HEADLINES

Month: February 2014

Saints Re-Sign Keyunta Dawson

February 12th, 2014 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have signed Keyunta Dawson to a one-year, minimum-salary contract extension, reports Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). The veteran DE/OLB received a $5K guaranteed signing bonus in the deal, according to McIntyre.

Dawson, 28, has only played in 13 games over the last three seasons, and he saw just 105 snaps with the Saints in his 2013 stint with the team. In those six games with New Orleans, he recorded three tackles and a half-sack, and forced a fumble.

Dawson’s cap number will be $575K for 2014, though assuming he earns a spot on the roster and remains in the league for the entire season, he’ll earn a slightly larger salary than that.

NFC East Notes: Salary Cap, Ware, Redskins

February 12th, 2014 at 10:40am CST by Luke Adams

As teams look to get under the 2014 cap in advance of the NFL’s league year beginning on March 11, several players with large cap numbers will be worth watching. In his latest piece for CBSSports.com, Joel Corry examines the players with the top five biggest cap numbers in the league, two of which come from the NFC East: Tony Romo of the Cowboys and Eli Manning of the Giants. While the Cowboys have the discretionary right to convert Romo’s base salary into a signing bonus, the Giants don’t have the same flexibility with Manning, so lowering Eli’s cap hit may mean signing him to an extension.

Besides Romo and Manning, DeMarcus Ware represents another interesting case, writes Corry. Ware’s $16MM+ cap number probably needs to be addressed to help the Cowboys’ slip under the cap, but it’s not clear if the veteran pass rusher would be willing to accept a pay cut. Here’s more on Ware, along with a few other NFC East notes:

  • Ware tells Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com that his agent has yet to be approached by the Cowboys about Ware’s contract, though that figures to happen soon. “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Ware said. “I’m going to let the guys run the numbers and handle that. My mentality is that I’m going to do what I need to do to try to help the team out the best I can where they’re going to win and I want to win.”
  • John Keim of ESPN.com takes a snapshot of the Redskins’ cap breakdown by position, revealing that well over half of the team’s current commitments are on the offensive or defensive line.
  • In a photo gallery, the Dallas Morning News identifies 10 wide receiver prospects who the Cowboys could target in this year’s draft.

Browns Rumors: Parcells, Banner, Draft

February 12th, 2014 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

Before announcing their new front office structure, the Browns targeted Bill Parcells to run the franchise, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. While Freeman’s report comes via an unnamed source, Parcells himself tells the BR scribe that he only spoke to the Browns about why organizations succeed and fail.

Parcells has previously served as the Jets’ general manager and, more recently, as the executive VP of football operations in Miami with the Dolphins. However, he hasn’t worked with an NFL team in an official capacity for the last several years. While Freeman’s report remains unconfirmed, it’s not a stretch to think that the Browns would have approached him about a position in the organization, nor is it hard to believe that Parcells passed, given his age (72) and the way in which the club’s coaching search played out.

Here’s more on the team’s front office shakeup and fallout:

  • TheMMQB.com’s Peter King took an extended look at the situation in Cleveland, passing along an anecdote about the team’s interview of coaching canidate Ken Whisenhunt which illustrated why owner Jimmy Haslam made the decision to part ways with CEO Joe Banner — according to King, Haslam had become increasingly “dubious about Banner’s football acumen,” which was openly questioned by Whisenhunt during his interview.
  • King hears from a source that, after strong recommendations by Bill Belichick and Urban Meyer, Haslam was interested in interviewing former Bucs coach Greg Schiano for Cleveland’s opening. However, Banner wanted nothing to do with Schiano, whose stint in Tampa had been rocky, and was cold to him during his interview, according to the source. The incident further illustrated the “major rift” among the Browns’ decision-makers, King writes.
  • King backs up a Tuesday report which suggested that Banner and Michael Lombardi were shocked by the abrupt announcement by Haslam.
  • The Browns “seem prepared to move heaven and earth” to draft a franchise quarterback in the first round of May’s draft, according to King.
  • Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer spoke to a number of people around the league about new Browns GM Ray Farmer, and the consensus was that Farmer is ready to take on the role.
  • Earlier today, we heard that the Browns are negotiating a long-term contract with cornerback Joe Haden.

Browns, Joe Haden Talking Long-Term Deal

February 12th, 2014 at 8:31am CST by Luke Adams

While the Browns’ front office overhaul may have an effect on the team’s decisions relating to certain players, it doesn’t appear as if it will affect cornerback Joe Haden. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), the Browns have been negotiating a long-term contract with Haden, and were in touch with his reps yesterday. Locking up Haden will remain a top priority for the club through the front office transition, says Breer.

Haden, the seventh overall pick in 2010, has one year remaining on his rookie contract, with a base salary of $6.68MM owed to him for 2014, to go along with a cap number of about $8.93MM. As such, the Browns may be more concerned with finalizing decisions on ’14 free agents like center Alex Mack and safety T.J. Ward. Still, the team will be looking to keep Haden off the open market next year, so an agreement within the next 12 months looks likely.

On his first NFL contract, Haden already ranks among the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL, by annual salary. A new agreement could easily vault him into the top five at his position. With that sort of deal, he’d be looking at a salary that approaches or surpasses $10MM per year, not an unreasonable figure for a player who is still just 24 years old and is considered one of the league’s best at his position. NFL scribe Brian McIntyre expects Haden to seek $30MM+ in guaranteed money on his next contract (Twitter link).

Haden was named to his first Pro Bowl this past season. In 15 starts for the Browns, the Florida product picked off four passes and defended 20 more, while consistently limiting the production of opposing teams’ number one receivers.

Extra Points: Helu, Cardinals, Cowboys

February 11th, 2014 at 9:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Defensive ends didn’t find a whole lot of cash out there on the open market last offseason but that should change this time around, writes Joe Fortenbaugh of National Football Post. Free agent DEs like Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett found themselves agreeing to short-term pillow contracts to try and get back to free agency while they can still cash in last year. This year, the Falcons, Jaguars, and Bears are among the many clubs with needs at that position…

  • Two people familiar with Roy Helu‘s contract tell The Washington Times that he has reached the “proven performance escalator,” a clause in the collective bargaining agreement that rewards players who were drafted in the third through seventh rounds who are entering the final year of their rookie contract. As a result, his base salary for 2014 will double. The running back was the Redskins’ leading rusher as a rookie in 2011 and played a significant role for the team last season. Helu was supposed to earn a base salary of $645K this season but will instead earn a base salary of $1.39MM.
  • Teams can start using the franchise tag as early as Monday, but the Cardinals won’t be among those clubs, writes Darren Urban of Cardinals.com. Linebacker Karlos Dansby was hit with the tag two years in a row by the Cards a few years back but he won’t be in line for a deal that would pay him ~$10.9MM.
  • Don’t expect the Cowboys to make any major moves on the free agent market, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
  • Are the Bears better off letting Charles Tillman and Julius Peppers go? Ryan McGuffey and John Mullin of CSNChicago.com (video link) discuss the pros and cons.
  • Despite his differences with special teams coach Mike Pfeiffer, former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe says Minnesota would be a good place for Michael Sam, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.

AFC Notes: Browns, Farmer, Bills, Dolphins

February 11th, 2014 at 9:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are testing the faith of their fans with their latest upheaval, writes Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com. Rosenthal also wonders who hired new head coach Mike Pettine. New GM Ray Farmer wasn’t in the room when Pettine was interviewed and it’s possible that outgoing CEO Joe Banner was the person who made the hire, which could be problematic. Earlier tonight, we asked PFR readers to weigh in on the state of the Browns. More out of the AFC..

Karlos Dansby Says He’ll Stay With Cardinals

February 11th, 2014 at 7:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Cardinals linebacker and free-agent-to-be Karlos Dansby could wind up in a different uniform next season, but he doesn’t envision that happening. In an interview with SiriusXM (audio link) last night, Dansby said that he expects to remain with the club that originally drafted him in 2004.

“I definitely expect to be an Arizona Cardinal next year,” Dansby said. “We don’t have long here (before free agency) so we’ll get to talking and try and hammer something out.”

The Cardinals want him back as well after he hauled in a career-high four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), 6.5 sacks, a career-best 21 passes defended, and 135 total tackles. But, after Dansby made $2.25MM last season, he’ll surely be looking for a pay bump. The Cardinals want to be fiscally responsible going forward and doling out a hefty multi-year deal to a player turning 33 in November wouldn’t fit that gameplan.

Dansby was hit by the franchise tag twice (2008, 2009) during his first stint with the Cardinals. His stay in Arizona was interrupted in 2010 when he inked a five-year, $43MM deal ($22MM guaranteed) with the Dolphins but he returned after being cut loose in March of last year.

Poll: Are The Browns Moving In The Right Direction?

February 11th, 2014 at 6:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Browns surprised the football world when they sacked GM Michael Lombardi in order to promote Ray Farmer to that mantle. Of course, it wasn’t Cleveland’s first major shakeup of the season as they fired first-year coach Rob Chudzinski earlier in the offseason, much to the dismay of many Browns players. It’s not a stretch to imagine that the two are related. The Browns were said to have several coaches on their wishlist ahead of eventual hire Mike Pettine and they whiffed on all of them for one reason or another.

While they’re optimistic about the defensive-minded Pettine and the emergence of star wide receiver Josh Gordon on the other side of the football, the Browns haven’t made the playoffs since 2002 and their winter turmoil is cause for concern. Injured quarterback Brian Hoyer, who has the open support of the newly-crowned HC, doesn’t look like a world-beater and it’s said that the club won’t tab a QB to replace him with the No. 4 overall pick. One thing is for sure – Farmer’s decision to remove himself from consideration for the Dolphins’ GM job in January makes a whole lot more sense now.

Things seem pretty shaky in Cleveland and Browns fans have never been an optimistic bunch, but it’s possible that the readers of Pro Football Rumors will have a rosier view. Take your pick in our poll and weigh in in the comment section.

Florida Notes: Jaguars, Dolphins, Kafka

February 11th, 2014 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

After rounding up the latest updates on a handful of AFC and NFC North teams earlier this afternoon, we’ll head down south and check in on today’s items on the league’s three franchise in Florida:

  • Last offseason, the Jaguars didn’t sign any free agents to contracts exceeding two years, but GM Dave Caldwell has expressed a willingness to go to three or four years this time around, writes Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union. Still, Caldwell cautioned that the club won’t be looking to set the market with big deals.
  • Selecting an offensive tackle with the No. 19 pick in May’s draft isn’t the Dolphins‘ only option, but it’s the best option, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Perkins also identifies running back and free safety as positions the Dolphins may target in the first round, with linebacker as a “dark horse.”
  • Agent Mike McCartney tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune that Mike Kafka signed with the Buccaneers instead of the Cowboys because Tampa Bay is more likely to carry three quarterbacks in 2014.
  • Given Kafka’s and Mike Glennon‘s lack of NFL experience, Cummings expects the Buccaneers to add a third quarterback to the roster in free agency rather than in the draft (Twitter link).

Packers Release Greg Van Roten

February 11th, 2014 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Packers have waived offensive lineman Greg Van Roten, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Van Roten had been on the books for a minimum salary in 2014, with his free agency scheduled for 2015. The Packers won’t be on the hook for any dead money by cutting him.

Van Roten, who will turn 24 later this month, spent most of the 2013 season on injured reserve, having been placed on IR by Green Bay in mid-October due to a foot injury. He was active for the first three games of the Packers’ season.

The Pennsylvania alum will have to clear waivers before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency.

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