Peyton Manning

West Notes: Manning, Cards RBs, Hayne

October 31st, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Surprisingly, the success of the 6-0 Broncos this season has come more in spite of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning than because of him. The 39-year-old is having his worst statistical season since his rookie campaign, 1998, when he threw more interceptions (28) than touchdowns (26), averaged just 6.5 yards per attempt and put up a 71.2 passer rating. In 2015, he has also tossed more picks than scores (10 to seven), posted a subpar YPA (6.43) and a poor rating (72.5). Nevertheless, he has a defender in AZCentral.com’s Bob McManaman, who writes that it’s too soon to jump off the Manning bandwagon as he and the Broncos get ready for a clash with 6-0 Green Bay on Sunday.

McManaman believes a change in offensive scheme (from Adam Gase‘s to Gary Kubiak‘s), a lesser O-line, and the offseason loss of touchdown-catching tight end Julius Thomas have hindered Manning in his 18th season and made him look worse than he really is. Whether McManaman is right is debatable. What isn’t debatable is that Manning has the worst rating in the league among qualified starters.

Now to the NFC West:

After signing an inexpensive deal for one year with the Cardinals during the summer, running back Chris Johnson has revitalized his career as a key part of an elite team. The 30-year-old currently has the second-highest yards-per-carry average of his career (5.1) to go along with three touchdowns. While Johnson could stand to cash in during the offseason as a result of his renaissance this year, that isn’t on his mind. “I’m not even thinking about my contract,” he said, per Dan Bickley of AZCentral.com. “At the end of the day, I’m just happy to be playing football again. At one point, I thought that would never happen.”
Thanks to Johnson’s excellent play, fellow Cardinals runner Andre Ellington has barely figured into their offensive game plan this season. Ellington has 90 fewer carries than Johnson (21 compared to 111), but the Cards will look to get the third-year man more involved this week against the Browns’ last-ranked run defense, writes Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I think BA (head coach Bruce Arians) has stuff for him and he didn’t get to it, but I’m sure he’ll get to it this week,” said offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin.
The reasons the 49ers cut Jarryd Hayne on Saturday, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter): 1. They didn’t trust him to pick up blitzes as a running back. 2. He had major issues with ball security as a return man. Despite those flaws, the 49ers will try to sign Hayne to their practice squad Monday, per Branch.

La Canfora’s Latest: Peyton, Bowe, Lovie

September 20th, 2015 at 11:11am CST by Rory Parks

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports published a number of stories that are worth a read this morning, so let’s dive right in:

The Broncos are off to a 2-0 start, but it has been a frustrating and heart-stopping couple of games, and things are not as rosy as the team’s record would indicate. Denver’s front office and coaching staff have been intent on establishing the running game in an effort to keep Peyton Manning upright and healthy and to prevent him from wearing down over the course of the season, as he did in 2014. Manning, meanwhile, would prefer to be in the shotgun and throwing as much as possible. As team and player search for some middle ground, there are differing opinions as to how the Broncos should handle their offense moving forward. Some scouts believe Manning is putting himself in danger as he tries to think and feel his way through Gary Kubiak‘s offense, and that it may be better to simply allow the future Hall-of-Famer to do what he does best. Others say that Manning himself is the problem, as his declining velocity, accuracy, and susceptibility to “phantom pressure” allow opposing teams to rush five players and deploy a single high safety in the defensive backfield. The problem has been worsened by the team’s poor offensive line play, and Denver’s next opponent, the Lions, is also likely to dial up a great deal of pressure on the quarterback. How the Broncos respond will go a long way in predicting their success for the remainder of the Manning era.
Browns wide receiver Dwayne Bowe played and practiced very sparingly in the preseason, and when he finally did get an extended look in the team’s fourth preseason game against reserve defensive backs, he was unable to make much of a statement. Per La Canfora, there are some members of the Browns coaching staff that would like to move on from Bowe immediately, even though he has yet to play a regular season snap for his new club. However, as Bowe is owed $9MM in guaranteed salary over the next two seasons, Cleveland has little choice but to hang onto Bowe and see what he can do. As Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets, Bowe did have a good week of practice this week and is active for today’s matchup against Tennessee.
Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith took over defensive play-calling duties this season after Tampa Bay’s defense floundered in 2014. However, his unit’s performance against the Titans last week was even worse than virtually anything he saw last season, and now Smith is under mounting pressure to at least deliver some reason for optimism moving forward. In 2014, the makeup of Smith’s coaching staff raised the eyebrows of other front offices in the league, as many believed that the group–which essentially operated without an offensive coordinator all season–lacked adequate NFL experience. Although the team has installed seasoned NFL coach Dirk Koetter as its offensive coordinator, skepticism regarding Smith’s staff remains. Smith, after all, took over play-calling duties from Leslie Frazier, a former head coach with a ton of coordinating experience, and as La Canfora writes, “it did not go unnoticed in coaching circles when esteemed defensive coach Rod Marinelli, one of Smith’s closest friends, opted to stay in Dallas as coordinator rather than join Smith’s staff in Tampa.” Although the team’s loss to Tennessee last week was just one game, it is fair to say that Smith’s club must start to make some strides if he wants to remain at the Tampa Bay helm in 2016 and beyond.
League commissioner Roger Goodell recently said that he is open to altering the way the league handles the discipline and appeals process for off-field matters, and the NFLPA has submitted a proposal that sets forth such an alteration. The proposal, which was submitted when the union filed a grievance with the CBA arbitrator early this year in response to the league’s new domestic violence conduct policy, calls for the creation of a new appeal position, and it would also prevent the commissioner from handling an appeal himself or from choosing someone else to handle it for him. There is no timetable for when the grievance might be resolved, and there will, as always, be extensive negotiating involved in these proposed changes to the appellate process. However, as La Canfora writes, “the growing groundswell among owners to redirect Goodell from being so intimately involved in the process is almost certain to result in changes at some point.”

West Notes: Manning, Chancellor, 49ers

September 2nd, 2015 at 9:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the AFC and NFC West..

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning said on ESPN that he hopes to play next season, as Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets. “I am really enjoying myself.. I feel good and feel I can help and contribute,” Manning said. Manning, 39, had another excellent season for the Broncos in 2014, putting up 4,727 passing yards to go along with 39 touchdown passes. However, he was hampered by injuries late in the season and struggled down the stretch, particularly in the team’s divisional playoff loss to the Colts, in which he totaled just 211 passing yards on 46 attempts.
Both the Seahawks and Kam Chancellor need to find a way to save face, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, and he doesn’t think that it will be hard to do. Chancellor is due to make $4.55MM this year, $5.1MM in 2016, and $6.8MM in 2017, so Florio suggests that the Seahawks could take $1MM from next year and $1MM from 2017 and move it to 2015. Alternatively, the Seahawks could give Chancellor more guaranteed cash in 2016 and/or 2017. At some point, Seattle should stop reworking deals, but Florio doesn’t think that this is the place to draw the line given Chancellor’s importance in the locker room.
Niners head coach Jim Tomsula said the decision to waive defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye during the first round of cuts to 75 players was made to give him the best opportunity to land with another team this season, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. “Just to be frank, Lawrence hasn’t played a lot of football,” Tomsula said. “So for somebody to give him an opportunity in fairness to him, they’re going to want to (see him before the cut to 53 players). So, when you have a guy in that situation, was my thought, that it gives him a better opportunity … What he’s done in three years or two-and-a-half years is remarkable.”

King’s Latest: Broncos, Rams, Walsh, Dareus

August 24th, 2015 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

As a former quarterback himself, Broncos general manager John Elway admits that it wasn’t easy asking Peyton Manning to take a $4MM pay cut this offseason, money which Manning could make up in incentives. Elway tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com that it was a “really hard” conversation to have.

“A lot of times, as much as you like to say you want those things to stay business, they always end up being a little personal,” Elway said. “That’s the hard part, because I have a great deal of respect for Peyton. I think, hopefully, Peyton will be able to look back in a few years, especially if we have a really good year, and see that, ultimately, the decision was made to give us the best chance to go out and win a Super Bowl this year. That, ultimately, is the best thing for Peyton Manning—even though, of course, it was $4MM.”

Here are a few more items of note from King’s latest Monday Morning Quarterback feature:

With three starters on the offensive line who have never played a regular season snap, the Broncos will likely move a late-round pick for an offensive lineman, or claim a player – likely a guard – off waivers in the near future, says King.
One team owner who spoke to King believes that Stan Kroenke‘s plan for a new NFL Network facility and multi-purpose theater in Inglewood could be a big factor in the league’s decision on the Los Angeles market. King adds that he views the Inglewood stadium plan, along with the Rams, as the NFL’s preferred route to L.A., though that’s far from a sure thing at this point.
While the Vikings are “trying not to show their concern” with recently extended kicker Blair Walsh, the situation is worth keeping an eye on after Walsh missed five kicks in the team’s two preseason games, writes King. When I examined Walsh as an extension candidate back in May, I suggested the team may want to see how he responds to the longer extra point this year before extending him, but Minnesota locked him up to a new deal last month.
Responding to reports that Marcell Dareus didn’t accept an alleged six-year, $90MM extension offer, King suggests that the Bills defensive tackle is “misreading the market.” In King’s view, Dareus has a case for a rich contract, but not one that exceeds J.J. Watt‘s deal.

Extra Points: Bennett, Sam, Manning, HGH

June 26th, 2015 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Making an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Cliff Avril said this week that he supports fellow Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett in his quest for a new contract, writes Kirk Larrabee of 247Sports.com.

“I’ve been through the whole contract situation, so I don’t fault him from wanting a new deal from a standpoint of they cut you after a year if they feel you don’t play as well as that contract,” Avril said. “If you feel like you outplayed the contract after a year, go for it. What’s the worst they can tell you? I don’t blame him for that … Hopefully they figure something out, if not this year, hopefully he outplays it again next year and they make sure something happens next year.”

Here are a few more Friday odds and ends from around the NFL (and the CFL):

Former Mizzou pass rusher Michael Sam returned to Montreal and is expected to be at the Alouettes’ team meetings this Sunday and at practice the following day, reports Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette. Sam left the team about two weeks ago for personal reasons, but GM Jim Popp indicated earlier this week that he thought the former Rams seventh-rounder draftee would be back.
Using this week’s Peyton Manning trade rumor as a point of reference, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report explains that NFL teams and executives often engage in “hypothetical” trade discussions, which gives them plausible deniability if word of those talks leak. As for Manning, one general manager tells Freeman that the Broncos “would be stupid not to talk to teams” about trading him, even if a deal was never likely.
Since the NFL’s instituted human-growth hormone testing last October, no player has tested positive. However, it’s possible that those glowing results can be attributed to the limitations of the test. Dr. John Lombardo tells Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt on SiriusXM NFL Radio that the current test has a “very short window,” meaning a player who used HGH a few days before being tested may not test positive. A new test in development would have a much longer window – about five to eight days – according to Lombardo.
In case it needed to be clarified, Falcons PR man Jay Adams (Twitter link) and head coach Dan Quinn (link via ESPN.com) both confirmed this week that Quinn’s comments about bringing 53-year-old Herschel Walker to the team’s training camp were made in jest.

Broncos Deny Manning/Texans Trade Talk

June 24th, 2015 at 4:26pm CST by Zachary Links

4:26pm: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that they rumors regarding Manning are similar to the ones that were surrounding 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick not long ago. The Texans were doing their due diligence on quarterbacks and called around the league. One of those QBs, it seems, was Manning.

12:52pm: A top-level Broncos source continues to insist that the club never made a call regarding a Manning trade, and never considered moving the quarterback, says Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter links). Could the Texans have made the call then? Maybe, tweets Klis.

As a point of comparison, Klis notes (via Twitter) that the Seahawks called the Broncos last year asking if they’d take Percy Harvin for Julius Thomas, and Denver immediately dismissed the idea. The 9News scribe hints that this could have been a similar scenario.

WEDNESDAY, 10:47am: Despite the slew of denials from the Broncos and Texans, a source tells SportsRadio 610 in Houston that the two teams had “very preliminary” talks about Manning before the five-time MVP signed his reworked deal with Denver (link via CBS Houston).

Generally, when separate outlets from separate cities are reporting a story like this one, it didn’t just materialize out of thin air (no pun intended). So I wouldn’t be surprised if the Broncos and Texans briefly discussed the possibility early in the offseason. However, it sounds like those talks might have happened almost in passing – if they happened at all – and never got close to becoming serious.

TUESDAY, 8:57pm: Multiple Broncos officials who spoke with Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter) denied the rumor “in [the] strongest terms.”

8:26pm: Elway told Mike Klis of 9NEWS (on Twitter) that the rumored trade proposal is “not true.”

8:00pm: John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter) spoke with three Texans sources who all said the story is not true.

7:32pm: If those talks ever took place, then it’s news to agent Tom Condon. “Neither the Texans, the Broncos, or Peyton Manning ever talked to me about a trade anywhere,” Condon told PFT (on Twitter).

The Texans, meanwhile, declined to comment (link).

7:18pm: Broncos PR man Patrick Smyth took to Twitter to deny a report that the Broncos attempted to trade quarterback Peyton Manning to the Texans.

Earlier this evening, 94.1 FM Denver/96.9 FM Boulder radio host Benjamin Allbright (Twitter links) reported that Denver tried to trade Manning this offseason to Houston. “Certain elements” of the Broncos organization, he said, wanted to jump start the Brock Osweiler era in Denver. Allbright said that he was unable to get on-the-record confirmation anyone in either organization, but Smyth offered up a rather strong comment on the report.

“Here’s one for the record – The speculation is false, and your report is inaccurate,” Smyth tweeted.

Manning, 39, had another excellent season for the Broncos in 2014, putting up 4,727 passing yards to go along with 39 touchdown passes. However, he was hampered by injuries late in the season and struggled down the stretch, particularly in the team’s divisional playoff loss to the Colts, in which he totaled just 211 passing yards on 46 attempts.

Given the way the season ended, plus the fact that head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase both found new jobs, there was some doubt that Manning would return for another year. However, John Elway, Gary Kubiak, and the Broncos maintained all along that they’d welcome back the former MVP. In March, Manning announced that he’d return for the 2015 campaign and Denver was outwardly happy to have him back in the fold.

In early March, Manning agreed to a deal that reduces his base salary for the coming year from $19MM to $15MM. That extra $4MM will still be available to the future Hall-of-Famer via incentives, but he’d have to reach the Super Bowl to earn any of it — he’ll reportedly receive $2MM if the Broncos win the AFC, and another $2MM if they win the Super Bowl.

West Rumors: Wilson, Manning, Berry

June 14th, 2015 at 11:26am CST by Sam Robinson

With talks between the Seahawks and Russell Wilson on the fourth-year quarterback’s second contract at a standstill, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times looks at why that’s the case.

One factor, Condotta points out, for the offseason impasse is how Seattle operates offensively. In Wilson, who rated as Pro Football Focus’ 13th-best quarterback last season, leading a run-heavy attack with a perennially menacing defense acting as a safety net, the team may view a player whose potential for growth beyond the lofty heights to which he’s already ascended is limited based on what he’s asked to do.

“That could be a consideration from Seattle, at least currently, as to why they have not offered a top-of-the-market contract just yet,’’ OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald told Condotta. “When you look at some of the contracts they have offered — whether it was Marshawn Lynch, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Percy Harvin and so on — cost was never an issue.

“ … The fact that they are not doing the same for Wilson could indicate that they feel what you see now is his ceiling and there is no more upside.”

As Condotta points out, Wilson’s 96.8 career passer rating ranks behind only Aaron Rodgers among active quarterbacks, so the Seahawks’ reported four-year, $87MM offer won’t cut it when the Super Bowl-winning signal-caller, due to make the 44th-most money ($1.5MM) among quarterbacks this season, has outperformed his rookie deal to this degree. And the lack of urgency for the 2016 free agent, a label that’s pretty insignificant at this point since Wilson is highly unlikely to have that option any time soon, could work in his favor.

“Whenever you have a good-to-great player, the longer you wait, the more it’s going to cost you,” CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry told Condotta.

Let’s look at some other Sunday news items from the Western NFL locales.

Mired in a battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphomy, Chiefs Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry “looks really good,” Travis Kelce noted after helping out with one of Berry’s youth camps recently, reports Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star. The sixth-year safety who remains without a return timetable was reportedly fully engaged in the camp’s operation.
Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post looks at Peyton Manning‘s status entering his age-39 season a tanner, fitter player. The Broncos future Hall of Famer’s legendary work ethic’s seeped into his latest challenge, with Cody Latimer noting how in tune Manning already was with new coach Gary Kubiak‘s playbook when the 2014 second-round pick participated at Manning’s Duke camp. Kubiak’s system, while new to Manning, doesn’t quite have the nuances of his previous setup, possibly accelerating this learning curve.

West Notes: Cardinals, Liuget, D. Thomas

June 11th, 2015 at 9:37pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals are deep enough at certain positions that GM Steve Keim says he could look to make trades later this summer, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic writes.

“It’s a good concern, (but) for the first time we have a certain amount of depth here where we’re either going to have the ability to trade a player, or two, or four or five at certain positions that can not only make other NFL rosters, but could potentially start for some teams,” Keim told the Doug and Wolf show on Arizona Sports 98.7. “So I have to be active and make sure that I address that situation so we’re not just releasing players and allowing teams to pick them up.”

West Notes: Manning, Los Angeles, Bush

June 10th, 2015 at 6:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has spoken with other players who walked away from the game because they grew bored with the tediousness of studying film and the monotony of practice. That’s not the case for him, however.

“I think everybody likes continuity and some consistency in what you’re doing. But I will say at age 36 when I got here and now 39 that I have been stimulated by the changes, which I do think keeps you engaged and energetic and focused in meetings,” Manning said, according to Arnie Stapleton of The Associated Press.

Here’s more from the West divisions..

Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles News Group gave us a preview of what to expect from the New York meetings today between NFL owners and contingents from the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders – the three teams weighing moves to the Los Angeles Area.

Like Frank Gore before him, 49ers offseason addition Reggie Bush is ready to prove that there is life for running backs after the age of 30, Cam Inman of the Mercury News writes. Carlos Hyde is projected to take the starting job, but the door is open for Bush to win the gig. Even after nine seasons and 9,758 all-purpose yards, the veteran looks spry and capable of playing at a high level.

The Raiders are committed to going younger at cornerback and coach Jack Del Rio says he’s up for the challenge, as The Associated Press writes. “We feel like there is some talent in that group,” coach Jack Del Rio said. “They do need to be developed. They do need to be worked. A lot of times when you bring in older guys that may be safer guys Week 1, they’re not able to hold up in Weeks 15 and 16, and they’re not really changing the makeup of the team. We feel like it’s time to develop these guys, bring these guys along.” Right now, it sounds like the starters will likely come from a bunch that includes 2013 first-round pick DJ Hayden and second-year players TJ Carrie and Keith McGill. An offseason addition could change that, but Del Rio sounds like he’s going to try and develop the guys he has.

AFC West Notes: Manning, Wilkerson, Bolts

April 28th, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Chiefs announced that president Mark Donovan has signed a long-term contract extension to remain in Kansas City. Donovan doesn’t deal much with the football side of things, but he is in charge of the fan experience at Arrowhead Stadium. Recently, Arrowhead has come under fire for its subpar concessions and one can only hope that Donovan will turn things around. Here’s more from the AFC West..

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is 39, but he’s not thinking about calling it quits, Mike Klis of 9 News writes. “I wouldn’t call it that,” Manning said when asked about a possible farewell tour. “That’s not how I see it.” Manning is under contract with Denver through 2016.
At least two teams have called the Jets about a potential trade for defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. Those teams have not been named but Bill Williamson of ESPN.com thinks the Raiders should get in on the defensive end if they haven’t already. Defensive end is one of Oakland’s primary need areas and Wilkerson is a standout in his prime. The Raiders, who have about $20MM in salary-cap space, could easily give Wilkerson the new deal he seeks.
Mock drafts are all about projecting who teams will take, but Greg A. Bedard of The MMQB ran down the players that each team should pick. For the Raiders at No. 4, Bedard says the easy and obvious choice is USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams, if he’s available. Further down in the draft, he recommends Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton for the Chargers. Bedard argues that he makes sense for the Bolts since they don’t have anybody of substance on the defensive line beyond Corey Liuget.

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