2014 August - Pro Football Rumors

Forbes Releases NFL Franchise Valuations

August 20th, 2014 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

Forbes has unveiled its annual franchise valuations for all 32 NFL teams, with the Dallas Cowboys predictably sitting atop the list. According to Forbes, the Cowboys are worth $3.2 billion, making the club the second-most valuable sports franchise in the world, behind only soccer’s Real Madrid ($3.4 billion). Overall, the average NFL team is worth $1.43 billion, according to Forbes, up an impressive 23% from a year ago. That’s the most significant annual increase since 1999.

While Forbes’ figures shouldn’t be taken as gospel, they at least provide a general idea of the league’s most valuable and least valuable franchises, as well as a baseline for the sort of money owners would be seeking if they decided to sell their franchises. Here’s the complete list of Forbes’ franchise values:

Dallas Cowboys: $3.2 billion
New England Patriots: $2.6 billion
Washington Redskins: $2.4 billion
New York Giants: $2.1 billion
Houston Texans: $1.85 billion
New York Jets: $1.8 billion
Philadelphia Eagles: $1.75 billion
Chicago Bears: $1.7 billion
San Francisco 49ers: $1.6 billion
Baltimore Ravens: $1.5 billion
Denver Broncos: $1.45 billion
Indianapolis Colts: $1.4 billion
Green Bay Packers: $1.375 billion
Pittsburgh Steelers: $1.35 billion
Seattle Seahawks: $1.33 billion
Miami Dolphins: $1.3 billion
Carolina Panthers: $1.25 billion
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $1.225 billion
Tennessee Titans: $1.16 billion
Minnesota Vikings: $1.15 billion
Atlanta Falcons: $1.125 billion
Cleveland Browns: $1.12 billion
New Orleans Saints: $1.11 billion
Kansas City Chiefs: $1.1 billion
Arizona Cardinals: $1 billion
San Diego Chargers: $995MM
Cincinnati Bengals: $990MM
Oakland Raiders: $970MM
Jacksonville Jaguars: $965MM
Detroit Lions: $960MM
Buffalo Bills: $935MM
St. Louis Rams: $930MM

South Notes: Gonzalez, Jaguars, Panthers

August 20th, 2014 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

Former Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez says he’s “happily retired,” and is settling into his new role as a CBS analyst, despite receiving calls from teams with interest in signing him, writes Bob Glauber of Newsday. Still, the 14-time Pro Bowler acknowledges that if a Super Bowl contender were to call him late in the season, it wouldn’t necessarily be easy to say no.

“The temptation would be there, but I don’t know what the gain would be,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve always wanted a ring. That’s been my main goal as a player over the last 15 years of my career. You’re really trying to get that ultimate goal. … But I’d be a mercenary to come in and get a Super Bowl ring, play with a team for, what, six, seven weeks? And even if I got the ring, it wouldn’t be the same as going through the fight with the team from the beginning to the end. I don’t think that will happen. The temptation will be there, but I’m 100% happy with my decision.”

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two South divisions:

The Jaguars worked out former Chiefs fullback Eric Kettani this morning, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco tries his luck at predicting which 10 players will make up the Jaguars‘ practice squad to start the regular season.
As David Newton of ESPN.com and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer write, the Panthers‘ decision to trade running back Kenjon Barner to the Eagles makes sense, considering Barner wasn’t a great bet to beat out Fozzy Whittaker and Darrin Reaves to earn a spot on Carolina’s roster. The Panthers will only receive a seventh-round pick if Barner spends four or more games on the Eagles’ active gameday roster this season, but that’s better than losing him for nothing.
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle interprets J.J. Watt‘s public comments about a contract extension yesterday as a signal that the star defensive lineman is a little frustrated with how slow talks between his camp and the Texans are moving.

49ers Notes: Extensions, Harbaugh, Lloyd

August 20th, 2014 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

As their new agreement with defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey exhibits, the 49ers are continuing their pattern of extending players whose leverage may be lacking due to injuries, their spot on the depth chart, or various other factors. Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle points out (via Twitter) that the Niners locked up Alex Boone, Daniel Kilgore, and Ian Williams before those players became starters, and Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap notes (via Twitter) that strategy has allowed the club to create several team-friendly contracts and compile plenty of depth.

Of course, as Fitzgerald adds (via Twitter), the downside of signing players early to club-friendly deals is that when someone like Boone significantly outplays that contract, it can result in a stand-off like the one taking place between the team and the veteran guard right now. As we wait to see how the Boone situation is resolved, let’s check in on a few other Niners-related items….

Based on conversations Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News has had with NFL sources – many of whom know Jim Harbaugh well – Kawakami says 80% of the people he has spoken to believe there’s a “strong chance” this will be Harbaugh’s last season with the 49ers. While that doesn’t necessarily mean the Niners will have a new head coach for the 2015 season, it means 2014 is a crucial year for Harbaugh and the team. Anything less than a Super Bowl win could end up resulting in “some very tense and possibly very unsatisfactory discussions” between the two sides during the offseason, says Kawakami.
When Colin Kaepernick first signed his extension this summer, he said he hoped that by not pushing for every last dollar, he’d created some flexibility for the 49ers to sign or extend other players. Asked yesterday whether he wants to see the team use that added flexibility to sign Boone or anyone else in particular, Kaepernick declined to weigh in, suggesting it’s up to the front office to decide how to spend the club’s money. Eric Branch has the details and quotes.
Veteran wideout Brandon Lloyd, who signed with the Niners this offseason, has a “real good chance” to make the regular-season roster, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds that the former Pro Bowler has bonded with Anquan Boldin. Lloyd didn’t play last season, but is only two years removed from a 74-catch season in New England.

Eagles Acquire Kenjon Barner From Panthers

August 20th, 2014 at 8:30am CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 8:30am: According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Barner will need to be on the Eagles’ active 46-man roster in at least four games this year in order for the Panthers to receive the seventh-round pick in the deal.

TUESDAY, 8:53pm: The Eagles have acquired running back Kenjon Barner from the Panthers in exchange for a conditional 2015 seventh-round draft choice, the Eagles announced in a press release. Barner played under Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly while at Oregon, who praised Barner in a statement:

“Kenjon will hopefully bring some depth to both our running back and return positions,” said Kelly. “He’s obviously a guy I know really well from Oregon, where he had a very productive career. He has a lot of speed, explosiveness and had a knack for making some really big plays. But our plan with him right now is get him in Philadelphia as soon as we can and plug him in at running back and returner and let him compete.”

Barner, 25, was a sixth-round choice by Carolina in last year’s draft. He didn’t play much, registering just 24 offensive snaps and 28 on special teams (per Football Outsiders). However, as Kelly notes, speed is the name of Barner’s game, as he ran multiple sub-4.4 40-yard-dashes leading up to the draft. Barner will probably feel comfortable after being reunited with his college coach, but as ESPN’s Adam Caplan notes (via Twitter), Kelly’s NFL playbook has a few tweaks, a lesson fellow ex-Duck Josh Huff learned early on in training camp.

With the Eagles, Barner will fight for a backup running back position behind LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. Chris Polk, currently third on the depth chart, is battling an injury, and as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, the acquisition of Barner probably doesn’t bode well for Polk as he tries to make Philadelphia’s 53-man roster. However, Jeff McLlane of the Philadelphia Inquirer adds (Twitter link) that the Eagles likely added Barner to cover for the potential special teams loss of Huff (who is also injured), rather than to push Polk.

Brian Hoyer Named Browns’ Starting QB

August 20th, 2014 at 8:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Browns have named Brian Hoyer as their starting quarterback heading into the regular season, the team announced today in a press release. First-round pick Johnny Manziel had been challenging the incumbent signal-caller for the No. 1 role in Cleveland, but ultimately couldn’t unseat Hoyer, at least for now.

“[Hoyer] was the clear leader from the beginning,” said head coach Mike Pettine. “We’ve maintained all along that if it was close, I would prefer to go with the more experienced player. Brian has done a great job in the meeting rooms and with his teammates on the practice field and in the locker room.”

Neither player has stood out during the team’s preseason games, as I pointed out yesterday when I asked PFR readers which QB would win the starting job. Manziel had the opportunity to win the job, with Hoyer coming off an ACL surgery and not exactly having much NFL playing experience himself, but the rookie didn’t appear ready to take over the starting role quite yet. For what it’s worth, over 75% of you correctly predicted that Hoyer would be named the Browns’ starter, though a portion of those voters believed Manziel should play instead.

According to Mike Freeman (via Twitter), the decision will be good news for most of the Browns’ locker room, since the majority of the club’s players preferred Hoyer. While the 28-year-old Ohio native can’t necessarily match Manziel’s upside – or popularity, he was solid last year before an injury derailed his season, leading the Browns to wins over the Vikings and Bengals before going down in his third start.

49ers Sign Glenn Dorsey To Two-Year Extension

August 20th, 2014 at 8:12am CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 8:12am: A source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Dorsey’s extension features $6.075MM in new money, with $2.575MM in guarantees and $1.75MM in incentives. In total, the lineman can earn up to $10.957MM through 2016 if he maxes out the deal.

TUESDAY, 6:04pm: The 49ers have signed defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey to a two-year extension through 2016, the team announced in a press release. The 29-year-old Dorsey tore his right bicep earlier this month, and could potentially miss the entire season, so it’s curious that the team would choose to lock him up now.

“Glenn is a true pro who has quickly become a valued contributor to our organization both on and off the field,” said San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke. “He is a quick study and a very good football player that has earned this extension, and we look forward to his future contributions.”

Dorsey was set to enter the second year of a two-year, $6MM deal — $2.3MM of which he is to earn this season in base salary. Terms of his new deal aren’t yet known, but it will be interesting to see if the Niners were able to take advantage of the fact that Dorsey is probably going be injured for the duration of his contact year. As Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 notes (via Twitter), this could be something of a buy-low opportunity for San Francisco — Dorsey was probably amendable to receiving any sort of guaranteed money while rehabbing from his injury, even if it was for pennies on the dollar.

Prior to joining the Niners, Dorsey spent five seasons with the Chiefs after being selected fifth overall in the 2008 draft. After playing mostly defensive end in Kansas City’s 3-4 scheme, he was expected to do the same in San Francisco, albeit in a reserve role. However, after starting nose tackle Ian Williams went down with an injury, Dorsey became the starter on the interior. He’s not an ideal fit for NT at 6’1″, 297 pounds, but he was competent in the role — Pro Football Focus (subscription required) assigned him a +4.5 grade for 2013, noting that he especially excelled against the run. In his career, the former LSU Tiger has started 78 games, accruing 189 tackles and six sacks.

Dorsey probably shouldn’t be counted on for much production in 2013. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Dorsey will require one more MRI on his healing bicep before the 49ers make a decision on his roster status. In that vein, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee adds (on Twitter) that Dorsey is a strong candidate to be labeled San Francisco’s injured reserve/designated to return player.

This 49ers, however, agreed to this new pact with the long-term future of their defensive line in mind. Ends Justin Smith and Ray McDonald are signed through 2015 and 2016, respectively, but both could become cap casualties during next offseason. Williams is once again injured, and the rest of the position group includes youtful players like Tank Carradine, Quinton Dial, and Demarcus Dobbs. In extending Dorsey, San Francisco has added some stability to a defensive line that could see quite a bit of turnover during the next 12 months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Bills Sale, Branch, DRC, Jackson

August 19th, 2014 at 10:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bids for the Bills franchise are due in about two weeks, a source tells John Wawrow of the Associated Press. Morgan Stanley, the bank supervising the sale of the team, hopes to have a new owner in place by October, and as of now, Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula is considered the favorite to land Buffalo’s club. Former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly recently turned down an offer from rocker Jon Bon Jovi to join forces, while entrepreneur Donald Trump and former Sabres owner Tom Golisano are also among the contenders to purchase the team.

South Notes: Watt, Colts, Baker, Newton

August 19th, 2014 at 10:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While J.J. Watt would like to hammer out an extension with the Texans, he hasn’t considered holding out in order to get a larger payday. Speaking to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston (multiple Twitter links), Watt said he wouldn’t use his leverage against the team. “[T]hat would cause me to miss time with my teammates,” said Watt. “I want to practice. I want to be out here with these young guys. I want to teach them the things that I know. I want to better myself. It hasn’t really come to to that. I want to be a Houston Texan. I want to be the best I can be and I can’t do that by sitting on my couch.” More from the NFL’s two South divisions:

Free agent linebacker Trevardo Williams worked out for the Colts today, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Williams was waived by the Cardinals on August 8, and has also spent time on the Texans’ roster this offseason.
Following his season-ending patellar tendon injury, Sam Baker‘s future with the Falcons looks a bit murky. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap looks at Baker’s unworkable (from Atlanta’s perspective) contract, and goes through the options the team might survey when looking to lower the tackle’s future cap hits.
After fellow 2011 draftees Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton received new deals, it’s only a matter of time until the Panthers sign Cam Newton to an extension, writes Ari Nissim of the National Football Post. Nissim notes that because Carolina gave defensive end Charles Johnson a $30MM signing bonus, it might be difficult for them offer Newton a bonus that’s less than $40MM.
The Saints have not been clear about the specifics of fullback Erik Lorig‘s injury, but it sounds like they’re getting set to be without the free agent addition when the regular season begins. “Our preparation’s got to be with the idea that, as Erik’s rehabbing, we’ve got to be ready to have a fullback Week 1, with the chance it’s not going to be Erik,” head coach Sean Payton told Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “And so both [Greg Jones and Austin Johnson] are competing.”

Nick Collins To Retire

August 19th, 2014 at 8:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Veteran safety Nick Collins, who spent all seven of his NFL seasons with the Packers, has announced his retirement (via TwitLonger). Collins hasn’t played in the league since 2011, as he’d been dealing with a neck injury suffered during Week 2 of that year. Though doctors were reportedly uncomfortable with approving his health, Collins was eying a comeback attempt as recently as February, but it seems as if that plan has been aborted.

“[I’ve] officially announced my retirement from the NFL,” said Collins. “I also would like to thank my family, friends, and the Packer Nation for the love and support.”

Collins underwent cervical fusion surgery following his neck injury in 2011, and was eventually released by the Packers in 2012 when the team expressed unease with allowing him to return to the field. Later that year, Collins’ agent conceded that his client’s playing career was likely over, but the former second-round pick himself always maintained that he wanted to return to action

During his prime, Collins was among the best safeties in the NFL — he was named to the Pro Bowl each year from 2008-10, and won the Super Bowl in 2010. After joining Green Bay out of Bethune-Cookman in 2005, Collins went on to start 95 games, and recorded 340 tackles and 21 interceptions during that span. In 2008, he led the league in interception return yards, taking his picks back a whopping 295 total yards.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

August 19th, 2014 at 8:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL, with additional transactions added to the top of the list throughout the afternoon and evening:

The Colts added guard Andre Cureton, an undrafted free agent who was let go by the Cowboys last week, per Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). He takes the roster spot of kicker Cody Parkey, who was waived.
Chargers defensive end Damik Scafe has been placed on injured reserve, ending his season, reports Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter).
Linebacker Dom DeCicco has cleared waivers and reverted back to the Vikings’ injured reserve, tweets Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Receiver Shaq Evans, one of the Jets’ three fourth-round picks, has been placed on injured reserve, and will miss his rookie year after suffering a shoulder injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Players with no NFL experience have to pass through waivers before being placed on IR at this point, so it’s unclear if the Jets will actually make this move official until September.

Earlier updates:

Defensive lineman Jibreel Black (Buccaneers) and quarterback Pat Devlin (Dolphins) have been removed from their respective teams’ injured reserve lists with injury settlements, according to ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, respectively (Twitter links).
Nothing is official yet, but ex-Bears receiver and returner Eric Weems, who was just cut this weekend, is set to sign with the Titans, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Weems had been released by Chicago when the team signed Santonio Holmes.
Although linebacker Jason Phillips was said to be recovered from the ACL injury that sidelined him for the 2013 season, he was cut by the Eagles today, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Philadelphia’s first transaction since June, the move was made because the special teams ace wasn’t going to make the team and the Eagles wanted to give him a chance to catch on elsewhere, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News.
Tight end Colt Lyerla, who suffered a knee injury during training camp, has been waived-injured by the Packers, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Per Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin (Twitter link), Green Bay intends to place Lyerla on injured reserve for the season if he clears waivers.
It appears the Bills may be getting an early start on next week’s roster cutdowns. The team has opened a couple roster spots by waiving offensive lineman Edawn Coughman and wide receiver Kevin Elliott, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (Twitter links). No corresponding signings to fill the two openings have been announced yet.