Marshawn Lynch - Pro Football Rumors

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Lynch, 49ers

February 11th, 2015 at 5:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Both Cardinals GM Steve Keim and head coach Bruce Arians have excelled since entering their roles and they’re both on the verge of being rewarded with extensions, according to team president Michael Bidwill. “I think it’s the right thing to do, and I want to reward people that have had success and brought success to the team,” Bidwill told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “I can’t think of two people more deserving — coach of the year, two times in three years, executive of the year. They’ve both done tremendous jobs, brought tremendous leadership and success to the organization and I want to be in the habit of rewarding people that bring that kind of success.” More out of the NFC West…

Seahawks GM John Schneider told KJR that he’s not sure if Marshawn Lynch is contemplating retirement because he wants a new contract or because he’s possibly done with football, according to Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times (on Twitter).
When asked about free agent cornerback Byron Maxwell, Schneider stated the obvious. “He would be very sought after [if he reaches the open market],” the GM said (link). He added that the Seahawks will put up a big fight to try and keep him, but he doesn’t know if that effort will ultimately be enough (link).
Defensive lineman Justin Smith, who is contemplating retirement, has been a regular visitor at the 49ers’ Santa Clara facility since the end of the season, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. Smith has one season remaining at a salary of $4.25MM and this could be a sign that he’s leaning toward returning in 2015.
Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times still expects to see Beast Mode in a Seahawks uniform next season. Condotta also digs in to Schneider’s comments regarding contract talks with Russell Wilson. He believes that the GM was hinting that Wilson would be willing to iron out a deal that would be cap friendly, but not necessarily one that would call for a big hometown discount. Schneider’s comments also inferred that it will take some time to come together as they wait for some dominoes to fall, in Condotta’s view.
Former NFL signal caller Jeff Garcia will interview for the Rams‘ quarterbacks coach job on Thursday, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN (on Twitter).

Seahawks GM Talks Lynch, Wilson, Future

February 10th, 2015 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Seahawks general manager John Schneider appeared on The Brock and Salk Show on 710 ESPN Seattle today, and while the GM was careful not to reveal much, he did discuss his two offensive stars in the interview, hinting at what their futures may entail. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times rounded up a few of Schneider’s key quotes, so let’s check out the highlights:

The Seahawks still aren’t sure whether or not Marshawn Lynch wants to play next season, according to Schneider. The team hopes he’ll make a decision soon, so that the front office can move forward on offseason plans, but the GM admitted that he knows Lynch’s decision “may not happen overnight.”
If Lynch does return, he almost certainly won’t be playing on the same contract, says Schneider, which makes sense, given recent reports about possible extension talks between the Seahawks and the veteran running back. Seattle was reluctant to make any changes to Lynch’s contract last summer when he was holding out, but is more inclined to rework it now that there’s just one year left instead of two.
Asked about a contract extension for quarterback Russell Wilson, Schneider declined to comment on specifics, but said, “Russell knows there are certain dominoes that have to fall into place…. He knows. He gets it. He wants to win for a long time.” While that’s a little cryptic, it’s a hint that Wilson is willing to structure his new deal in a way that doesn’t hamper the team’s cap flexibility. We had previously heard that negotiations on an extension for Wilson were expected to begin right after the Super Bowl, and that a new contract could make him the highest-paid QB in the NFL. Schneider confirmed that he has already started talking to the young signal-caller’s agent.
Despite losing this year’s Super Bowl, the Seahawks “have a shot to be a championship-caliber team for a long time,” in Schneider’s view. “I just have the confidence in the coaching staff and everybody that we have upstairs that we are going to get this thing back on track,” he said.

NFC Links: Eagles, Lynch, Suh, Panthers

February 7th, 2015 at 9:28am CST by Ben Levine

Former offensive tackle Tra Thomas was a member of the Eagles coaching staff this past season, but the 40-year-old wasn’t retained for 2015. Thomas spent time as a full-time assistant on both offense and defense, and he felt like he was actually making an impact on the players.

As a result, it was a surprise when he learned he wouldn’t be back with the organization next season.

“I was a little bit surprised just because when I switched over to the outside linebackers, they improved last year,” Thomas said on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philly (via Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com). “The last season, they put up 16 sacks, and then you switch me over to the other side, I start working with ’em, and then this past season we put up 26.5 sacks. Connor Barwin went from five sacks to 14.5 sacks. So I was a little bit surprised just because you can look at the numbers and see that there was improvement in that group. But it’s just the way it goes.

“I went in and asked Coach [Kelly] what my situation was gonna be, and what I was told was that position I had was just kind of something they made up for me to get me some experience on this side of the game, and that it’s not gonna exist next year.”

More from the Eagles amid notes from the NFC…

Looking ahead towards the Eagles‘ tight end depth in 2015, Kapadia believes the team will ultimately keep Brent Celek and Zach Ertz. Due to James Casey‘s contract, Kapadia believes the team will part ways with the veteran if they think Trey Burton can adequately replace him.
It isn’t a guarantee that running back Marshawn Lynch will play in the NFL next season, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. With only one year remaining on his contract, Florio believes the threat of Lynch not playing could be enough to force the Seahawks to pay the running back. According to the writer, there’s also a chance that the 28-year-old has simply decided he’s “had enough.”
Following news yesterday that the Lions informed a free agent defensive tackle that they expect Ndamukong Suh to be back in Detroit next season, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says the two sides have not resumed negotiations.
As the Panthers seek help on the offensive line, Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer suggests the team checks out former Ravens and Titans lineman Michael Oher. The former first-rounder was released by Tennessee earlier this week.

NFC Notes: Lynch, Sherman, Lions, Houston

February 3rd, 2015 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

On a radio appearance, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said that the team has been “in the midst” of contract talks with running back Marshawn Lynch for a while now, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (via Twitter). Earlier this week it was reported that Seattle made a “huge” offer to the Skittles-loving tailback that would likely keep him with the team for the remainder of his career. The 28-year-old running back is set to make $5MM next year, but that offer would reportedly give him $10MM in 2015 alone.

Let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC….

Carroll also admitted today that he “might have been misled” regarding Richard Sherman‘s injury situation, suggesting that the Seahawks cornerback may not need to undergo Tommy John surgery after all. “He’s not a pitcher, and he’s not a left-hander,” Carroll said, per ESPN.com. “Sherm might not have to have that kind of surgery. If he was a thrower he would.”
Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com takes a look at the free agent decisions facing the Lions on their defensive line, where Ndamukong Suh is far from the only player with an expiring contract. Twentyman figures that if the team can get a deal done with Suh, it figures to be worth around $100MM, with $50MM+ in guarantees.
Lamarr Houston‘s $5.9MM base salary for 2015 with the Bears will now be fully guaranteed, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Houston’s contract called for his salary to be locked in on the second day of the 2015 waiver period, which is today. The defensive end’s season ended prematurely when he tore his ACL while celebrating a sack in October. It wasn’t exactly a banner year for Houston, as that sack was his very first of the 2014 campaign.
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff says he has no problem with the way the team’s front office is set up, with new head coach Dan Quinn having final say on Atlanta’s 53-man roster — in fact, according to Dimitroff, he encouraged that. “It’s not about who has final 53 or who has authority over one thing or another,” Dimitroff said (link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution). “It’s about working together. It’s about nice equal footing and a partnership.”
The St. Louis group attempting to build a new stadium for the Rams has hired John Lloyd, who has “extensive experience” in the field, as a consultant on the project, as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch details.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Seahawks Offer Marshawn Lynch Extension

February 1st, 2015 at 11:25am CST by Rory Parks

11:25am: ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets that there have been no negotiations on the extension as of yet, but talks are scheduled for next week.

8:46am: The Seahawks have made a “huge” extension offer to Marshawn Lynch that would likely keep him with the club for the rest of his career, writes Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Lynch remains under contract for the 2015 season, but the extension, in addition to giving Lynch long-term security, would also double his 2015 pay. The 28-year-old running back is set to make $5MM next year, but Rapoport writes that the new deal would give Lynch over $10MM in 2015 alone.

Although the enigmatic Lynch has made the news for his bizarre press conferences and certain obscene gestures, and even though he has at least considered the possibility of retirement in each of the last two seasons, his on-field production for Seattle has largely overshadowed all of that. Lynch has rushed for at least 1,200 yards in four consecutive seasons, and his 2014 campaign was perhaps the best of his career. Lynch rushed for over 1,300 yards, maintained a 4.7 yards-per-carry average, and scored 13 touchdowns. He added 37 receptions for another 367 yards and four receiving touchdowns to his dominant season.

The former Bill was traded to Seattle during the 2010 season in exchange for two mid-round draft picks, and the deal immediately paid dividends for the Seahawks. Lynch, affectionately known as “Beast Mode,” was instrumental in Seattle’s surprise upset of the defending-champion Saints in the first round of that year’s playoffs, breaking off a memorable 67-yard touchdown run that was later dubbed “Beast Quake.”

Lynch was rewarded with a four-year, $31MM contract after the 2011 season, and after a brief holdout in 2014, he agreed to a new deal that provided him with a bit more financial certainty. Per Rapoport, the team feels that Lynch has outplayed that contract, and so they have offered him a lucrative extension just hours before he takes the field in Super Bowl XLIX. Rapoport does note, however, that if the Seahawks become repeat champions tonight, Lynch could follow through on his retirement plans.

Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that, in addition to paying Lynch $10MM in 2015, the extension would be second to only Adrian Peterson in average annual value (which is over $14MM per year). We heard nearly all year that Lynch would probably not return to Seattle after 2014, but his tremendous production this year has underscored his value to the club, and the team is prepared to reward him accordingly. It would be difficult for anyone to turn down such an offer, but Lynch is not your ordinary player or person, so unless and until the ink dries on this new contract, no one will really know where Lynch will be in 2015 and beyond.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Wilson, 49ers

January 28th, 2015 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

One of the most memorable moments of the Seahawks‘ Super Bowl win over Denver a year ago was Percy Harvin‘s kickoff return touchdown to open the second half, which essentially put the nail in the coffin of the Broncos’ comeback hopes. Having been sent to the Jets midway through the 2014 season, Harvin won’t be involved in this year’s Super Bowl, but Seattle has no regrets about moving him, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes.

Here’s more on the Seahawks and one of their NFC West rivals:

Asked about a potentially massive contract extension for quarterback Russell Wilson, Seahawks general manager John Schneider didn’t get into specifics, but acknowledged that such a deal “presents challenges” and could limit the club’s options in free agency. Brady Henderson of 710 ESPN Seattle has the details and the quotes from the GM.
With Marshawn Lynch heading into a contract year in 2015, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com examines the Seahawks‘ options for the veteran running back, suggesting that a short-term contract extension may be the best course of action for the team.
Although the 49ers are interested in adding Eagles wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell to their coaching staff, potentially as the club’s offensive coordinator, to this point Philadelphia has prevented Bicknell from interviewing, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
In his preview of the 49ers‘ offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap identifies Frank Gore, Chris Culliver, and Perrish Cox as free agents that the club should make an effort to re-sign, adding that Mike Iupati and Michael Crabtree are candidates to sign elsewhere.

Seahawks GM Talks Wilson, Maxwell, Lynch

January 23rd, 2015 at 7:10pm CST by Rob DiRe

Seahawks general manager John Schneider addressed reporters in a press conference today, and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times transcribed some of the GM’s more notable comments. Here are the highlights from the presser:

On a potential contract extension for Russell Wilson:

We don’t have a timetable. At the appropriate time we are able to speak to his representatives and we’ll do that. We are not in a situation where we can yet.

On being better prepared for a late start to free agency after going to a second Super Bowl:

I’m just saying we’re more prepared for what other people would think about our free agents or how we feel about other people’s free agents. Last year by the time we got to the combine it was just s whirlwind and you’re meeting with agents down there and other teams and so I just feel like we could do a better job this year.

On the potential free agency of Byron Maxwell:

Yeah, it is. That quite frankly is one of our first priorities is to talk to Maxie. Now I think he like a lot of our other unrestricted guys, I think he is going to be highly sought after and he should be. But we would at least like to have the opportunity to retain him.

On Marshawn Lynch‘s status going forward:

He’s under contract next year. He’s a warrior. Goes out there every weekend and lays it on the line. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a better running back in the National Football League.

On if he is tired of Lynch’s “act”:

No. I kind of love his act.

Schneider also spoke on the Percy Harvin trades, both from the Vikings and to the Jets, discusses what it meant to go to another Super Bowl, and reflects on the success he has achieved during his time with the team. It can all be found in Condotta’s write-up.

West Notes: Manning, Trestman, Lynch

January 18th, 2015 at 10:18am CST by Rory Parks

We heard earlier this morning that current Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak will accept the Broncos‘ head coaching job if and when it is offered to him, and there are a number of items related to the Broncos’ head coaching search to pass on, along with several notes from other clubs in the league’s west divisions. Let’s take a look:

Citing colleague Ian Rapoport, NFL.com’s Conor Orr writes that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is still undecided about his future, and even though many believe his return to Denver is a foregone conclusion, Rapoport wonders if Denver’s recent activity has laid the foundation for the team to hit the reset button. After all, as Orr writes, “John Elway was concerned about the team’s toughness after a loss to St. Louis earlier in the season and wondered if his team had gotten as good as they possibly could with the current staff and roster.” Manning still has a month to make up his mind before taking a physical that will lock in his $19MM salary for next year.
Benjamin Hochman and Mike Klis of the Denver Post wonder if the Broncos would be better off if Manning were to hang up the spikes right now (spoiler alert: the answer is “no”).
Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com asked former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer how Kubiak and Manning will overcome the conflicts between Manning’s abilities and Kubiak’s style of play-calling, and Plummer describes how the two men could make it work.
Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at a few standouts from yesterday’s East-West Shrine Classic that could be of interest to the Chargers.
Citing Rapoport, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes that the Raiders, as expected, will interview Marc Trestman for their offensive coordinator vacancy within the next several days.
Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times believes the Seahawks should retain Marshawn Lynch for at least one more season.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that former Youngstown State head coach Eric Wolford is set to become the 49ers‘ assistant offensive line coach.

NFC Notes: Newton, Lynch, Bucs, 49ers, Cards

December 7th, 2014 at 2:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Because the Panthers already exercised his fifth-year option, Cam Newton will be Carolina’s quarterback in 2015 — technically, the option doesn’t become guaranteed until the start of the league year, but it’s highly unlikely that the club will rescind the $14.666MM offer before then. The Panthers still need to decide if the former No. 1 overall pick will be their signal-caller for the long-term, however, leading Joseph Person and Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer to examine Newton’s current level of play and the prospect of signing him to an extension.

While Person allows that Newton has regressed during the second half of the season, he points to the Panthers losing key pieces from both their offensive line and their receiving corps as reasons why Newton’s production has waned. Fowler, meanwhile, argues that due to the fragility of running quarterbacks, Carolina should take a “wait and see” approach” — let the 2015 season play out, and then determine if Newton is worth the franchise tag tender or a long-term deal. Back in August, PFR’s Luke Adams looked at the the possibility of the Newton and the Panthers agreeing to a multi-year pact.

NFC Notes: Lynch, Peterson, Bush, Suh

November 27th, 2014 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

As the second half of the Bears/Lions game gets underway in Detroit, let’s round up a few Thanksgiving Day notes from around the NFC….

While head coach Pete Carroll insists that the Seahawks expect running back Marshawn Lynch to continue his career in Seattle in 2015, it won’t be an easy decision for the team, given Lynch’s age and increasing cap number. In an Insider-only piece, Field Yates of ESPN.com takes a closer look at the team’s upcoming decision on Lynch.
With the appeal hearing for his suspension set to commence next Tuesday, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has until tomorrow to submit any materials he plans to introduce at the hearing, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
After signing with the Cardinals, veteran running back Michael Bush is looking forward to getting a fresh start in Arizona, telling ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss that he didn’t feel as if he got a “fair shake” from the Bears during his last year in Chicago.
Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press believes the Lions should let defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh walk in free agency, arguing that GM Martin Mayhew and his staff have exhibited a knack for finding less cheaper – and often younger – defensive talent in the draft and free agency.
In a story for ESPN The Magazine, Tim Keown takes an interesting look at Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith‘s financial history since entering the NFL, including the Pro Bowler’s struggle with his family’s demands for money.