HEADLINES

Matt Barkley

NFL Notes: Smith, Vick, Jones-Drew

March 22nd, 2014 at 8:44pm CST by Peter Sowards

In his first public comments since the team signed Michael Vick, Jets quarterback and second-year pro Geno Smith was unabashed in his praise of the move and the man himself.

“Awesome, man. Vick’s my guy,” Smith said Saturday, according to the Associated Press. “We needed to find a guy that was legitimately a guy that could come in and play. I think that’s what we did.”

Signing just a one-year deal for $5MM, Vick figures to compete with Smith for the starting job.

Check the notes below for more NFL-related content…

Backup QB Notes: Browns, Eagles, Raiders, Ravens

March 22nd, 2014 at 11:20am CST by Matt Feminis

Browns veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer, rehabbing his torn ACL injury suffered in October, says his goal is to be the starter, writes Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal. Hoyer’s role remains to be seen, as the team is expected to draft its quarterback of the future, but who that is and when he’s drafted could dictate Hoyer’s place on the depth chart. If the Browns spend the fourth overall pick on a passer, Hoyer is likely relegated to a backup role, but if the team drafts a quarterback not quite pro-ready, Hoyer could have an opportunity as a bridge starter. Meanwhile, Ulrich speculates the Browns could sign 33-year-old Rex Grossman to serve as a No. 3 and mentor.

In other backup signal caller news:

  • With trade acquisition Matt Schaub in the fold, the Raiders are content with backup Matt McGloin, tweeted Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Writing about the Eagles’ quarterback depth, CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher says the team is “thinner at the position than they’ve been in more than a decade.” Second-year man Matt Barkley, whom the Eagles traded up to draft in the fourth round, is in line to be the backup, and Mosher notes, “Chip Kelly touted Barkley’s progress throughout the season and seemed very enthused about the former USC star’s future.” Should the team decide to add a veteran competitor for the No. 2 job, Terrelle Pryor, expected to be squeezed out of Oakland, could be the best system fit.
  • The Ravens should be in the market for another quarterback, believes CSN Baltimore’s Ray Frager. The Ravens spoke with Brandon Weeden before he signed with the Cowboys, indicating the team is looking for a backup capable of running new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s play-action passing game for an extended stretch of games in the event starter Joe Flacco goes down. Current backup Tyrod Taylor‘s inexpensive contract is up next season, and his style of play and inaccuracy make him more suited for a No. 3 job.

FA Notes: Finley, Britt, Spencer, Barkley

March 21st, 2014 at 7:55pm CST by Rob DiRe

Former Packers’ tight end Jermichael Finley failed his physical with the Seahawks, reports Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter). He writes that Finley is only four months removed from neck surgery.

Finley could still be months away from landing with an NFL team, based on his recovery, notes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Here are some other rumors from around the NFL:

  • While they haven’t expressed much interest in Finley, the tight end is still an option for the Giants. However it looks like the team has concluded that Anthony Spencer‘s health is not worth the risk, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
  • Kenny Britt had a good visit with the Patriots, writes Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. Britt had a conversation with Reiss’ colleague Mike Rodak, who covers the Bills. “It was actually better than I thought it was,” said Britt, discussing the Patriots. “A lot of guys, a lot of people out there that don’t know or been on the inside or think it’s strict and things like that, but it’s laid back when I got there. They got good people there. I actually worked out for them. The workout went great. I had a good time.” 
  • Matt Barkley will have a chance to win the number two quarterback job behind Nick Foles, reports Matt Bosher of CSNPhilly (via Twitter). Bosher writes that the Eagles will still have to bring another quarterback in this offseason.

Eagles Rumors: Ryans, Mathis, Brown, FAs

February 25th, 2014 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

DeMeco Ryans finished the 2013 season as the 54th-ranked inside linebacker of the 55 that qualified, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). But despite the subpar grades from PFF and a $6.9MM cap number in 2014, the Eagles linebacker isn’t going anywhere, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Even asking Ryans to take a pay cut is unlikely, according to McLane, who says that the veteran commands more respect than virtually any other player in the locker room, and that “forcing” him to accept a reduced salary wouldn’t go over well with his teammates.

McLane also provided several other Eagles-related tidbits from the combine in Indianapolis, so let’s round them up….

  • All-Pro guard Evan Mathis figures to barely crack the top 15 highest-paid guards in the NFL next season, but don’t expect Philadelphia to increase his salary, says McLane, adding that a holdout from Mathis isn’t likely either.
  • Head coach Chip Kelly may prefer running back Chris Polk to Bryce Brown as LeSean McCoy‘s primary backup. That makes Brown a trade candidate this offseason, and there’s a “healthy market” for him, according to McLane. However, reaching a deal won’t be easy, due to the increasing salary cap.
  • According to McLane, several agents asked him at the combine if there was any chance of cornerback Brandon Boykin and linebacker Mychal Kendricks leaving their current reps. In other words, both players, who will enter their third seasons in 2014, are viewed as hot commodities. Boykin and Kendricks will be eligible for contract extensions after the ’14 season.
  • McLane can’t see the Eagles going into the 2014 season with Matt Barkley as the primary backup behind starting quarterback Nick Foles. Multiple scouts at the combine told McLane that they’ve seen enough to declare the former fourth-round pick a backup at best.
  • Cornerback Cary Williams is expected to remain on Philadelphia’s roster beyond the fifth day of the new league year, which would ensure that his $4.75MM base salary for 2014 becomes guaranteed.
  • “All signs” point to punter Donnie Jones re-signing with the Eagles, though other free agents like safety Kurt Coleman, defensive end Clifton Geathers, and linebacker Phillip Hunt look like good bets to hit the open market.