Michael Bennett (Texas A&M)

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Cousins, Seahawks

July 1st, 2016 at 2:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Ronaldo McClain is only the latest Cowboys defender to be slapped with a suspension. Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence was handed a four-game suspension earlier this summer, and defensive end Randy Gregory will also be forced to sit our four games.

Cornerback Brandon Carr understands that it’s on the trio’s teammates to pick up the slack.

“Well, anytime you get a guy going down in your unit, you have to come together even stronger to make up for that slack,” Carr told Zig Fracassi and Phil Savage on SiriusXM Satellite Radio (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “But Rolando is a guy that’s made a lot of plays for us in the past two years, another dominant presence on the field. So we’re definitely going to miss that. But football’s a game of the next man up, it’s a game of inches. So it’s going to take for all of us to come to training camp focused and next man up, get him ready, get prepared to go out there to battle.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC…

Mike Jones of the Washington Post wonders if the Redskins and Kirk Cousins will come to an agreement on an extension by the July 15th deadline. The writer notes that the two sides have made little progress, and while the team will make another push closer to training camp, there’s not much optimism that a deal will get done.
The Seahawks have generally held back from handing out extensions to players with more than a year remaining on their contract. However, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times wonders whether the team should rethink that strategy when it comes to defensive lineman Michael Bennett.
ESPN.com’s Nathan Jahnke (Insider subscription required) runs through his list of the NFL’s 10 most overpaid veterans. Giants quarterback Eli Manning leads the list, with Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil, Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr, and Vikings running back Adrian Peterson also appearing on the list.

Fallout From Doug Baldwin’s Extension

June 29th, 2016 at 4:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin‘s four-year, $46MM extension in the books, the Broncos’ Emmanuel Sanders is now at the front of the line of wideouts set to land new deals prior to the season, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN. Baldwin, the Chargers’ Keenan Allen and the Jaguars’ Allen Hurns have all signed extensions worth upward of $40MM – including $20MM-plus in guarantees – this month, but each is younger than Sanders. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns, having combined for 177 catches and 15 touchdowns during that span, and figures to net a sizable raise over the $5.6MM he’s scheduled to make in 2016. The Broncos and Sanders are already in negotiations, as 9NEWS’ Mike Klis reported earlier this month.

More out of Seattle:

The Seahawks will now turn their attention to locking up the Super Bowl-winning duo of general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Caroll, whose deals expire after this season, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Extensions for the pair could come during training camp, per Condotta. Defensive end Michael Bennett, meanwhile, is the next member of the Seahawks’ roster likely to rake in a big payday, writes Condotta. Bennett won’t be a free agent until after the 2017 campaign, however, so he might have to wait another year.
Baldwin went undrafted in 2011 out of Stanford, where he was teammates with superstar Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. After all 32 NFL teams snubbed Baldwin for seven rounds, Sherman – a fifth-rounder that year – contacted the wideout and encouraged him to sign with the Seahawks. “They’re going to call you. I want you to be here,” Sherman said (via Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times). Baldwin has since morphed into one of the pros’ best and richest wideouts because of his football-first mindset, which has come at a cost to his personal life, details Jenks. “I’m not the fastest, the strongest, the most athletic, the tallest,” Baldwin told Jenks. “But in order for me to be good at what I do, I have to focus on my craft so much that it alleviates those other things. I can’t have personal relationships like other people do. I can’t spend time on that.”
Baldwin’s extension means the Seahawks will enter camp with one fewer distraction, observes ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia, who adds that Baldwin’s 1,000-yard season in 2015 was just the fourth by a slot receiver over the past five years. Baldwin is also the only receiver since 1992 – when targets were first tracked – to rack up 1,000-plus yards while hauling in at least 80 percent of the passes intended for him, per Kapadia.

Seahawks Notes: Robinson, Chancellor, Bennett

June 14th, 2016 at 8:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here’s the latest on the Seahawks, all of which comes courtesy of The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta:

Pete Carroll confirmed longtime NBA point guard Nate Robinson‘s tryout with the Seahawks and lauded his athletic ability, but the head coach indicated that the 5-foot-9, 180-pounder faces long odds of getting a contract (Twitter link). Robinson, 32, hasn’t played competitive football since his days at the University of Washington. It will make for an excellent story if the Seahawks do sign the local product, who’s vying for a defensive role, but it doesn’t appear likely.
Safety Kam Chancellor spoke after practice today and expressed happiness regarding his situation (via Twitter). That’s a far cry from Chancellor’s state a year ago, when he was upset with his contract and ended up holding out until Week 3 of the regular season. The Seahawks called Chancellor’s bluff then and still haven’t awarded him a new deal. As of now, the four-time Pro Bowler remains under the contract he signed in 2013. That deal, which pays Chancellor upward of $7MM per year, is set to expire after the 2017 season.
Defensive end Michael Bennett, who also hasn’t made his desire for a new contract a secret, told reporters Tuesday that he believes he’s a $100MM player (Twitter link). Bennett, like Chancellor, has two more years remaining on his current contract. The only D-linemen in the league on deals worth at least $100MM are Ndamukong Suh, J.J. Watt and the newly signed Fletcher Cox. Bennett is already 30 and, although outstanding, has neither the track records of Suh or Watt nor the youth of Cox, so it’s highly improbable he’ll land a deal remotely close to theirs. However, if Bennett maintains his performance (or something close to it), he should be in line for an appreciable raise over his $7.13MM-per-year average salary whenever he signs his next deal.

West Rumors: Bennett, Bosa, Broncos

May 21st, 2016 at 3:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Already announcing he won’t be a threat for a training camp holdout, Michael Bennett is not operating in a contentious manner toward his employer this offseason. The dynamic Seahawks defensive end, though, remains in pursuit of a redone contract as he enters his third season on the four-year, $28MM deal he signed in 2014.

The 30-year-old Bennett also acknowledges he does not reside atop the Seahawks’ figurative contract-extension queue, with contract-year receiver Doug Baldwin occupying that spot.

“I think [the lines of communication] definitely are [open]. I think John [Schneider is] definitely open to it,” Bennett told media, including ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia, of a contract extension. “Pete [Carroll‘s] waiting. Obviously, Doug’s up before me, and I understand that, and I want that to happen. I think Doug Baldwin deserves a new contract. So do I. So does Kam [Chancellor]. So it’s just all about waiting in line and not pushing it too far and understanding what’s up next.”

Seattle still has two of the best players at their respective positions on below-market-value deals, with Chancellor set to make $6.1MM this season. But while the team has multiple standouts longing for new deals for a while, this displays the Seahawks’ acumen for identifying talent. Baldwin, who could be one of the most coveted free agent receivers in 2017 if not extended, is entering the last season of a three-year, $13MM deal but expects to discuss an extension with the Seahawks soon.

Bennett has been one of the league’s best defensive ends for a few years now, yet his $7.13MM AAV ranks just ninth in the league. Olivier Vernon now more than doubles Bennett’s per-year wages, which would seemingly add to the fuel Bennett showed last year when he threatened to hold out, especially after he finished with a career-high 10 sacks last season. Set to turn 31 in November, Bennett may have seen his opportunity for a windfall contract pass.

Here’s the latest from the Western divisions.

Chargers GM Tom Telesco spent the offseason hoping to be in position to select Joey Bosa but didn’t think his team would be in position to do so until after the Browns-Eagles trade gave the quarterback-seeking Eagles the No. 2 pick. “Watching Joey play in the Fiesta Bowl, I left there thinking if he does declare, and if he is there at number three, we’ve got to take him,” Telesco told Ricky Henne of Chargers.com. “… [Football operations president John Spanos] got the text and told us about the trade, and we all high-fived in the room after that one because we knew if we stayed here and picked, we got him.” The Ohio State defensive end who finished his three-year career with 51 tackles for loss intrigued Telesco dating back to his 2013 freshman season, when the then-new Chargers GM traveled to an Ohio State-Purdue game.
To the amazement of Spanos, Bosa’s standing within the organization did not make its way toward pre-draft speculation, with the Chargers linked to Jalen Ramsey, Laremy Tunsil or Ronnie Stanley. “We would look around at each other and say, ‘Man, I can’t believe no one knows,'” Spanos said. “… Sometimes when you hear rumors, you can piece together where it came from. In the specific case of the Ronnie Stanley rumor, I have no clue where that came from. So I was really amused, and I didn’t feel a need to set the record straight. I just sat back and enjoyed the false speculation.”
The primary holdup in Von Miller‘s extension with the Broncos will be the guaranteed money over the first two years, Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes. Renck notes the Broncos’ penchant for frontloading contracts to protect themselves in case of down-the-line performance declines — Aqib Talib‘s six-year, $57MM deal that features just $3MM in guaranteed money after this season is a prime example — could bring Miller’s two-year guarantee total to $60MM. That would surpass Ndamukong Suh‘s $59.9MM for the most guaranteed dollars among defenders. Renck also estimates Miller’s per-year payments will be between $18-$20MM. Miller has already been linked to seeking $22MM annually and the Broncos have offered $17MM+, but Renck expects the Broncos’ exclusive franchise tag leverage will bring that number down since Denver isn’t negotiating against other teams like the Giants were with Vernon or the Dolphins were with Suh last year.

NFC Notes: Bradford, Bennett, Seahawks, 49ers

May 17th, 2016 at 5:53pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Given the addition of No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz, Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is unsurprisingly aware that he’s likely on borrowed time as the team’s starter.

“I’m not completely naive. At some point it’s not going to be my team,” Bradford told reporters Tuesday (via Rob Maadi of The Associated Press).

Bradford looked like a good bet to retain the starting job in Philadelphia for a little while longer after the club kept him from free agency with a two-year, $36MM deal in March, but the Eagles subsequently surrendered a massive haul to move up in the draft for Wentz. Bradford then briefly held out for a trade, which didn’t materialize. The decision to stay away from the Eagles was his agent’s, according to Bradford, who eventually concluded that Philadelphia “is the best place for me.”

“Tom Condon’s been my agent for my entire career,” Bradford said, per Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com. “He’s a guy that I really trust. At the time where we were going through this process, he felt like that was the best option for me. And given that I trust him and know that he has my best interest at heart, I’m always going to follow his advice.”

Bradford added that he’ll help Wentz break into the NFL, saying, “I’m not going to hide anything and if I can do something to help him become a better player, I’m going to do it. It’s only right I fill that role right now. If I wasn’t willing to do that it’s not having respect for the game.”

Wentz, meanwhile, stated that there isn’t any tension between him and Bradford.

More on Philly and a couple other NFC franchises:

Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett tore into Bradford on Tuesday as a result of his holdout. “I can’t believe Sam Bradford is complaining about making $40 million in the next two years, and because he actually has to compete for a position. This guy… this guy right here definitely sets a bad tone of what a player should be,” Bennett told 710 ESPN Seattle (per Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com).
Bennett hasn’t been happy with his own contract, a four-year, $28MM pact he signed in 2014. Nevertheless, he told reporters – including The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta – that holding out of training camp isn’t an option. General manager John Schneider realizes Bennett isn’t thrilled with his deal, but he said that players with more than a year left on their contracts aren’t the priority when it comes to extensions. Bennett still has two years remaining on his accord, so a possible extension might not come until next offseason.
When asked about the possibility of acquiring Eagles running back and potential trade candidate Darren Sproles, 49ers head coach Chip Kelly said, “I’ve had nobody call me from Philadelphia since December” (Twitter link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle), referring to his late-2015 firing. Sproles, of course, played the previous two seasons under Kelly after the Eagles acquired him via trade in 2014.
Colin Kaepernick still hasn’t been cleared to practice after undergoing shoulder surgery last fall, but it’s not going to cost the 28-year-old in the 49ers’ quarterback battle between him and Blaine Gabbert, Kelly said (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com). “There’s not a race. The first day we’re able to against defenses is today. We’re not naming the starting lineup for the Rams game today.” Kelly added that Kaepernick has “a great grasp of what we’re doing. I’m really impressed by both Blaine (Gabbert) and him and their intelligence and being able to pick up what we’re trying to do.

Seahawks, Michael Bennett Discussing New Deal

February 28th, 2016 at 3:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Defensive end Michael Bennett recently hired Relativity Sports as his new representation, and his new agent has met with the Seahawks about a new deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Bennett was previously a client of Rosenhaus sports.

The 30-year-old Bennett has been seeking a new contract for the better part of a year, and he’s current set to enter the third year of a four-year, $28.5MM deal he signed prior to the 2013 season. Bennett has clearly outplayed that agreement — he once again graded among the top-five edge defenders per Pro Football Focus — but as I outlined last year, Bennett only has himself to blame, as he could have earned much more than his current $7.125MM annual value had he gone to the open market in 2013.

Though Bennett threatened to hold out last summer, Seattle has shown a reluctance to redo any part of his contract. But as Rapoport notes, Relativity Sports is the same agency that got the Seahawks to extend running back Marshawn Lynch on a short-term deal. So if that history means anything, perhaps the two sides can come to some sort of agreement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Bennett, Kaepernick, Chargers

February 25th, 2016 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett and Chiefs running back Spencer Ware have both hired Relativity Sports for representation, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter links). Ware isn’t even eligible for restricted free agency until 2017, so Bennett is the more notable name here, since the standout pass rusher wants Seattle to rework his deal.

As Gregg Bell of The News Tribune details (via Twitter), head coach Pete Carroll said today that he has spoken to Bennett about his situation, though it’s probably on the back-burner for now. Unless the Seahawks feel they could rework Bennett’s contract in a way that would create some cap space for free agency, the team likely won’t address it until the spring.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s West divisions:

A day after GM Trent Baalke insisted that Colin Kaepernick will “absolutely” remain on the 49ers’ roster beyond his April 1st salary guarantee deadline, head coach Chip Kelly told reporters, including Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, that he has spoken to the QB several times, and believes Kaepernick want to be in San Francisco. “I don’t know what the narrative is that, ‘Is he on the team? Is he not on the team?'” Kelly said. “It’s never been a question. I’m excited to work with Colin. I’ve never thought that, ‘Hey, I’m going to go to San Francisco and he’s not going to be there.'”
In addition to discussing Kaepernick, Kelly also said he’d like the 49ers to re-sign running back Shaun Draughn (Twitter link), and refuted the assumption that fullback Bruce Miller will be let go because he won’t have a role in Kelly’s offense.
According to GM Tom Telesco, the Chargers‘ tight end position is “in flux” (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego). Both Antonio Gates and Ladarius Green are among San Diego’s free agents and Telesco said he’ll meet with their agents at the combine this week.
Telesco also said today that the Chargers‘ wide receiver depth is “not as strong with Malcom [Floyd] not being there” (Twitter link via Gehlken). Needless to say, San Diego is firmly in the market for more help at the position, and is hunting specifically for a deep threat.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Bennett, Titans, Okpalaugo

February 19th, 2016 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has left Rosenhaus Sports and doesn’t currently have representation, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter). Without a new agent in place, and without a clear indication of what Bennett’s plan for the offseason is, it’s hard to know for sure what his motivation for the change was.

However, it’s worth considering that Bennett was vocal last offseason about wanting the Seahawks to address his contract, suggesting in the summer that he was contemplating a holdout. Bennett ultimately didn’t hold out and didn’t get a new deal, so perhaps he’s looking for an agent that will help him take a different approach to the situation this time around.

Let’s check in on a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….

Speaking on Thursday about his team’s approach to free agency, GM Jon Robinson said that just because the Titans are prioritizing value pickups, that doesn’t mean they’ll be bargain-basement shopping all offseason. Robinson said he’s not afraid to spend money in free agency, adding that the team will go after an impact player if the fit is right and there’s a chance to get him (three Twitter links via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com and Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com)
CFL pass rusher Tristan Okpalaugo, who has recorded double-digit sacks in consecutive seasons for the Toronto Argonauts, is drawing interest from multiple NFL teams. Okpalaugo has received an offer from the Jets, and had a “great visit” with the Seahawks, according to agent Brett Tessler, who says his client is visiting the Cardinals next (Twitter links).
In a conversation with ESPN’s Hannah Storm, Saints head coach Sean Payton said that he can’t see himself coaching another team besides New Orleans for the rest of his career, praising the franchise’s structure and its absence of dysfunction. Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune has the details and the quotes from Payton.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap lays out a case for why the representatives for free agents ought to be seeking 20% more than the current market prices for their clients. Meanwhile, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com also explores the probable increase in the value of free agent contracts, writing that NFL teams will have somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 billion in total cap space this offseason.

West Notes: Chancellor, Bennett, L.A.

September 18th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

In last night’s game vs. the Chiefs, Broncos pass rusher Von Miller recorded his first sack of the 2015 season, making him the third-fastest player in NFL history to reach 50 career sacks — Miller did it in just his 58th career regular season game (Twitter link).

Under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, Miller looks primed for another big year, which makes Denver’s recent extension with Demaryius Thomas all the more important. By extending Thomas in July, the Broncos freed up their 2016 franchise tag to potentially use on Miller, if the two sides don’t reach a long-term extension. With his contract set to expire at season’s end, the 26-year-old looks like one of the most obvious franchise-tag candidates in the league for next offseason.

Here are a few more items from out of the league’s two West divisions:

Peter King of TheMMQB.com can’t see Seahawks GM John Schneider caving to Kam Chancellor, even if Seattle loses again in Week 2. King also thinks it’ll be a while before the club seriously consider trading its star safety, who is continuing his holdout.
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett told reporters on Thursday that, while he’s also unhappy with his contract, his situation is different than Chancellor’s, since he can’t afford to roll the dice on a holdout with a wife and three kids to support. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, Bennett’s situation is also different because he has a more legitimate gripe about his contract, which was signed when he was still a part-time player. After he signed the deal, Bennett was elevated into more of a full-time role, which suggests he should be paid more.
Andy Dolich of CSNBayArea.com examines the possibility of an NFL team relocating to Los Angeles by breaking down demographics and the interest level of football fans in the L.A. market. Of course, the Raiders, Rams, and Chargers are all viewed as potential relocation candidates.

NFC Notes: Maxwell, Cousins, Seahawks

September 17th, 2015 at 6:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Eagles’ secondary was a major weakness last year and the main step they took to improve it during the offseason was signing ex-Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell to a $63MM deal. Unfortunately for the Eagles and Maxwell, his debut in their 26-24 loss to Atlanta on Monday couldn’t have gone much worse. Maxwell, whom Falcons receivers roasted for 179 yards and 10 catches, was one of the primary reasons behind the Eagles’ defeat. Nevertheless, defensive coordinator Bill Davis remains confident in Maxwell’s abilities.

“He did not have a good game,” Davis said, according to Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com. “He’s got to play better. He can play better. He will play better. He’s been a great football player in this league and will continue to be for us. He knows that, we know that. I’ve got nothing but confidence in him. He’s a hell of a competitor.”

A look at some of Philly’s NFC counterparts:

Kirk Cousins thinks he’s in a better position to develop properly now that he’s Washington‘s starting quarterback. “It’s a very beneficial role. I do feel different now in this role,” Cousins said, per Liz Clarke of the Washington Post. “It feels a little more stable. It caters to the ability to develop as a quarterback. This is a great opportunity for me, as I’ve said. I want to take full advantage of it and just keep building day after day.” The fourth-year man completed 21 of 31 passes for 196 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in Washington’s 17-10 loss to Miami in Week 1.
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett made a salient point regarding teammate Kam Chancellor‘s ongoing holdout. “I think you can’t have hard feelings because at the end of the day, the NFL they cut people every day,” Bennett said, according to The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. “Right now there is some guy who thinks he is going to play on Sunday who will be cut on Friday because the team feels like they need to save money. When teams do it it’s usually called business but when the players do it it’s usually called ungrateful.’’
The Rams worked out three cornerbacks – Josh Thomas, Melvin White and Robert McClain – earlier this week, ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweeted. They ended up signing White to their practice squad.

Load More Posts