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AFC East Notes: Patriots, Jets, Wilson

August 10th, 2014 at 6:11pm CST by David Kipke

The Patriots should be happy with rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo‘s performance in his preseason debut against the Redskins, writes ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss. Reiss believes the Eastern Illinois product could have already surpassed Ryan Mallett to become Tom Brady‘s backup. Let’s look at some other news from around the AFC East:

The Patriots remain uncertain regarding a return date for All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. Although his once-torn ACL was medically cleared for practice before the start of camp, the University of Arizona product has yet to participate in any full-contact work.
Jets cornerback Dee Milliner has suffered a high ankle sprain, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. As we reported earlier, Milliner, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2013 draft, was one of two Jets corners to be cut down by injury today. Rookie corner Dexter McDougle left practice to discover that he had torn the ACL in his left knee.
Elsewhere in the Jets‘ secondary , rookie safety Calvin Pryor is planning on making his NFL debut on Saturday against the Bengals, after being held out of the first preseason game due to a concussion.
As our own Rory Parks surmised earlier today, Jimmy Wilson will likely be the Dolphins‘ starting safety heading into September following incumbent starter Reshad Jones‘ four-game suspension. An AP report stated that Wilson took most of the snaps with the first team during today’s practice.

AFC Notes: Gilbert, Hill, White, Bills

August 2nd, 2014 at 12:56pm CST by Matt Feminis

Buried underneath the news of Shaun Suisham‘s contract extension, Triblive.com’s Mark Kaboly notes the Steelers have been talking with agent Drew Rosenhaus about a contract extension for offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert, who is in the final year of his rookie deal. Gilbert “always possessed the natural talent to excel in the NFL,” writes Ray Fittipaldo in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Now, he believes he has developed the off-field habits that will help him take the next step in his career.”

Read on for several more AFC news and notes:

Texans No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney caused a minor stir when he left practice early and spent time icing his leg on the trainer’s table, but the Houston Chronicle’s Brian T. Smith caught up with head coach Bill O’Brien, who said the team is just managing the rookie’s “pitch count.
The Jets traded up to draft Stephen Hill 43rd overall (two spots ahead of Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery), but the talented wide out’s first two seasons have been plagued by inconsistency and injury, writes the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta, who calls Hill an “enigma who leaves you wanting more every time you see him.”
Status quo for Dolphins running back Knowshon Moreno, which means continued uncertainty, writes Adam Beasley in the Miami Herald.
ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss relayed Bill Belichick quotes from an interview the Patriots head coach did with Sirius XM NFL Radio, and NESN’s Doug Kyed quoted quarterback Tom Brady. Both men were speaking about rookie running back James White, is making a strong first impression thanks to his versatility and maturity, seemingly earning trust as a three-down back.
In a preview of the Browns, CBS’ Pat Kirwan says he wouldn’t be surprised if four rookies start — including third-round linebacker Christian Kirksey, who is already getting some first-team reps — and two more (running back Terrence West and cornerback Pierre Desir) play important roles.
Bengals stalwart left tackle Andrew Whitworth is nursing a strained calf muscle, but he’s being patient, writes Cincinnati.com’s Paul Dehner.
“The sale of the Buffalo Bills has evolved into an event Ringling Bros and Barnum & Baily would have been proud of,” in the opinion of Forbes’ Mike Ozanian.

AFC East Notes: Philbin, Wilkerson, Brady

July 25th, 2014 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills did a little roster shuffling earlier this afternoon, picking up cornerback Bobby Felder and waiving defensive tackle Colby Way. While none of Buffalo’s AFC East rivals have made any signings or cuts yet today, there’s still plenty of news coming out of the division, so let’s round up the latest….

There has been some speculation that Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin will be in danger of losing his job this year if the Dolphins miss the postseason again. Asked today about that possibility, owner Stephen Ross said that he expects Philbin to remain with the team “for a long time,” but conceded that you want to see improvement every year (Twitter link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald).
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com agrees with what Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News wrote last night, tweeting that an extension for Muhammad Wilkerson should be the No. 1 priority for the Jets’ front office. However, according to La Canfora, there has been “no real progress” on that front so far.
On the set of SportsCenter today, former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi suggested he thinks Tom Brady could play for four more years, to which Brady jokingly replied, “You’re out of your mind” (link via ESPNBoston.com). While Brady may have taken mock offense to Bruschi’s estimate, the star quarterback has four years left on his current contract, so if he intends to play longer than that, it would be on a new deal and it would be into his 40s.
Sources tell Gary Myers of the New York Daily News that when Darrelle Revis was cut by the Buccaneers earlier this year, his first choice was to return to the Jets. However, New York wasn’t interested, and the standout cornerback ultimately landed with the division-rival Patriots.

AFC East Links: Brady, Satele, Trump

June 29th, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Rory Parks

Ben Volin of The Boston Globe notes that there are seven Patriots players set to make more money than Tom Brady this year, whose $2MM base salary is tied for eighth-most on the club. Of course, Brady did receive $33MM as a result of last year’s extension that pushed his contract into 2017. However, if Brady honors that deal, he will be making a total of $27MM over the course of the next three seasons, just $9MM per year when the going rate for franchise quarterbacks is at least twice as much.

Brady’s contract situation has made Volin wonder if there was any subliminal meaning to head coach Bill Belichick‘s statement, “we know what Tom’s age and contract situation is” after the team drafted Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round of last month’s draft. Although neither side has mentioned anything about a contract dispute, Volin opines that the Patriots could be preparing themselves for one just in case.

Now some more notes from the AFC East:

In a video segment for CSNNewEngland, Tom Curran, Mike Giardi and Phil Perry discuss the success of the Patriots‘ two first-round picks in 2012, Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower. They agree that the team needs to decrease Jones’ workload a bit to ensure his continued effectiveness, and they also note that 2014 is a “pseudo-contract year” for both players. As first-round picks under the new CBA, they will be under club control for two more seasons (assuming that New England picks up the fifth-year option for both, which is probably a given). Nonetheless, the Patriots do like to get contract issues resolved early, so 2014 may well be the best time for Jones and Hightower to boost their leverage.
In their continuing search for a replacement for injured center Mike Pouncey, the Dolphins will bring in Samson Satele–who spent the first two seasons of his career with Miami–for a workout on Monday, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson adds that the team will bring in two other linemen as well, but it is unclear who those players are at this point.
Although the Jets‘ competition is not an open one–Geno Smith is expected to take 70 to 75 percent of the first-team reps in training camp–it is not an entirely closed competition either, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Normally, a veteran starter takes about 90 percent of reps with the first team.
As our Luke Adams wrote last week, Donald Trump, one potential bidder for the Bills franchise, believes he is the only bidder who would keep the team in Buffalo. Phil Perry of CSNNewEngland writes that if Trump were to purchase the club–which is a dubious proposition at best–he has indicated that the Bills would need a new stadium, perhaps within the Buffalo city limits.

Extra Points: OTAs, Packers, Titans, Brady

June 22nd, 2014 at 9:12pm CST by Peter Sowards

Minicamps are finished. The 2014 NFL season awaits.

Players have left their respective clubs until the opening of training camp, and as ESPN.com’s John Clayton notes, coaches now will cross their fingers that they don’t receive the 3 a.m. phone call alerting them of the star player’s transgressions.

Clayton, the Worldwide Leader’s senior NFL writer, outlines seven things learned from the offseason programs, with No. 1 being the lack of readiness for rookie quarterbacks. Reading into Clayton’s words, he believes that no rookie quarterback will open the season as the team’s starting signal caller. Teddy Bridgewater is the most pro-ready, Clayton says, but Matt Cassel will get the first snap on opening day.

Taking a page out of Pete Carroll‘s playbook, Clayton writes that teams around the league are gravitating toward taller defensive backs. Case in point, the Kansas City Chiefs, who released 5-foot-9 cornerback Brandon Flowers in a cap-saving move. They’ll look to replace Flowers with 6-foot-1 Phillip Gaines, 6-foot-2 Marcus Cooper and 6-foot David Van Dyke, each of whom are first- or second-year players.

Other news and notes from around the league…

Among the 10 Packers stories to watch before training camp opens by Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is peace of mind at backup quarterback. It wasn’t pretty for the Pack at QB when Aaron Rodgers went down in a Week 9 loss to the Bears, but coach Mike McCarthy should feel better about this year’s situation with Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien backing up the All Pro, Dunne writes.
Quarterback Jake Locker, receiver Kendall Wright and the defense’s front seven are all things Titans fans should feel good about, The Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt writes. Locker should be at 100% coming off foot surgery in November and had started the 2013 season with a bang, while Wright will team with Nate Washington and Justin Hunter to ease Locker’s return to health.
Tom Brady‘s private quarterback coach, Tom House, admitted in an interview with SiriusXM radio that the three-time Super Bowl champion has struggled as of late to connect on the deep passes. “As he’s getting a little older you lose a little strength, you lose a little flexibility,” House said. “And what was happening was he was noticing that his accuracy and his long ball weren’t what they were three or four years ago. So we ran him through the computer, compared him to the models we have created for movement efficiency, and there were really, really small things that were causing his issues.”

Patriots’ Quarterback Depth Chart

May 26th, 2014 at 10:28am CST by Rob DiRe

One of the bigger surprises of the NFL Draft was the Patriots using their second-round pick on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo of Eastern Illinois. With Tom Brady still leading the charge on a team that was only one game short of a sixth Super Bowl appearance under the current regime, it was a bold choice to use such a valuable pick planning for the future.

While the team is still in a position to win now, Brady was not surprised the team selected a quarterback in the draft, writes Peter King of Monday Morning Quarterback.

“I felt like I had a pretty good idea we’d take a quarterback,” Brady said. “Coach Belichick doesn’t care who the quarterback is here. He’s always going to play the guy who he thinks gives him the best chance to win.”

It was not too long ago that the team used a third-round pick on former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett. Mallett, drafted in 2011, is now coming to the end of his rookie contract, and will be a free agent after this coming season.

Mallett was involved in trade rumors during the NFL Draft, most notably with the Texans to reunite with his old offensive coordinator, Texans’ head coach Bill O’Brien.

Of course, no deal was agreed to, and Mallett was announced as not available by the Patriots, meaning the team will enter the season with a crowd at the quarterback position.

Since 2009, the Patriots have only carried more than two quarterbacks on the roster once, in 2011 during Mallett’s rookie year, according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. Brian Hoyer was the main backup for the Patriots that year, in his third year with the team. Mallett was the third-string string quarterback as a rookie, before earning full backup duties in his second year with the team, as Hoyer was let walk.

The Patriots might elect to bring Garoppolo along in a similar fashion, letting him take his rookie year to learn as the third option, but it would be surprising for the team to bring back Mallett in 2015 after using such a high pick on Garoppolo.

AFC Notes: Clary, Johnson, Archer, Pats

May 17th, 2014 at 10:08am CST by Matt Feminis

During Chargers rookie minicap, third-rounder Chris Watt was working at right guard, “the same position of Jeromey Clary, who is to make $4.55 million in total compensation in 2014,” writes ESPN’s Eric D. Williams. “Watt lining up at right guard probably is not a coincidence.”

This comes on after an ESPN Insider piece (subscription required) about veterans whose jobs are in jeopardy in which Nathan Jahnke put the magnifying glass on Clary: “Thanks to the drafting of D.J. Fluker in 2013, Clary was moved from right tackle to right guard last year. The move didn’t work out well for Clary, who had the third-lowest run-block rating for all guards per PFF. In addition, the Chargers’ running backs averaged 4.6 yards per carry when running to the left compared to 3.6 yards per carry when running to the right, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Clary had something to do with that large difference.”

Here’s a few more AFC news and notes:

Any rumors of Andre Johnson being reunited via trade with Gary Kubiak in Baltimore were quashed by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com passed along a few Patriots tidbits: The team will carry three quarterbacks (Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo and Ryan Mallett), but Mallett is expected to depart via free agency at year’s end; Shane Vereen could earn a contract extension with a healthy, productive season; and 2013 fourth-rounder Josh Boyce, who struggled with the “mental aspect” as a rookie, will “compete for the kickoff return job while also vying for a role as a No. 3-5 option on the depth chart.”
Free agent linebacker James Anderson, who started all 16 games for the Bears last season, tried out for the Patriots, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
On third-rounder Dri Archer, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert told Post-Tribune writer Alan Robinson, “We think we got the fastest player in the draft.” The Steelers hope to take advantage of Archer’s versatility, according to Colbert, who says the rookie could be used as a kick returner, in the slot, in the backfield and maybe as an H-back.
When asked about potential surprise cuts depending on how many rookies/young players make the Jaguars, ESPN’s Michael DiRocco mentioned Tyson Alualu, Denard Robinson and Ricky Stanzi as bubble players.
With the Jets adding Daryl Richardson via waivers, Mike Goodson is not expected to be with the team, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).

Extra Points: Pats, Ravens, Bears, Keller

April 5th, 2014 at 12:52pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Patriots raised eyebrows this week with a string of quarterback draft prospect visits, and overthecap.com’s Aaron Fitzgerald says the team has structured its salary cap to allow for the addition of Tom Brady‘s successor.

Miscellaneous lunchtime news, notes and links. . .

The Ravens are expected to draft a safety, and ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley discusses the merits of three of the top available, saying Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward might be the best fit. Last year’s first-rounder, Matt Elam, who did not produce an abundance of impact plays as a rookie, is expected to be used closer to the line of scrimmage more often next season. Says Hensley: “The Ravens can’t afford for Elam to disappear so much in games this year.”
Dustin Keller, who tore his ACL, MCL and PCL and also dislocated the knee last August, is not yet 100 percent, but “hasn’t been ruled out and remains on the Dolphins’ radar,” writes ESPN.com’s James Walker.
A brief, position-by-position analysis of the Jaguars’ off-season moves is provided by Jacksonville.com’s Ryan O’Halloran, who describes under-the-radar free agent acquisition Dekoda Watson as an “ascending player.”
During an edition of ESPN’s First Draft podcast (listen here), ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay campaigns for the Bears to draft Pittsburgh three-technique Aaron Donald 14th overall, saying the team’s Plan B would be “panic” in a scenario where Donald is off the board. McShay also called Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert the most overrated player in the draft.
Georgia Tech pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu, recovered from a torn hamstring injury, worked out for scouts at GT’s pro day yesterday, and has visits scheduled with the Colts, Eagles and Patriots.
A list of reported prospect workouts/visits as well as head coach and general manager sightings at various pro days can be found on NFL.com.

Corry On Pay Cut Candidates

February 14th, 2014 at 9:35pm CST by Matt Feminis

In our previous post, we highlighted young stars entering their prime years and poised to land lucrative second contracts. At the other end of the spectrum, Joel Corry of National Football Post spotlighted five veterans who could be asked to take a pay cut:

Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey – Will be 36 next season after playing just five regular season contests in 2013 (foot injury). Simply put, Bailey’s cost to the team is not commensurate with his diminished skills, as he’s scheduled to count $10.5MM against the cap next year.
Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware – Dallas’ cap woes were detailed last week. At the top of the “To Do” list is Ware, who carries a $16MM cap number as a result of three restructurings. Bothered by an elbow injury which necessitated off-season surgery, Ware managed just six sacks in 2013. Corry says Ware has indicated he’s willing to go down that road again, “but a pay cut is a different story.” If the Cowboys release Ware, the team stands to gain approximately $7.4MM of cap room.
49ers running back Frank Gore – Not unlike catchers in baseball, running backs trend downward beyond age 30. Gore will be 31 in 2014 when he’s scheduled to count $6.45MM against the cap, though he’s considered an “old” 31 given his career workload and injury history. With a strong offensive line and dual-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick entering his prime, it’s reasonable to think Gore’s production could be had for cheaper, be it in the form of Gore himself at a reduced rate or perhaps 2013 “redshirt” Marcus Lattimore, who is waiting in the wings.
Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu – The soon-to-be 33-year-old has the NFL’s highest 2014 cap number among safeties (approximately $10.9MM), but Polamalu’s play has fallen off to the point where his reputation exceeds his performance. According to Corry, “A pay cut could be folded into an extension that lowers Polamalu’s cap number and ensures that he never plays with another NFL team.”
Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork – Corry describes the veteran Wilfork’s situation as “precarious” because the final year of his five-year deal weighs $11.6MM against the cap. That number ranks second-highest on the roster behind Tom Brady, and the team has just under $3.9MM of cap room at present time. Wilfork has been a rock, but the Pats cannot afford to devote nine percent of the cap to a 32-year-old run stuffer coming off a torn Achilles tendon injury, especially with the team attempting to re-sign Aqib Talib.

AFC Notes: Martin, Bonuses, Colts, Kolb

February 14th, 2014 at 4:15pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the publication of the Ted Wells report, Jonathan Martin’s agent Kenny Zuckerman reiterated to several reporters today, including ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link), that his client fully intends to continue his NFL career in 2014. Jim Harbaugh, Martin’s former coach at Stanford, believes that the offensive tackle should fare better in another team’s locker room, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee details. Meanwhile, Mike Garafalo of FOX Sports tweets that Martin’s camp will meet with the Dolphins as soon as next week at the scouting combine.

Richie Incognito‘s lawyer has publicly suggested that the Wells report is “replete with errors,” while Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears from a Dolphins source that offensive line coach Jim Turner is almost certainly done in Miami (Twitter link). There may still be more twists and turns coming in this story, but for now we’ll focus on a few other non-Dolphins items around the AFC:

While it won’t affect teams’ salary cap figures, plenty of clubs are set to pay out deferred bonus money this weekend. The Patriots will pay Tom Brady $5MM of his signing bonus, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. Brian McIntyre reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs and Dolphins will also pay out bonus money on Saturday, including $6MM to Tamba Hali and $5MM to Dwayne Bowe for Kansas City.
With Trent Richardson and Vick Ballard set to return to the Colts’ backfield, it wouldn’t be surprising to see prospective free agent Donald Brown land elsewhere, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
A history of concussions has placed Kevin Kolb‘s NFL future in doubt, and Bills coach Doug Marrone told WGR 550 today that he still isn’t sure if Kolb is planning to return to the team. ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak has the details. With a $1MM roster bonus owed to the quarterback next month, the Bills may end up releasing Kolb or restructuring his deal.
Within his latest look around the NFL, Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei revisits the Browns‘ front office situation, providing details about Ray Farmer‘s GM candidacy with the Dolphins, Cleveland’s head coaching search, and Joe Banner‘s future job prospects.
The Titans should try to re-sign cornerback Alterraun Verner, safety Bernard Pollard, and defensive end Ropati Pitoitua, but should be content to let wide receiver Kenny Britt and a few other free agents walk, suggests Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.