2014 June - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Links: Foles, Lions, Vikings

June 7th, 2014 at 6:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Following Colin Kaepernick‘s recent extension, many young quarterbacks are likely counting down the days until their new contract. One signal caller who isn’t thinking that far ahead is Eagles field general Nick Foles.

As Jeff McLane of Philly.com writes, Foles has never been financially motivated to play the sport. It certainly helps that his father sold a chain of Texas-based restaurants for $59MM, but as the writer says, Foles “is his own man and will want to forge his own path.”

Besides the lack of desire for a large payout, there may be many factors that stands in Foles’ way. One could be the lingering belief that a more mobile quarterback would fit better into coach Chip Kelly‘s system. Another is the hesitance to buy into Foles completely until he’s proven that he can sustain his success.

Regardless, the entire thing isn’t bothering the 25-year-old.

“If you try to think about all that, it’s hard to play,” Foles said.

If the quarterback continues with that focused mindset, he may be in line for his own large contract soon enough.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

Citing the Lions signing of Rashean Mathis last offseason, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com says that general manager Martin Mayhew “is willing to make moves for veterans who can contribute at pretty much all times.” When taking a look at possible free agent fits for the team, Rothstein points to cornerbacks Jabari Greer and Drayton Florence, safety Steve Gregory and offensive lineman Bruce Campbell.
If Matthew Stafford struggles this season, Rothstein could envision the Lions drafting a quarterback “somewhat high” in the 2015 draft.
Lions guard Rob Sims hopes to reach a new deal with the team, tweets Detroit News’ Chris McCosky. Sims is entering the final year of his contract.
ESPN.com’s Vikings writer Ben Goessling can’t envision the team restructuring the contracts of Adrian Peterson or Greg Jennings. Instead, he says a restructuring (or release) for linebacker Chad Greenway would be more likely.

NFC South Notes: Panthers WRs, Saints TEs

June 7th, 2014 at 4:51pm CST by Peter Sowards

Chalk this up as one of the more amazing tidbits with respect to NFL team’s rosters, as written by The Charlotte Observer’s Joseph Person: none of the 11 wide receivers on the Panthers roster this spring caught a pass for the team last season.

The Panthers went wide receiver in the first round of the draft, selecting 6-foot-5, 240-pound Kelvin Benjamin from Florida State No. 28 overall. He’ll be looking to replace departed receiver Steve Smith, as will fellow young wideouts Tavarres King and Marvin McNutt, who have been rotating through the first-, second- and third-team offenses in organized team activities.

“One thing we’re trying to make sure is everybody’s getting a lot of reps right now,” Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. “Because when we get to training camp, we want to make sure everybody’s up to speed. We’ve made an emphasis that we’re rotating a lot of players, as much as possible. Wide receiver’s one of those positions.”

As Person notes in his column, both King and McNutt have impressive collegiate résumés, starring at Georgia and Iowa, respectively. They’ll be competing for the starting receiver spots with Benjamin and three free-agent acquisitions: Jerricho Cotchery, Tiquan Underwood and Jason Avant.

Check out more from the NFC South in the links below…

De’Andre Presley was the answer from Rivera when asked if a player has distinguished himself after Wednesday’s OTA, writes The Observer’s Tom Sorensen. Presley, a quarterback in college at Appalachian State, switched to cornerback upon signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent, and is now trying to make the Panthers roster at wide receiver.
The Panthers went defensive tackle back-to-back in the 2013 NFL Draft with the selections of Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short in the first and second rounds, respectively, but Short is still in a fight for a starting position, writes Jonathan Jones of The Observer.
Six tight ends combine for 20 years of experience on the Panthers roster, and Rivera loves the versatility they bring, ESPN.com’s David Newton reports.
While there is no replacing the immense talent of Jimmy Graham, Saints tight ends Ben Watson and Josh Hill are doing what is asked of them at OTAs, including everything Graham would be doing, per The Times-Picayune’s Christopher Dabe.
First-round pick receiver Brandin Cooks will be back for the final week of Saints OTAs, believes ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett.
Despite suffering two concussions in his rookie season, Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro said he won’t slow down nor change his reckless ways, Triplett writes.
With a defensive-heavy draft, notes ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure, the Falcons surely made defensive coordinator Mike Nolan a happy man. Nolan touched on each of the seven defensive players drafted, including a glowing review of Dez Southward, the former Wisconsin safety whom Atlanta selected in the third round: “He’s got really good size and is fast. He’s an intelligent guy. He doesn’t have as much football in his background as other guys because he played late in high school. But he’ll listen, as opposed to somebody that didn’t learn much and then they think that they have all the answers.”

Patriots Notes: Revis, Edelman, Anderson

June 7th, 2014 at 3:28pm CST by Peter Sowards

Defense was the cornerstone of the Patriots’ three Super Bowl victories between 2001 and 2004, and stellar play from the secondary had much to do with it. Now, with the addition of Darrelle Revis, arguably the best defensive back in football, coach Bill Belichick has more flexibility than ever to implement his defensive strategy, opines ESPN.com’s Jeffri Chadiha.

Revis’ inclusion to the team means good things for the rest of his defensive counterparts, per Chadiha. Safety Devin McCourty can take more chances, defensive end Chandler Jones could add to his 11.5 sacks last season, and the defense could regain the swagger last seen in the Romeo Crennel days of yesteryear.

More from the defending AFC East champs below…

The cornerback group has the potential to be the deepest it’s been in Belichick’s 15 years as head coach, writes ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss. A projection places Revis at left cornerback, former Seahawk Brandon Browner at right cornerback, and veteran Kyle Arrington manning the slot. Browner will serve a suspension for the first four games of the season, and Reiss pegs reserves Alfonzo Dennard or Logan Ryan as potential replacements during that span.
Wide receiver Julian Edelman, loaded with a four-year, $17MM contract and fresh off a 105-catch season, said he’s working to not make the same mistakes twice in an attempt to avoid Belichick’s wrath, reports the Associated Press’ Howard Ulman.
Linebacker James Anderson, signed by the Patriots earlier this week, undergoes a scrutinous film study by ESPN.com’s Reiss, who surmises that the former Bear excels in pass coverage but is not a stack-and-shed linebacker.
The transition from Carolina to New England has not been an easy one for wide receiver Brandon LaFell, whose two main goals are learning the offense and not getting embarrassed by Revis, writes The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin and Shalise Manza Young.
In an impressively thorough writeup, Sports Illustrated’s Doug Farrar breaks down first-round pick Dominique Easley‘s game and how the former Florida defensive lineman could redefine New England’s defensive fronts.

NFC East Notes: Beckham Jr., Bryant, Mathis

June 7th, 2014 at 2:07pm CST by Peter Sowards

After receiving a $5MM cap credit on June 1 for cutting offensive lineman David Baas in March, the Giants have just over $7MM to spend on fine-tuning the roster, writes Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com. 91 players are currently under contract for the G-Men, with a team cap of $124.98MM.

As Ranaan points out, $7MM might sound like a lot of money, but 20 teams have more room to spend. All seven 2014 draftees except for third-round defensive tackle Jay Bromley have signed their rookie deals, and it’s only a matter of time before the former Syracuse Orange joins the fold.

More news and notes from the AFC East below…

Giants first-round wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is being rested for precautionary reasons while recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him at OTAs, reports National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson. Beckham told reporters he’s also suffering from a tight back.
Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden waxed poetic about his former college and current pro teammate, Dez Bryant, per The Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota. “He’s unbelievable at what he does,” Weeden said. “It’s the same stuff he did when he was 18 when he came in. I have said it when we came in the same year, he’s just a freak. The guy is probably the most passionate football player. He loves the game more than anyone I’ve ever been around.” Both players arrived at Oklahoma State in 2007.
At a function honoring former Arkansas head football coach and athletic director Frank Broyles, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said nothing has made him prouder than to know the Arkansas Razorbacks — Jones’ Alma mater — will play at AT&T Stadium next season, tweets Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News Bureau.
Eagles guard Evan Mathis said the team is light years ahead of where it was compared to this time last year, reports CSNPhilly.com’s Michael Barkann. “This year, you can just see so much more confidence on the field. Everybody’s executing, it’s much more crisp, and that’s what you get with a year under this system.”
Michael Bamiro has been working mainly at right guard on the Eagles‘ second-team offensive line, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher.
According to a tweet by last year’s No. 4 overall pick Lane Johnson, the Eagles‘ rookie dinner totaled nearly $18k, including a $3,495 bottle of wine.
Eagles first-round pick Marcus Smith, who will be outside linebacker in Philadelphia’s base 3-4, was tabbed by National Football Post’s Greg Gabriel as one of five players to keep an eye on during the 2014 NFL Season.
Niles Paul, the Redskins wide receiver and core special teams player, is optimistic about a potential turnout for the ST unit under Ben Kotwica, the first-year coordinator, writes CSNWashington.com’s Tarik El-Bashir.
Training camp practices under new Redskins head coach Jay Gruden will likely start earlier, end later and feature a longer break in between sessions, reports CSNWashington.com’s Rich Tandler.
Learning his fifth offensive system in five years, Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy likes the fit in Washington and is eager to learn behind Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III, writes ESPN.com’s John Keim.

Extra Points: Draft, Irsay, Carr, Incognito

June 7th, 2014 at 12:46pm CST by Matt Feminis

The NFL draft has become a behemoth, so much so that rumors of its location changing have become headlines. Meanwhile, small details such as, ya know, the players involved, tend to get lost in the shuffle. After 36 of 98 underclassmen who declared early eligibility (i.e. giving up collegiate eligibility) went undrafted, and Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage is calling for reform.

Speaking to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Savage advocates for pushing back the declaration deadline in order provide teams with more evaluation time and prospects for more thorough, insightful feedback:

“The bottom line is we have to figure out a way to make it more attractive to stay in school for one more year for some of these guys [and] give them a chance to go from being a sixth-round pick to a third-round pick. . .Some of these kids are going to come out regardless. They weren’t going to be going back to school or they have families to support or something else. But a lot of them think they run a 4.5, and then get to the combine and they run a 4.75 and they’re surprised and disappointed with what happens. That kind of information, maybe that helps reduce the numbers. Maybe we can give them a window where they’re really assessed, then understand it and then they say, ‘I really need to go back to school.'”

Here’s a handful of miscellaneous links from around the league:

“People around the league” think Colts owner Jim Irsay will be suspended six to eight games and be fined $1MM, according to Pro Football Talk, who cites a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Ravens insider Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun compares the contracts of Joe Flacco and 49ers trigger man Colin Kaepernick. While Flacco’s $120.6MM deal and Kaepernick’s $126MM deal seem similar on the surface, Wilson says, “the reality is that the deals are vastly different and the original reports about Kaepernick’s financial windfall are fairly misleading.” Wilson calls Kaepernick’s contract “extremely team-friendly” and characterizes it as “pay-as-you-go.”
In a video piece for NFL Network, Albert Breer reports, “There is now an internal belief” Raiders projected starter Matt Schaub will be pushed by second-round rookie Derek Carr.
Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr could be playing for his Cowboys future in the opinion of ESPN’s Todd Archer, who thinks a good season could lead to a contract restructuring, while a bad season could spell the end. Carr is in the third year of a five-year, $50MM deal which includes $25.5MM guaranteed and has cap hits of $12.2MM in 2014, $12.7MM in 2015 and $13.8MM in 2016. Last season, Carr managed an overall grade of -0.9, according to Pro Football Focus, including a -5.0 coverage rating.
Whether or not Richie Incognito gets another shot in the NFL “is going to be a football decision, not an emotional one,” thinks Bleacher Report’s Michael Schottey.

AFC Notes: Louis, Dareus, Thomas, Taylor

June 7th, 2014 at 10:35am CST by Matt Feminis

With Donald Thomas injured, Lance Louis, who hasn’t played since November 2012 because of a torn ACL injury, is working as the Colts’ first-team left guard, shares ESPN’s Mike Wells. Louis appeared to be an emerging talent in 2012 when he started the first 11 games for the Bears, and Colts GM Ryan Grigson took notice: “I was sitting watching the Bears (on tape) with Tom Telesco when we were preparing for them. I look at the tape and I said, ‘Who’s No. 60?’ I look him up in the system and the guy ran a 4.72 (40-yard dash) at 309 (pounds) coming out of San Diego State. He was faster than some of the receivers who are going to go in the second round this year. So, we’re watching that and we’re thinking, in free agency, this guy is going to break the bank because he’s the best player on their line. He gets his knee blown out and things change. We stayed on him all (last) year and the knee’s fine now and we have him here for two years. Hopefully he gets back to that level of play where he’s a good starter. He’s a guy who is completely off the radar who we’re optimistic about.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

A pair of off-season arrests for Bills defensive lineman Marcell Dareus has thrown his long-term stability into question, prompting Adam Schein of SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio (highlighted on the web by Pro Football Talk) to ask head coach Doug Marrone if Dareus “gets it.” The coach’s response? “That’s a good question.”
Steelers 6-4, 330-pound defensive lineman Cam Thomas, who signed a two-year, $4MM deal in March, is working at nose tackle and five-technique, writes Mark Kaboly of Triblive.com.
Dolphins cornerback Jamar Taylor, a 2013 second-rounder, played just 40 snaps as a rookie after a pre-draft kidney ailment and subsequent sports hernia affected him. He’s healthy now and competing with Cortland Finnegan and Will Davis for available playing time between the No. 2 corner and nickel back jobs, writes ESPN’s James Walker, who also notes the Dolphins got just 1,126 snaps by their rookies last year, third-fewest in the league.
It was a tale of two seasons for Chiefs cornerback Marcus Cooper in 2013, writes ESPN’s Adam Teicher, who identifies Cooper as a young player who must improve. A seventh-rounder claimed on waivers, Cooper immediately “looked like he belonged,” earned the third cornerback job and “played better than either of the two starters for the first half of the season,” according to Teicher. However, Cooper’s play deteriorated during the second half of the season and he was demoted. At 6-2, 192 pounds, Cooper has the dimensions and physical tools the Chiefs desire, but the team needs more consistency out of him.
Because of free-agent departures, there’s competition for jobs up and down the Chiefs roster, details AP writer Dave Skretta.
MarQueis Gray, an undrafted college quarterback out of Minnesota, converted to tight end and stuck with the Browns last season, appearing in 12 games (two starts). The team is again tapping into his versatility, this time trying him at fullback, according to George M. Thomas in the Beacon Journal.

NFC Notes: Falcons, Shembo, Bostic, Sherrod

June 7th, 2014 at 9:04am CST by Matt Feminis

“Our sub defense is our base defense because we play it 65 percent of the snaps,” Falcons head coach Mike Smith tells Daniel Cox of atlantafalcons.com. And while defensive coordinator Mike Nolan’s unit is multiple and versatile, he wants players to be dependable at one job first and foremost, particularly in the secondary: “I would like that back end to be set with guys that are really good at one position. I’d rather have a specific guy right now than a jack-of-all trades. When you get to the front, the jack-of-all trades really becomes a little bit more valuable because when you’re attacking protections…or going from 3-4 to 4-3, those looks, that’s where you want it to be a little bit more versatile.”

Here’s some more morning NFC links:

ESPN’s Vaughn McClure relays brief quotes from Nolan on his defensive rookies, including fourth-rounder Prince Shembo, who will be used at inside linebacker despite playing outside at Notre Dame.
Bears outside linebacker Jon Bostic struggled during his rookie season, but the team thinks the second-year pro will be better as the defense moves away from a base cover-2 scheme, writes Adam Jahns in the Chicago Sun-Times. “I feel a lot more comfortable this year, especially with all the changes to the defense,” said Bostic. “A lot of the changes that we did make, it’s a lot more natural for me. I can play how I’ve been taught literally from little league to high school to college to now. It’s back to playing how I used to.”
Packers 2011 first-rounder Derek Sherrod, who went through the off-season program healthy for the first time, faces a make-or-break season after the team declined his fifth-year option, notes ESPN’s Rob Demovsky in his Saturday mailbag.
The Seahawks starting linebackers — Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Malcolm Smith — will combine to make approximately$2.86MM in base salary next season, notes Todd Dybas of the News Tribune.
“If you think [Redskins receiver] Santana Moss is a goner come September, think again,” says Rich Tandler of CSN Washington.
The Rams are converting defensive lineman Mason Brodine, who spent two seasons on the practice squad, to tight end, per Joe Lyons of the Post-Dispatch.

Extra Points: Bryant, Sam, Fluker

June 6th, 2014 at 11:03pm CST by Rob DiRe

When Cowboys‘ superstar Dez Bryant hits free agency, he wants to be paid like one of the top five receivers in the NFL. Shaun O’Hara and Willie McGinest of the NFL Network argued over whether the young wideout is deserving of that payday, transcripted by DallasNews.com.

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

Rams‘ seventh-round pick Michael Sam has had no issues fitting in with the team, according to USAToday. Sam, the first openly gay NFL player, had nothing but great things to say about his teammates. “They respect me as a human being,” said Sam. “And as a football player.”
Chargers‘ offensive tackle D.J. Fluker is eyeing the Pro Bowl in his sophomore season, writes Michael Gehlken of UTSanDiego.com. Fluker has been boxing to get into shape this offseason, and is poised to avoid decline in his second year.
Texans‘ head coach Bill O’Brien plans on using three tight ends in his offense, and will give all of them a chance to shine, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. O’Brien started the tight end trend with the pairing of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez in New England, and could continue to see success with the Garrett Graham, Ryan Griffin and rookie C.J. Fiedorowicz.

AFC East Notes: Stadium, Tannehill, Pryor

June 6th, 2014 at 9:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Dolphins‘ are reportedly very close to landing a $400MM upgrade to Sun Life Stadium, reports Patricia Mazzei and Andres Vaglucci of the Miami Herald. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giminez will attempt to secure the deal over the weekend.

Giminez stated that the stadium will be funded by tourist’s taxes.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC East:

With Colin Kaepernick‘s new extension, the Dolphins can start to consider their own quarterback’s next contract, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. Walker looks at other $100MM quarterbacks such as Matthew Stafford, Jay Cutler, and Joe Flacco and how they compare to Ryan Tannehill so far.
Jets‘ first-round pick Calvin Pryor is fitting right in with the team’s mentality, already taking his shots at the team’s biggest rivals, and their arch-nemesis Tom Brady, writes of Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “We don’t like Tom at all,” Pryor said. “When I first came here, that was one of the first things I heard about: We hate the Patriots and we hate the Giants. So we hate those guys and I look forward to playing them this season.”
Patriots‘ new corner tandem of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner are bullying the team’s receivers in OTAs, writes Nick Underhill of MassLive.com. The receivers are frustrated by their lack of opportunities against the pair, but are impressed by what their teammates will be unleashing when they first play together in week five. Browner is suspended for the first four games.

AFC North Notes: Berry, Gray, Ravens

June 6th, 2014 at 8:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

Cornerback Aaron Berry is coming off an ACL injury, and his NFL future is questionable, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.

However, he is getting a chance to make the Browns‘ roster, thanks to his relationship with new head coach Mike Pettine. Pettine was the defensive coordinator for the Jets, and Browns’ defensive coordinator coach Jim O’Neil was the Jets’ defensive backs coach when Berry played for gang green.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

The Browns have a versatile weapon in former quarterback MarQueis Gray, writes George Thomas of the Beacon-Journal. Gray converted from a passer to a tight end last year, and this year is changing positions again as he familiarizes himself with the fullback position.
Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun highlights five second-year players in position to have a big impact for the Ravens in 2014.
While the Bengals have the seventh best roster in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, but could have been ranked even higher if not for the inconsistent performance of quarterback Andy Dalton, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, defensive tackle Geno Atkins, and receiver A.J. Green lead the charge for the Bengals’ high overall ranking.