HEADLINES

Month: August 2014

NFC Notes: Eagles, Lions, McCarthy, Wilson

August 1st, 2014 at 4:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie sees head coach Chip Kelly being with the team for a long time, writes NFL.com’s Albert Breer. “I got the feeling he was capable of that,” Lurie said. “People will learn about themselves. Coaches will learn. Do they want to stay in the same place? Do they want to move around? You can’t control that. But he has the ability to develop a program that was already successful, and make it even better. They were successful (at Oregon). We had all that success (with Andy Reid). But we want to be better than we were, not stay the same.” More from the NFC..

  • Rashean Mathis says that the Lions don’t need an upgrade to their secondary, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Detroit didn’t make any significant upgrades at cornerback this offseason, despite ranking 23rd against the pass last year. In 2013, Mathis was the only Lions corner to rank among the top 90 by Pro Football Focus’ metrics.
  • There has been a lot of talk that after extending GM Ted Thompson, coach Mike McCarthy is next up on the Packers‘ agenda. However, the coach says that he’s not thinking about a new deal, writes Tyler Dunne of the Journal-Sentinel. “To me,” McCarthy said, “everybody that works here has a business part of their place here. That’s just part of it. I’m focused on training camp; there’s a process in place that will take its course. I’ve never sweated it. I love it here. I’m not worried about it.”
  • In an interview on ESPN Radio, Giants owner John Mara explained that while the team is disappointed to see David Wilson suffer a neck burner in his first week back, the club was prepared for a season without him, writes Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger. “I think given what he went through, the surgery he went through, it would have been foolish not to be (prepared),” Mara said. “We signed Rashad Jennings, we drafted Andre Williams, we signed Peyton Hillis again, so we do have some depth there. We have Michael Cox there, so someone is going to have to step up and do it now.”
  • Eagles running back LeSean McCoy is feeding the hype behind rookie receiver Jordan Matthews, writes Zach Berman of The Inquirer. The Eagles sure hope that McCoy is right about Matthews after an offseason in which they released DeSean Jackson.

Minor Moves: Friday

August 1st, 2014 at 4:28pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here..

  • The Seahawks removed Taylor Price from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Wilson tweets. The Seahawks put the wide receiver on the IR earlier this week.
  • The Chiefs cut linebacker Ben Johnson and the Giants waived-injured defensive back Travis Howard, Wilson tweets.
  • The Dolphins announced that they have signed linebacker Ryan Rau, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. To make room for Rau on the 90-man roster, Miami waived/injured Tariq Edwards, tweets Bryan McIntyre.
  • Former Buccaneers running back Michael Smith is signing with the Jets today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • The Cardinals signed linebacker Derrell Johnson, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (on Twitter). Johnson, a UDFA out of East Carolina, was cut by the Dolphins just days ago.
  • The Giants signed cornerback Chandler Fenner, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter). Fenner was waived by the Seahawks when they signed ex-Giants corner Terrell Thomas.
  • The Cowboys signed defensive end Kenneth Boatright to a two-year contract this afternoon, according to agent Brett Tessler (on Twitter). Boatright was previously a member of the Seahawks.
  • The Falcons signed defensive tackle Theo Agnew, tweets Wilson.
  • After practice today, Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crenell announced that the team has released Trevardo Williams, according to ESPN.com’s Tania Gangull. Williams, a fourth-round outside linebacker from last season, never saw a regular season snap.
  • The Chargers have signed cornerback Lowell Rose, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The Jets cut Rose late last month when they signed free agent Jason Babin.
  • The Giants signed rookie free agent Adam Gress after placing tackle Troy Kropog on injured reserve, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
  • The Seahawks announced that they have released wide receiver Randall Carroll and signed linebacker Marcus Dowtin, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (on Twitter). Dowtin saw three games of action with the Giants in 2013 before being released in March.
  • The Cardinals announced that they have signed offensive tackle Max Starks, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The 6’8″, 345 lineman spent time with the Rams and Chargers in 2013 after playing for Pittsburgh from 2004-2012. To make room for Starks, the Cardinals cut tackle Cory Brandon and kicker Danny Hrapmann, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. 
  • The Texans signed wide receiver Joe Adams and offensive tackle Brice Schwab, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Adams, 24, played at Arkansas and was drafted in the fourth round by Carolina in 2012. Schwab, 24, played at Arizona State. He signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent last year. The Texans waived-injured Bryan Witzmann to make room for Adams, Wilson tweets.

West Notes: MJD, Lynch, 49ers, Schaub

August 1st, 2014 at 3:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew thinks it’s “hilarious” that some people don’t think he has what it takes to carry the load in the Raiders’ offense. “I know what I have left,” Jones-Drew said according to Steve Corkran of the San Jose Mercury-News. “I know the work I put in this offseason to get to where I need to get to be able to play at a high level. I stopped worrying about what people were saying.” More out of the AFC and NFC West..

  • Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch wanted $5MM more than he got out of his reworked deal this week, a source tells Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. Ultimately, however, he took the deal that was first offered to him back in May when he first expressed dissatisfaction with his contract.
  • After placing tight end Anthony McCoy on injured reserve yesterday, the Seahawks brought in former Pats, Buccaneers, and Chiefs tight end Steve Maneri for a workout, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The 6’6″, 275 pound tight end saw four games of action last season for the Bears.
  • The 49ers are taking some risks by tabling contract extension talks with Jim Harbaugh until after the 2014 season, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Williamson understands San Francisco’s desire to avoid additional distractions during the season, but fears that teams will start trolling around Harbaugh in an attempt to pry him away next offseason.
  • After taking a good amount of criticism for a down season with the Texans, quarterback Matt Schaub is eager for a fresh start with the Raiders, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The 33-year-old took a $3MM pay cut to help facilitate the trade that brought him to Oakland.

Offseason In Review: Arizona Cardinals

August 1st, 2014 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired a first-round pick (No. 27) and a third-round pick (No. 91) from the Saints in exchange for a first-round pick (No. 20).

Draft picks:

  • Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State (1.27): Signed
  • Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame (2.52): Signed
  • Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina (3.84): Signed
  • John Brown, WR, Pittsburg State (3.91): Signed
  • Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech (4.120): Signed
  • Ed Stinson, DE, Alabama (5.160): Signed
  • Walter Powell, WR, Murray State (6.196): Signed

Other:

There was a time when the NFC West wasn’t all that menacing. That’s not quite the case anymore. The Cardinals’ 10-6 mark earned them nothing more than a bronze medal thanks to being in the same group as the 49ers and the Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Arizona made a handful of moves this offseason that could give them a better chance in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions.

The Cardinals’ offensive line left something to be desired in 2013 and it was no surprise that Jared Veldheer turned out to be their biggest offseason expenditure. Former first-round pick Levi Brown was the club’s starting left tackle to kick off the season but the club couldn’t withstand him poor play any longer and shipped him to the Steelers in October. Bradley Sowell stepped into the role in his place, but didn’t do much better. Enter Veldheer. The Raiders didn’t see the 26-year-old as a top shelf left tackle but Arizona certainly did and they were delighted to land him with a five-year, $35MM deal. Veldheer missed eleven games last season thanks to a triceps injury but he looked just fine in his partial season and could prove to be quite the value for the Cards. At the very least, he’ll be a noticeable upgrade over the matador that was Brown.NFL: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers

Wide receiver Andre Roberts left to sign with the Redskins where he expected to see more targets before the club added DeSean Jackson, but they added wide receiver and return specialist Ted Ginn Jr. to a three-year deal. The 28-year-old was back for 26 punt returns and 25 kickoff returns for Carolina last season but he also enjoyed his best season as a WR, hauling in 36 catches and 556 receiving yards with five TDs, showing that he’s more than a strong return man. The Giants, Bucs, and others had interest in adding Ginn and it’s not hard to see why. The Cards also added a pair of tight ends in former Viking John Carlson and rookie Troy Niklas. Carlson, who was also drawing interest from the Jets and Packers, recorded a total of 40 receptions for 387 yards in his two seasons with the Vikings as the team’s second tight end behind Kyle Rudolph.

One of the Cardinals’ most notable offseason moves came just days ago when they signed cornerback Patrick Peterson to a brand-new five-year, $70.05MM extension. Typically, we’d round that number down, but the extra $50K elevates Peterson above Seahawks star Richard Sherman as the league’s highest-paid cornerback in terms of average annual value. While Sherman and Joe Haden (and scores of fans) might have a bone to pick with Peterson holding that mantle, there’s no denying that Peterson is a true shutdown cornerback and his age (24) is no small factor in his value. Peterson became the first 2011 first-round pick to ink a contract extension and after setting the table for Cowboys lineman Tyron Smith, he’ll probably open up the flood gates for others in the coming weeks.

When opposing quarterbacks find their top receiver smothered by Peterson, they won’t have an easy time completing a pass elsewhere thanks to rookie safety Deone Bucannon and free agent pickup Antonio Cromartie. Last year was the fifth straight season in which the 29-year-old recorded at least three interceptions, though he wasn’t as strong in coverage as usual, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). After ranking 16th among cornerbacks in 2012, he placed in the bottom 10 in 2013, with receivers averaging 19.1 YPC on their 49 receptions against him. If Cromartie gets back to his old self, however, the one-year, $4MM make-good contract will be a major bargain. The Cardinals traded back from No. 20 to the No. 27 pick and some were surprised when they used that selection to grab Bucannon. However, Arizona knew they needed a heavy hitter in the secondary and the Washington State product certainly fits the bill. Bucannon should serve as a nice compliment to speedy safety Tyrann Mathieu.

While the secondary improved, one has to wonder about the state of the front seven and the linebacking corps in particular. Inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, who career year with 112 tackles, 6.0 sacks and four interceptions, left to sign with the Browns. Daryl Washington, who could have capably stepped into his shoes, was suspended for the 2014 season thanks to his latest substance-abuse policy violation. Free agent pickup Larry Foote will be expected to help fill the void, but it’s hard to say what kind of impact he can have coming off of a season in which he missed all but one game. Also, while he started 16 games at ILB in 2012, he ranked just 46th of 53 qualified inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Rising sophomore Larry Minter will also see some more playing time, but it’s hard to see that duo replicating the kind of production that Dansby and/or Washington would have brought.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brady Quinn Worked Out For Patriots

August 1st, 2014 at 1:08pm CST by Zachary Links

1:08pm: Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) confirms that Quinn worked out for the Patriots.

11:40am: Brady Quinn has signed on with FOX Sports as an analyst but he hasn’t given up on playing in the NFL Earlier today on The Dan Patrick Show Friday, the Notre Dame QB said he had a workout with an unnamed club on Monday.

“It went well,” Quinn said, according to Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk. “In this particular situation, though, they need something to happen in order for me to possibly be there.”

Quinn went on to say FOX would be “flexible” in allowing him to continue to stay ready for another opportunity to play while also working for the network. And while the 29-year-old declined to identify the team in question, Andrew Perloff of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter) hears that Quinn’s audition was for the Patriots. Quinn said that “something needs to happen” for him to sign with the unnamed team in reference and Perloff wonders aloud if that could be in reference to a trade of Ryan Mallett. Mallett, drafted in 2011, is now coming to the end of his rookie contract, and will be a free agent after this coming season. However, Coach Bill Belichick indicated back in May that he wasn’t “that interested” in trading the 26-year-old.

The former first-round pick had stints with the Seahawks, Jets, and Rams in 2013. In 2012, Quinn started eight games for the Chiefs.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Bills, Jackson, Vick

August 1st, 2014 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg wants to see quarterback Geno Smith simplify things, writes George Willis of the New York Post. “He’s to the point where on occasion, he’s double looking off [defenders] and these kinds of fancy things and we just got a little too fancy [Wednesday],” Mornhinweg said today. “It’s just that simple. We were just trying to do too much and too fancy.” Here’s more from the AFC East..

  • There is no guaranteed money in Fred Jackson‘s one-year extension with the Bills, tweets Mike Rodak of The Buffalo News. Jackson and the Bills agreed to a deal that is worth $2.6MM, with up to $1MM in additional incentives for the 2015 season. Despite turning 33 this past winter, Jackson had one of his best seasons in 2013, compiling 1,277 total yards from scrimmage and setting a career high with 10 total touchdowns.
  • The Jets are trying out former Maryland linebacker Darin Drakeford today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Drakeford has been in camp with the Colts and Chiefs since going undrafted in 2013.
  • Michael Vick is 34 and currently penciled in as Smith’s backup, but he says he’s far from finished in the NFL, telling Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News that he wants to play until he’s 40. The Jets veteran has played down any talk of a quarterback competition this offseason and says that he’s ready to mentor Smith, but he also says that he’ll be ready when and if he’s called upon.

Chance For Settlement In Josh Gordon Case

August 1st, 2014 at 8:46am CST by Zachary Links

The hearing officer assigned to Josh Gordon‘s appeal case is facing an all-or-nothing mandate, so Gordon and the NFL could have extra incentive to try and negotiate a compromise ahead of time. There is a “slight chance” that a resolution will be struck by the two sides, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Any deal reached presumably would entail a suspension for Gordon that lasts less than a year but would still keep him out of action for part of the 2014 season. If one side is less inclined to negotiate than the other, it’s possible that the hearing officer will signal that it would be wise for that party to be more open-minded. A compromise could be struck during the hearing or after it, so the only hard deadline for the two parties would be the point of final ruling. Florio notes that the ruling is expected to come fairly soon since the substance-abuse policy requires that the decision be issued with a “reasonable time.”

The battle gets underway today with Harold Henderson serving as the hearing officer. Yesterday, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer heard that the appointment of Henderson was “bad news” for Gordon as a source indicated that the second-hand smoke argument “won’t fly” with him.