Ryan Fitzpatrick - Pro Football Rumors

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 His franchise tag won’t be rescinded like Josh Norman‘s was in Carolina, Maccagnan said today (Twitter link via Mehta).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.

No Pre-Draft Deal Expected For Fitzpatrick, Jets

April 18th, 2016 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

Barring a “significant breakthrough” in their contract negotiations, the Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick aren’t expected to reach a contract agreement prior to the draft, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Rapoport notes, that could add some intrigue to the Jets’ draft approach.

While the Jets have made it clear that Fitzpatrick is their preferred option at quarterback, the two sides have been at an impasse since the signal-caller’s contract expired last month. The team has reportedly offered the 33-year-old an incentive-heavy deal which doesn’t feature an annual average salary in line with what most other veteran starters around the league are earning.

Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, has been pushing for a per-year salary closer to what quarterbacks like Brock Osweiler and Sam Bradford received on their new deals — neither Osweiler nor Bradford had as strong a season as the Jets signal-caller did in 2015, but they each got contracts in the neighborhood of $18MM annually. Fitzpatrick, who is several years older than Osweiler and Bradford, likely isn’t seeking that sort of money, but it makes sense that he’d be after a salary in the $14-15MM range.

An 11-year veteran, Fitzpatrick is coming off the best season of his NFL career. The former seventh-round pick established new career highs by throwing for 3,905 yards and 31 touchdowns, and led the Jets to a 10-6 record, just narrowly missing a playoff berth.

With the Jets and Fitzpatrick not making real progress, the club will likely continue to mull its fallback options as the draft approaches. The Texans are releasing Brian Hoyer, and there have been indications that the Jets will at least kick the tires on Hoyer, perhaps bringing him in for a visit.

Additionally, as Rapoport alludes to, the Jets could target a quarterback on one of the first two days of the draft if they’re not optimistic about bringing back Fitzpatrick. Of course, the threat of signing Hoyer or drafting a QB could also create some additional leverage for the Jets in their talks with Fitzpatrick.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Jack, Fitzpatrick, 49ers, Texans

April 16th, 2016 at 12:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL on this Saturday afternoon…

Former NFL team physician David J. Chao tweeted that he wouldn’t be surprised if NFL prospect Myles Jack falls in the draft due to medical concerns. While the linebacker has recovered from a meniscus tear, Chao notes that there will still be worries of articular cartilage.
If the Jets make a move into the top-10 to select either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini is skeptical that Ryan Fitzpatrick would want to return. By giving up an assortment of assets, the team would essentially be handing the rookie quarterback the keys to the organization. However, Cimini notes that the Jets could also take the unconventional route and let their young signal-caller sit on the bench.
There are already rumblings that 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly aren’t getting along. However, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee isn’t buying these rumors, noting that the pair looked relatively “chummy” at a recent pro day.
The Texans have interest in Oklahoma wideout Sterling Shepard, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The senior compiled 86 catches for 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns during his final season at Baylor. Houston has also expressed interest in Baylor receiver Corey Coleman and Notre Dame wideout Will Fuller.

AFC Notes: Jets, Broncos, Lewis, Jackson, Pats

April 10th, 2016 at 6:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here is the latest from around the AFC, starting with the conference’s latest trade partners.

Following D’Brickashaw Ferguson‘s retirement and the acquisition of Ryan Clady, the Jets have a little more cap space to work with as they try to re-sign quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. But according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, the talks between New York and Fitzpatrick aren’t being hampered by cap room — instead, the two sides merely have a difference of opinion on what Fitzpatrick is worth. Per Cimini, the Jets are actually offering more than the commonly reported $7-8MM average annual value.
Earlier today, Paxton Lynch‘s planned trip to the Jets’ facilities surfaced. The Memphis quarterback who’s regarded as the No. 3 passing prospect in this year’s draft is also expected to visit the Broncos this week, according to a Denver Post report. The Super Bowl champions hold pick No. 31 and would likely have to move up to acquire Lynch. Denver did pick up an additional fifth-round pick, giving the team two third-rounders and two fifths in addition to its usual allotment.
We first heard back in January that Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis had approached former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson with a plan to succeed him — and thus, retain him as play-caller, and Mike Silver of NFL.com (video link) provides a bit more detail on the proposal. Lewis and Jackson discussed a scenario where Lewis would agree to step down as head coach after two more seasons, allowing Jackson to take over. The duo presented the plan to Bengals owner Mike Brown, who wasn’t comfortable locking up such a proposition in writing. Jackson, of course, went on to accept the Browns’ head-coaching job, while Lewis was recently extended through 2017.
Former Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds‘ visit with the Patriots has already been reported, but Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald dives deep into New England’s interest in the former Midshipman. The Patriots have apparently met with Reynolds several times, and worked him out multiple times in Annapolis. As Howe explores, New England has shown an affinity for Navy alums in the past.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report

Jets Ask D’Brickashaw Ferguson To Take Pay Cut

April 6th, 2016 at 7:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:53pm: No negotiations have transpired between the Jets and Ferguson, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini reports (on Twitter). The request came in a more informal manner, per Cimini, with a team official mentioning a possible contract adjustment to Ferguson in passing.

7:01pm: The Jets still have their eye on re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick and are now taking precise action in their attempt to keep arguably the top quarterback available.

The team has asked D’Brickashaw Ferguson to take a pay cut to help facilitate the Jets’ pursuit of Fitzpatrick, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports. Brian Costello of the New York Post also hears (Twitter link) a pay cut request has occurred.

Ferguson will be receptive to cutting his pay to stay in New York, sources told Mehta. The Jets also approached their 6-foot-5 tackle about this restructure in the middle of a workout. There are two seasons remaining on Ferguson’s eight-year, $73.6MM contract.

Gang Green’s desire to reduce its left tackle’s wages makes sense, with the team possessing the fewest salary cap space in the league at $713K, according to NFLPA records.

Although Ferguson hasn’t missed a game in his 10 seasons as Gang Green’s blind-side bastion, he’s 32 and has the highest 2016 left tackle cap number as of now at $14.07MM. Mehta reports the Jets approached the 11th-year tackle about the pay cut last week, and while Fitzpatrick resides as possibly the key reason for this request, it’s not the only one.

How much exactly Ferguson will be asked to trim from his 2016 salary is unclear, but Mehta estimates it will be at least $4-$5MM.

Fitzpatrick’s asking price has remained at $16MM annually, which has become the floor for entrenched starting quarterbacks. This new figure the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick has in mind would represent a staggering raise after he made just $3.25MM in his previous season with the Jets. We haven’t heard anything suggesting New York is willing to give Fitzpatrick this kind of money annually, with the Jets’ previous-best offer coming in at $7-$9MM AAV.

The No. 4 overall pick in 2006, Ferguson has started 167 regular-season and playoff games for the Jets and earned Pro Bowl nods from 2009-11. Both Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan gave procedural answers regarding Ferguson’s status on the 2016 Jets in recent weeks, providing some inevitability to these pay-reduction discussions. Pro Football Focus bestowed its No. 60 overall tackle ranking on Ferguson last season.

New York visited with Kelvin Beachum as a potential replacement for Ferguson, but after the Jaguars signed him, the Jets don’t have a viable alternative. Ryan Clady has ventured onto the trade block but has a cap number of $10.1MM and hasn’t proven to be nearly as durable as Ferguson, missing 30 regular-season games the past three years.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Colin Kaepernick Notes: Sunday

April 3rd, 2016 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

There are significant differences of opinion as to how close the 49ers and the Broncos are to completing a Colin Kaepernick trade, but there is already a considerable amount of potential fallout to consider if the deal is ultimately consummated. Let’s have a look:

Denver reportedly wants to pay Kaepernick $7MM of the $11.9MM he is guaranteed for 2016, with the 49ers kicking in the $4.9MM balance. As Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com reminds us, NFL teams cannot trade cash as a MLB or NBA team can. Instead, the Niners could turn part of Kaepernick’s salary into a signing bonus, pay it, and then trade him (Twitter link). If the 49ers were to go that route, the team would eat $12.29MM in dead cap room in 2016, per Spotrac (via Twitter). Although that is hardly an ideal scenario, it’s not as though the 49ers couldn’t afford it. According to Spotrac, the club has just shy of $57MM of cap space.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk proposes a creative solution to the reported holdup in contract talks between the Broncos and Kaepernick. Florio suggests that Kaepernick should forfeit the $4.9MM difference between what he is owed and what Denver is willing to pay, and in exchange, Denver should wipe out the remaining four years of his “notoriously team-friendly contract.” Of course, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, while that solution has its merits, it would put the 2017 Broncos in the same position they are in right now. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets that Kaepernick would certainly be justified in taking a paycut if the Broncos were willing to tear up the remainder of his contract.
Of course, if Kaepernick ends up with the Broncos, Denver will need to make some tweaks to its current roster regardless of how much it ends up paying Kaepernick (after all, the club only has $1.62MM of salary cap room at present). As Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com writes, the team has to do something with Ryan Clady, and although the Broncos have been trying to trade Clady, interested clubs are not inclined to pull the trigger on a trade because they are fully aware of Denver’s tight financial situation. Instead, the Broncos may have to release their long-time left tackle in order to create $8.9MM of space. The Broncos could also release punter Britton Colquitt, thereby clearing over $3MM off the books, or they could convert the base salaries of some of the larger contracts on the team–like those for Demaryius Thomas, Aqib Talib, and Chris Harris–into signing bonuses, which would afford the team some 2016 cap relief.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says a Kaepernick trade would be highly beneficial for the Jets, because if the trade happens, Ryan Fitzpatrick will lose his last potential suitor (Denver) outside of the Jets. As such, Fitzpatrick would either have to accept New York’s “low-ball offer” of $7MM per year, or not play at all. Theoretically, San Francisco could be in the market for Fitzpatrick’s services if it deals Kaepernick, but there have been no substantive rumors regarding that possibility.

Jets Continue To Have Interest In Brian Hoyer

April 1st, 2016 at 11:25am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are eyeing quarterback Brian Hoyer closely and have expressed interest in acquiring him, league sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). That means that the Jets could look into trading for him or signing him as a free agent if Houston opts to release him.

Hoyer, 30, is set to enter the second year of a two-year deal and while he has a base salary of $4MM, none of it is guaranteed. Given that his gameday roster bonuses would also be cleared out, Hoyer’s release would save Houston nearly $5MM in cap space. Hoyer wasn’t awful last season, as he completed about 61% of his passes for 17 touchdowns against just nine interceptions. Still, Hoyer did finish 20th in Football Outsiders’ DYAR metric. The Texans have a new signal caller in Brock Osweiler and the Jets view Hoyer as a capable starter.

One way or another, the Texans and Hoyer are expected to part ways. Meanwhile, the Jets are holding firm in their negotiations with Ryan Fitzpatrick while the veteran quarterback is insisting on a much larger deal than Gang Green has been willing to give him. The Jets want to pay Fitzpatrick roughly $7MM/year – the typical cost of a high-end backup – while Fitzpatrick wants to be paid like one of the better starters in the league, which would put him at about $16MM/year.

Regardless of how things go with Hoyer and Fitzpatrick, the Jets want to bring in a young quarterback. Even though the Jets selected Baylor product Bryce Petty in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, they’re talking with prospects Christian Hackenberg and Paxton Lynch and, according to Cole, they could select a QB in the first three rounds of this month’s draft.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jets Notes: Fitzpatrick, Wilkerson, Front Office

March 27th, 2016 at 11:07am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets seem to be in the news every offseason, and this year is certainly no exception. The team’s attempting to bring back quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, and they’re also trying to figure out what they should do with defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, who was slapped with the franchise tag.

ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini compiled several Jets-related notes yesterday, and we’ve gathered some of the more interesting tidbits below…

Count Bills coach (and former Jets coach) Rex Ryan among those who hope Fitzpatrick doesn’t ultimately resign with New York. “I hope he goes somewhere else, I do,” Ryan said. “He’s tougher than hell. What’s lost in it is, he might have played poorly against us — it might have been a bad day (in Week 17) — but I think they won five straight with him and he was lighting it up, probably the most yards in the history of that franchise. We’ll see. Like I said, I hope they lose him.”
There’s little chance that the Jets will “tag-and-trade” Wilkerson. Acquiring teams wouldn’t only have to give up assets to acquire the defensive end, but they’d presumably have to re-sign him to a pricey contract.
While Wilkerson and the Jets attempt to negotiate a long-term deal, some officials wouldn’t be shocked if the Pro Bowler ends up holding out. In fact, some sources guessed Wilkerson could sit out the first several games of next season.
The Jets will certainly be eyeing the quarterback situation in San Francisco, as 49ers signal-caller Colin Kaepernick will see his $11.9MM salary become guaranteed later this week. If the quarterback ends up with the Broncos, the Jets may find themselves with leverage while negotiating with Fitzpatrick.
Coach Todd Bowles claimed that he and general manager Mike Maccagnan have mostly been on the same page this offseason. “We like certain players better than others, but we’re talking eggs and bacon or bacon and sausage,” he said. “We’re not talking big disagreements.”

Latest On Jets’ Quarterback Situation

March 25th, 2016 at 4:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick remain far apart in talks to bring the veteran back for a second season.

Fitzpatrick is still eyeing a contract commensurate with the league’s established starters at $16MM per season or close to that, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who reports the Jets’ best offer toward the 33-year-old currently sits at $7MM AAV.

Cole also reports the Jets’ offer could be approaching $9MM per year when factoring in incentives, which goes along with a New York Post report from earlier today. Fitzpatrick’s camp has resisted this idea.

Gang Green’s offer to retain Fitzpatrick is now coinciding with top-end backup money after Chase Daniel and Robert Griffin III signed accords worth upwards of $7MM per season. Both will obviously compete for their respective team’s starting job, but their salaries have created a range that previously didn’t exist for veteran QBs.

That appears to be Fitzpatrick’s floor after he set a career high with a Jets single-season record 31 touchdown passes last season. Fitz, though, completed just 59.6% of his passes, which represented a considerable drop from his previous seasons.

Although the Jets do not view Geno Smith as a viable option to reclaim his starting job as his contract year approaches, Gang Green isn’t concerned at this juncture about its quarterback situation, per Cole. He expects the Jets to pursue a trade for another team’s backup, with Mike Glennon‘s name emerging soon after.

Glennon’s name has surfaced lately as a player that seems to be making its way onto the trade block as the Buccaneers backup’s contract year nears. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports the Jets have indeed researched Glennon as a possible solution and are scanning reserves around the league in case they cannot re-sign Fitzpatrick, whom they want to retain.

It won’t take a first-round pick to pry Glennon from Tampa Bay, Mehta reports, and a second-rounder would exceed any compensatory value the career 58% passer would produce. The Jets may not be willing to go that far, however.

Muhammad Wilkerson would probably be a way for the Jets to escape giving up a second-rounder in this potential deal, Mehta writes, but the Bucs already have Gerald McCoy signed to a top-end defensive tackle contract (seven years, $95.2MM). The Bucs’ willingness to fork over $40MM+ guaranteed for the Jets’ franchise-tagged stalwart may be a stumbling block here.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

AFC Notes: Jets, Fitzpatrick, Chiefs, Pats, Colts

March 25th, 2016 at 10:58am CST by Zachary Links

When it comes to potentially re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Jets would like to do a contract containing incentives, but the quarterback’s camp has resisted that idea, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post.

That’s an interesting tidbit, since QB contracts that feature playing-time and performance incentives are often used for backups, not starters. Chase Daniel‘s deal with the Eagles is one such example, and – perhaps not coincidentally – it has been cited as a comparable for the Jets’ offer to Fitzpatrick. Daniel’s three-year contract has a base value of $21MM, with a max value of $36MM if he ends up starting and hitting incentives.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Paxton Lynch has a Friday meeting lined up with the Chiefs, according to Chris Boyle of The Daytona Beach News-Journal (via Twitter). The Memphis product has met with other teams, including the Cowboys, who plan on getting an additional look at him between now and the draft.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti pointed to pass rushers and cornerbacks as two types of players he’d like to see Baltimore continue to add this offseason, as Garrett Dowling of BaltimoreRavens.com outlines. Speaking specifically about pass rushers, Bisciotti offered: “We have to fill those spots with constant pressure. You need five pass rushers in the rotation.”
The Patriots worked out speedy UCLA receiver Devin Fuller earlier this week, and also have a private workout with University of Houston wideout Demarcus Ayers, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links).
The signing of cornerback Patrick Robinson won’t necessarily be the last move the Colts make in free agency before the draft, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. As Holder notes, GM Ryan Grigson has said the team will “lay in the weeds,” monitoring the market to see if any ideal opportunities arise.
The Chargers met with former Buffalo tight end Matt Weiser this week, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter). The 6’4″, 245-pound athlete had the second most catches (63) of any tight end in the country last year. However, Weiser did not make the cut in Walter Football’s top 15 list of tight ends for the 2016 draft.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.