HEADLINES

Month: June 2014

Extension Candidate: Maurkice Pouncey

June 4th, 2014 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

Few injuries during the 2013 season were more devastating to a team than Maurkice Pouncey‘s torn ACL and MCL. The anchor in the middle of the Steelers’ offensive line went down with the knee injury in the first week of the regular season, leaving a huge hole to fill at center and depriving him of an opportunity to open his NFL career with four straight Pro Bowl seasons.Maurkice Pouncey

However, Pouncey appears healthy and ready to go for the 2014 season, the last year of his rookie contract. A pair of Steelers beat writers – Ed Bouchette of the Post-Gazette and Alan Robinson of the Tribune-Review – wrote this week that the team figures to make every effort to lock its center up to a new deal before the season gets underway, and that Pouncey represents the Steeler most likely to sign an extension this summer. So it’s worth examining exactly what sort of contract the two sides may negotiate.

Prior to that 2013 season lost to injury, Pouncey had been the Steelers’ starter in the middle of the line since entering the league as the 18th overall pick in 2010. While his three Pro Bowl berths – and a 2011 All-Pro nod – would suggest that he became one of the NFL’s elite centers immediately upon entering the league, Pouncey’s Pro Football Focus grades (subscription required) tell a different story. According to PFF, the Florida product was the 21st-best player at his position in 2010, 19th in 2011, and 12th in 2012.

Pro Football Focus’ grades are hardly the be-all, end-all of player evaluation, particularly at a position where there are so few traditional statistics to evaluate a player’s production. Even so, PFF’s numbers exhibit that at least one metric considers Pouncey to be a player steadily improving toward the ranks of the elite, but one who may not quite be there yet. By comparison, Alex Mack of the Browns, who entered the league one year before Pouncey, has never ranked outside PFF’s top 10 centers, and maxed out at fourth overall in 2013.

Mack makes for a good point of comparison, since he hit free agency this offseason and became the NFL’s highest-paid center by annual average value. The five-year, $42MM offer sheet Mack signed with the Jaguars – which was subsequently matched by Cleveland – works out to $8.4MM per year, slightly edging the annual salaries of other elite centers like Carolina’s Ryan Kalil and Nick Mangold of the Jets. At the time of Mack’s signing, Bouchette suggested that Pouncey could make a case that he should land a deal even larger than that, making him the new highest-paid center in the league.

Still, I’d be a little surprised if Pouncey ultimately inked an extension that exceeded Mack’s $8.4MM per year, Kalil’s $19MM in guaranteed money, or Mangold’s $54.075MM total value. There’s certainly no question that Pouncey deserves to be in the conversation with those players, given all that he’s accomplished early in his career, plus the fact that he’s only entering his age-25 season. But he’s coming off a serious injury, and even before that injury, the data suggested he wasn’t quite playing at the elite level of some of his fellow centers, in spite of the Pro Bowl nods.

While Pouncey should be in line for a very nice payday, I expect him and the Steelers to agree to a price just below where Mack landed. Something in the neighborhood of five years and $40MM, with $15MM+ in guaranteed money, seems fair to me. We’ll have to see if Pouncey and the Steelers agree — if they don’t, and Pittsburgh remains motivated to get a deal done, that price could creep a little higher.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Bryant, Finley, Dolphins, Eagles

June 4th, 2014 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

In examining what a possible extension for Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant could look like, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap focuses on the top-of-the-market players who signed big deals before the age of 30 — it’s a list that includes Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Percy Harvin, Mike Wallace, Dwayne Bowe, and Vincent Jackson. Bryant’s two goals in this negotiation, Fitzgerald writes, should be to establish that he is above those bottom four names and to convince Dallas to pay him like the top two.

Here’s more from around the league’s two East divisions:

  • There are “a good half-dozen teams in quiet pursuit” of free agent tight end Jermichael Finley, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. Freeman predicts that Finley will ultimately sign with the Patriots, the club the former Packer visited last Friday after being medically cleared by his doctor.
  • Although Dan Marino and the Dolphins have talked about a possible position within the organization for the Hall of Fame quarterback, the two sides have been unable to figure out a role for him so far, says Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. According to Salguero, the club would love to have Marino aboard for PR and marketing purposes, while Marino would like a role with some actual power (all Twitter links).
  • The Eagles have made a number of changes to their scouting and personnel departments, the team announced today. Notably, Rick Mueller has been promoted to director of pro player personnel.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Update On Remaining Unsigned Draftees

June 4th, 2014 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

By our count, 204 of this year’s 256 draftees (nearly 80%) have formally agreed to terms with their new NFL teams, leaving just 52 unsigned rookies on the board. Since the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement leaves little room for negotiation on signing bonus money and the overall value of four-year rookie contracts, teams and players can only quibble on things like guaranteed money and offsets.

As such, it’s no surprise that nearly all the late-round picks, who don’t receive as much guaranteed money, have inked their deals, while the majority of first-rounders still remain unsigned. Here’s a quick breakdown of players by round who have signed:

  • First round: 14 of 32 signed (43.75%)
  • Second round: 20 of 32 signed (62.5%)
  • Third round: 22 of 36 signed (61.11%)
  • Fourth round: 38 of 40 signed (95%)
  • Fifth round: 36 of 36 signed (100%)
  • Sixth round: 37 of 39 signed (94.87%)
  • Seventh round: 37 of 41 signed (90.24%)

So why have all the fifth-rounders signed while there are still a few sixth- and seventh-rounders not yet under contract? One team is responsible — the Rams, who didn’t have a fifth-round pick but who had six selections in the sixth and seventh rounds, have yet to lock up any of their draftees.

A year ago, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher wanted to take the team’s rookies through “Financial Planning 101” before those players received their signing bonuses. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Rams are doing the same thing this year, delaying the signing process to ensure that their players know how to manage their money when they receive it.

While the Rams have yet to formally sign any of their 2014 selections, many teams have already ensured that all of their draftees are under contract. The Ravens, Bills, Bears, Colts, Chiefs, Saints, Chargers, 49ers, Seahawks, and Redskins have locked up their respective draft classes.

Here’s the full list by team of players who have yet to sign their rookie contracts, by our count:

  • Arizona Cardinals: Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State (1.27)
  • Atlanta Falcons: Dezmen Southward, S, Wisconsin (3.68)
  • Carolina Panthers: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State (1.28); Trai Turner, G, LSU (3.92)
  • Cincinnati Bengals: Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State (1.24)
  • Cleveland Browns: Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State (1.8); Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M (1.22); Joel Bitonio, OT, Nevada (2.35); Christian Kirksey, LB, Iowa (3.71); Terrance West, RB, Towson (3.94)
  • Dallas Cowboys: Zack Martin, OT, Notre Dame (1.16); Demarcus Lawrence, DE/OLB, Boise State (2.34)
  • Denver Broncos: Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State (1.31)
  • Detroit Lions: Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina (1.10); Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU (2.40)
  • Green Bay Packers: Davante Adams, WR, Fresno State (2.53); Richard Rodgers, TE, California (3.98)
  • Houston Texans: Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina (1.1); Xavier Su’a-Filo, G, UCLA (2.33)
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles, QB, UCF (1.3); Marqise Lee, WR, USC (2.39); Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State (2.61); Brandon Linder, G, Miami (FL) (3.93)
  • Miami Dolphins: Ja’Wuan James, OT, Tennessee (1.19); Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU (2.63); Billy Turner, OT, North Dakota State (3.67)
  • Minnesota Vikings: Jerick McKinnon, RB, Georgia Southern (3.96)
  • New England Patriots: Dominique Easley, DT, Florida (1.29)
  • New York Giants: Jay Bromley, DT, Syracuse (3.74)
  • New York Jets: Dexter McDougle, CB, Maryland (3.80)
  • Oakland Raiders: Gabe Jackson, G, Mississippi State (3.81)
  • Philadelphia Eagles: Marcus Smith, DE/OLB, Louisville (1.26)
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State (1.15); Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame (2.46); Dri Archer, RB, Kent State (3.97); Martavis Bryant, WR, Clemson (4.119)
  • St. Louis Rams: Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn (1.2); Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh (1.13); Lamarcus Joyner, CB, Florida State (2.41); Tre Mason, RB, Auburn (3.75); Maurice Alexander, S, Utah State (4.110); E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri (6.188); Garrett Gilbert, QB, SMU (6.214); Mitchell Van Dyk, OT, Portland State (7.226); Christian Bryant, S, Ohio State (7.241); Michael Sam, DE/OLB, Missouri (7.249); Demetrius Rhaney, C, Tennessee State (7.250)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M (1.7); Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington (2.38); Charles Sims, RB, West Virginia (3.69)
  • Tennessee Titans: Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan (1.11); Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington (2.54)

Poll: First Team To Move?

June 3rd, 2014 at 9:27pm CST by Zachary Links

When the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers sold for $2 billion last month, you can rest assured that the NFL league office was hearing cash register noises. It has been nearly 20 years since America’s No. 1 professional sports league has occupied the country’s No. 2 media market, but it seems increasingly likely that they’ll get back to the home of The Doors in the next few years. The league’s ventures into London are also starting to bear fruit and the idea of putting a team in the Europe has a lot of influential supporters, including Falcons owner Arthur Blank. And while it’s long-term profitability may be debatable, Toronto looms large as a possible NFL city with the Bills just over the border.

Business is booming, but it’s hard to imagine that the league will expand beyond 32 teams. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote yesterday, there’s already a dearth of capable quarterbacks and that pool will get paper thin in a 34 team league. That leaves relocation as the answer, and Florio ran down the five candidates to go elsewhere.

The Bills, who can’t leave Western New York until after the 2020 season thanks to the work of late owner Ralph Wilson, are the first team listed. Ownership groups from different regions have lined up, including Jon Bon Jovi’s Toronto contingent, but that ironclad contract will keep them in place for some time. The Jaguars are playing in London once per year through 2016, but owner Shad Khan has been vocal about his commitment to Jacksonville. The Raiders could move as soon as after the 2014 season thanks to their stadium situation, though it’s unclear if the league wants owner Mark Davis to take the team out of Oakland. The Chargers have said that they want to remain in San Diego, but Florio still lists them as an L.A. possibility and raises the idea of them doing a Jets/Giants-type split with another tenant. Finally, the Rams‘ lease allows them to leave pretty much whenever they feel like it and the allure of an L.A. return must be strong.

So, if you had to call it now, which team would you say will be on the move first? (If you choose “another team,” let us know which one in the comment section.)

Extra Points: Nelson, Packers, Willis, Gordon

June 3rd, 2014 at 8:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFLPA is considering a plan that would pay players year round rather than just during the season in an effort to help them manage their money better, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports. For that proposal to go through, a simply majority of the 32 team reps will have to approve and the deal will also have to be negotiated with the league. Here’s more from around the league..

  • Jordy Nelson‘s last deal with the Packers, which pays an average of $4.2MM per season, cost him a whole lot of money, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. In the last three seasons, only three other NFL receivers — Dallas’ Dez Bryant, Detroit’s Calvin Johnson and Denver’s Eric Decker — have more touchdown catches than Nelson (30). He’s 12th in yards (3,322) and sixth in yards per catch (16.45) among all receivers during that same stretch.
  • The 49ers may find their replacement for injured inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman from within, writes Steve Corkran of Bay Area News Group. San Francisco has asked All-Pro Patrick Willis to think about shifting over to Mike linebacker this season and he sounds open to the idea.
  • Josh Gordon‘s teammates might feel betrayed by his behavior and the Browns front office surely isn’t pleased, but he’s far too special for Cleveland to cut him loose at this point, opines Maria Ridenour of the Beacon Journal. Of course, it’d be hard to imagine the Browns doing such a thing, but they do sound frustrated. “There has to be a willingness [to improve] on the other side. Sometimes guys get the message too late,” said Pettine. “In all my time in the league, there’s always going to be a handful of guys that just don’t get it.”
  • New Lions offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi could have big things planned for rising sophomore Theo Riddick, writes Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News. Riddick had nine carries for 25 yards and a touchdown, and four catches for 26 yards last year. He was effectively Bush’s backup, and 2011 second-round pick Mikel Leshoure was Joique Bell’s backup.

AFC Notes: Gilbert, Florence, Marino

June 3rd, 2014 at 7:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns rookie cornerback Justin Gilbert is excited to return kicks for the Browns, writes Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “There is nothing like taking one to the house,” Gilbert said. “I tell a couple of my teammates, ‘It’s like your Mama’s cooking, it’s finger lickin good.” Gilbert, the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, set a Big-12 record with six career kickoff returns for touchdowns. More from the AFC..

  • The Titans had cornerback Drayton Florence in for a visit today, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network (via Twitter). Now that June 1st has come and gone, Florence is no longer tied to a compensatory draft pick. The 33-year-old played in 14 games for the Panthers last season.
  • It turns out that former Dolphins great Dan Marino won’t be suing the NFL after all. The Hall of Fame quarterback released a statement to Peter King of The MMQB and other reporters saying, in short, that he never intended to sue the league. People close to Marino feared that the lawsuit could hurt him as he talks with Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel about a potential job, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. The NFL told Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter) that it has not and would not tell Miami or any other club not to hire a former player suing the league.
  • After signing a five-year deal worth $28MM last offseason, Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola wants to show his stuff in 2014, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Amendola was the subject of of trade and cut rumors this offseason but was probably saved by his hefty contract. If the oft-injured receiver doesn’t deliver this season, he’s likely a goner in New England since there isn’t a ton of dead money on his deal beyond ’14.

NFC East Notes: Urlacher, Cowboys, Giants

June 3rd, 2014 at 6:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says he won’t be signing free agent linebacker Brian Urlacher to fill the void left by Sean Lee‘s injury, writes Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. From the sound of things, Dallas won’t be doing anything right away. “We’re working through it,” said Stephen Jones, the Cowboys’ executive vice president. “I mean obviously we’re not playing football games tomorrow and we’re not going to training camp tomorrow. We’re just taking a long hard look at anything.” More out of the NFC East..

  • Former Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent is scheduled to be released from jail within the next two months and team COO Stephen Jones says he wouldn’t rule out bringing back the 26-year-old, according to a staff report from the Dallas Morning News. In January, Brent was sentenced to ten years probation for his 2012 drunken-driving crash that killed teammate, Jerry Brown Jr. Brent played in 39 games for the Cowboys between 2010 and 2012, recording 44 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
  • Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith will be a free agent after 2015 but he’s not focusing on an extension, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Smith will earn $10.039MM in ’15 after Dallas exercised his fifth-year option. Still 23, the promising tackle figures to cash in on his next deal.
  • The Giants signed safety Kyle Sebetic, an undrafted free agent out of Dayton, to take Will Hill‘s place on the 90-man roster, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Speaking of Hill, Vacchiano adds (link) that he officially cleared waivers and is now a free agent.

North Notes: Reed, Steelers, Nelson, Fairley

June 3rd, 2014 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Steelers kicker Jeff Reed hasn’t played in a regular-season NFL game since the 2010 season, but the 35-year-old has “every intention” of making a comeback, as he tells R.J. Schaffer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“I looked into the CFL and the Arena League,” Reed said. “It’s just a lot of work for little pay, and it sounds kind of shallow, but when you’ve played for the most elite level of football and you think you can still do it, why wouldn’t you?”

According to Reed, he was contacted by Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt about possibly coming in for a workout, though Tennessee would prefer to find a younger option. Pittsburgh kicker Shaun Suisham had his best all-around season in 2013, so a reunion for Reed and the Steelers appears unlikely, but the free agent kicker hopes he’ll be one of the first options teams turn to if a replacement is needed for health or performance reasons.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers have some interest in bringing back Brett Keisel, but the veteran defensive lineman seems unwilling to accept a minimum salary contract at this point. Bouchette adds that he believes Pittsburgh will try to extend Maurkice Pouncey before the regular season gets underway.
  • Although talks haven’t progressed to the point where a new agreement is imminent, Packers wideout Jordy Nelson believes there’s a reasonable chance he’ll sign a contract extension in time for the regular season, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “Everyone knows deals get done closer to training camp,” Nelson said. Our Peter Sowards examined the standout receiver as an extension candidate last month.
  • The Lions‘ decision not to exercise their fifth-year option on Nick Fairley was one of the more of the more surprising outcomes this offseason for 2011’s first-round picks, and the defensive tackle himself was a little caught off guard, suggesting that he thought he played well enough to earn that fifth year (link via Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press). “My first year wasn’t too good, but my next two came on,” Fairley said. “But like I said, they didn’t pick it up, so we’ve just got to move on and get ready for this year, and things are going to be good.” For now, Fairley is taking a wait-and-see approach to his potential 2015 free agency.
  • Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com identifies four Ravens veterans whose roster spots may be in jeopardy as the 2014 regular season nears, including quarterback Tyrod Taylor and defensive lineman Terrence Cody.
  • The Ravens have removed linebacker Ryan Jones from their IR with an injury settlement, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Jones had received a modest $1K signing bonus when he joined Baltimore last month as an undrafted free agent.

Minor Moves: Broncos, Colts, Bengals, Chiefs

June 3rd, 2014 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including signings and cuts of players who haven’t seen much NFL action recently (or at all), and the retirement of a former 49ers draft pick:

  • The Broncos announced a pair of draft pick signings today, meaning they’ve locked up five of their six draftees within the last two days. Third-round offensive lineman Michael Schofield and fifth-round linebacker Lamin Barrow are the latest players to ink their rookie deals with Denver, as the club confirmed in a pair of press releases. Mike Klis of the Denver Post tweets that the Broncos also waived offensive tackle Ramon Harewood.
  • According to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter), the Colts have cut quarterback Seth Lobato and cornerback Keon Lyn, both of whom signed with the club last month as undrafted free agents.
  • The Bengals have just one open spot left on their 90-man roster after signing offensive tackle Chandler Burden today, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. A Cincinnati-area native who played his college ball at Kentucky, Burden has previously spent time with the Dolphins and Chiefs.
  • Offensive lineman Jason Slowey, who was drafted in the sixth round in 2012 by the Niners, has announced his retirement, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Slowey had been playing for the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League.
  • The Chiefs waived offensive lineman Colin Kelly today, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).

Bears Sign Spurlock, Edwards; Cut Hixon

June 3rd, 2014 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

2:49pm: The Bears have officially confirmed the signings of Spurlock and Edwards (Twitter link). To clear room on the roster, the club has waived linebacker Tana Patrick and terminated Hixon’s contract with an injury settlement.

2:28pm: The Bears have two of the top receivers in the game in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, but may not have a ton of reliable contributors behind that duo on the depth chart. The team parted ways with Devin Hester and Earl Bennett this offseason, and newly-acquired free agent WR Domenik Hixon tore his ACL during OTAs. Given the need for additional depth at the position, the Bears will bring aboard a pair of receivers, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), who reports that Micheal Spurlock and Armanti Edwards are signing with the club.

Spurlock, 31, has played for the Cardinals, Buccaneers, Niners, Jaguars, Chargers, Cowboys, and Lions since entering the league in 2006. The veteran wideout didn’t catch a pass during the 2013 season, but returned 22 punts and 15 kicks for Detroit. Spurlock had his most productive season as a receiver in 2012, when he split time between Jacksonville and San Diego, hauling in 23 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown for the year.

As for Edwards, the former third-round pick played quarterback at Appalachian State but has been used more frequently as a receiver and wildcat weapon when he’s seen the field in the NFL. In parts of four seasons with the Panthers and Browns, Edwards has compiled just six receptions for 131 yards.

Spurlock and Edwards both figure to compete for spots on the Bears’ regular-season roster.

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