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Larry Fitzgerald

NFC Notes: Raji, Iupati, Fitz, Weatherspoon

February 27th, 2015 at 7:03pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji is scheduled to become a free agent next month, but it appears that the 28-year-old will remain in Green Bay for at least another season. Bill Huber of PackerReport.com writes that, according to a league source, Green Bay is expected to re-sign the six-year veteran.

Raji missed all of 2014 after tearing his right bicep during the preseason, but he stayed with the team through the season to rehab and should be at full strength by training camp. Raji has played in 76 games for the Packers since they drafted him ninth overall out of Boston College in 2009. The one-time All-Pro made $4MM last season and, per Huber, is likely to re-up in Green Bay on a one-year deal.

Here’s the latest on some of Raji’s fellow NFC players:

  • Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweeted Friday that 49ers guard Mike Iupati is expected to hit the open negotiating market March 7. Even if that happens, the three-time Pro Bowler could still end up re-signing with the 49ers, according to Maiocco.
  • Earlier this month, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald agreed to a two-year contract to stay with the Cardinals, for whom he has caught over 900 passes in 11 seasons. Albert Breer of NFL Network reports that Fitzgerald’s deal is rare in that it contains a no-trade clause.
  • New Falcons head coach Dan Quinn hopes the team can retain linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Weatherspoon, who’s currently without a contract, sat out all of last season because of an Achilles’ tear and missed nine games in 2013 on account of a Lisfranc injury. The five-year veteran’s only 16-game season came in 2011, when he totaled 115 tackles and four sacks

West Rumors: Fitz, Raiders, Parker, Wilson

February 20th, 2015 at 9:03am CST by Luke Adams

While we learned the basic details of Larry Fitzgerald‘s new contract with the Cardinals earlier this week, we didn’t have the specific figures until today, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com breaks down the deal in a series of five tweets. Fitzgerald will receive a $10MM bonus on the second day of the 2015 league year, and has fully guaranteed $1MM and $11MM base salaries for 2015 and 2016, respectively. That $10MM bonus will be considered a signing bonus, meaning it’s prorated over the course of the deal, which extends through 2018, though it’s scheduled to void five days after the 2017 Super Bowl. The contract, which includes a no-trade clause, reduces Fitzgerald’s 2015 cap hit to $10.85M, creating $12.75M in immediate cap room for the Cards.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two West divisions….

  • Although Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie has publicly stated that the team won’t rule out keeping Matt Schaub in 2015, league sources tell Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle that Oakland won’t bring back its high-priced backup. According to Tafur, safety Tyvon Branch and outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley could also be on the chopping block, and running back Maurice Jones-Drew would likely have to take a pay cut to return to Oakland.
  • The Chiefs are engaged in ongoing discussions with the agent for free agent defensive back Ron Parker, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star, who tweets that Parker’s asking price is still about $6MM per year. Paylor reported earlier in the month that Parker would be seeking a $6MM annual salary on a four- or five-year deal.
  • Cap experts like Joel Corry and Jason Fitzgerald have recently speculated that when Russell Wilson signs an extension with the Seahawks, he could become the first quarterback to receive a fully guaranteed contract. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), that possibility is “very real,” and it’ll be fascinating to see how it plays out.
  • In his examation of the free agent market for tight ends, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap explains why Broncos TE Julius Thomas may be overvalued next month.

Latest On FA Market For WR, CB

February 19th, 2015 at 5:35pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL executives around the league are scared that Larry Fitzgerald‘s deal with the Cardinals will inflate the free agent market for wide receivers, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The new contract surprised three different execs, who didn’t see him getting $11MM per season for two years.

Executives expected the wide receiver market to be more in the $7-$8MM range and believed that Fitzgerald would fall near the top of that range. His new deal, as many have posited, probably comes in at around $6MM over market value. Still, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill did not want to lose his franchise player and he believes that Fitzgerald sets a phenomenal example for teammates on and off-the-field. While the quantifiable stats make the deal an overpay in the eyes of most, Bidwill believes that No. 11’s value goes beyond his on-field production. In 2014, Fitzgerald hauled in 63 catches for 784 yards and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net hears that the belief around the league is that the available corners will be overpaid in free agency as the demand will far outweigh the supply. The need is great for many teams like the Saints and Bears, who could look to sign not one but two cornerbacks on the open market. The Patriots won the Super Bowl with the help of two free agent corners in Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner and it’s not hard to see other teams eagerly trying to replicate that success.

NFC West Notes: Gore, 49ers, Cards, Lynch

February 18th, 2015 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

In an Instagram post earlier this week, Frank Gore publicly expressed some doubt about how invested the 49ers are in re-signing him this winter. According to Niners GM Trent Baalke, that prompted him to reach out to the veteran running back to reiterate the team’s position, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes.

“That’s why we talked. That’s the exact (reason),” Baalke said. “We reached out. He reached out back. He wasn’t expecting it to take legs like it did. Nor were we. He didn’t have any intentions by it and he made that very clear in our conversations. … It’s at the same place it was the last time we talked. We’re still working on it. It’s not something that’s going to get done yesterday. It’ll take some time to resolve. It’s our intention to have Frank back.”

While we wait to see what Gore’s future holds, here’s more from around the NFC West:

  • Baalke also said today that he plans to meet with Michael Crabtree‘s agent this week in Indianapolis, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). The 49ers wideout is eligible for free agency next month.
  • Speaking today to reporters in Indy, including Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link), Cardinals GM Steve Keim said he doesn’t want to get into specifics, but the team intends to talk to Darnell Dockett about his contract. Dockett, who missed the entire 2014 campaign with a knee injury, is on the books for a 2015 cap hit of $9.8MM, a figure the club may want to reduce.
  • Keim also today that he expects some of the Cardinals‘ free agents, such as Antonio Cromartie, to test the open market, though that doesn’t rule out the possibility of them re-signing with Arizona (Twitter link via Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com).
  • While a full breakdown of Larry Fitzgerald‘s new contract with the Cardinals isn’t out there yet, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a stab at determining what it will look like.
  • A Seahawks player tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that he thinks it’s 50/50 as to whether Marshawn Lynch continues his career or decides to retire. “Marshawn is a different kind of guy,” the player said. “He could retire tomorrow, walk away and not think twice about it.”
  • With Lynch’s future up in the air, Terry Blount of ESPN.com identifies three running backs that may be on the Seahawks‘ radar during this week’s combine and during the draft this spring.

Cards, Larry Fitzgerald Agree To New Deal

February 18th, 2015 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

11:04am: Although Fitzgerald’s new deal is technically a four-year pact, it voids after two years, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. That allows the Cards to spread out bonus money over additional years, reducing the cap hits for 2015 and 2016.

10:38am: Speaking to reporters in Indianapolis today, Cardinals GM Steve Keim confirmed that Fitzgerald’s deal is done, and said it’s “essentially” a two-year agreement (Twitter links via Josh Weinfuss and Darren Urban).

10:06am: A source tells Pro Football Talk (via Twitter) that the agreement between Fitzgerald and the Cards is “done” and that it will create $13MM in cap space for 2015. Fitzgerald’s old contract has been replaced by a new one that will guarantee him $11MM in each of the next two seasons, per PFT.

8:07am: The Cardinals and receiver Larry Fitzgerald are closing in on a new multiyear contract extension that is expected to be finalized soon, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, the agreement will enable the veteran wideout – and longtime Cardinal – to finish his career in Arizona.

Fitzgerald is currently under contract with the Cardinals through the 2018 season, so the new agreement may not add any new years to that deal. However, it will certainly reduce the 31-year-old’s cap number for 2015, at least — an $8MM base salary, combined with a $7.35MM prorated bonus and an $8MM roster bonus, had Fitzgerald counting for more than $23MM on the Cards’ books for the coming year.

Fitzgerald’s production has fallen off a little during the last three years, as he has averaged only about 72 catches and 845 yards per season from 2012 to 2014, compared to averages of close to 93 receptions and 1,296 yards in the five-year span from 2007 to 2011. Nonetheless, the Cardinals wanted to keep him around, and there was also interest from Fitzgerald’s side in working out a new arrangement that would give him a better opportunity to play out the rest of his career in Arizona without fear of being cut.

Additionally, Arizona is one of just a handful of teams currently projected to be over the 2015 cap, ahead of only the Saints in terms of potential cap room (or lack thereof), per Over the Cap. As such, restructuring Fitzgerald’s deal was a top priority for the club as the free agent period approached.

A simple restructure, which involves converting base salary to a signing bonus, won’t be enough to lighten the load on the Cardinals’ cap in 2015 and beyond, so the wideout will almost certainly have to take a pay cut, though I assume he’ll be receiving some money up front as part of the agreement — converting his $8MM roster bonus into a prorated signing bonus could be part of the move, but we’ll have to wait for the full details to be reported to be sure.

NFC Notes: Harbaugh, Suh, Rams

February 13th, 2015 at 8:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh shared some thoughts about his former employer on the Tim Kawakami Show, telling the San Jose Mercury News columnist his parting with the 49ers “wasn’t exactly mutual.”

“I didn’t leave the 49ers. I felt like the 49ers left me,” Harbaugh told Kawakami. The successful coach quickly exited San Francisco for Ann Arbor, Michigan, just after his fourth season as an NFL head coach concluded.

Mired in what appeared to be a consistent struggle with upper management, Harbaugh left despite taking the 49ers to three straight NFC title games, a destination the franchise hadn’t seen since 1997. Harbaugh also confirmed he was told he wouldn’t be back with the 49ers after a Week 15 loss in Seattle. The current Michigan coach, who will work for $5MM this season, didn’t deny then-defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was campaigning for his old job before getting it in January.

“There was definitely a point where you walk down the halls and you … I wasn’t reading anything that was on the Internet, I was really focused on doing my job … but definitely walk down the halls and people look away or they look at you and you know something’s going on,” Harbaugh told Kawakami.

On to those who plan to be paid by NFL franchises this season …

  • If franchised, Ndamukong Suh‘s salary will balloon into the stratosphere reserved for baseball players and Roger Goodell, but Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin doesn’t care at this point, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. He plans on the free agent defensive tackle returning for a sixth season in the Motor City. Of course, there are other deciding voices on this expensive matter. Suh would draw a staggering $26.9MM should the Lions franchise him. The former No. 2 overall pick’s cap number was north of $22MM last season, according to OverTheCap.com. The near-$27MM figure would represent more than 19% of the Lions’ overall salary cap if they exercise this option. The team has 23 free agents and only $14.5MM worth of cap space, so some major restructuring would be necessary to make Austin’s ideal vision come to fruition.
  • Rams coach Jeff Fisher shed some light on his recent offensive coordinator hire, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner on Twitter, saying it was going to be an in-house candidate. Fisher also noted he had only one in-person interview — Nathaniel Hackett — and a couple of phone conversations with Kyle Shanahan and Adam Gase (via Wagner on Twitter) before promoting quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti. Jeff Garcia was interviewed for the quarterback coach job on Thursday and Friday, but more interviews are coming (Twitter link).
  • Amid another contract renegotiation, Larry Fitzgerald could finally enter the free agent market, but Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic explains why the 31-year-old Fitzgerald departing would not be the right move for his own sake. Fitzgerald is due $8MM if he’s on the roster when the new league year begins March 10, but that contract carries a $23.6MM cap charge, which is probably a non-starter for most players, let alone a one who hasn’t topped 1,000 receiving yards in a season since 2011. The Cardinals need to slash more than $10MM, according to OverTheCap.com, to move under the salary cap by March 10, and Fitzgerald’s deal is front and center.

West Notes: 49ers, Manning, Cards, Lynch

February 13th, 2015 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

49ers defensive end Justin Smith has yet to make a decision about whether or not he’ll return to the team for next season or end his playing career, and his decision could have a significant impact on another Niners defender, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Maiocco observes that Aldon Smith, who is entering a contract year, often lines up on the same side of the field as the elder Smith, and benefits from the defensive end tying up pass blockers. If Justin Smith retires this offseason, it could have an effect on Aldon Smith’s earning potential as he enters a key year, says Maiocco.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two West divisions:

  • A league source tells NFL reporter Ross Tucker (Twitter link) that he thinks Peyton Manning may be in talks with the Broncos to restructure his contract in order to create cap room for the coming year. Reworking Manning’s deal could potentially create up to about $9MM in cap savings, which would give the club much more flexibility to re-sign key free agents like Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, and Terrance Knighton.
  • Appearing on the Doug and Wolf show on Arizona Sports 98.7FM, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim confirmed that discussions are ongoing with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and that he’d like to have resolution on the issue in time for free agency (link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). According to Keim, the club is currently about $16MM over the cap — incidentally, the veteran wideout is owed an $8MM base salary and an $8MM roster bonus for 2015.
  • Keim also touched on a few other topics during his radio appearance, including cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who is eligible for free agency. The GM had nothing but praise for Cromartie’s efforts in 2014, and said the Cardinals would “love” to bring him back.
  • Former Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson, who is a close friend of Marshawn Lynch, would bet that the running back returns to Seattle for the 2015 season, but he admits that he doesn’t know that for sure, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “I don’t think Marshawn knows yet,” Robinson said on 710 ESPN in Seattle. “I don’t know what a timeline is, guys. I would guess that Marshawn doesn’t even really know what a timeline is. Probably going to be a feel thing and we’ll just see like everybody else.”

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Fitzgerald, Martz

January 29th, 2015 at 7:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals will hope to have suspended linebacker Daryl Washington in action for 2015 but they’ll plan for the worst, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes. “He’ll be facing the issue with the domestic violence and there has been no determination of what happens there,” president Michael Bidwill said. “He was only suspended for the drug issue, so we want to make sure we understand what that (other punishment) is. Last year, we learned about his suspension after free agency. This year we are going to plan to make sure we address all the issues not knowing whether Daryl will be back for part of next season or all of next season. ‘Next man up’ is real but we have to make sure we’ve gone into free agency and addressed that situation.” More from the NFC West..

  • Bidwill went on to express confidence that Larry Fitzgerald will be back with the team in 2015. “Larry and I have met about it, just he and I talking about it, and I know he’s interested in getting something resolved,” Bidwill said, according to Urban. “After the playoff game, he got away, left the country. He’s back now, it’s a busy week this week and we’ll start working on this next week. I think we’ll get this all worked out. He’s such a great person and a great player, he’s got many years left and I want to see him retire as an Arizona Cardinal. I want to see us move past getting this contract resolved and move forward.“
  • Fitzgerald says he wants to retire a member of the Cardinals, but today he told Kim Covington of 12 News he could envision himself playing for another team next year. Fitzgerald told Kim he has met with Bidwell, but he understands football is a business and that may mean his time with the Cardinals may be over.
  • The Rams are having some trouble finding an offensive coordinator and Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests a familiar name: former head coach Mike Martz. Martz, of course, was one of the most creative, innovative, daring, forward-thinking offensive minds in the modern era. Since Martz left the building in 2005 with a serious health issue, the Rams have averaged 17.8 points per game, which ranks 30th among 32 teams.
  • Even if the Seahawks prevail Sunday in Super Bowl 49, there may be hope for their NFC West division rivals, Miklasz writes. Quarterback Russell Wilson is about to get paid, and Seattle will lose a major competitive advantage when they lose his dirt cheap contract. Wilson make just $817K in 2014, less than backup Tarvaris Jackson.
  • The Cardinals had interest in Mike Smith as a senior defensive assistant but things didn’t work out, sources tell Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). The former Falcons head coach has been linked to other coaching opportunities around the NFL, including the Raiders’ defensive coordinator vacancy.

NFC Notes: Romo, Fitzgerald, Fewell, 49ers

January 23rd, 2015 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Tony Romo’s contract currently calls for a $27.77MM cap hit in 2015, before dipping to $17.64MM in 2016, which would appear to make him a slam-dunk candidate to have his deal restructured this offseason. However, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones says “not a given,” according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, who explains why it’s risky to push more money into the later years of the contract. Still, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets, it’s hard to believe Jerry Jones will “hold the line financially” with Romo turning 35 in April and the team’s championship window potentially closing soon.

Let’s check in on a few other Friday items from out of the NFC….

  • Speaking of Romo, in an appearance on 103.3 KESN-FM in Dallas, he admitted that he’s consistently talking to Jerry Jones and other members of the Cowboys‘ front office about re-signing Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. In order for that to be possible, the team may need the cap space that a Romo restructure would create.
  • Reiterating that he hopes to get contract extensions done for head coach Bruce Arians and GM Steve Keim following the Super Bowl, Cardinals president Michael Bidwill also addressed’s Larry Fitzgerald contract last night, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com outlines. Bidwill advised fans to “relax” about Fitzgerald, assuring them the situation will get worked out. “My goal from the beginning was to have Larry Fitzgerald retire as a Cardinal when he is ready to retire many years from now,” Bidwill said. “I am feeling confident something will get worked out.”
  • As expected, former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell will be in San Francisco today to interview with the 49ers for their defensive backs coach position, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports.
  • D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution takes a look at the prospects who have spoken to the Falcons at the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl.
  • You can make the case that the Saints don’t need to bring back any of their free-agents-to-be this offseason, says Jason Fitzgerald in his preview of the team’s offseason at OverTheCap.com.

NFC West Rumors: Fitzgerald, Rams, Warner

January 8th, 2015 at 6:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Larry Fitzgerald‘s agent, Eugene Parker, has had positive preliminary contract talks with the Cardinals, sources tell Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic. Fitzgerald, who just completed his eleventh season, is due an $8MM bonus if he’s on the roster on March 17. Fitzgerald has to decide if wants to continue his career in Arizona, and if so, how big a pay cut he would be willing accept. Cards GM Steve Keim has said that he won’t cut the former Pro Bowler, but he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of trading him. A look at the NFC West..

  • Vic Fangio would target Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator and Ed Donatell as defensive coordinator if he is promoted to head coach of the 49ers, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Shanahan would appear to have two horses in the race when it comes to the 49ers’ offensive coordinator gig as father Mike Shanahan has also interviewed for the head coaching position.
  • Rams owner Stan Kroenke isn’t taking calls from St. Louis officials, so they’re now working directly with the NFL to try and keep their team, as Arash Markazi of ESPN.com writes (with help from The Associated Press). “After a while, you sort of get the hint,” said Jeff Rainford, the mayor’s chief of staff. City and state officials firmly believe that the Rams can succeed in St. Louis, but if they won’t stay, the city is prepared to try and lure another team.
  • If the Cardinals had wanted to replace Ryan Lindley with Kurt Warner for their playoff run, he would have been open to it. “There was a scenario where I would have considered it,” Warner said on the Dan Patrick Show, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “I don’t know what I would have done.” The 43-year-old Warner said he talked to Arians and GM Steve Keim “in passing” but that he doesn’t think they were ever seriously interested in bringing him back. But the veteran QB was interested enough that he talked to his family about it, and they were supportive.
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