Muhammad Wilkerson - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Notes: Fitzpatrick, Wilkerson, Revis

June 15th, 2016 at 10:37am CST by Zachary Links

It’s June and that means it’s about the time of year for Hall of Famer Joe Namath to drop some scorching hot contrarian takes on the Jets in an effort to get his name back in the local tabloids. This time around, Broadway Joe assessed the Jets’ quarterback situation and – shockingly – he took the exact opposite position of everyone else in the football world.

“I think Geno [Smith] is going to be the starting quarterback no matter if [Ryan] Fitzpatrick comes back or not,” Namath said (via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).

While you weigh the skills of Smith versus one of the league’s better quarterbacks in 2015, here’s a look at the latest on the Jets:

Jets coach Todd Bowles says the team does not have a “drop-dead deadline” on the Fitzpatrick situation, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. The coach added that he has no problem with the situation lingering until training camp. The Jets reportedly aren’t comfortable offering Fitzpatrick a one-year deal worth $12MM, while Fitzpatrick himself is content to wait out the club in the hopes of landing a better deal. The stare down continues with no end in sight.
When asked about Muhammad Wilkerson, Bowles said that his absence from minicamp will not be a distraction (link via Cimini). “That would be his prerogative. Business is business. We’d love to have him here, but if he feels like he doesn’t want to be here, that’s on him. I’ve got a team to coach,” Bowles said.
Count cornerback Darrelle Revis among the Jets players that disagree with Namath and want to see Fitzpatrick back with the team ASAP. “We want him back, we want to see him walk in this locker room,” Revis said Tuesday (link via Seth Walker of the New York Daily News). “Ryan is a big part of our success. He definitely is. He came here, he’s broken a bunch of records in the quarterback category. And he was a big part of our offense. This has been going on all offseason and we’re waiting for him to come back and play.”
Jets backup center Wesley Johnson has a fractured bone in his hand/wrist area, a source tells Cimini. No surgery will be necessary, however, and the hope is that he will be back by training camp.

Fallout From Fletcher Cox’s Extension

June 14th, 2016 at 7:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Earlier today, PFR ran down some of the initial reactions to the mammoth six-year contract extension defensive lineman Fletcher Cox signed with the Eagles on Monday. Plenty more responses have come in since, so let’s dive in…

The Cox deal is yet another Eagles-inflicted blow to the Broncos, details Mike Klis of 9News. The Eagles hurt the Broncos’ chances to re-sign quarterback Brock Osweiler earlier this offseason when they inked Sam Bradford to a $17.5MM-per-year extension. Now Cox’s contract isn’t doing Denver any favors in its attempt to lock up star pass-rushing linebacker Von Miller, the Super Bowl 50 MVP who has amassed 60 sacks in 72 career regular-season games. The Broncos have until July 15 to sign Miller to a long-term deal. Otherwise, best-case scenario for the club: Miller will play out 2016 under the exclusive franchise tag. There have been rumblings that Miller could sit out the season if the reigning champions don’t meet his long-term demands, however. To this point, the Broncos haven’t been willing to give Miller a non-injury-guaranteed total approaching $60MM for the first three years of the six-year, $114.5MM extension they’ve offered him. The Broncos have instead offered to guarantee nearly $40MM over the first two years, and non-injury guarantees for the third year wouldn’t actually kick in until then. Cox, meanwhile, got $55.2MM in new money in the opening three years of his deal.
Denver isn’t the only team that the Cox contract could negatively affect, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Panthers and Jets have standout defensive linemen Kawann Short and Muhammad Wilkerson, respectively, entering contract years, and now their price tags stand to rise even higher. The Panthers aren’t bullish enough on Short to give him Cox-type money, which will make negotiations difficult, according to Cole. The Jets hold similar feelings toward Wilkerson, so the expectation is that he doesn’t have much of a future with the team. Wilkerson is currently scheduled to play this season under the non-exclusive franchise tag, though he hasn’t signed the tender yet and isn’t a lock to report to training camp.
Having second overall pick Carson Wentz in the fold as the prospective long-term solution under center is a luxury that enabled the Eagles to allocate bank-breaking money to Cox, opines Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cox’s extension will kick in come 2017, which is when Wentz is expected to take over for Bradford under center. Wentz’s cap numbers from 2017-19 ($6.06MM, $7.26MM and $8.49MM) are palatable figures for a starting QB. Of course, Wentz will actually have to prove himself capable in the pros for Philly to take advantage of this situation, as the Seahawks and Colts have done in recent years with Russell Wilson and Andrew Luck, respectively.
After former head coach Chip Kelly pushed him out of the picture last season, executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman has emphatically taken back the throne in Philadelphia, writes Marcus Hayes of the Inquirer. Cox’s extension is just the latest transaction Roseman has made this year to ensure the Eagles have a prosperous future. Along with locking up Cox, Roseman also inked Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, Lane Johnson, Vinny Curry, Malcolm Jenkins and Bradford to multiyear deals. In addition to those deals and the aggressive move to land Wentz in the draft, Roseman spent the meat of the offseason getting rid of DeMarco Murray, Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso, Riley Cooper and DeMeco Ryans. Roseman has put his stamp on the Eagles and erased Kelly’s influence over the franchise in the process.

Latest On Jets, Muhammad Wilkerson

June 14th, 2016 at 8:20am CST by Zachary Links

While the Jets’ stare down with Ryan Fitzpatrick is getting all of the publicity, the team also has an ugly situation brewing with star defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson. Wilkerson won’t sign his franchise-tag tender anytime soon and might not report for the start of training camp in late July, sources tell Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.

Players typically are subject to fines if they skip June’s mandatory minicamp. However, since Wilkerson has yet to ink his tender, he is in a loophole in which he cannot be docked salary. In fact, Wilkerson could show up as late as Week 1, sign his tender, and still earn his full salary.

It should also be noted that the 26-year-old is still rehabbing a surgically repaired broken leg, so he wouldn’t have been able to practice anyway in minicamp. Still, Cimini writes that Wilkerson abstaining from minicamp would change the tenor of talks, taking them from ugly to contentious.

Adding fuel to the fire is the newly-inked extension between the Eagles and star defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. Cox’s deal will reportedly pay him $103MM over six years with $63MM guaranteed. Of the $63MM in guarantees, $36.299MM is fully guaranteed at the time of signing and, for all intents and purposes, it seems to be a mortal lock that he will see at least $55.549MM of that money. After Cox secured the biggest guarantee for a non-quarterback in league history, Wilkerson is surely even more focused on his own payday.

The Jets have explored trading Wilkerson in the past but, so far, they have been unable to find a suitable deal. Cimini writes that the team has not ruled out the possibility of tagging him again next year at a salary of $18.8MM, though I believe that could just be posturing by the Jets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Wilkerson, Eagles, Giants

June 12th, 2016 at 11:27am CST by Rory Parks

Last month, our Zach Links observed that Jets standout defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson could hurt his leverage for a long-term deal if he were to report to the club prior to July 15, the deadline for signing his franchise tag tender. However, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports that Wilkerson was spotted in the team’s locker room last week, and his appearances at One Jets Drive have not been infrequent. Of course, we learned yesterday that Wilkerson is not expected to draw a long-term offer from the Jets anytime soon, so it could be that the 2015 Pro Bowler simply does not see any harm in making use of the team facility and staying in touch with his teammates.

Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s east divisions:

The top of the Eagles‘ depth chart at defensive tackle looks pretty good, with Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan stabilizing the interior of the team’s D-line. But beyond that, Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com says the picture gets pretty murky, as players like Beau Allen and Taylor Hart appear better-suited to a 3-4 defensive front, and new acquisition Derrick Lott was unable to stick with Tampa Bay last season. As Zangaro observes, that means that at least one of the Eagles’ three undrafted free agent DTs–Aziz Shittu, Destiny Vaeao, and Connor Wujciak–have a real shot at cracking the club’s roster. Vaeao and Wujciak were very impressive in spring workouts, Zangaro notes.
Eagles rookie cornerback Jalen Mills fell to the seventh round of this year’s draft due to injury and maturity concerns, but thus far, he is making the case for significant regular season playing time. As Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com writes, Mills has impressed coaches and teammates alike with his excellent performance in offseason workouts, and there is a real chance he could wind up as the team’s primary nickel corner.
John Munson of NJ.com offers 10 takeaways from Giants OTAs as the team prepares for minicamp. For instance, he says that Andre Williams performed surprisingly well during OTAs after transforming his body in the offseason, but Munson believes the team will have major pass rush concerns despite the splashy addition of Olivier Vernon.
Earlier today, we learned that the Dolphins have contingency plans just in case Reshad Jones makes the surprising decision to hold out.

AFC East Notes: Fitzpatrick, Wilkerson, Bills

June 2nd, 2016 at 7:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets are holding firm in their offer of a three-year deal to Ryan Fitzpatrick, but the veteran quarterback would prefer a one-year pact, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The club would prefer a deal of three years so that it can spread the signing bonus proration over multiple seasons, instead of taking the entire hit in 2016, sources tell Brian Costello of the New York Post. New York is tight on cap space at the moment, and while the team could restructure other contracts in order to fit in a one-year Fitzpatrick salary, it would prefer not to do so.

One solution, per Cole, might be for the Jets to include an opt-out after the 2016 campaign, allowing Fitzpatrick to hit the market again next spring. Another — arguably simpler — solution might be for Gang Green to simply include void years in any deal, which would allow them keep Fitzpatrick’s cap charge low in 2016 before seeing a cap adjustment next season. For now, however, the situation looks to be at a standstill, leading Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk to examine the scenario from the perspective of both player and team.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

The Fitzpatrick affair isn’t the only contract squabble the Jets are currently undertaking, as the club still has an outstanding contract negotiation with franchise player Muhammad Wilkerson. Speaking to reporters today, head coach Todd Bowles reiterated that New York hopes to eventually reach an accord with the standout defensive end. “We want to sign all our good players. But that doesn’t always work out,” Bowles told Kimberley Martin of Newsday. “But with the rules these days they make it very hard after four or five years to keep your own. So we’ve got to try to finagle and find ways to do that and have enough money to try to do so.”
Joe Buscalgia of WKBW takes a look at several intriguing roster questions that face the Bills this summer, including who will be lining up to safety Aaron Williams when the season begins. While there was some thought that free agent signee Robert Blanton might push for the starting job, head coach Rex Ryan made it clear that veteran Corey Graham is viewed as the other starting safety opposite Williams. Buscaglia also touches on several areas of note, including how edge rusher IK Enemkpali will fit a 3-4 defense, and how former second-round pick Javier Arenas can make the squad.
There have been conflicting reports as to whether Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler plans to push for a new contract prior to the 2016 season, and if so, exactly how much leverage the former undrafted free agent would have in negotiations. CSNNE.com examines the situation and discusses if the issue will linger throughout the summer in their latest video.

Jets Notes: Wilkerson, Hackenberg, Fitzpatrick

May 17th, 2016 at 11:09am CST by Zachary Links

Jets players hope to see Muhammad Wilkerson soon, but they shouldn’t count on it, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. “He’s the leader of the D-line,” linebacker David Harris said.

“Actually, he’s one of the leaders of the defense. He’s a tremendous talent. He’s one of the best D-ends in the league, hands down. I hope he’s here.”

However, Wilkerson would hurt his leverage for a long-term deal if he were to show up before July 15, his deadline to sign the franchise tag tender. Furthermore, he’s still rehabbing his surgically repaired broken leg and it’s not necessarily guaranteed that he’ll be with his teammates in July. Some people believe that the Pro Bowl defensive end could consider not reporting to training camp, which would put some additional tension between the player and the team.

Here’s more on Gang Green:

Many view Jets rookie Christian Hackenberg as a developmental quarterback, but offensive coordinator Chan Gailey says the Penn State product could be closer NFL-ready than you might expect. “He retained a great deal from the pro style of offense that [former Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien] had,” Gailey said, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. “He’s ahead in that respect, but he’s behind in seeing what’s going to happen to him defensively in the NFL.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick and the team’s receivers are missing out on valuable time to grow together, Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. Last year, Fitzpatrick’s chemistry with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker made everyone wonder about the damage they could do if they all had a full offseason to work with each other. Now, Mehta feels that the Jets are hurting their cause by not having a deal done with the veteran.
Recently, Decker expressed his desire to see Fitzpatrick back with the team ASAP. Marshall, meanwhile, said that the team will “be OK” with Geno Smith, Bryce Petty, and Hackenberg.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Wilkerson, Ravens, Fins

April 29th, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Having traded up on Thursday night to nab Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, the Broncos may now be in a better position to negotiate a long-term deal with star pass rusher Von Miller, suggests Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

Lynch’s rookie contract will likely call for cap hits that range from about $1.7MM in 2016 to $3MM by his fourth year in 2019, meaning Denver may not have much money tied up in the quarterback position for the next few years. While a Broncos source who spoke to Cole cautioned that the team still needs to make sure it has room to extend players like wideout Emmanuel Sanders and linebacker Brandon Marshall, there’s some optimism between the team and Miller’s camp that a long-term pact can eventually be reached.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

The Jets have in fact fielded calls on Muhammad Wilkerson in recent weeks, but no serious suitors emerged, according to sources who spoke with Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. On Thursday night, GM Mike Maccagnan confirmed that a Wilkerson deal is now unlikely.
Kevin Byrne of BaltimoreRavens.com takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Ravens‘ process last night as their No. 6 pick approached, including how the Laremy Tunsil video affected the team’s decision. Meanwhile, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald examines the thinking of the team that did take Tunsil, at No. 13: the Dolphins.
The NFL’s stance on having a franchise in Las Vegas is “evolving,” per commissioner Roger Goodell, but Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears that the league still wouldn’t want a team like the Raiders to have any part-owners who have a stake in a Vegas casino.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com explores the Browns‘ day-one draft decisions, noting that plenty of execs around the league are skeptical about the team’s approach and the selection of Baylor wideout Corey Coleman.
Houston defensive tackle Tomme Mark got calls from the Chargers and Raiders and has drawn interest from Texans as a late-rounder or a priority free agent, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Jets Unlikely To Trade Muhammad Wilkerson

April 28th, 2016 at 10:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

It doesn’t appear that Jets franchise player Muhammad Wilkerson will be traded, as general manager Mike Maccagnan essentially confirmed tonight. “I would not envision that happening,” said Maccagnan (Twitter links via Brian Costello of the New York Post and Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News).

Wilkerson, 26, enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2015, racking up a career-high 12 sacks and forcing three fumbles, to go along with 64 tackles. Arguably the best defensive player for the Jets last season, Wilkerson also earned his first Pro Bowl berth. However, he broke his leg during New York’s regular-season finale, and while that injury isn’t expected to sideline him at all next season, it may have been a strike against his trade value.

After being franchised, Wilkerson is currently projected to earn a $15.701MM base salary in 2016. The Jets are comfortable enough with that sum for this season, but they are not looking to pay him that kind of salary on a long-term deal.

Wilkerson, who has not yet signed his franchise tender, is not expected to participate in the Jets’ voluntary offseason program. Even though he followed the same path as Josh Norman in that regard, GM Mike Maccagnan recently told reporters that he will not rescind Wilkerson’s franchise tag.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jets Rumors: Wilkerson, WRs, Lynch, Hackenberg

April 27th, 2016 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Ever since he received the franchise tag from the Jets nearly two months ago, defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson has been considered a trade candidate, but with the draft right around the corner, there’s still no momentum toward a deal. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the club has fielded calls on Wilkerson, but there hasn’t been much action on that front.

At this point, a Wilkerson trade is considered unlikely, per Rapoport. That could always change — if a team misses out on its top defensive line target(s) on Thursday, perhaps that club puts a Friday pick on the table as part of a trade package for Wilkerson and the Jets like the offer. For now though, Gang Green is content to move forward with a very talented defender on the roster, says Rapoport.

Let’s check in on a few other draft-related Jets notes…

The Jets may be targeting a wide receiver in the first round, according to Rapoport, who tweets that TCU’s Josh Doctson and Notre Dame’s Will Fuller are among the names to watch. That would be a surprising direction for New York, since the club already has a solid receiving corps and has more significant question marks elsewhere.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com is hearing that the Jets have cooled on Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, suggesting that Lynch is “too boom-or-bust to take a chance in the first round.” Cimini believes it’s more likely that the club will target Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg on day two of the draft.
While the Jets would like to add an edge rusher, they may have to wait until the second round to address that spot, tweets Cimini, adding that Boise State’s Kamalei Correa is on the team’s radar.

Jets Notes: Fitzpatrick, Hoyer, Wilkerson

April 22nd, 2016 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

As they have insisted for the last month and a half, the Jets said again today that re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick remains their top priority when it comes to adding a quarterback to the roster. As Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets, general manager Mike Maccagnan said that the team’s visit with Brian Hoyer was “due diligence,” and that the club’s focus is Fitzpatrick.

Although the Jets want to bring back Fitzpatrick, the team won’t alter its draft plans based on whether or not the veteran is back under contract by next Thursday, according to Maccagnan (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). The Jets GM said today that he’d consider selecting a QB “at any point in the draft” (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).

Let’s round up a few more Jets-related items…

Maccagnan said today that the Jets aren’t actively shopping Muhammad Wilkerson. However as Cimini points out (via Twitter), this may simply be an issue of semantics. Cimini and Mehta (Twitter link) both believe Gang Green would like to trade Wilkerson.
One scenario that’s not in play for Wilkerson? His franchise tag won’t be rescinded like Josh Norman‘s was in Carolina, Maccagnan said today (Twitter link via Mehta).
Maccagnan acknowledged that he and the Jets did inquire about the No. 1 overall pick in the draft before the Titans sent it to Los Angeles (Twitter link via Costello).
The Jets have a solid starting duo at wide receiver, in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, but the team uses plenty of four-wideout packages, and may explore adding to its receiving corps at some point during the draft, writes Cimini in an ESPN.com piece.