Some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Monday evening…
Adrian Peterson‘s agent, Ben Dogra, reiterated that his client shouldn’t be playing for the Vikings in 2015. “I don’t think it’s in the best interests of [Adrian Peterson] to play for the Minnesota Vikings,” Dogra said (via Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole on Twitter).
However, Vikings owner MarkWilf whistled a different tune to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero. “He’s an important part of the Minnesota Vikings and we look forward to him being part of our team in 2015,” the owner said (Twitter link).
Chargers general manager TomTelesco said the the team isn’t considering trading quarterback Philip Rivers, according to ESPN.com’s Eric Williams (on Twitter).
ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson says (via Twitter) the Raiders are not currently pursuing Eagles offensive guard Evan Mathis.
Jaguars general manager David Caldwell said the Eagles offer to DeMarco Murray exceeded his team’s offer by a “large amount,” tweets Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com.
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett touched on his team’s addition of defensive end Greg Hardy (via David Moore of SportsDayDFW.com on Twitter): “If we didn’t believe that Greg Hardy could become the right kind of guy we would not have signed him.”
Moore also tweets that the Cowboys have interest in bringing back linebacker Rolando McClain, but Garrett said the sides haven’t made any recent progress on a contract.
Following news that the Cowboys will likely place the franchise tag on Dez Bryant, Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com surveyed some who were in favor of the move from the player’s perspective. This included Jordan Woy, the agent for Cowboys defensive end Anthony Spencer. The veteran received the tag in both 2012 and 2013.
“If you sign it right away, it’s automatically guaranteed,” Woy said. “You can still negotiate to get a long-term deal. But I don’t see the benefit in not signing it because if I don’t sign it, it’s not guaranteed, No. 1. The team could take it away and if you wait too long other things can happen (like teams not having cap space). Or people could change their mind. I think it’s better signing it and having the guaranteed money sitting there.”
Owner Jerry Jones echoed that sentiment:
“I’ve never seen anybody just pout to the extent that they wouldn’t do it over this kind of money. That usually is not realistic. It’s just too much money. And consequently it’s not set up or packaged the way that parties might want — and I want to emphasize again – it’s not really set up in our best interest at all. There’s a much better way for our future and our cap this year if we didn’t franchise, but this is here when you don’t have your meeting of the minds about how you want to structure something long term. And so if anything it’s in the right situation, it’s a placeholder for addressing it as you move through the future.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Dallas…
NFL Network’s Dan Hellie, Heath Evans and Willie McGinest discussed the pros and cons of the Cowboys signing Bryant to a longterm contract (via The Dallas Morning News). The pundits ultimately believe it’d be in the team’s best interest to include some character clauses in the receiver’s contract.
In his weekly chat, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News talks about Rolando McClain and his continuous off-the-field issues. The writer believes all the press doesn’t help the free agent, but he also argues that the linebacker’s production would make it difficult for the team to just cut ties.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has some suggestions for the Cowboys as they head into free agency. The writer believes the team ran running back DeMarco Murray “into the ground” last season, and he’s doubtful that the 27-year-old could ever repeat that production.
Fitzgerald also opines that cornerback Brandon Carr‘s tenure in Dallas could be over unless the player accepts a pay cut. If the team releases the 28-year-old before June, they’ll save an estimated $8MM.
Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain has violated the league’s substance abuse policy for the third time, according to Adam Schefter and Todd Archer of ESPN (via Twitter).
McClain obviously has a checkered history that includes having the final year of his guaranteed contract with the Raiders voided before moving to Baltimore, retiring, unretiring, and being traded to the Cowboys. However, he was a revelation in Rod Marinelli’s defense, filling in at middle linebacker and playing himself back into an NFL commodity.
Under the NFL’s policy, the third failed test will result in a fine only, and no suspension at this time. However, a fourth failed test will come with an automatic four-game suspension, according to Schefter (via Twitter).
McClain is set to become a free agent this offseason, and after spending 2014 answering some questions about his ability to take his job seriously both on and off the field, this will be a huge blow to his rehabilitated image. Any team that considers pursuing him will have the threat of a four-game suspension and the black cloud that comes with it hanging over the signing, and will most definitely be a deterrent in team’s taking a chance on him with a guaranteed deal.
Based on comments made by Bills general manager Doug Whaley today, Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (Twitter link) believes free-agents-to-be C.J. Spiller, Brandon Spikes, and Da’Norris Searcy will be allowed to explore their options on the open market next month. Conversely, it sounds like the team badly wants to re-sign Marcus Easley prior to March 10 (Twitter link).
Let’s round up several more items relating to the league’s East teams….
The Cowboys were pleased with Brandon Weeden‘s work as Tony Romo‘s backup in 2014, but won’t rule out the possibility of upgrading at that spot if the opportunity presents itself, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. “Everybody is always competing in this league,” Jones said. “There is nobody guaranteed anything. That includes Weeden and everybody.”
Prior to their release of tight end James Casey today, the Eagles didn’t have any discussions about reducing Casey’s salary and keeping him, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. According to Bowen, the veteran is looking for a bigger role than he had in Philadelphia, so he may get that opportunity with a new team.
Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes the Eagles may find a logical trade partner in the Buccaneers, since GM JasonLicht hasn’t been shy about making deals since taking over the job. In Mosher’s view, Bucs safety Dashon Goldson makes sense as a trade target for Philadelphia.
The issue for the Dolphins when it comes to Mike Wallace isn’t as simple as cutting or keeping the veteran wideout, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who writes that the team is almost certainly trying to restructure Wallace’s deal, or get him to take a pay cut.
As the Patriots prepare to represent the AFC East in the Super Bowl tonight, let’s take a look at some notes regarding the Pats, their division rivals, and a few items from the NFC East:
Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that the league’s handling of “Deflategate” has thawed the relationship between Roger Goodell and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who has been one of the commissioner’s biggest supporters and who publicly backed Goodell during the Ray Rice fiasco. Reiss notes that, if Goodell were to lose Kraft’s support, his hold on the commissioner’s job could become a bit more tenuous.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Patriots star corner Darrelle Revis will be courted not only by his current team this offseason–after New England inevitably declines his 2015 option–but he expects the Bills and Jets to be in on Revis as well. Joel Corry tweets that Revis will have a great deal of leverage, as the Patriots cannot put the franchise tag on him if they decline the 2015 option.
Jets owner Woody Johnson received the Steinberg DeNicola Humanitarian Award on Saturday, and before receiving the award, he provided a few clues to his team’s offseason plans. In response to criticism he received earlier this week, when he announced that the Jets would be aggressive in free agency, Johnson stated that although he was not afraid to spend money on free agents, he would not waste money. He specifically mentioned cornerback and strong safety as positions that could be addressed in the free agent market, and he also touched on a possible extension for Muhammad Wilkerson and the team’s quarterback situation (article via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
If Washington is to become competitive again in the NFC East, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com says new GM Scot McCloughan must move away from the team’s historic reliance on big-ticket free agents.
After hearing that the Seahawks have offered Marshawn Lyncha lucrative extension, Joel Corry tweets that the Cowboys will have to substantially increase their offer to DeMarco Murray if they are serious about keeping him.
Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News looked at the Cowboys linebacker situation in 2015, both with and without impending free agent Rolando McClain. Fortunately for Dallas, Anthony Hitchens showed that he can play any of the linebacker spots in his rookie season. If McClain comes back, he’ll play in the middle and Sean Lee will be on the weakside. If McClain doesn’t come back, Machota thinks it will be Lee in the middle with Justin Durant/Hitchens on the weakside.
More from Machota, who writes that he’d be surprised if Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley, a restricted free agent, gets plucked away by another team. Linebacker Bruce Carter, however, is a different story. Carter has freakish athleticism and he was a projected first round choice in 2011. There could be teams out there that believe they can better utilize his abilities than Dallas has, perhaps by making him an inside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
There have been a number of NFL trades since the 2014 NFL Draft ended in May, with 13 players and 11 future draft picks switching teams. The Patriots were the most active on the trade market, participating in five deals, while the Buccaneers ultimately made three trades, including a pair with New England.
Let’s quickly remind ourselves of the trades made post-2014 NFL draft…
Seahawks acquire cornerback Marcus Burley from Colts for sixth-round pick (link)
Texans acquire quarterback Ryan Mallett from Patriots for 2015 pick (link)
Jets acquire wideout Percy Harvin from Seahawks for conditional draft pick (link)
Rams acquire safety Mark Barron from Buccaneers for fourth and sixth-round pick (link)
Patriots acquire linebacker Akeem Ayers from Titans for a sixth-round pick (link)
Patriots acquire linebacker Jonathan Casillas and sixth-round pick from Buccaneers for fifth-round pick (link)
A couple of the players acquired in these trades had little impact on their new squads. Neither Justin Green or Ben Bass played a snap this season, while T.J. Yates only threw four attempts serving as Matt Ryan‘s backup. Ryan Mallett‘s opportunity as the Texans quarterback only lasted 158 snaps, while Mark BarronJonathan Casillas, and Akeem Dent primarily served in backup/platoon roles with their new squads.
That leaves six players who played more than 300 snaps following their trade, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required): Mankins, McClain, Ayers, Harvin, Wright and Burley. So, which of those players ended up having the biggest impact on their new squad?
Mankins led that group with 937 snaps, and his 4.8 rating on PFF ranked him as the third-best offensive player on Tampa Bay (however, he only ranked as the 22nd-best guard in the league). The 32-year-old was still very reliable for the Bucs, starting all 16 games.
Meanwhile, the player he was traded for ended up being a red-zone force for the Patriots. Wright finished the season with 26 catches for 259 yards, a far cry from his 54 catch, 571-yard season in 2013. The 24-year-old did set a career-high in touchdowns, though, catching six. Across the division, the Jets were hoping Harvin could provide a spark to their struggling offense. The wideout compiled 29 catches for 350 yards and a touchdown in eight games for New York. The skill player also added 22 rushes for 110 yards.
McClain had a bounce back season in 2014 following his one-year retirement. The former first-round pick made 13 appearances for the Cowboys, finishing with 81 tackles, two interruptions, a forced fumble and a sack. He also ranked eighth in PFF’s list of the top inside linebackers. The other linebacker on that list, Ayers, filled in adequately for the injured Jerod Mayo. Ayers played in nine games for the Patriots, including four starts, compiling 20 tackles and four sacks.
Finally, Burley managed to carve out some playing time in a very deep Seattle secondary. In 13 games, the 24-year-old compiled 25 tackles and an interception, while also earning a positive rating from PFF. His 1.7 rating was actually higher than teammates Byron Maxwell, although he played about half the snaps.
So, focusing on the six players who had played more than 300 snaps, which player acquired via trade had the biggest impact on their new club? Should one of the omitted players have made the list? Let us know in the comments.
Whether you thought that was a catch or not, the Cowboys’ terrific 2014 season is over. That leads to a lot of questions the team will have to address, from coaches to players. The decisions they make this offseason will be crucial if the Cowboys want to build on a surprise 12-4 season.
Head coach Jason Garrett is a free agent this offseason, free to sign with any team if he chooses, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. With five teams currently still with openings at head coach, things could get interesting should they decide to pursue Garrett. Despite his pending free agency, owner Jerry Jones expects Garrett to return in 2015 with a new contract.
With the season over, teams could be calling to try to steal some Cowboys’ assistants away from the team. Rod Marinelli, Scott Linehan, and Bill Callahan could all be hot commodities this offseason, writes Brandon George of DallasNews.com in a chat. George notes that the Cowboys have the money to keep them, but could lose them to promotions with other teams.
Especially with the Cowboys’ tight salary cap issues, Rod Marinelli is an important component of the defense, writes Brandon George of DallasNews.com in a chat. His scheme allows the team to get production out of sub-par talent, and he will be difficult to replace. George also believes that the team will not target a wide receiver with Terrance Williams continuing to be productive across from Bryant.
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Christmas Eve…
As Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com points out, the Cowboys owe the Ravens a sixth round pick to complete the Rolando McClain trade. Since the linebacker played more than 50 percent of his team’s defensive snaps, the Cowboys will send off their pick and receive a seventh-rounder in return.
ChipKelly told reports that he believes quarterback Matt Barkley has a future with the Eagles, and Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that this would be a good weekend for the 24-year-old to prove his coach right.
Raiders quarterbacks coach JohnDeFilippo could be a “strong candidate” to become the next offensive coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh, according to Fox Sports (via ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson).
Cardinals coach BruceArians is among those questioning the 49ers for wanting to move on from Jim Harbaugh. “It’s very shocking to me,” Arians said (via Matt Maiocco CSNBayArea.com). “Jimmy’s done an unbelievable job. The fact that one bad season shouldn’t deter from what they’ve built there. And I think they have had pretty much everything you want culture-wise in place there. And the wins and losses speak for themselves.”
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner drew interest from the Rams during the 2012 draft, and the third-year pro revealed that he was expecting to call St. Louis home. “I remember everything was great,” Wagner said (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). “I talked to them before I knew they were very interested and I felt like if I wasn’t going to be in Seattle or whoever had the pick before that I was going to end there. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I could definitely tell through the conversations that we were having and just the vibe that they really wanted me to be there. I actually got a text right before I got drafted by the Seahawks from the (Rams) linebackers coach, but I’m happy where I’m at.”
As Reggie Bush prepares for his reunion with the Saints this weekend, the former No. 2 overall pick reflected on his entrance and exit from New Orleans.
The current Lions running back was ushered into the business side of the league very quickly, as he was blindsided by not going first overall. Via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein…
“I was preparing to go to Houston, and we found out the same way everybody else found out, on SportsCenter,” Bush said. “That was that. That was my first real introduction to the business side of football. I got an introduction really quick.”
Following five up-and-down seasons with the Saints, the two sides parted ways following the 2010 season. The 29-year-old said there is not bitterness or hard feelings over the “mutual decision.”
“It was nothing that was unexpected,” Bush said. “I don’t have any bitterness toward the team or anybody. It’s part of the business side, the business side of our sport.
“Sometimes it can be ugly, but at the end of the day we all sign on the dotted line and we understand how it works.”
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…
Rothstein opines that if the Lions don’t keep Ndamukong Suh, they could very well re-sign DeAndre Levy and Nick Fairley. While Levy’s contract doesn’t expire until 2015, the team could still theoretically try to lock him up. Rothstein also questions whether the team would actually extend Fairley following one productive season.
In addition to Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain will also be in line for a payday this offseason, but an extension isn’t on his mind. “We haven’t talked about it and I’m not worried about it,” McClain told ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. “I’m getting ready for the Giants…I’m just happy to be with the Dallas Cowboys. I’m happy with our success so far. I’m having fun with my teammates. Having a good time, gelling together and playing some good ball right now.”
Newton writes that there would be little incentive for the Panthers to cut Greg Hardy since the team would still owe him more than $13MM.
Seahawks rookie Cassius Marsh broke his foot in practice this week and is expected to have surgery on Monday, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. While Rapoport estimates the defensive end will miss four or five weeks, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times says a six-to-eight week absence is more likely (via Twitter).
Following the release of Saints fourth-rounder Khairi Fortt this past week, many fans asked Mike Triplett about the team’s inability to develop linebackers. The writer acknowledges that the team’s last real success was Mark Fields in 1995, but he adds that the team hasn’t invested high draft picks into the position.
Even if the Cowboys were looking to promote a defensive lineman from the practice squad, Archer says that rookie Michael Sam wouldn’t be the team’s first choice. Instead, the Cowboys would likely bring up Kenneth Boatright.
Rom Demovsky says it’s likely that the Packers and representatives for Randall Cobb have already started discussing a new contract. The writer suggests that the wideout could be delaying the process until he begins compiling statistics that would warrant a larger payday.