Muhammad Wilkerson - Pro Football Rumors

East Links: Cowboys, Redskins, Jets

September 13th, 2014 at 11:09am CST by Ben Levine

Orlando Scandrick is currently serving a four-game suspension, but the Cowboys cornerback will likely be back soon. Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram writes that the 27-year-old will be eligible to play this weekend if a new league drug policy is agreed upon.

The former fifth-round pick expressed his beliefs that a suspension wasn’t necessary, but he’s still happy that the ordeal will soon be behind him.

“I’m relieved,” Scandrick said. “It feels good to be able to join back and play with my teammates and do what I love. It was the toughest two weeks of my life. It truly allowed me to appreciate the NFL, the game of football, my job and my career. I want to thank the Jones family, coach Jason Garrett and my teammates for their support. I want to assure everybody that this will never happen again. I will take the extra step so this never happens again. I’m just thankful the NFL and the union were able to reach a resolution. I’m speechless.

I got to realize I caught a break. When you catch a break you have to learn from it. It’s an eye opener to be banned from something you have done your whole life. I’m thankful and appreciative.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFL’s east divisions…

Unless something happens to linebacker Rolando McClain, the Cowboys wouldn’t have a reason to add free agent Pat Angerer, writes ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. However, the writer guesses that the former second-rounder is on the team’s “emergency board.”
Archer also makes it clear that Jerry Jones will not be relinquishing his control of the Cowboys. “It’s his team, his money,” Archer writes. “He can do with it what he wants. He will not sell the team. He will not give up the general manager title.”
In regards to the Redskins‘ linebacker depth, ESPN.com’s John Keim says the “best-case” scenario would involve Brian Orakpo having a big season and re-signing.
Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson could have commanded a huge contract following his dominant 2013 season. The 24-year-old will be making $1.2MM this year, and Mark Canizzaro of the New York Post writes that a holdout was never in the picture. “If people treat me with respect and I treat them with respect then I guess my time will come,” Wilkerson said. “I’ve got to wait. If they respect me and they feel highly of me, then I guess they’ll take care of me, right? Time will tell…I guess I’m just different. I look at things differently. That’s how I was bought up. I’m a patient person. I’m going to just wait. I’ve just got to wait.”

La Canfora On Chiefs, 2011 Draftees, Smith

August 4th, 2014 at 10:59pm CST by Matt Feminis

In his latest edition of training camp notes, CBS’ Jason La Canfora provided an update on negotiations between the Chiefs and Alex Smith, saying talks “are ongoing, with the dialogue maintaining on a regular basis and the team looking for creative ways to secure him for the future, according to several sources. To this point, however, they haven’t been able to bridge a few gaps, but the Chiefs are willing to cut into their considerable cap space to strike a deal, and there are no plans to stop exchanging proposals.”

La Canfora adds talks have “remained cordial” and there is mutual desire to find common ground. Common ground would seem to be a “middle-tier” deal that would place Smith’s contract somewhere between the elite passers and the lower-paid, “bridge starters” group. From the team perspective, the Chiefs don’t want to overpay for Smith in the event a younger QB is ready to vie for the job, especially given Andy Reid‘s ability to develop quarterbacks.

More tidbits from La Canfora:

The Chiefs have revived talks with Justin Houston, who is also a priority. La Canfora does not expect a deal to get hammered out before the season, however, since the sides are far apart financially playing out the season could make the most sense for Houston.
La Canfora publicized first-year tight end Demetrius Harris as a “deep sleeper” and potentially “the next college basketball player to make the jump to tight end.”
Do not expect many more 2011 first-rounders to be extended for a while. This group includes Cam Newton, J.J. Watt, Robert Quinn, Cameron Jordan and Muhammad Wilkerson, among others. La Canfora quoted an agent for one prominent pass rusher, who said, “The money is going to be so high, these teams don’t really have an incentive to do it now. I’m not sure any of these guys get new deals this year. If there’s any movement going on I’m not aware of it.”
Some agents are outraged over the Cowboys’ eight-year extension to Tyron Smith because “he essentially gave the Cowboys two contracts for the price of one, locked up until age 32.” Those agents believe Jerry Jones might have used his “father figure” relationship with the young Smith to take advantage of him in negotiations.

East Links: Revis, Jets, Brown

August 3rd, 2014 at 10:16am CST by Rory Parks

As the Bills and Giants prepare to kick off the preseason in tonight’s Hall of Fame game, let’s take a look at some links from some of their fellow teams in the league’s east divisions:

It will be difficult for Dolphins‘ running back Daniel Thomas to stay on Miami’s roster, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Thomas is, of course, behind Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno on the team’s depth chart, but he has also lost his biggest advocate in former GM Jeff Ireland and Mike Gillislee has been more active in training camp.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that the Jets received a $1.75MM salary cap credit this season as a result of an injury grievance settlement with former nose tackle Sione Po’uha. The team would have had a great deal of salary cap room even without the settlement, but now they have about $21MM of cap space.
In the same piece, Cimini notes that the recent deals for 2011 first-round selections Tyson Smith and Patrick Peterson will not hurry the Jets in extension talks with their own 2011 first-rounder, Muhammad Wilkerson. A new deal for the big defensive lineman may not happen until next year.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Jets‘ LB Jermaine Cunningham, who the team hoped would provide pass-rush help in 2014, is believed to have torn his ACL, thus ending his season.
The freshly-inked extensions for Tyson Smith and Patrick Peterson have proven to be useful fodder for beat writers from around the league. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes that those new deals have set the bar for key members of the Patriots‘ roster like Nate Solder and Darrelle Revis. Although Revis is technically under contract for the next two seasons, no one expects New England to pick up his $12.5MM option bonus for 2015, which would saddle the club with a $25MM cap hit. As such, Revis–assuming he stays healthy and productive–will be eyeing Peterson’s deal (as well as those recently signed by Richard Sherman and Joe Haden) as a benchmark for a new contract of his own. However, he will turn 30 next July and has a torn ACL in his past, so a “pay-as-you-go” deal like that signed by Sherman may be a more fitting option. Solder, meanwhile, is under contract for a more reasonable $7.44MM in 2015, so while an extension for him is not a top priority just yet, Smith’s new contract may guide negotiations if and when extension talks commence.
Giants kicker Josh Brown knows that his spot on the team’s roster is far from guaranteed, writes Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. His competition with Brandon McManus, who is 12 years his junior, begins in earnest tonight.
John Keim of ESPN.com examines the Redskins roster battle at inside linebacker.

AFC East Links: Babin, Bills, Gronk, Dolphins

July 25th, 2014 at 8:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets inked Jason Babin to a two-year deal on Wednesday, but the veteran defensive end wasn’t around the team’s facilities until the next day. So what was with the delay? ESPNNewYork.com’s Jane McManus found out…

“It was probably more my fault in signing,” Babin said. “I had to clean up some things back home.”

General manager John Idzik also addressed the delay…

“We just wanted to make sure it was right from both ends, to bring Jason in, get a nice full day so he can gain a feel for us our staff, our approach, and talk it through for a day,” Idzik said. “And sometimes it’s good for the player to go home, stew on it, talk to his family back in Jacksonville, and then if it’s a fit then you go forward and that’s what happened.”

With Babin now at practice, everyone is happy. That includes Rex Ryan, who likes what he’s seen from Babin…

“I think the first things that jumps out about Babin is the production he has as a pass-rusher,” Ryan said. “[He] has a relentless motor, so that part of it we’re excited about. The way he’ll fit in with the guys we already have is going to give us great depth. We brought him in to play.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC East…

There has been “no movement” towards a new deal for Jets defensive Muhammad Wilkerson, writes CBSSports.com Jason La Canfora. Still, an extension isn’t on the former first-rounder’s mind. “I don’t worry about it,” he said. “That’s what I have an agent for. I let him handle the business side of it and I just try to focus on being a leader of this team and try to better myself as a player.”
It’s not often that you’ll hear a coach gush about a seventh-round pick. However, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Bills offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson has really impressed, with one coach saying that “he can be special.”
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski told reporters that he may have been cleared medically, but he is still not 100 percent. Nonetheless, ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss writes that Gronk isn’t intending on changing his playing style, with the tight end saying that he’ll “keep smashing and dashing.”
Even though the Dolphins could be playing without Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey for half the season, his teammates aren’t too worried. As ESPN.com’s James Walker writes, Pouncey’s probable replacement, Shelley Smith, is confident in his teammates’ talent. “I think we have a lot of potential and we’ve got a good group of guys in the room,” Smith said “We have a good coaching staff and I feel like we’re working our butts off to fulfill our potential.”

AFC East Notes: Philbin, Wilkerson, Brady

July 25th, 2014 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills did a little roster shuffling earlier this afternoon, picking up cornerback Bobby Felder and waiving defensive tackle Colby Way. While none of Buffalo’s AFC East rivals have made any signings or cuts yet today, there’s still plenty of news coming out of the division, so let’s round up the latest….

There has been some speculation that Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin will be in danger of losing his job this year if the Dolphins miss the postseason again. Asked today about that possibility, owner Stephen Ross said that he expects Philbin to remain with the team “for a long time,” but conceded that you want to see improvement every year (Twitter link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald).
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com agrees with what Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News wrote last night, tweeting that an extension for Muhammad Wilkerson should be the No. 1 priority for the Jets’ front office. However, according to La Canfora, there has been “no real progress” on that front so far.
On the set of SportsCenter today, former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi suggested he thinks Tom Brady could play for four more years, to which Brady jokingly replied, “You’re out of your mind” (link via ESPNBoston.com). While Brady may have taken mock offense to Bruschi’s estimate, the star quarterback has four years left on his current contract, so if he intends to play longer than that, it would be on a new deal and it would be into his 40s.
Sources tell Gary Myers of the New York Daily News that when Darrelle Revis was cut by the Buccaneers earlier this year, his first choice was to return to the Jets. However, New York wasn’t interested, and the standout cornerback ultimately landed with the division-rival Patriots.

AFC Notes: Jets, Johnson, McGrath, Broncos

July 25th, 2014 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

As someone who rewards loyalty and “takes care of the people who take care of his franchise,” Jets owner Woody Johnson has the perfect opportunity to send the right message to one of his players, says Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, arguing that the Jets should extend Muhammad Wilkerson before they have to. For his part, Wilkerson is interested in a new deal but acknowledges that with two years left on his rookie contract, he doesn’t mind being patient.

“Do I feel that I’m underpaid right now? Yeah,” Wilkerson said. “But that’s part of the business. My time will come when I get a new contract. But right now I’m just worried about becoming a better player, a better teammate and a better leader.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

A source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Andre Johnson received an “understanding of where [the] Texans are going and of his own future and security” before reporting to camp. As Rapoport points out, the term “security” that perhaps Houston assured the receiver who won’t be cut next year when his cap hit increases to $16MM+.
As Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star tweets, Chiefs tight end Sean McGrath is seriously weighing the possibility of retiring, according to head coach Andy Reid. Per Covitz (Twitter links), McGrath has yet to report to camp as of this morning, and fellow tight end Travis Kelce is working in McGrath’s place as the club’s backup long snapper.
Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today talks to former Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe to get his opinion on how the current tight end in Denver – Julius Thomas – could best cash in on a contract extension. As I observed when I examined Thomas’ extension candidacy, another big season in 2014 would likely mean an even bigger payday next year, but the tight end may prefer to work something out now.
Historically, the Steelers have locked up plenty of key players to contract extensions right around the start of training camp, but the team doesn’t seem to have any impending deals this time around, writes Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Andrew Whitworth and Domata Peko have the Bengals‘ best and worst contracts, respectively, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
Peter King of TheMMQB.com explains commissioner Roger Goodell’s logic for only handing down a two-game suspension to Ravens running back Ray Rice.

AFC East Notes: Vick, Wilkerson, Idzik, Pats

July 23rd, 2014 at 7:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Michael Vick has said repeatedly that he expects Geno Smith to be the Jets‘ starting quarterback in 2014, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to wind down his career, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. “I still feel like I’m a premier quarterback in this league,” Vick said today after reporting to training camp. Vick, entering his 12th season, acknowledged this situation feels different because he’s entering camp as the presumed backup. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said recently that Smith will get 70- to 75-percent of the first-team reps, a clear indication that it’s Smith’s job to lose. Here’s more on the Jets and other notes from the AFC East..

The honeymoon is over for Jets GM John Idzik, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Idzik is only entering year two with Gang Green but his predecessors, Terry Bradway in 2001 and Mike Tannenbaum in 2006, reached the postseason in their first seasons as GMs. Cimini notes that Idzik has been around long enough to put his stamp on the team as there are only seven starters that can be considered true holdovers from the previous administration: D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Muhammad Wilkerson, David Harris, Damon Harrison, Quinton Coples, and Demario Davis.
Muhammad Wilkerson said he never considered holding out because he sees himself as the leader of the Jets, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post. The defensive lineman will earn just $1.2MM this season and has been pushing for a new deal.
Tight end Nate Byham‘s deal with the Patriots is for one year, $645K and includes no bonuses, tweets MIke Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. He’s expected to compete for a backup spot in a role similar to the one Matthew Mulligan used to occupy. Byham has 11 career catches for 83 yards and one touchdown but has a reputation as a solid blocker. Interestingly enough, the stats from Pro Football Focus don’t grade him as a tremendous run-blocker.

East Notes: Wilkerson, Snee, Ertz

July 19th, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Matt Feminis

Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson will make a “ridiculously low” $1.2MM this season, writes ESPNNewYork’s Rich Cimini: “[Wilkerson] won’t become a Darrelle Revis-type distraction — Wilkerson vowed not to stage a holdout — but the topic is bound to come up in his dealings with the media. He has two years remaining on his deal…The Jets have time (and leverage) on their side, so they won’t do a deal unless it makes sense for them. With more than $20 million in cap room, why not do it now? It would send a positive message, showing the organization is committed to keeping its own. That hasn’t always been the case. See: Revis.”

Here’s some more AFC and NFC East reading:

Center Nick Mangold carries the second-highest cap hit on the Jets, and while his play has slipped a bit, he remains invaluable, says Brian Costello in the New York Post.
The rookie season of Bills first-round quarterback EJ Manuel was scrutinized by Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo. The results? Manuel struggled with deep passing, but perhaps more worrisome is that Manual struggled with a clean pocket.
The Bills are unlikely to keep two fullbacks, meaning bubble players Frank Summers and Evan Rodriguez will compete for the job. ESPN’s Mike Rodak makes the case for both players, saying Summers “contributed on both offense and special teams and remains the Bills’ best option as a lead blocker in goal line situations,” while Rodriguez “offers more of that ‘triple threat.'”
Veteran Chris Snee will be the Giants’ right guard if he’s healthy enough to handle the job, but his elbow injury prevented him from getting through OTAs and minicamp. Accordingly, NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan views Brandon Mosely as the “healthiest and strongest candidate heading into camp.”
The Eagles are anticipating a breakout season from second-year tight end Zach Ertz, who produced 36 receptions for 469 yards and four touchdowns in 450 snaps last season.
Redskins safety Bacarri Rambo started three games as a rookie last season, but he sounds like a player on the bubble in the eyes of ESPN’s John Keim: “Rambo did such a poor job in this area last year and there’s no way you can be a backup safety and not contribute on special teams. He will not bump Ryan Clark from the starting job so Rambo had better improve on special teams.”

AFC East Notes: Wilkerson, Tuel, Moreno

June 22nd, 2014 at 11:34am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a swing around the AFC East on this Sunday afternoon:

There are a number of Patriots items today. Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that, with all the attention being directed towards Dominique Easley and Jimmy Garoppolo, fourth-round running back James White–whom coach Bill Belichick has compared to Shane Vereen–has quietly put together a very impressive spring.
Christopher Price of WEEI.com writes that the Patriots made eight personnel moves between the end of minicamp and the beginning of training camp last year, and similar roster tweaks could be on the way this season. For instance, a veteran tight end like Jermichael Finley or Dustin Keller might be added to the roster, and there has been some speculation as to the team’s interest in recently-released players like Jason Babin and Brandon Flowers (though Price sees New England as something of an unlikely destination for Babin and Flowers).
Eric Frenz of Boston.com looks at a number of Patriots-related topics, including his opinion on what he believes to be the team’s strongest position (cornerback), and weakest (tight end).
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com expects the Jets to make a run at signing Muhammad Wilkerson to an extension before training camp, and he advises fans to keep an eye on the J.J. Watt situation in Houston as a measuring stick for Wilkerson negotiations.
In the same piece, Cimini adds that the Jets are unlikely to add a veteran corner, and that Jalen Saunders was the rookie wideout that most impressed in minicamp.
Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com writes that Bills‘ quarterback Jeff Tuel has made significant strides and will push Thaddeus Lewis for the backup quarterback spot.
Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post writes that Dolphins‘ running back Knowshon Moreno has a knee injury that could require arthroscopic surgery, but he would be expected to heal in time for the regular season, if not training camp.
Christopher L. Shelton of The Sun-Sentinel describes the path that undrafted defensive tackle Anthony Johnson has taken to the Dolphins’ roster. Shelton believes Johnson, who has impressed this spring, could make the club as a reserve behind Randy Starks, Jared Odrick, and Earl Mitchell.

East Notes: Beason, Bills, Easley, Orton

June 13th, 2014 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

With linebackers like Sean Weatherspoon and Sean Lee already suffering season-ending injuries this spring, the Giants may have gotten off the hook relatively lightly on Jon Beason‘s diagnosis. As Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network first reported (via Twitter), Beason suffered a sesamoid fracture in his right foot, as well as a ligament tear, the team confirmed today in a press release. Jones hears that the recovery timetable will be about 12 weeks, which would get Beason back on the field just in time for the Giants’ opener, and the linebacker sounded today like he had a similar thought.

“The prognosis is X amount of time and it (the Sept. 8 opener) is within that timeframe,” Beason said. “I expect to be back (for that game). If not, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Here are a few more items from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:

The family of Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs is proposing to build a stadium to help secure the Bills‘ long-term future in western New York, multiple sources tell John Wawrow of The Associated Press. According to Wawrow, executives of Jacobs’ company are scheduled to meet with at least one prospective ownership group to evaluate potential sites for a new stadium in Erie and Niagara counties.
First-round defensive tackle Dominique Easley is one of just 17 draft picks who remains unsigned, and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears that Easley and the Patriots are “squabbling” over injury protection. However, any sort of holdout seems very unlikely.
Kyle Orton counts for too much against the cap, considering his role, opines Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News. In Sherrington’s view, that’s why the quarterback doesn’t have much leverage in his ongoing staredown with the Cowboys — the team expects and wants Orton to report to camp, and will push for him to repay some of his bonus money if he decides to retire instead.
Sheldon Richardson hopes to see the Jets reward fellow defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson with a lucrative long-term contract soon, telling Brian Costello of the New York Post that Wilkerson is “due for a paycheck.”