Nolan Carroll - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks Notes: Wilson, Carroll, Dunlap

February 28th, 2021 at 12:24pm CST by Rory Parks

One of the reasons for the trade rumors swirling around Seahawks QB Russell Wilson — and perhaps the primary reason — is Wilson’s relationship with head coach Pete Carroll, which appears to be strained. Apparently, his relationship with Carroll’s sons hasn’t been much better.

According to a tweet from The Athletic, Wilson believes Carroll and his sons, Nolan and Brennan, answer to no one (Nolan serves as the team’s WRs coach, and Brennan had been working as the run game coordinator before accepting a position at the University of Arizona). And, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Wilson is 100% correct.

Former owner Paul Allen “stayed deep in the background” when he was alive, and his sister, Jody Allen, has largely done the same since she inherited the team. Some league sources believe the Seahawks are essentially run by the Allens’ parent company, Vulcan Inc., which in turn defers to the head coach as the club’s de facto CEO. So while Jody Allen could intervene in light of the Wilson trade rumblings, her track record suggests that she will not do so, and that Pete Carroll will ultimately be the one to decide whether to deal Wilson.

While Wilson himself has said he does not expect to be dealt, Florio believes the 32-year-old will ultimately request a trade either this year or next. If QB and HC do not mend fences soon, it’s easy to envision such a scenario.

Now for more from the Emerald City:

Unlike Florio, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com does not believe Wilson will be traded. One of the reasons for that is the fact that — as our Sam Robinson wrote several days ago in the piece linked above — a trade will leave $39MM in dead money on the Seahawks’ cap. While a post-June 1 trade will allow the team to spread out that hit and actually create $19MM in 2021 space, Seattle is lacking a first-rounder and third-rounder this season, so a Wilson trade might be more beneficial if it happened prior to this year’s draft and not after June 1.
Still, Henderson believes the ‘Hawks will make a trade that both sheds some salary — the team has less than $8MM of cap space relative to the $180MM floor — and adds some much-needed draft capital. There is no indication as of yet that Seattle will look to trade players like Carlos Dunlap, Bobby Wagner, or Jamal Adams, but Henderson could see it happening.
As of now, though, Henderson predicts that the club will cut Dunlap and look to re-sign him to a less expensive contract — the former Bengal is due to carry a $14.1MM cap hit in 2021 — while restructuring the contract of franchise icon Wagner and extending 2020 trade acquisition Adams.
Proven performance escalators for several 2018 draftees have played a role in Seattle’s cap crunch. Since he earned a Pro Bowl nod in his rookie season, punter Michael Dickson has a $3.384MM salary for 2021 — the amount of the second-round RFA tender — while cornerback Tre Flowers is due to earn $2.183MM since he met the snap count requirement for the Level One PPE (Twitter link via Henderson). If you need a refresher, OverTheCap.com offers a comprehensive explanation of PPEs.
Presently, the Seahawks’ highest draft choice is their second-rounder (No. 56 overall). Given the state of the club’s offensive line, and Wilson’s recent comments in that regard, most mocks have Seattle selecting an OL with that pick, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times observes. Ohio State guard Wyatt Davis and Tennessee guard Trey Smith would be worthy Day 2 selections.

Saints Work Out Nolan Carroll, George Johnson, Others

November 21st, 2017 at 8:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints did some revamping at cornerback this week, signing both Sterling Moore and Dexter McDougle. But they worked out a player who commanded more money this offseason in Nolan Carroll.

Other recently cut defenders took part in a workout in New Orleans today as well. Defensive ends George Johnson and Malliciah Goodman and fellow edge defender Jayrone Elliott received auditions, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). However, none of these talents signed with the team today, per Caplan (via Twitter).

Carroll, who signed with the Cowboys on a three-year deal worth $10MM, also worked out for the Redskins since being released in October. The 30-year-old defender started two games for the Cowboys this season and 16 for the Eagles in 2016.

The Lions cut Johnson when they claimed fellow edge player Kasim Edebali last week, and Elliott has now worked out for more than a fourth of the NFL’s teams since the Cowboys cut him this season. The former Packers backup auditioned for the Colts, Seahawks, Patriots, Redskins, Texans, Giants, Jets and 49ers prior to trekking to New Orleans.

Redskins Meet With CB Nolan Carroll

October 16th, 2017 at 12:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent cornerback Nolan Carroll is working out or the Redskins on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Carroll was released by the rival Cowboys last week.

The Cowboys signed Carroll to a lucrative three-year deal this offseason, but he did not appear to be a great fit in the summer and a Week 2 concussion sidelined him for multiple games. Dallas decided to cut ties with him after Week 5, a move that meant eating $4MM in guaranteed salary.

Carroll, 30, started in all 16 games for the first time in his career last year and managed one interception, ten passes defensed, and a forced fumble for the Eagles. Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s No. 92 cornerback among 112 qualifiers, but not every evaluator agrees with that assessment.

The Redskins’ secondary has been ravaged by injuries this season. On Sunday, starters Josh Norman and Deshazor Everett did not dress while Bashaud Breeland, Fabian Moreau, D.J. Swearinger, and Stefan McClure all suffered injuries during the game.

If Carroll is healthy, he would be a logical addition for D.C. He might also be able to provide the Redskins with some intel in advance of their Oct. 29 game against Dallas.

Cowboys Release CB Nolan Carroll

October 11th, 2017 at 9:11am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys are releasing cornerback Nolan Carroll, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Carroll has been out with a concussion as of late.

The Cowboys signed Carroll to a three-year, $10MM deal with $4MM guaranteed this offseason, meaning that he’s walking away with lots of money for just two games played. The former Eagles corner suffered a head injury against the Broncos in Week 2 and has not been on the field since.

Carroll, 30, was brought on board to help beef up a Cowboys secondary that ranked 18th in DVOA last season and lost key members in the offseason. The eight-year veteran started in all 16 games for the first time in his career last year and managed one interception, ten passes defensed, and a forced fumble. However, Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s No. 92 cornerback among 112 qualifiers.

The Cowboys’ decision to release Carroll is a sign that they have tremendous faith in rookie Jourdan Lewis. The third-round pick – who has filled in for Carroll – has probably been Dallas’ best cornerback thus far in 2017.

East Rumors: Giants, Fins, Jets, Cowboys

September 23rd, 2017 at 8:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Justin Pugh‘s contract year could well include a lengthy stay at right tackle. The Giants‘ starting left guard slid to his original position on Monday night and will do the same Sunday against the Eagles. Big Blue plans to start Brett Jones at left guard and does not plan on ditching Ereck Flowers at left tackle, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes. Pugh’s versatility will allow the Giants, per Ben McAdoo, to keep the “best five” on the field rather than the team having to use a swing tackle. Usual right tackle Bobby Hart will miss Week 3, and D.J. Fluker — a four-year Chargers starter — is apparently the Giants’ seventh offensive lineman. He’ll profile as the backup guard behind Jones and John Jerry, Raanan writes.

Here’s more from the Eastern divisions in advance of Week 3’s Sunday slate.

Lawrence Timmons‘ pre-Week 2 disappearance will be costly. The Dolphins linebacker signed a two-year, $12MM deal but will lose money because of the suspension his new team handed down this week. In addition to voiding the $4.5MM in guaranteed money attached to his 2018 salary, Timmons stands to lose as much as $235K in base salary this season — since he can only be suspended for four weeks under the CBA — and could be set to forfeit signing bonus money, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports. Volin adds the linebacker could be forced to refund 4/17ths of this year’s portion of his $5.5MM signing bonus. This team-imposed ban could cost Timmons $882K this season before giving Miami greater leverage over him in 2018 because of voided guarantees.
Jay Cutler reached out to Matt Forte about a possible Jets path, but his longtime Bears teammate couldn’t provide many details about an offensive system about to change, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports. Although the Jets and Cutler had multiple visits scheduled, neither came to fruition and the interest wasn’t heavy on either side. Cutler also talked with former Broncos and Bears quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, Gang Green’s current QBs instructor, throughout his first free agency process, per Mehta. But with Bates not calling plays in New York, that connection didn’t have the kind of appeal that would have induced Cutler to sign with the rebuilding team. Instead, Cutler’s second wave of free agency became a Dolphins-centric odyssey.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins weighed over 300 pounds in the recent past, according to Calvin Watkins of Newsday. The Jets tight end dropped a staggering 60 pounds, per Watkins, and is down to 262 as he comes off his two-game suspension for substance abuse. A May report indicated Seferian-Jenkins was down 25 pounds. A year ago Saturday, Seferian-Jenkins was arrested on suspicion of DUI. The Buccaneers cut him, routing the formerly coveted prospect to the Jets. As of this week, ASJ is approaching 250 days sober, Watkins reports.
The Cowboys struggled to stay with Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders in a Week 2 loss in Denver, and the team will take a shorthanded cornerback group to Arizona as well. Both Nolan Carroll and Chidobe Awuzie are out for the Cowboys’ Monday-night tilt against the Cardinals, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News tweets. A hamstring injury will shelve Awuzie, and Carroll’s in concussion protocol.

NFC Notes: Saints, Cowboys, Falcons

June 3rd, 2017 at 10:23am CST by Ben Levine

The Saints signed linebacker Alex Okafor to a one-year, $3MM deal earlier this offseason. While the money and opportunity were obviously alluring, the former fourth-rounder acknowledged that he was really entice by the opportunity to play with former college teammate, Kenny Vaccaro.

“He definitely stuck his neck out for me,” Okafor told the Associated Press. “It’s surreal. Not many guys get to go back and play with some of their college teammates that, I mean, are as close as we are.”

Having started 25 games between 2014 and 2015, Okafor played more of a reserve role for the Cardinals last season. However, the 26-year-old was working with the starters during OTAs, and he’s confident that he can still play a major role on the Saints’ defense.

“It’s just a fresh start and a great opportunity,” Okafor said. “I’ve been that guy before and I know I can be that here.”

That’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…

It’s sounding like the NFL’s investigation into Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott is winding down, and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says there are three possible scenarios that could play out next. For starters, the NFL could simply continue their investigation. They could alternatively determine that the running back “violated the Personal Conduct Policy,” and they’d presumably slap him with some type of punishment. The ideal route (at least in this impartial writer’s eyes) is the third option, which sees the NFL clearing Elliott and ending their investigation.
Thanks to Claire Z. Cardona of The Dallas News, details have emerged on Nolan Carroll‘s arrest last week for driving while intoxicated. Police pulled the Cowboys cornerback over at 2:20am after seeing him driving on the wrong side of the road. The 30-year-old told police that he hadn’t been drinking, and he noted that he “had not taken prescription medications or illegal drugs in the last 24 hours.” After getting arrested, Carroll “refused to voluntarily give a blood specimen.”
Now that he’s done playing, Michael Vick is turning his attention to a new pursuit in the NFL. “I would love to coach in the National Football League one day,” Vick told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “… At some point, I’d definitely love to help work with young quarterbacks and develop them and still compete, you know, with the team and with the coaches. It’s another way to chase a championship. You know I’m not done. I’m not done by any means. You know I didn’t get the championship when I was playing, so, hey, maybe I’d get lucky one year, maybe fortunate enough to join the staff that may be good enough.” The former quarterback is hoping to sign a one-day deal to retire with the Falcons, an indication that his career is officially over. He also confirmed to Schefter that he is done playing.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Carr, Barrett, Cowboys

May 30th, 2017 at 9:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Derek Carr emphasized today that he has no interest in discussing a contract extension with the Raiders once training camp starts.

“I wouldn’t even answer my phone,” Carr said (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez). “The money isn’t the thing that drives me. … What drives me is making sure I’m giving everything that I have with my abilities, and making sure that we win. And I don’t want anything distracting my thought process at all.

“Now, that’s not a jab, or anything like that. That’s just me saying I’m not going to deal with anything that’s not helping me just focus on winning.”

The former second-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and he’s certainly in line for a significant raise on the $1.15MM he’s set to make this year. Last season, the quarterback completed 63.8-percent of his passes for 3,937 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Let’s check out some additional notes from around the NFL…

Broncos outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett is expected to miss the rest of the offseason after suffering a hip injury, reports Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (via Twitter). The 24-year-old hasn’t missed a game over the past two seasons, compiling 86 tackles, seven sacks, and five forced fumbles. While the defender will presumably be ready for the regular season, Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post wonders (on Twitter) if the team might pursue a replacement, citing the team’s lack of linebacker depth.
The Cowboys learned last week that defensive end David Irving is facing a four-game ban after failing a test for performance enhancing drugs. That was followed by yesterday’s news that cornerback Nolan Carroll was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Predictably, executive vice president Stephen Jones wasn’t particularly happy with these developments. “We just have to continue to try to educate these young men that there’s consequences and there’s accountability that you have to have for the bad decisions you make,” Jones said during an interview on the team’s website (via Jon Machota of the Dallas News). “Then we have to move forward and do the very best we can. We know it’s frustrating and disappointing to our fans and all the people who support us…At the same time, they have to know that we’re dealing with young people who aren’t going to be perfect, and we’ll obviously try to continue to draft the right kind of guys, but the right type of guy can make a bad decision every now and then as well.”
The Cowboys lost a pair of team leaders this offseason in safety Barry Church and cornerback Brandon Carr. Following the news of Irving’s potential suspension and Carroll’s arrest, David Moore of the Dallas News writes that the team isn’t “off to a good start replacing” those veterans’ positive locker room presence.

Nolan Carroll Arrested For DWI

May 29th, 2017 at 6:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cowboys cornerback Nolan Carroll was arrested for driving while intoxicated early Monday morning, according David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).

Dallas police arrested the 30-year-old Carroll, who posted bond at 2:45 p.m. Monday and was released from custody. Moore points out the Cowboys offer free Uber rides for players who feel they’re unfit to drive. Police pulled Carroll over for a traffic violation around 2:20 a.m., leading to the arrest, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

The Cowboys signed Carroll in March, and the veteran defender is expected to start for the team after doing so with the Eagles. Dallas signed Carroll during an offseason that saw both Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr defect in free agency. Carroll signed a three-year, $10MM deal to join Dallas after playing three seasons as a starter in Philadelphia.

A former Dolphins draft pick, Carroll is expected to start for the Cowboys this season. Now, he might face a suspension. Already having embattled defenders Randy Gregory and Rolando McClain no closer to returning, the Cowboys received notice last week David Irving failed a drug test and faces a four-game suspension. A Carroll ban would further deplete a defense that also lost Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox.

The Cowboys added corners Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis on Day 2 of the draft, and if Carroll incurs a suspension from this, they could be pressed into duty alongside Orlando Scandrick. Second-year man Anthony Brown factors into this equation as well.

Cowboys To Sign Nolan Carroll

March 10th, 2017 at 6:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys are having a busy hour, as they’ve agreed to a contract with cornerback Nolan Carroll, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s a three-year, $10MM deal that includes $4MM in 2017, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).

After a quiet first day of free agency, Dallas has now signed Carroll, wide receiver Terrance Williams, and defensive lineman Stephen Paea in the last thirty minutes or so. The addition of Carroll could be a sign the Cowboys are bracing to lose either Morris Claiborne, who is reportedly garnering interest from the Ravens, or Brandon Carr, who is also an unrestricted free agent.

Carroll, 30, spent the past three seasons with the Eagles, and was discussing an extension with Philadelphia as of last December. The seven-year veteran started all 16 games for the Birds last season (the first time he’s done so in his career), and managed one interception, 10 passes defensed, and a forced fumble. Pro Football Focus wasn’t very fond of Carroll’s play, however, grading him as the NFL’s No. 92 cornerback among 112 qualifiers.

Carroll will join a Cowboys secondary that ranked 18th in DVOA last season and is currently comprised of Orlando Scandrick, Anthony Brown, and Leon McFadden.

Eagles, Nolan Carroll Talking Extension

December 29th, 2016 at 12:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Nolan Carroll is scheduled to reach free agency in March, but the Eagles are already working to lock him up for 2017 and beyond. The cornerback says that extension talks are underway.

“They’re starting,” Carroll told Mark Eckel of NJ.com. “I have a new agent so we’ll see how it goes.”

Last year, Carroll suffered a fractured fibula and found a weak market for his services. Unable to scare up a significant deal, he re-signed with Philly on a one-year deal worth roughly $2MM. After a healthy season in which he has 51 total tackles, one interception, and 14 pass breakups, Carroll has put himself in a much better position.

If re-signed, the Eagles may ticket Carroll for a reserve role rather than a starting job. Still, he can provide rotational depth and he’s plenty familiar with the playbook.

Through 15 games, Carroll is Pro Football Focus’ No. 91 ranked CB in the NFL this year. Leodis McKelvin is the team’s top-ranked corner this year and he is ranked as just the 82nd best player at the position.