HEADLINES

Month: February 2014

Will Smith Open To 4-3 Or 3-4 Defense

February 16th, 2014 at 12:49pm CST by Rory Parks

Although Will Smith, one of the Saints’ most recent salary cap casualties, would prefer to return to his natural position as a defensive end in a 4-3 front, he remains open to serving as a 3-4 outside linebacker as well, according to NFL.com’s Kevin Petra. Of course, Smith expected to move to outside linebacker last season after Rob Ryan was hired as the Saints defensive coordinator, but a torn ACL ended his season before it ever really began. Smith said:

“I think I’m at heart a 4-3 defensive end. That’s something I would like to play. But if I go to a team that requires me to play outside linebacker, I’m cool with that too.”

As Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio writes, Smith is wise to keep his options open. Just last season, Dwight Freeney expressed a desire to return to his natural position of 4-3 defensive end, but when Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram tore his ACL, a different opportunity opened up for Freeney.

Smith’s track record as a pass-rusher is likely to appeal to a number of teams, particularly if those teams believe he would be open to whichever defensive scheme they utilize. His age (he will be 33 when the season begins) will keep his cost down, and as players like Freeney, John Abraham, and James Harrison proved last season, there is a market for an older player that can still get after the quarterback. Furthermore, since Smith was cut and was not an unrestricted free agent, he would not count against the compensatory pick formula, making him even more attractive to teams that keep an especially close eye on their compensatory selections.

As Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes, Smith is an eminently viable option for the Patriots. However, he will likely have a number of suitors to choose from as the offseason progresses.

NFC North Notes: Raji, Vikings, Harper

February 16th, 2014 at 12:15pm CST by Rory Parks

ESPN Wisconsin’s Jason Wilde continues his position-by-position outlook of the Packers by delving into Green Bay’s defensive line and linebackers. With regards to the defensive line, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport recently reported that the Packers would try to remake the unit with smaller and more athletic players, which DC Dom Capers has historically preferred. If the team does go in that direction, it could simply let unrestricted free agents B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly, and C.J. Wilson–all of whom offer more size than speed or athleticism–find a new employer. The biggest name of that group, of course, is Raji, whose rejection of an $8MM/year offer last fall suggests that he is unhappy with his role in the Packers’ scheme and that he is ready to move on. In any event, Green Bay is looking at a great deal of turnover on the defensive line, and it remains to be seen if they will add depth to the unit via free agency, the draft–the Packers have used a high pick on a defensive lineman in each of the past two years–or both.

As far as their linebackers are concerned, the big question the Packers face is what to do with Mike Neal. Neal was a revelation in 2013, moving from defensive end to outside linebacker and thriving in that role. While that was good news for Green Bay last season, Neal, an unrestricted free agent, is well-positioned to receive a significant offer from another club this season. With 2012 first-round pick Nick Perry still an unproven commodity at this point–injuries have shrouded each of his first two years in the league–the Packers may have no other choice but to retain Neal, lest they face another season with Clay Matthews as the only legitimate play-maker in the linebacking corps.

More notes from the NFC North:

  • As noted by our own Rob DiRe last week, Vikings GM Rick Spielman wants to add another two picks to the team’s 2014 draft. ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling thinks the best way to do that would be for Minnesota to trade back from its No. 8 overall selection. Such a move would be especially tempting if the draft’s top quarterbacks are off the board at that point. Goessling adds that, even if the Vikings could not get a top-flight QB with the eighth overall pick, they would be wise to grab Clemson’s Sammy Watkins if he’s still available. Watkins could team with Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings, and Adrian Peterson to form a formidable group of offensive weapons.
  • ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein believes the top priority for the Lions this offseason is at wide receiver, a belief reinforced by the recent release of Nate Burleson. Tight end would also be a high priority, particularly if the Lions cannot re-sign Brandon Pettigrew. As noted last week, Detroit’s outlook at tight end beyond Pettigrew is uninspiring.
  • Although ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright opined last week that the recently-released Roman Harper would probably cost too much for the Bears to sign, he does note that Harper would still be a viable option if another team does not spend big on him.

Kirk Cousins Open To Trade

February 16th, 2014 at 11:10am CST by Rory Parks

FEBRUARY 16: In a piece for his Real Redskins blog, Rich Tandler indicates that Cousins does not have to be dealt before or during the May 8 draft if the Redskins want to trade him this year. Although many pundits look at the team’s lack of a first-round pick this year and assume that Washington would want to add a second- or third-rounder to supplement their 2014 draft haul–and that the team would hang on to Cousins if they cannot swing such a deal–Tandler says that isn’t necessarily the case. Instead, Tandler writes the Redskins may be content to wait for a team that missed out on a QB it wanted in the draft, or a team that suffers an injury in the preseason, to come calling.

FEBRUARY 12: In an appearance on SiriusXM Radio, Cousins himself confirmed today that he’d be open to a trade (Twitter link). While that came with the caveat that he’s happy in Washington and loves the city, the fact that he didn’t simply shoot down the idea of a trade certainly suggests that he’s considered the possibility.

FEBRUARY 2: Redskins backup QB Kirk Cousins is open to a trade and has told the team as much, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The Washington brass has declared Robert Griffin III the unquestioned starter heading into 2014, and although Cousins loves the organization, he believes he is ready to start and would rather play than serve as Griffin’s backup again.

As noted earlier, the Browns would be one potential landing spot for Cousins. Such a scenario is more likely now that the Browns have selected Kyle Shanahan as their new offensive coordinator. Shanahan, of course, was the Redskins OC for each of Cousins’ two years in Washington, so the two are very familiar with each other. Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (via Twitter) seems to expect a great deal of Cousins-to-the-Browns rumors in the near future. Grossi, though, also tweets that the Cousins story amounts to a “sucker’s trade” where the Redskins can drop the line and see who bites.

The Jets may be another option if Washington wanted to deal Cousins. ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini tweets that Jets fans may find the news of Cousins’ openness to a trade “interesting,” particularly in light of Geno Smith‘s recent off-field issues. As CBSSports.com’s Josh Katzowitz reported yesterday, Jets head coach Rex Ryan stopped short of naming Smith the team’s starting QB heading into 2014.

Meanwhile, Joel Corry of National Football Post tweets that Cousins’ being open to a trade was “inevitable” since the day he was drafted to back up Griffin, and Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets that this is “not news.” Jones notes that Cousins has spoken many times about wanting to audition for other teams.

Cousins has shown flashes in his limited playing time, but his statistics thus far are fairly pedestrian. He has appeared in eight games in his career, starting four of them. In that time, he has thrown for 1,320 yards, eight touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

WR Notes: Holmes, Burleson, Broncos

February 16th, 2014 at 10:08am CST by Rory Parks

Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that that Jets will cut Santonio Holmes. Holmes has been a disappointment both on and off the field since coming to New York from Pittsburgh, and he would cost the Jets $10.75MM against the cap this year if he were to be retained. However, the Jets will save $8.25MM by cutting Holmes, and Cimini believes the team will use at least a significant portion of that money to bring in a new wideout. As our own Luke Adams wrote last week, the Jets “covet” the Steelers’ Emmanuel Sanders and the Eagles’ Jeremy Maclin, both of whom are eligible for unrestricted free agency.

It is a buyer’s market for receivers this year, with over 50 wideouts set to hit the open market. Some more notes on the wide receiver carousel:

  • Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com writes that Nate Burleson would make sense for the Cowboys, given the imminent release of Miles Austin and the limitations of players like Dwayne Harris and Cole Beasley. Archer believes Burleson’s skill-set, veteran leadership, and connection with new Cowboys’ play-caller Scott Linehan could add up to a nice complement to top receivers Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams.
  • Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com believes the Broncos will have to grab at least one receiver in the draft. Eric Decker and Andre Caldwell are both unrestricted free agents, but the Broncos will want to make sure they have enough money to pay Demaryius Thomas when he hits free agency after the 2014 season, and that will limit what they could give to Decker, Caldwell, or any other free agent receiver this season. As such, Denver will be left with only two receivers on the roster who have started an NFL game: Thomas and Wes Welker. For a team that uses a three-wide set about 70% of the time, that is simply not enough depth.
  • Joe Kaiser of ESPN.com examines the chatter surrounding Anquan Boldin‘s return to the 49ers, all of which indicates Boldin will be back in the Bay Area next year.
  • In a recent interview with Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, NFL Films’ Greg Cosell confirms the general consensus that Clemson’s Sammy Watkins is the best receiver in this year’s draft, but Cosell doesn’t stop there. He believes that Watkins is the best receiver available since the 2010 draft, when Julio Jones and A.J. Green were taken in the first round.

 

AFC Notes: Steelers, Patriots, Browns

February 16th, 2014 at 9:03am CST by Rory Parks

There has been a great deal of speculation regarding what the Steelers will do with their talented duo of LaMarr Woodley and Jason Worilds, but Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gives the most definitive prediction to date. He writes that “it is just not conceivable” that the team will be able to retain both players for the 2014 season, and he believes Woodley will be odd-man out. By cutting Woodley now, the Steelers would suffer a $14.17MM cap hit this year, which is not significantly more than the $13.59MM hit they would take if they kept him. Plus, after 2014, he would be off the books entirely, which is a tantalizing prospect for a team that has backed itself into a difficult salary-cap situation.

Of course, as has been noted previously, Pittsburgh could designate Woodley as a post-June 1 release, which would spread out the $14.17MM hit over the 2014 and 2015 seasons and give the team an extra $8MM to spend this year. However, that $8MM would not become available until after June 1, which would limit what the Steelers could do in free agency (either with their own free agents or with those from other clubs). Whichever route the team takes, Bouchette believes Woodley has played his last game as a Steeler.

Other notes from the AFC:

  • Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes the Steelers will not re-sign Emmanuel Sanders, and Christopher Price of WEEI.com thinks the Patriots would take another shot at Sanders if he is, in fact, still available when free agency begins in March. New England, of course, signed Sanders to an offer sheet last offseason when he was a restricted free agent, prompting Pittsburgh to match the offer to retain the speedy wideout. If New England were to re-sign Julian Edelman, then the Patriots would likely not pursue Sanders, as the two players offer similar skill-sets. But if Edelman finds greener pastures elsewhere, Sanders may become a top free-agent priority for New England.
  • Meanwhile, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald thinks that, now the Larry Fitzgerald-to-New England dream is dead, the Patriots will not look outside its own roster to find the big-play outside receiver the team covets. The answer, she writes, could be second-year man Aaron Dobson, who has all the physical tools and who looked better and better as the 2013 season progressed.
  • In a recent Q & A with Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, new Browns GM Ray Farmer indicates that he has a favorite quarterback in this year’s draft class, but that quarterback may not be Johnny Manziel. In fact, Farmer said the QB he likes “may not be the name that everybody thinks is the latest, greatest, and the easy one to spot,” and he suggested that Cleveland’s No. 4 overall pick may be too high for this unnamed player. Farmer is already adept at “GM-speak,” as the rest of his answers consisted primarily of the vague generalities one would expect from a high-ranking executive at this time of the year, but his musings about his favorite QB are nonetheless intriguing.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Patriots, Mathews

February 15th, 2014 at 10:52pm CST by Rob DiRe

Although the Raiders recently signed CFL Grey Cup MVP Kory Sheets, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com sees that as only part of the running back picture in 2014. While he writes that Sheets will be hungry to prove he belongs, Gutierrez believes the competition will be a three horse race. He sees the team re-signing Rashad Jennings to be the frontrunner, but that the organization is very high on second year player Latavius Murray. Darren McFadden is not expected to return. Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

  • Gutierrez outlines his ideal offseason for the Raiders, a franchise with over $60.7MM in cap space according to OverTheCap.com. His wish list includes Alex Mack at center, Mark Sanchez at quarterback, and receiver Sammy Watkins of Clemson with the team’s first round pick. He also wants the team to retain Lamarr Houston to be their left end and sign Jared Allen to rush the passer from the other side.
  • The Patriots‘ pass rush wasn’t great in 2013, and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald has a plan to improve that this offseason. It will take a few cuts and a restructuring of Vince Wilfork‘s contract that will pay him $11.6MM next season, but with free agents such as Allen and Shaun Phillips, and a draft deep with passrushing talent, Howe can see the Patriots being better in 2014.
  • Ryan Mathews is coming off a career year for the Chargers, but the team’s former superstar runningback has advice for Mathews. In an interview with Michael Gehlken of UT San Diego, LaDanian Tomlinson, “My advice to Ryan would be just to ball out like he did this past season, and everything will take care of itself. You go to everything in the offseason. You prove your worth to the team by being there, not by being absent.” Chargers fans would be happy if Mathews is able to adhere to the advice of his predecessor. “Do your business on the field, and everything takes care of itself.” 

NFC Notes: Saints, Packers, Delmas

February 15th, 2014 at 10:20pm CST by Rob DiRe

One of the top priorities for the Saints this offseason (other than re-signing their superstar wide receiver tight end pass catcher) is retooling their secondary, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. The team needs a legitimate number two cornerback to pair with Keenan Lewis, with Triplett suggesting the Panthers’ Captain Munnerlyn as a possibility, despite his desire to remain with Carolina.

  • Sources are saying that Packers general manager Ted Thompson will be active in free agency, looking to sign up to five players away from other teams, but Mike Vandermause of PackersNews.com isn’t buying it. The Packers have signed five unrestricted free agents in the last seven years and didn’t sign any three of the past four years. Only Jeff Saturday in 2012 became an every down starter, until he was benched towards the end of the season.
  • With Jermichael Finley‘s return unlikely, and Andrew Quarless hitting free agency, the Packers will have to explore other options at tight end, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwalkee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. If they are serious about free agency, Scott Chandler or Brandon Pettigrew could be fits, but a more likely scenario is that they would address the position in the draft, where tight end is thought to be a deep class.
  • The Falcons are looking to improve the safety position, and Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com believes the team could be interested in Louis Delmas who was recently released by the Lions. Delmas would be an improvement over the inconsistent Thomas DeCoud, and could make a nice pair with William Moore at the back of the secondary.
  • The Cardinals have a very good duo of wide receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, but last year they weren’t able to install their third receiver, Andre Roberts, into a big role in the offense. This could mean they will struggle to keep him in 2014, writes Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. He believes Roberts would have to take less money and a smaller role in order to stay.
  • Cardinals‘ cornerback Bryan McCann said that he wants to start in 2014. Although that is unlikely to happen in Arizona, he still would like to return to the Cardinals, writes Weinfuss. McCann has never started a game in his four year career, but could bring extra value due to his return skills.

Vikings Notes: Ponder, Mallett, Spielman

February 15th, 2014 at 9:14pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Vikings have 54 players under contract for a total or $103MM for 2014. According to OverTheCap.com, the team is estimated to have just north of $25MM in cap space to spend this offseason. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman plans to spend that money on re-signing their own free agents, writes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. One free agent Spielman has already expressed interest in is quarterback Matt Cassel, who finished last season as the starter. The Vikings are not expected to retain embattled passer Josh Freeman. The team will also be looking carefully at cap casualties from other teams that they could bring in to help improve their roster. Here are some more notes from the Vikings offseason:

  • Spielman made it very clear that he wants Christian Ponder to be back in the mix for their starting quarterback in 2014, although the team is not expected to stand pat at the position, writes Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune. “Christian will be here; I don’t anticipate anything — him not being here,” Spielman said. “Right now we’re looking at quarterbacks, so we would say we don’t have that position solidified. I know Christian does have the physical abilities to do it, but for whatever reason things haven’t come together for him.”
  • To add to the quarterback options, the Vikings could be interested in trading for Patriots’ backup Ryan Mallett, writes Christopher Gates of DailyNorseman.com. Gates writes that the strong-armed quarterback has the skill set that could succeed in a Norv Turner offense.
  • Spielman might have more influence on the 2014 Vikings than he has ever had in his 17 years as an NFL executive, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Of course, with great power comes great responsibility, and if Spielman cannot parlay the eight overall pick, the $25MM in cap space, and the Ponder/Cassel duo into a quarterback that can carry the offense at times, then he could be on the hot seat next offseason.
  • Tight end John Carlson announced that he would continue his career despite his concussion issues, writes Tesfatsion. He was put on IR after suffering a concussion in Week 14, but was evaluated and has decided that he can continue playing in 2014.

AFC North Notes: Suggs, Bengals, Browns

February 15th, 2014 at 8:12pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Raven’s top priority this offseason must be coming to an agreement of a contract extension with Pro Bowl pass rusher Terrell Suggs, writes Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun. Suggs has one year left on his deal, for $12.4MM. Preston writes that the Ravens could save more than $5MM if they agree to an extension, which would give them about $17 to $18 million in cap space to work with in free agency. That would help them re-sign tight end Dennis Pitta, who they are considering using the franchise tag on if a long-term deal cannot be reached, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. Citing an NFL source, Preston indicates that Suggs and the Ravens are making progress towards a reworked contract. Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

  • The Ravens are expected to sign another quarterback sometime during free agency, according to Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com. The quarterback would compete with Tyrod Taylor to be Joe Flacco‘s backup in 2014. Smolka is confident that Taylor will be able to beat out whoever the team brings in once again, and does not think the Ravens will carry three quarterbacks during the season.
  • The two top free agents the Bengals will look to re-sign are defensive end Michael Johnson and left tackle Anthony Collins, according to Hobson. If they cannot bring back Collins, that will most likely mean they will move Andrew Whitworth back to left tackle in 2014.
  • The Browns are widely thought to be looking for a quarterback with their first pick, but Pat McManamon of ESPN.com would rather see the team target receiver Sammy Watkins of Clemson. Pairing the young receiver with Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron would set the basis for an offense to succeed.
  • McManamon believes that the Browns will be unable to retain center Alex Mack in free agency. Hobson agrees that Mack will move on if not franchised. Hobson also writes that the team will move on from two free agent guards, starter Shawn Lauvao and backup Oniel Cousins.

Ted Wells Report: Future With Dolphins

February 15th, 2014 at 7:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

Since the Ted Wells Report was released, the Richie Incognito–Jonathan Martin controversy has returned to the forefront of sports talk radio and hundreds of sports blogs and columns. In addition to those two, Dolphins guard John Jerry and their Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey seem to be equally implicated as part of the bullying that allegedly went on. It seems that everybody has to weigh in on what this means to the modern NFL locker room, and has somehow been paired with the other big NFL story, the acceptance of Michael Sam into the NFL.

These stories are plenty important, but what they are replacing is the normal NFL offseason chatter about who is going where and what team is looking at which player. Until some semblance of a contract materializes for Incognito or Jerry, or a trade happens for Martin, these players are only important as it pertains to the Wells Report. However, all four have been seriously hurt in terms of their football stock.

Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross has been open in that he believes it is unlikely that either Incognito or Martin will return to the team in 2014, though the club does own Martin’s rights. The second-round pick out of Stanford still may have some value, writes Darrin Gantt of Pro Football Talk, since he is still a cheap option at right tackle. James Walker of ESPN.com writes of Martin: “He’s young, cheap and can play left and right tackle. Those players do not grow on trees.” Walker also notes that because other teams know that the Dolphins will release him Martin they cannot trade him, that does significantly lower his trade value.

Former coach Jim Harbaugh was an avid defender of Martin, which may prompt speculation that San Francisco could be a destination. However, the 49ers are set at tackle, with Joe Staley and Anthony Davis on each side. The Colts also have that connection, with Pep Hamilton and a number of former Stanford players there. Of course, they also have a lot of money already invested in tackle play, with Anthony Castonzo and Gosder Cherilus.

Incognito and Jerry are both free agents, making them easy decisions for the Dolphins — both will most likely be let go. Incognito was probably set for a pretty large contract extension with the Dolphins, due to his high level of play and status as a “leader” in the team’s locker room. Now, his value is minimal. He didn’t make many friends with the Rams before he joined the Dolphins, so he does not have a lot of coaching staffs to fall back on. The Raiders’ offensive coordinator Greg Olsen could put a good word in for him, as the Raiders are in need of offensive line help.

Vinnie Iyer of SportingNews.com does note that in the landscape of the modern NFL, Incognito has a better chance of being accepted into another locker room than Martin. “Incognito doesn’t come out of the investigation looking like Mr. Nice Guy, but he hasn’t tried to. There’s a reason his mean streak is one of his biggest assets as a player,” Iyer writes. “For teams needy of interior line help, such as the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts or San Diego Chargers, he’s Mr. Nice Price.”

Jerry was also a candidate to be retained by the Dolphins before being implicated in the Wells Report, but his return is now unlikely, writes Charlie McCarthy of Fox Sports Florida. Jerry doesn’t have the history of performance that Incognito did. What he does have in his favor is a far less noticeable role in the bullying of Martin, but still he will find it difficult to sign a deal similar to one he could have had with the Dolphins had he not been implicated. Both Incognito and Jerry’s free agency could be further hurt if the league decides to suspend them for a few games during the 2014 season.

Finally, there is Pouncey, who despite his age, might be the most accomplished of the four, and definitely has the brightest future. Much like Jerry, he is able to downplay his role in the bullying, but unlike Jerry he is under contract for 2014. Also unlike Jerry, he has performed on the field as one of top lineman at his position over his short career thus far, reaching the Pro Bowl this past year. Still, a week ago James Walker of ESPN.com listed Pouncey as one of the players on the Dolphins who has outperformed his contract and is deserving of a raise. After his name became involved in the Wells Report, and with a looming suspension possible, that raise seems highly unlikely.

Load More Posts