington

April 19th, 2015 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

We rounded up some AFC links earlier this morning, so let’s have a look at a few notes from the NFC.

  • Although the Glazer family has never meddled in the Buccaneers‘ personnel decisions to the same degree Jerry Jones has meddled with the Cowboys, Tampa Bay’s ownership has a tradition of assuming a powerful role in the team’s football operations at key moments. According to Ira Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune, the Glazers have been very active in deciding what the Bucs should do with their No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
  • The Vikings would want at least a second-rounder and a late-round pick for Adrian Peterson, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, who does not expect the team to lower its asking price just to move Peterson.
  • The Lions will likely wait until after the draft to address their left guard spot, and when they do, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com expects the team to add a veteran at the position.
  • John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes that, with each signing the Bears make, the job security of those already on the roster becomes more uncertain. That is especially true on the defensive side of the ball, where Chicago has added two linebackers and is moving a 2014 defensive end back to outside linebacker. That means the three Game 16 starters of last season, Jonathan Bostic, Christian Jones, and Shea McClellin, are competing for one vacancy.
  • Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders if the Rams will select a quarterback in this year’s draft, noting that if they do, they better strike early.
  • Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com examine Washington‘s depth chart at quarterback. El-Bashir believes the team will draft a signal-caller, which will leave Colt McCoy and Kirk Cousins fighting for one job.
  • John Keim of ESPN.com does not believe Washington will bring back Tyler Polumbus or Brandon Meriweather, and he would not be surprised if the team drafted Marcus Mariota if the former Oregon signal-caller is still available when Washington is on the clock.
  • Dan Graziano of ESPNNewYork.com writes that, in a perfect world, there would be a clear-cut option at pass-rusher for the Giants to select with their No. 9 overall pick. The problem is that most of the premium pass rushers, outside of perhaps Bud Dupree, look more like 3-4 outside linebackers than 4-3 defensive ends. As such, the team may end up with one of this year’s top offensive lineman, like Brandon Scherff or Ereck Flowers.

NFC Mailbags: Cousins, Boykin, Lions, Vikings

April 18th, 2015 at 9:49am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some notes from the NFC…

  • John Keim believes quarterback Kirk Cousins is on Washington‘s roster come the season opener. However, the writer opines that the organization’s long-term quarterback is currently not on the team.
  • Cornerback Brandon Boykin could have some value if the Eagles decided to shop him, says Phil Sheridan. Prior to the draft, the writer believes the team could fetch a fourth or fifth-round pick. Following the draft, when team’s begin to evaluate their biggest holes, the Eagles could potentially get a third-rounder in return.
  • The Lions could seek some veteran help on the offensive line, but Jake Long or Joe Barksdale might be long shots to join the team, writes Michael Rothstein. If neither player proves to be an upgrade over LaAdrian Waddle, Rothstein believes the organization will pass.
  • The Vikings could select a quarterback in one of the middle rounds, but Ben Goessling says the team may have already gotten their developmental signal-caller when they acquired Mike Kafka.

NFC East Rumors: Graham, Cousins, Allen

March 10th, 2015 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants‘ offer to Brandon Graham was only for one year, source tell Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Eagles and Giants were the final two teams in the running for his services. Ultimately, Graham signed a four-year, $26MM deal to stay in Philly. More from the NFC East..

  • In an interview on 106.7 The Fan, Washington president Bruce Allen said nobody has called to inquire about a trade for quarterback Kirk Cousins, Zac Boyer of The Washington Times tweets.
  • Allen also said Washington has “had conversations” with the agents for Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Williams about long-term contract extensions (link).
  • The Giants have “sniffed around” free agent safety Da’Norris Searcy, tweets Nick Powell of NJ.com. Searcy should have no shortage of suitors, having also been linked to the Bears, Colts, Texans, Raiders and Dolphins.
  • A source tells Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star Telegram (on Twitter) not to expect any action from the Cowboys on the first day of free agency. In fact, his exact words were, “y’all are going to get bored waiting on us.“

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Schefter, Caplan On Suh, Bucs, Peterson, QBs

January 29th, 2015 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

While most reporters continue to focus on the Super Bowl, which is now just three days away, NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan turn their attention to the offseason in a pair of stories for ESPN.com today, providing a handful of interesting tidbits about coaches, free agency, and the draft. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights from Schefter and Caplan….

  • Many of Schefter’s sources around the league don’t expect the Lions to assign the franchise tag to Ndamukong Suh, since the price ($26.87MM) would simply be too high for one player. Per Schefter, those who know Suh think that the idea of playing in a big market like New York, Chicago, or Dallas has always appealed to him. The Jets, Giants, Bears, and Cowboys could all certainly use a player like Suh, though you could say that about nearly every team in the NFL.
  • There’s a “real sense” that the Buccaneers have their sights set on Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota as the No. 1 pick in April, says Schefter, though he cautions that many NFL execs and scouts consider Jameis Winston the best QB prospect in the draft. We still have three months until draft night, so plenty can – and will – change in between now and then.
  • While the Vikings seem comfortable with the idea of bringing back Adrian Peterson, the veteran running back may not want to return to Minnesota. According to Schefter, at least six teams have already done background work on Peterson to prepare for the possibility that he becomes available.
  • Multiple executives told Caplan at the Senior Bowl that Washington‘s Kirk Cousins and Mike Glennon of the Buccaneers are viable trade candidates, especially for teams looking for stopgap starters for the 2015 season. One NFC team exec said he thought both Cousins and Glennon would be worth a fourth- or fifth-round pick in a trade.
  • Although former Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is coming off a successful season in Buffalo, he’s no lock to coach anywhere in 2015, says Caplan. We’ve heard all along that Schwartz will be patient when it comes to picking his next job, and Caplan notes that there’s still $6MM left on his deal with the Bills, which gives him the flexibility to take his time.
  • Caplan identifies six free-agents-to-be who may fly under the radar this offseason but could really help a team, including running back Roy Helu, linebacker Dan Skuta, and safety Jeron Johnson.

Cousins Prefers Trade If RGIII Named Starter

December 29th, 2014 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

1:00pm: Addressing today’s report and his earlier comments, Cousins told reporters – including Boyer (Twitter links) – that he wants to clarify his stance. According to Cousins, he’ll “roll with it” if he’s the backup for a fourth consecutive year in 2015, and he’s not making any demands.

Of course, not demanding a trade doesn’t mean Cousins wouldn’t be open to one if there’s an opportunity for more playing time with another club. As I noted below, that appeared to be his stance earlier this year, and it doesn’t seem as if that has changed.

12:02pm: Jay Gruden and his club closed the book on a disastrous 2014 season yesterday after being blown out at home by the Cowboys, and a day later, one of Washington’s quarterbacks is already looking ahead to 2015. Kirk Cousins indicated today to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (all Twitter links) that if Washington names Robert Griffin III the starting quarterback without an open competition, his preference would be to be traded.

According to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (Twitter links), Cousins didn’t explicitly say he wants to be traded or that he wants to leave Washington while speaking to a group of reporters, so it’s not clear if the signal-caller made separate comments to Russini or if the two reporters just interpreted them differently. Boyer did acknowledge that Cousins said he wants to be a starting quarterback, so it makes sense that he’d be open to a trade if Washington doesn’t even given him the opportunity to battle for the No. 1 job.

That stance sounds similar to the one Cousins took earlier in the year, when he suggested he’d be open to a deal if it meant he’d have the chance to start for another team. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, the Browns had interest in that point, and could revisit the possibility of a trade with Brian Hoyer facing free agency and question marks surrounding Johnny Manziel.

The Buccaneers and Titans, armed with the top two picks in the draft, could be eyeing a rookie rather than a veteran like Cousins, but given how thin the free agent market is for QBs, several other teams with a potential need at the position could do their due diligence on Cousins.

Of course, before we make a list of potential suitors for Cousins, Washington must decide what it wants to do with him. Even if he enters 2015 as Griffin’s backup, Cousins may be more valuable on Washington’s roster than on the trade market, given the minimal trade return on a player like Ryan Mallett earlier this year. Like Mallett last offseason, Cousins will be just a year away from free agency in 2015, so if he’s not traded, he’ll have an opportunity to reach the open market and explore other opportunities in 2016.

NFC Mailbags: Panthers, Ingram, Bush, Giants

November 29th, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN’s NFL writers are opening the mailbags and answering reader questions. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from the NFC…

  • The Panthers could move on from DeAngelo Williams after the season, says David Newton. Meanwhile, Jonathan Stewart, who still has a couple of years left on his contract, is more likely to stick around.
  • Mike Triplett wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints let Mark Ingram walk and opted to utilize their running back depth instead.
  • It would make sense for the Lions to consider trading Reggie Bush if they were to receive a solid offer, writes Michael Rothstein. However, the writer believes Bush still has a place in the team’s offense, and he adds that it would be tough to move a 30-year-old running back.
  • Dan Graziano’s gut tells him that both Giants coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese will be safe following the season, but he warns that the final stretch of the season could ultimately determine their fate.
  • John Keim guesses that Washington could expect a third or fourth-rounder in exchange for Robert Griffin III. He expects a “low-rounder at best” for Kirk Cousins.

East Notes: Foles, Cousins, Mayo

October 19th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

As the games get underway, let’s take a look at some notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Although the Eagles are currently sitting pretty with a 5-1 record, Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Nick Foles has been neither very good nor very bad in the team’s first six games, and he wonders “[w]hether [head coach Chip] Kelly is fine with Foles as the long-term guy.”
  • Speaking of NFC East signal-callers, John Keim of ESPN.com writes that the Redskins have not lost confidence in QB Kirk Cousins, but he has to prove that he can handle adversity better.
  • We heard earlier today that the Cowboys may have interest in dealing for Bills RB C.J. Spiller in advance of the October 28 deadline, but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com writes that it makes no sense for the Giants to consider adding Spiller to their backfield.
  • Although Jerod Mayo‘s injury certainly hurts the Patriots on the field, it may actually help Mayo financially, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Volin writes, “Per [Mayo’s] contract…$4.5 million of his $6.25 million base salary is guaranteed for injury only. If he had stayed healthy this year and through the offseason, Mayo would have $0 in guarantees in 2015. But if he can’t fully return from the injury and the Patriots decide to move on, he’ll have recourse to still collect a fat check.”
  • We learned earlier that the Patriots may be targeting offensive line, defensive line, and linebacker help prior to the trade deadline.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork has a few more notes on new Jets wideout Percy Harvin.

East Notes: Vick, RGIII, Benn, Patriots

September 25th, 2014 at 6:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Some people are calling for Michael Vick in New York, but Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg sounds like he’s sticking with Geno Smith, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. “We’re right in the middle of developing a young quarterback,” Mornhinweg said. “We’ve discussed this. We’re going to go through some ups and downs now. When you go through a little dip, you’ve got to motor through it now.” Even if Smith’s struggles continue, it sounds like Vick will remain at No. 2 on the depth chart. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East..

  • Sources tell Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter) that there’s no guarantee that the Redskins will hand Robert Griffin III his job back when he returns from injury. Down the line, if Kirk Cousins plays well, one has to imagine that RGIII could become trade fodder for Washington. Of course, Cousins will have to continue to build off of his strong Week 3 showing.
  • Former Eagles and Buccaneers wide receiver Arrelious Benn (back) has fully recovered from his back injury and will begin working out for teams soon, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Eagles cut Benn with an injury settlement earlier this month. In 37 career NFL games, Benn has 59 catches and 862 receiving yards to his credit.
  • The Patriots and Bears are looking at former Redskins safety Bacarri Rambo, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (on Twitter).

Reaction To Sam Bradford’s Season-Ending Injury

August 25th, 2014 at 2:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams confirmed yesterday that quarterback Sam Bradford had re-torn his ACL, an injury that will end his season before it begins. It’s a tragic turn for the young QB, and it will force St. Louis to answer many questions in the coming weeks and months. Is Shaun Hill capable of leading a team? Are there better alternatives available? And will Bradford’s contract prevent him from staying with the Rams in 2015? Let’s look at some reactions to the news from around the league:

  • While Jeff Fisher and the rest of the Rams’ staff will meet to discuss quarterback options available through free agency and trade, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported (Twitter link) they hadn’t done so as of yesterday afternoon.
  • Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that St. Louis might simply be content with Hill, it feels it’s a defensive-oriented team with a strong running game. In fact, the “team believes it has more talent around the QB than [it has] in years.”
  • Despite reports that there is “no chance” the Eagles trade Mark Sanchez, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that the Rams do want to acquire him, but accept that such move is a longshot. Cole continues, saying that the Rams are also considering Ryan Mallett.
  • Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald thinks (on Twitter) that the Rams should call the Dolphins about Matt Moore‘s availability.
  • Field Yates of ESPN Insider (subscription required) examines the Rams’ options both this year (possible trades for Kirk Cousins or Mike Glennon) and beyond (sticking with Bradford versus drafting a quarterback in 2015).
  • Regarding Cousins, a source tells Mike Jones and Liz Clarke of the Washington Post that the Redskins are wary of trading Cousins while Robert Griffin III continues to struggle with Jay Gruden’s offense.
  • Because the Rams can save almost $13MM against the cap in 2015 by releasing Bradford, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes that it’s impossible to conceive him sticking on the Rams after this season.
  • Bill Barnwell of Grantland agrees, writing that it would be a massive mistake for the Rams to keep Bradford around for next season.
  • St. Louis might have trouble trading for a quarterback (specifically, a QB’s salary) as they rank last in the NFL with just $1.678MM in cap space, per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Corry points (on Twitter) to Chris Long and James Laurinaitis as candidates to have their contracts restructured in an effort to free up cap room.

East Notes: Griffin, Brent, Branch

August 24th, 2014 at 12:20pm CST by Rory Parks

Robert Griffin III struggled in the Redskins‘ third preseason game against the Ravens on Saturday night, and that has led to a great deal of chatter as to whether he or backup Kirk Cousins represents the team’s best option under center. Redskins’ legend Joe Theismann weighed in on the conversation in the fourth quarter of last night’s game (as transcribed by Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post) stating:

“Let’s stop beating around the bush. Kirk Cousins has played much better at the quarterback position than Robert Griffin III has…Now, if there was a quarterback competition, it wouldn’t be a competition. Kirk Cousins would be the man I believe [head coach Jay Gruden] would have to go to.”

Theismann continued to sing Cousins’ praises after the game ended. Former Redskin Brian Mitchell, an analyst on the team’s post game show, disagreed with Theismann’s assessment, stating that Griffin, not Cousins, gives Washington the best chance of winning. For what it’s worth, Liz Clarke of the Washington Post writes that Griffin rejects the belief that he has regressed this preseason.

Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com points out the obvious flaw in Theismann’s analysis, writing that, since there never was a quarterback competition in Redskins camp–Griffin entered the offseason as the undisputed starter–there is no way to determine whether Griffin or Cousins would have won such a competition. If the starting job was up for grabs, Cousins would have had a chance to work with the first team offense against the Ravens’ first-team defense, and no one can say how that would have altered the evaluation.
  • Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com reports that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expects a decision from the league regarding a potential suspension for DT Josh Brent “imminently.” Jones has previously stated that the team will have a roster spot for Brent if the NFL allows him to play.
  • Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News writes that undrafted free agent wideout Corey Washington has had a monster preseason for the Giants and has thrust himself into serious consideration for a roster spot.
  • Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com tweets that it will be a few days before a final diagnosis is made on Geoff Schwartz, and in a full-length piece Ranaan describes how the Giants might go about replacing him.
  • In a pair of articles, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post offers a little more on Schwartz, some Giants‘ roster machinations, and he describes the quality performances displayed by a few of the Giants’ younger players.
  • I rounded up a few Eagles links here.
  • In the wake of Alan Branch‘s recent arrest, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reexamines the financial ramifications the Bills would face if they were to release Branch.
  • Marc Sessler of NFL.com writes that Bills coach Doug Marrone is open to shopping for a new backup quarterback. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com wonders (via Twitter) if the team would consider Luke McCown if he is cut by New Orleans, as the Saints and the Bills have a similar offensive system.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe describes how the new practice squad rules could impact several players on the Patriots‘ roster bubble.
  • Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe provides a closer look on how the Patriots will pare their roster down to 75 players by Tuesday’s deadline.
  • The Jets released six players earlier today.

 

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