Russell Wilson - Pro Football Rumors

West Notes: Wilson, McGrath, Rams, Broncos

April 16th, 2015 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

Asked on KIRO 97.3 FM about contract negotiations with quarterback Russell Wilson, whose rookie contract expires after the 2015 season, Seahawks general manager John Schneider predictably didn’t offer up many details. As Terry Blount of ESPN.com details, Schneider alluded to the challenges of balancing the roster and the salary cap as he expressed how much the club wants to keep Wilson in the mix for years to come.

“Every negotiation is unique in and of itself and this is no different,” Schneider said. “He’s our quarterback. We’d love him to be our quarterback. But the thing is we need to keep as many of these guys together as we possibly can. What I can tell you is that this is the ultimate team sport. We have a track record of rewarding our players that we recognize as core players.”

Yesterday, we heard that the Seahawks and Wilson had begun extension discussions, but hadn’t made much progress. As we wait to see if the two sides move forward on a new deal, let’s check in on a few more notes out of the NFL’s two West divisions….

Former Chiefs tight end Sean McGrath, who retired last summer, has decided to make an NFL comeback, his agent tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). However, he won’t return to Kansas City — the team reinstated him from the reserve/retired list yesterday, then immediately waived him.
The Rams‘ private workout with quarterback Marcus Mariota is happening today, and Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that head coach Jeff Fisher, GM Les Snead, executive VP of football operations Kevin Demoff, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke will all be in Eugene to meet with the Oregon signal-caller.
Per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, the Seahawks have hosted Tennessee State guard Robert Myers for a pre-draft visit, and are also hosting West Georgia defensive lineman Tory Slater. Slater previously visited the Falcons as well.
Pittsburgh tackle T.J. Clemmings visited the Broncos earlier this week, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who adds that the club also held a private workout for Colorado State offensive lineman Ty Sambrailo.

NFC Notes: Wilson, Mara, Raji, Cards

April 14th, 2015 at 4:47pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson a year from free agency, the two sides have begun discussions on a new contract. However, there hasn’t been much progress toward keeping Wilson in a Seahawks uniform long term, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Seahawks used a 2012 third-round pick on Wilson, who has since made two Pro Bowls and helped lead the team to three straight playoff berths, a pair of NFC championships and, most importantly, a Super Bowl title. Wilson has made a relative pittance during that time span and will soon be in position to cash in as one of the highest-paid QBs in the NFL. Whether he’ll cash in as a Seahawk or a member of another franchise remains to be seen, of course.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

A change in the league’s playoff format won’t happen this year, but Giants owner John Mara believes it’s coming sooner than later, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. While 12 of the league’s 32 teams currently qualify for the postseason, a change would likely elevate the total to 14. Mara isn’t particularly gung-ho about it. “I still would prefer to keep it the way it is, but I don’t think it’s the end of the world if we end up making the change,” said Mara.
Mara expects changes to the extra point next season, tweets the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano.
Defensive lineman B.J. Raji will be one of the most important Packers in 2015, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Raji, 28, missed all of last season after tearing his bicep and then signed a one-year deal to remain in Green Bay earlier this offseason. If healthy, the 337-pounder should boost a Packers defense that finished just 23rd against the run last year. “I can either take away or add to the legacy – and I want to add to it,” Raji said, according to Dunne.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians seems committed to young quarterback Logan Thomas for the long term, but ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss writes that UCLA’s Brett Hundley might be a better fit for the franchise. The Cardinals have visited with Hundley, who’s expected to be a third- or fourth-round pick in the upcoming draft. Weinfuss believes Hundley is a more skilled player than Thomas, whom the Cards used a fourth-rounder on a year ago, and would be a perfect third-stringer to sit behind starter Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton in 2015. Then, when Stanton becomes a free agent next year, Hundley would be able to slide in immediately behind Palmer – who will turn 37 during the 2016 campaign.

NFC Notes: Edwards, Wilson, Saints, Vikes

April 13th, 2015 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys and Bears are among the teams to host Florida State defensive lineman Mario Edwards for a visit, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The timeline on Edwards’ visit to Dallas isn’t clear, but his trip to Chicago happened last week, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.

As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com details in a column today, Edwards is a prospect worth keeping an eye on — while most mock drafts don’t include him in the first round, he’s generating plenty of buzz among talent evaluators around the NFL. One tells La Canfora that “in this [not overly talented] draft, he’s definitely a first-rounder for me.”

Here are a few more items from around the NFC:

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a closer look at Russell Wilson‘s contract situation, forecasting how things might play out if Wilson and the Seahawks don’t reach a long-term contract agreement this year. As Florio outlines, the Seattle signal-caller could still do very well for himself if the team were to use the franchise tag multiple times to keep him under contract.
Washington cornerback Marcus Peters, UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks, and Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper are all visiting New Orleans today, as the Saints consider defensive options, a source tells Nick Underhill of The Advocate (Twitter link).
The Vikings have “clear interest” in North Dakota edge defender Kyle Emanuel, having observed him at his Pro Day and then later working him out privately, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
The Lions are hosting a Division II prospect, Western Oregon wide receiver Tyrell Williams, on a pre-draft visit today, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday will pay a visit to Washington this week to meet with GM Scot McCloughan and head coach Jay Gruden, a source confirms to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

NFC Notes: Wilson, Rams, Bears, Draft

April 11th, 2015 at 7:48pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Seahawks are preparing to give Russell Wilson a contract extension that will make him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL. However, Wilson hasn’t yet given up the dream of someday playing professional baseball, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

Wilson told Bryant Gumbel of HBO Real Sports that he hasn’t closed the door on his baseball career just yet, and holds out hope of being a two-sport athlete like Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson. Of course, if Wilson receives a yearly salary topping the $22MM that Aaron Rodgers negotiated on his last contract, Condotta believes the Seattle signal-caller can kiss his baseball career goodbye.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

The Rams are not expected to have a chance to draft a quarterback at No.10, but the team will have both of the draft’s top passers in for a visit just in case, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). They will send a member of their front office to both Florida State and Oregon to meet with the prospects. Jameis Winston is projected to be off the board first overall, but some could see Marcus Mariota slipping past the Titans and Jets and possibly being available for St. Louis.
While the Rams are trying to find a way to stay in St. Louis, the city is fighting a lawsuit that could jeopardize the team’s future in Missouri, should St. Louis win, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The suit aims to avoid a public vote on using taxpayer money to help finance a new stadium for the Rams. If the city loses its battle against the lawsuit, it could actually help the team stay in St. Louis. “We’re going to defend the ordinance,” said Jeff Rainford, who is in charge of the city’s effort to build a new stadium. “It’s not going to be a pretend defense. The city will defend the ordinance, and we’ll live with the result.”
The Bears have a new coach and are looking to bounce back after a dismal season that sees them picking seventh in the NFL draft. While many have connected them to wide receivers with that selection, former coach and player Mike Ditka believes the best way to turn the team around would be to add some talent on the defensive side of the ball, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Twitter).
In preparation for the 2015 NFL draft, the staff at CSNChicago.com is preparing draft profiles of a number prospects that could interest the Bears’ front office. Last night they took a look at defensive tackle Carl Davis of Iowa and safety Jermaine Whiteside of Auburn. Today they followed up with Miami offensive tackle Ereck Flowers and Towson defensive end Ryan Delaire.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Barnes, Cardinals

April 3rd, 2015 at 8:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Seahawks are still working on a long-term deal with franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, and Danny O’Neil of 710 ESPN Seattle looks at a number of scenarios that could play out during negotiations. He notes that while a fully guaranteed deal is unlikely, and Wilson will not be able to keep open the option of playing baseball, there is a comparison to be made with the deal Tom Brady signed in 2005.

The Seahawks are without a first-round pick, but have ten selections between No. 63 and No. 248, and they need to add to their receiving corps, and both of their lines, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
Among the possible draft prospects the Seahawks are looking into are the players from the nearby University of Washington, writes Terry Blount of ESPN. The school is expected to have four players taken in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, including Hau’Oli Kikaha, who could be available for the Seahawks at the end of the second round.
Tim Barnes‘ new one-year deal with the Rams, worth a maximum of $1MM, has a modest $660K base, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). Barnes, 27 in May, has spent his entire four-year career with St. Louis.
Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic ran down the Cardinals‘ biggest offseason developments. Among the team’s top storylines, of course, was the new deal for wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and the departure of Todd Bowles. Unlike Fitzgerald, however, long time Cardinals veterans Darnell Dockett and center Lyle Sendlein were shown the door with one year remaining on their deals.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Wilson Won’t Get Fully Guaranteed Deal

March 31st, 2015 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Ever since general manager John Schneider alluded to the Seahawks exploring outside-the-box methods for getting Russell Wilson locked up to a new contract extension, one popular theory, explored by cap experts like Joel Corry and Jason Fitzgerald, involves the quarterback landing a fully guaranteed contract. The thinking is that Seattle could save a few million dollars per year on its cap if Wilson were to accept a slightly reduced annual salary in return for having his salary fully guaranteed.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, however, that won’t be the case. Citing Seahawks sources, Rapoport says Wilson’s next long-term contract will include high, but not full, guarantees. The NFL.com insider also added that the team hopes to get something done with its franchise quarterback prior to the start of training camp.

The news doesn’t come as a real surprise, since it was hard to imagine Wilson accepting a salary discounted enough to motivate the Seahawks to fully guarantee the deal. While a full guarantee would be appealing to the significant number of NFL players who typically have little to no chance of playing out their entire contracts, something would have to go catastrophically wrong for the 26-year-old Wilson not to play out his next deal in Seattle. So if he’s looking to maximize his earnings, it makes more sense to pursue a higher per-year salary rather than a higher guarantee.

Although there’s a chance Wilson plays out the 2015 season without a new agreement in place, he’s more likely to sign an extension this year than fellow 2012 draftee Andrew Luck. Because Luck was a first-round pick, the Colts hold a fifth-year option for 2016 on their quarterback, while the Seahawks don’t have the same luxury with Wilson, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency in ’16. Seattle could still use the franchise tag next winter, but presumably the club would rather not let the situation reach that point.

According to Rapoport, the Seahawks will also try to work out a multiyear extension with linebacker Bobby Wagner before the 2015 season gets underway, but locking up Wilson is the team’s priority. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback is expected to become one of the league’s highest-paid players.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Rams, Cards

March 25th, 2015 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, Rams coach Jeff Fisher, and Cardinals coach Bruce Arians all offered up a few notable comments today during their morning session with reporters in Phoenix at the owners’ meetings. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights from the breakfast discussions, starting with the reigning NFC champs….

Pete Carroll
(Twitter links via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times and ESPN.com’s Terry Blount)

Carroll reiterated what GM John Schneider said earlier this week, indicating that defensive end Michael Bennett has never said anything to him about wanting to be traded or wanting a new contract.
Carroll is optimistic about a number of the team’s free agents returning to the fold, indicating the club plans to re-sign center Stephen Schilling and defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs. The head coach is also confident that the Seahawks will work something out with backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who remains on the market. Jackson visited the Dolphins, but Miami ultimately brought back QB Matt Moore.
Caroll suggested that the Seahawks and Russell Wilson‘s camp have had “great talks” about a new contract for the young signal-caller. “It’s a long process with extraordinary ramifications,” according to Caroll, but he’s hopeful that the two sides can work something out.

Jeff Fisher
(Twitter links via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, and Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)

According to Fisher, trade discussions with the Browns involving quarterback Sam Bradford happened on the weekend of March 7, before free agency opened. The Rams eventually announced their deal with the Eagles on Tuesday, March 10.
The Browns’ offer for Bradford featured the No. 19 overall pick and never the No. 12 pick. However, Fisher said today that it wouldn’t have made a difference if Cleveland offered the higher first-rounder, since St. Louis still wouldn’t have gotten a QB back in the deal — the Eagles’ willingness to part with Nick Foles gave the Rams a Bradford replacement.
The Rams remain active in their search for offensive linemen, with talks expected to pick up again following this week’s league meetings. Joe Barksdale, who played right tackle for the team last year, is still an option, and the Rams are in talks with him. According to Fisher, Barksdale’s initial asking price was a little surprising, but it’s in a more reasonable range now, and “it makes sense to get Joe back.”
The Rams have added Jeff Imamura to their staff as a defensive assistant, according to Fisher. Imamura previously worked for the Vikings.

Bruce Arians
(Twitter links via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)

The Cardinals cut center Lyle Sendlein earlier in the offseason, but would like to get him back on the roster at a reduced cap number.
Running back figures to be a spot the Cards will address in the draft, perhaps in the fourth or fifth round. The team is looking for a player with both size and speed.
The Cards also figure to look at cornerbacks in the draft. Arians said today that he wants to add a young, speedy corner, but doesn’t see a need to add a veteran to the roster.
Veteran linebacker Larry Foote is currently a member of the Cardinals’ coaching staff, but may still decide to play for the team in 2015. Arians is hopeful that Foote, who is recovering from knee surgery, will make that decision in time for training camp.

La Canfora’s Latest: Wilson, Peterson, Titans

March 23rd, 2015 at 4:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has been busy today at the NFL’s March meetings in Arizona, publishing three pieces — one on Russell Wilson‘s contract, one on the Titans‘ ownership situation, and one that addresses a few other items of note from around the league. Here are a few highlights from all three of La Canfora’s Monday articles:

La Canfora continues to hear that no new deal is imminent for Wilson and the Seahawks, and while both sides would like to get something done, there’s no sense that real progress has been made. The two sides figure to keep negotiating throughout the spring and the summer, but Wilson is prepared to play the 2015 season without an extension in place if need be, knowing that even without a new contract, he’d likely be in line for $20MM+ if Seattle franchises him next winter.
Adrian Peterson doesn’t want to play for the Vikings, but there may not be much trade interest in him at his current salary, and Minnesota doesn’t appear willing to cut him either. That may end up essentially creating a game of chicken between the star running back and the team — the Vikes could probably find a trade partner if Peterson were open to significantly reworking his deal, but it’s not clear how much he’d be willing to sacrifice to get out of Minnesota. La Canfora believes the Cowboys, Cardinals, and Washington would have interest at the right price, but that price likely isn’t $45MM over three years.
Some team executives around the NFL are growing frustrated with the league for dragging out investigations into the Patriots (Deflategate), Browns (Textgate), and Falcons (Noisegate), questioning why there’s still no resolution on any of those issues.
“Lot of people like [Marcus] Mariota a lot more than what you are seeing in the media,” said a high-ranking official for one NFL team. La Canfora believes Mariota will be the second overall pick, or at least a top-five selection.
Currently, veteran free agents signed after June 1 don’t factor into the following year’s compensatory picks. According to La Canfora, the league may change that date to May 1 to help benefit players (who could find a home a few weeks earlier) and teams (who could get those players to their facilities sooner).
Rumblings about a potential Titans sale have only increased since Tommy Smith left the franchise. La Canfora writes that billionaire Dave Tepper, who currently owns 5% of the Steelers, is considered by some league insiders as the favorite to land the Titans. However, the CBSSports.com scribe warns not to count out current Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who is a Tennessee native and would love to own the Titans. While a “swap” of franchises between owners is unlikely, it’s worth keeping an eye on Haslam just in case, says La Canfora.

Seahawks, Russell Wilson Nearing New Deal?

March 21st, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine

9:12pm: Contrary to Blount’s earlier report, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that an agreement on a new contract is not imminent between the Seahawks and Wilson.

9:10am: After months of speculation, it’s sounding like the Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson are approaching a new deal. According to ESPN.com’s Terry Blount (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com), the two sides are “very close” to agreeing on a new contract.

“From what I’ve been told they’re very close, they’re just trying to make sure every single thing is in place before they go forward with this,” Blount said while appearing on 710 ESPN Radio in Seattle. “I think it’s going to be bigger and crazier and different from what any contract has ever been.”

We heard in January that Wilson was expected to become one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. This would be a significant raise, as Wilson is set to make less than $800K in 2015. For comparison, Aaron Rodgers, the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, makes an average of $22MM a season.

Of course, there’s no denying that Wilson would be worth a lucrative extension. The 26-year-old has already made two Super Bowl appearances since entering the league in 2012, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down. Wilson finished 2014 with 3,475 yards passing, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The speedster also ran for 849 yards on 118 carries, collecting six additional touchdowns. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Wilson 11th among 39 quarterback candidates, and the website particularly valued his running skills, as he earned the distinction of being the top rushing quarterback.

The Seahawks have been particularly busy this offseason. The team extended Marshawn Lynch, handing the running back a new two-year, $24MM contract. The team also acquired tight end Jimmy Graham, who is less than a year removed from signing a four-year, $40MM extension.

Extra Points: Suh, Wilson, Revis

March 11th, 2015 at 3:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says he’s confident that the Dolphins did not break any rules in the lead up to the Ndamukong Suh signing, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. The Dolphins appear to have struck an agreement with the defensive tackle during the “legal tampering” period, but the league specifically asked that handshake deals not go down during that time. Of course, other teams certainly exchanged figures prior to Tuesday, but Suh was one of the most prominent free agents available. More from around the NFL..

Seahawks GM John Schneider said the team has met with the agents for Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, though the reps for each player know Seahawks have other things to do, as well, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (Twitter links).
A year ago, the Raiders were willing to assume all of Darrelle Revis‘ existing contract with the Buccaneers but the cornerback’s camp convinced the team that he wouldn’t report, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.
The Patriots dropped out of negotiations with Revis upon hearing he was seeking $16MM per year and $40MM guaranteed, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets.
The Chargers offered Andre Johnson more money than he got from the Colts, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network tweets. It’s not known how much San Diego offered, but the Colts got Johnson for $21MM over three years.
Tom Benson, principal owner of the Saints and the NBA’s Pelicans, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to remove all stock in the sports franchises from the trust funds that he set up for his daughter and grandchildren, Andy Grimm of The Times-Picayune writes.