HEADLINES

Tony Jefferson

NFC Notes: Panthers, Bears, Eagles, Cards

December 21st, 2016 at 7:53pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Multiple concussions have felled superstar Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly this season, though the 25-year-old unsurprisingly told media Wednesday that he isn’t mulling retirement. “I’m holding off that retirement word for a little ways down the road,” he said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “It’s something you appreciate everybody concerned with how you’re doing, but whenever my opportunity comes back I’ll be back out there.” Kuechly has recovered from the concussion that he suffered Nov. 17, but the Panthers haven’t cleared him to return to action. Considering they’re 6-8 and all but out of playoff contention, it would behoove the defending NFC champions to keep Kuechly out until next season.

More from the NFC:

  • The Bears designated cornerback Kyle Fuller to return from injured reserve last month, but it turns out they won’t activate him, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. There’s now a belief within the organization – including from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio – that Fuller wasn’t eager to come back this season from August knee surgery, per Biggs. Head coach John Fox addressed that, saying, “That’s hard to measure. Looking inside people is not real easy.” The likelihood now is that Fuller – a 2014 first-round pick – has played his final game with the organization, suggests Biggs, who notes that the Bears would take a late-round choice for him. Fuller, who appeared in all 32 games (30 starts) in his first two years and racked up six interceptions, is under contract next season for a relative pittance ($1.74MM-plus). He’s also controllable for 2018 by way of a fifth-year option, but it’s likely his employer – whether it’s the Bears or another team – will decline to exercise it by next spring’s deadline.
  • After Eagles left tackle Jason Peters earned his ninth Pro Bowl selection Tuesday, head coach Doug Pederson spoke out against the idea that the soon-to-be 35-year-old could be an offseason cap casualty. “I love him,’’ Pederson said (per Paul Domowitch of Philly.com). “I want him on the team. I don’t want him to go anywhere. I want him to be an Eagle for the rest of his career. Once we get through these next two games, we’ll address all of that.” Notably, Howie Roseman – not Pederson – has final say when it comes to the Eagles’ roster. Further, releasing Peters in order to avail the left tackle position for well-compensated right tackle Lane Johnson would free up $9.2MM in cap space against $2MM in dead money next year. Moving on from Peters would also significantly weaken the Eagles’ line, though, evidenced by his ninth-place ranking among 79 qualifying tackles at Pro Football Focus.
  • The Cardinals have an impressive class of 2017 free agents on the horizon, and general manager Steve Keim says he’s already touched base with the agents for many of those players, a list that includes Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell, Tony Jefferson, Andre Ellington, and Jermaine Gresham, among others. “One thing public does not generally know, we have spoken to many agents regarding players whose contracts expire after the season and some whose contracts do not expire after the season that we’d just like to try to extend,” Keim told Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “There are several players we’d like to have back, but it takes two sides.”
  • The Packers worked out former Aggies punter Taylor Symmank on Wednesday, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The 49ers plan to sign former Texas kicker Nick Rose to a reserve-future deal in the the offseason, tweets Wilson.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: DePo, Browns, Eagles, Jefferson

April 21st, 2016 at 9:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Paul DePodesta won’t be making any calls on draft day, as Mark Dominik of ESPN.com hears that DePodesta will serve only in an observational role for the Browns as he continues to learn about the NFL (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of FOX Sports). DePodesta, of course, comes from Major League Baseball, and with less than six months on the job it’s perhaps not surprising that he won’t be intimately involved in the draft day process.

Here’s the latest from around the league…

  • There’s another wrinkle to the trade that saw the Eagles acquire the No. 2 overall pick —the 2017 fifth-rounder headed to Philadelphia from the Browns is conditional, per Andrew Siciliano of NFL.com (Twitter link). If the Browns get a fourth-round compensatory pick (as is expected), that selection will instead go to Philadelphia.
  • Safety Tony Jefferson inked a one-year qualifying offer with the Cardinals on Monday, but he almost wound up elsewhere, as Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com writes. “I came close (to signing) with a few teams,” said Jefferson, though the Cardinals had the option to match any offer sheet given. “We didn’t really put stuff out there (publicly), but we came close with a few teams. At the same time, I’m stoked to be back here.” While he talked with teams, no one presented him with a formal offer. Jefferson, who has started 17 games for the Cardinals over the last three seasons, had a strong 2015, notching 74 tackles, three forced fumbles, two sacks, and a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown.
  • The Rams began talking with the Titans about moving up in the draft at the combine, when the two clubs’ boxes were conveniently placed next to each other — Peter King of the MMQB.com has that detail and many more in his inside look at how the trade went down.
  • Both Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap and Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports take a look at the Panthers‘ shocking decision to rescind the franchise tag to Josh Norman.

Tony Jefferson, D.J. Swearinger Sign RFA Tenders

April 18th, 2016 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

With their voluntary offseason workouts getting underway, the Cardinals have secured three of their restricted free agents, the club announced today. As Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com details, safety Tony Jefferson, safety D.J. Swearinger, and wide receiver Jaron Brown all signed their RFA tenders.Tony Jefferson (Vertical)

All three players received low-end RFA tenders worth $1.671MM from the Cardinals, and there was some speculation that Jefferson, who drew some interest from other teams, including Oakland, might sign an offer sheet, which the Cardinals would have to decide whether or not to match. However, Jefferson and his two teammates will all return to Arizona on one-year, $1.671MM contracts, making them potentially eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2017.

Jefferson, who has started 17 games for the Cardinals over the last three seasons, filled up the stat sheet in 2015, recording 74 tackles, three forced fumbles, two sacks, and a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown. He suggested earlier in April that he didn’t mind the idea of playing as an RFA this year rather than signing a below-market offer sheet.

“You don’t want to get yourself locked into long-term deals where you don’t even like your salary, and you’re unrestricted next year, so you have a chance to make more money,” Jefferson said.

Swearinger, a former second-round pick, joined the Cardinals last December and appeared in four regular-season games for the team down the stretch, while Brown played in all 16 games, but caught just 11 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Jefferson, Cards, Seahawks, Bears

April 9th, 2016 at 8:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a quick spin around the NFC…

  • Restricted free agent safety Tony Jefferson expects to sign his tender and return to the Cardinals, as he tells Arizona Sports 98.5 FM (link via Vince Marotta of ArizonaSports.com). “I wouldn’t think so,” said Jefferson when asked if he might be leave for another club. “You don’t want to get yourself locked into long-term deals where you don’t even like your salary, and you’re unrestricted next year, so you have a chance to make more money.” Jefferson reportedly drew interest from the Texans and the Raiders over the past month or so, but ultimately never saw an official offer, so he’ll likely head back to the desert on a one-year, $1.671MM deal. Restricted free agents have until April 22 to sign offer sheets.
  • The Seahawks had been mentioned as a possible suitor for left tackle Ryan Clady, but that union obviously won’t happen now that the Jets have acquired Clady from the Broncos. Seattle is likely “all-in” on starting either Bradley Sowell or Garry Gilliam at left tackle, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Neither player was very productive in 2015, as Gilliam was ineffective while Sowell played only 33 offensive snaps. But Sowell said last month that the main reason he signed with the Seahawks was that they expressed interest in him playing on the blind side.
  • “They will have to literally fight me to move me from right guard,” Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long tells Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, reiterating his desire to not move to tackle. After playing right tackle in 2015, some had speculated that Long might move to the left side next season, but it doesn’t sound like Long is interested. Chicago did sign Ted Larsen and Manny Ramirez this offseason, but it looks like they will add depth on the interior rather than facilitate a Long move.

AFC Rumors: Browns, RGIII, Raiders, Jets, Bills

March 20th, 2016 at 10:48am CST by Luke Adams

After hosting him for a visit earlier this weekend, the Browns are now doing more extensive homework on Robert Griffin III, making calls to find out more about the free agent QB’s game and his character, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While it may just be a matter of a team doing its due diligence, the Browns’ efforts could also signal that Cleveland has a level of genuine interest in Griffin. By comparison, the Jets – who brought RGIII in for a meet-and-greet but remain focused on re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick – don’t appear to have done the same amount of research into the former No. 2 overall pick.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Despite having some interest in him, it appears unlikely that the Raiders will make an offer to Cardinals RFA safety Tony Jefferson, tweets Eddie Borsilli of SiriusXM NFL Radio. A source tells Borsilli that Oakland is more likely to focus on adding safety help in the draft.
  • The Jets have taken a methodical approach to free agency so far in 2016, but they have the resources to be major players a year from now, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. As Cimini observes, the Jets don’t have many non-rookie contracts on their books that feature guaranteed money in 2017, so the team will have the flexibility to make major moves if opportunities arise.
  • The Bills and cornerback Stephon Gilmore have yet to make headway on a long-term contract extension, and it doesn’t appear that the team is in a rush to get something done, says Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News. Although the Bills would like to lock up their top cornerback, it sounds like an issue the club may address sometime after the draft, rather than in the immediate future.

Cardinals Tender RFA Tony Jefferson

March 2nd, 2016 at 5:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The first restricted free agent tender of the offseason has been assigned to Cardinals safety Tony Jefferson, a source tells Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), who adds that Arizona offered Jefferson the lowest tender. If he signs the tender, Jefferson will be paid $1.671MM for the 2016 season.

[RELATED: RB Chris Johnson wants to re-sign with Arizona]Tony Jefferson (Vertical)

By giving Jefferson the lowest tender, the Cardinals are opening themselves up to seeing Jefferson poached by another club. If a competing team signs Jefferson to an offer sheet, and Arizona declines to match, it would only be entitled to original round compensation. But because Jefferson was an undrafted free agent, the Cardinals wouldn’t receive a draft pick in return if Jefferson opts to sign elsewhere.

Joining a new NFL club is certainly on the table for Jefferson, and according to Rand Getlin of NFL Network (Twitter link), the Texans are a “team to watch,” as they are on the hunt for an upgrade at safety. Houston saw four players — Andre Hal, Eddie Pleasant, Quintin Demps, and Rahim Moore — rotate through the safety positions last season, and as I noted in my preview of the Texans’ offseason, the team could look to add another contributor in the secondary.

It’s a bit surprising that the Cardinals would tender at Jefferson at the lowest level, as the 24-year-old has been solid in the defensive backfield during his three seasons in the desert. He’s appeared in all 48 possible games, starting 17, and played on more than 70% of Arizona’s snaps last season. The production has been there, too — Jefferson graded as the No. 18 safety among 88 qualifiers in 2015, per Pro Football Focus.

Cap space is something of an issue for the Cardinals, to be sure, as they rank 20th with about $19.3MM in reserves. And the club does have other free agents to re-sign, including Jefferson’s secondary mates Rashad Johnson and Jerraud Powers. But the second round tender is only valued $2.553MM, not even $1MM more than the original round tender, and likely would have come with enough of a draft pick cost attached to dissuade other suitors. For $882K, Arizona is risking the loss of a valuable option in the secondary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Bell, Wilson, Vaughn

April 7th, 2014 at 1:57pm CST by Matt Feminis

Cardinals safety Yeremiah Bell is likely to retire despite the team offering him a one-year contract, reports Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Phoenix (via Twitter). A Dolphins sixth-round pick in 2004, Bell, 36, spent eight years in Miami before joining the Jets in 2012 and the Cardinals in 2013. He played all 16 games in each of the last six seasons, starting all but one contest. Pro Football Talk provides additional perspective on a remarkable career which began when Bell decided to walk on at Eastern Kentucky.

Bell’s retirement would leave the Cardinals with Tyrann Mathieu at free safety and Tony Jefferson or Rashad Johnson at strong safety. However, the secondary has struggled to handle tight ends in coverage, and it would not be a surprise if the team added a bigger, more athletic, more physical safety in the draft.

In other NFC news and notes…

  • David Wilson would be an ideal No. 2 back for the Giants, but he’s coming off career-threatening neck surgery and his availability is unknown, writes Ralph Vacchiano in the New York Daily News.
  • Meanwhile, the Giants still have questions at three of five spots on their offensive line, in the opinion of ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.
  • Losing starting center Brian De La Puente to the Bears didn’t surprise the Saints, as they seemingly chose to go another direction, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett, who details De La Puente’s replacement options.
  • The Lions have agreed to a one-year deal with cornerback Cassius Vaughn, reports Aaron Wilson of National Football Post (via Twitter). Vaughn, 26, played all 16 games (four starts) last season for the Colts, recording 30 tackles, six passes defended, three interceptions and a forced fumble.
  • Oregon running back/receiver/returner De’Anthony Thomas (otherwise known as “Black Mamba”) will visit the Bears tomorrow, per Ross Jones of Fox Sports (via Twitter). Thomas displayed speed, quickness and playmaking ability in Oregon’s prolific spread attack, but concerns about his size, durability and work ethic could push him into the middle rounds. Thomas’ skill set seems to fit with the Bears, who are in need of a speedy compliment to their large receivers, as well as a replacement for Devin Hester.