Extra Points: Heyward, Giants, Brees
Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward said he’s in no rush to get his contract done, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets. The veteran would like to get a deal done as soon as possible, but he’s not dwelling on it. The 26-year-old has appeared in every regular season game for the Steelers since his debut in 2011. Over the last two seasons, he has started 29 games for Pittsburgh and racked up a combined 114 tackles and 12.5 sacks. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- After Robert Kraft decided to accept the penalties brought against the Patriots, speculation began to fly that the owner made a back-room deal with Roger Goodell that includes leniency for quarterback Tom Brady. Giants owner John Mara finds that theory to be preposterous. “I believe [Patriots owner Bob Kraft] ultimately accepted the penalties because he knew he didn’t have anywhere to go” with an appeal or a potential lawsuit, Mara told Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.
- Giants center Weston Richburg is disappointed by the news of Will Beatty‘s injury but he also doesn’t see the team going out-of-house to replace him. “We were gonna depend on him big-time, but it’s a next man up mentality,” Richburg told SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Twitter) “We have guys here who can step up.”
- Drew Brees is confident that the Saints‘ young, inexperienced receivers keep the offense moving in the absence of tight end Jimmy Graham and receiver Kenny Stills, who’ve both been traded away, The Associated Press writes. While nine-year veteran Marques Colston remains on the roster, most of the receivers and tight ends on the club haven’t been asked to play prominent roles yet.
- Some are wondering why the Inglewood stadium could be the only possible L.A. host of Super Bowl LIV and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) explains it’s because it’s the only site that could have a team playing there in 2018. The Carson project simply wouldn’t be ready in time.
West Notes: Raiders, 49ers, Cardinals
NFL executive Eric Grubman sounds as if he’s skeptical of Oakland’s ability to put an offer on table to keep the Raiders, Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group writes. “I have been to Oakland many times over the last four or five years,” Grubman said. “Each time I’ve gone there I’ve heard that the promise is right around the corner of a master development of that parcel that will include substantial proceeds from a developer, a third party, fourth party or multiple-party developers. I’ve heard that for three or four years and it hasn’t been produced and we have now lost all that time, the time has shrunk. No results have been produced. That, to me is going backward, because the time has shrunk but the probability hasn’t gone up.” Here’s more on the Raiders’ stadium situation and other items from the West divisions..
- Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links) that she last spoke with Grubman on Tuesday. She added that she has a potential meeting with Roger Goodell to discuss the Raiders when she’s in New York in early June.
- Mark Davis doesn’t want to share a stadium with the 49ers because he feels that his Raiders would play second fiddle to the building’s primary tenants, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. “There’s not going to be a No. 1 team and No. 2 team” in Carson, he said. “There’s going to be two No. 1 teams, if in fact that’s how it happens (referring to the Chargers-Raiders partnership). We’re designing it together. We’re making all the decisions together.… “San Francisco did a phenomenal job of getting something done in California — on their own. To finance a stadium and get it built. And you give them a lot of credit. But it’s not a Raider type of area. It’s just not going to work for the Raiders.”
- Things are wide open when it comes to the Cardinals‘ third quarterback battle and it’s a race worth watching, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes.
East Notes: Richardson, Kerrigan, Dolphins
Muhammad Wilkerson isn’t the only member of Gang Green skipping out on practice, as Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. Sheldon Richardson has been absent from Jets practices this week, though he’s probably not looking for a new deal since the CBA prevents him from renegotiating his contract until after this season, his third. More from the AFC and NFC East..
- Washington linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, who is pushing for an extension, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. It’s not immediately clear when he’ll get back to his offseason work but he doesn’t seem to think that he’ll be held back by the issue during the season.
- ESPN.com’s Mike Sando (Insider sub. req’d) polled ESPN analysts to get their thoughts on all 32 teams, including the Dolphins. Collectively, Miami earned a “B” grade, thanks in large part to their offseason addition of Ndamukong Suh. “The best way to attack New England is up the middle and Suh gives them that ability,” Bill Polian said. “They really need to run the ball effectively. If they do that and protect [Ryan] Tannehill better, then throw it in fourth gear and let’s go.”
- Former teammate Darrelle Revis has little sympathy for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes.
Corry On Market For Bryant, Green, Jones
Wide receivers Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, Julio Jones, and Demaryius Thomas all have uncertain contract situations going forward. With Green and Jones in contract years and Bryant and Thomas having been franchise tagged, former agent Joel Corry (of CBSSports.com) looked at the market for all four players. The entire piece is worth a read, but here’s a glance at the highlights..
- Jones could be the first to get a new deal since signing him to an extension is a top priority for the Falcons now that the draft is over. Jones is a virtual lock to receive the franchise tag in 2016 (~$14MM) and a second one in 2017 would cost nearly $17MM. The average of those two years, Corry writes, could be used as justification for a long-term deal in the $15MM per year range with over $40MM in guarantees.
- Ryan Clady‘s negotiations could shed some light on Thomas’ situation with the Broncos. Clady secured salary escalators in his deal, and a similar approach could give Thomas the ability to earn more than $15MM per year.
- Jones or Thomas getting deals in advance of the July 15 franchise player deadline for long-term deals could benefit Bryant because of the way the Cowboys have been lowballing him. Bryant became the first player in Dallas history to have three straight seasons with at least 85 receptions, 1,200 receiving yards, and 12 touchdown receptions, so he should have a good amount of leverage. However, from a negotiation standpoint, Corry feels that Bryant has done himself a disservice by showing up frequently at the team’s facilities this offseason.
- Signing Green long-term may be easier said than done because of the Bengals‘ preferred structure with lucrative veteran contracts. Historically, the team’s contracts are light on guaranteed money due to the absence of base salary guarantees. Andy Dalton‘s recent deal, which Russell Wilson apparently wants to avoid for himself, is a prime example.
AFC East Notes: Geno Smith, Jets, Patriots
The Dolphins are making all the right moves this offseason, Jeff Darlington of NFL.com writes. This offseason, the Dolphins dumped overpaid receiver Mike Wallace, added Ndamukong Suh, drafted DeVante Parker, and extended both Mike Pouncey and Ryan Tannehill. Here’s more from the AFC East..
- The Jets have five quarterbacks on the roster, but head coach Todd Bowles says the team will go to training camp with four, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets.
- Meanwhile, Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey says there will not be a quarterback competition going into camp “Because [Geno Smith] is the starter,” Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
- The Patriots had free agent cornerback C.J. Spillman in for a workout today, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter). While the Pats could use some help at cornerback, Spillman has primarily shined as a special teams player in the past for the Chargers, 49ers, and Cowboys. The Pats had fellow cornerback Tarell Brown in for a second visit on Tuesday.
Goodell Talks Brady, Pats, Oakland, L.A.
At the conclusion of this week’s NFL meetings in San Francisco, commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the media, and while he took questions from reporters, he – unsurprisingly – didn’t drop any bombshells. Still, Goodell shed at least a little light on a few topics, so let’s check out a few highlights from the commissioner’s presser:
- As Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports details, Goodell strongly hinted that Tom Brady‘s best chance at reducing his four-game suspension would involve the quarterback handing over text messages and emails that he didn’t initially surrender to Ted Wells. Goodell was also asked directly if Robert Kraft‘s decision not to appeal the Patriots‘ penalties would factor into Brady’s appeal, and replied with one word: “No.”
- Contradicting a report from earlier this week, Goodell said that the NFL didn’t ask the Patriots to suspend the two staffers – Jim McNally and John Jastremski – who starred in the Wells Report (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
- Asked about discussions with St. Louis, San Diego, and Oakland about stadium plans, Goodell noted that he had yet to hear from Oakland about a plan for the Raiders. While he didn’t go so far as to call it frustrating, the lack of a proposal has “clearly irked” Goodell, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Goodell on the Oakland situation: “We don’t have a deadline, but this is not a new issue that we’re all dealing with here. This is something that the Raiders have been working on a stadium for years. This is something that’s been very publicly debated. So we do need to have a proposal from the people here about how they’re going to be able to keep the raiders here in Oakland.”
- Colts owner Jim Irsay said today that it’s just a matter of “when” – not “if” – a team relocates to Los Angeles, but Goodell cautioned that a return to L.A. isn’t “inevitable,” per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “There is certainly momentum, there are certainly opportunities,” Goodell said. “I can’t remember the last time we had two facilities that are actually entitled and are being developed. That’s a very positive development, and in fact there are actually even two more sites that have been entitled, but the two that we’re focusing on are obviously the Carson site and the Inglewood site. I think those are positive developments, but a lot more work has to be done.”
Saints Sign Mike McGlynn
The Saints have added some depth to their offensive line, signing veteran free agent Mike McGlynn to a contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). While terms of the agreement aren’t yet known, I’d expect it to be a one-year contract for something close to the minimum.
McGlynn, who turned 30 earlier this offseason, has spent time with the Eagles, Bengals, Colts, and Chiefs since entering the league in 2008, starting games for all four teams. In 2014, he played for Kansas City, acting as the team’s regular left guard for the majority of the season.
While McGlynn started 13 games for the Chiefs, his performance wasn’t overly impressive, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF graded McGlynn poorly as a pass blocker and even worse as a run blocker, placing him dead last out of 78 qualified guards.
The Saints may not count on McGlynn to play regularly for them during the 2015 season. New Orleans traded for Max Unger, who is expected to play center, and used a first-round pick on Andrus Peat, who may start his NFL career as a guard if Terron Armstead and Zach Strief continue to hold the tackle spots. The Saints dealt guard Ben Grubbs to the Chiefs earlier in the offseason, but still have Jahri Evans and Tim Lelito in the mix for their interior line spots.
As a corresponding move to the signing of McGlynn, the Saints have cut wide receiver Andy Tanner, according to Yates (Twitter link via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com).
Giants’ Will Beatty Suffers Torn Pectoral
Giants offensive tackle Will Beatty has suffered a torn pectoral muscle, and is undergoing surgery to repair it, tweets Tom Rock of Newsday. Rock expects the recovery to be about five months, which would mean Beatty would likely miss at least the first half of the 2015 season. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports first reported (via Twitter) that Beatty sustained the injury.
The injury is a huge blow for the Giants, who used their first-round pick in this year’s draft on a tackle in an effort to solidify their offensive line. Beatty was one of the league’s more effective left tackles in 2014, grading as a positive contributor as both a run- and pass-blocker, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF ranked him 14th overall out of 84 qualified players at the position.
With Beatty out, the Giants figure to lean more heavily on ninth overall pick Ereck Flowers right out of the gate. While Flowers may not be ready to play left tackle immediately, the Giants could potentially play him on the right side, with right tackle Justin Pugh shifting over to replace Beatty.
Bengals Sign Second-Rounder Jake Fisher
The Bengals have become the latest team to lock up one of their top draft picks, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed offensive lineman Jake Fisher to his rookie contract. Fisher was the 53rd overall pick in this year’s draft.
Having considered Fisher in the first round, the Bengals opted for Texas A&M tackle Cedric Ogbuehi instead, and were pleasantly surprised to see Fisher still on the board when their second-round pick came around. While Ogbuehi continues to recover from a torn ACL, Fisher should be ready to go immediately, though it’s not clear yet if he’ll start right away.
Fisher’s new deal should pay him about $4.26MM over four years, including a $1.358MM signing bonus up front, according to Over The Cap. Now that the lineman is under contract, only Ogbuehi and third-round tight end Tyler Kroft remain unsigned among the Bengals’ draftees. The team locked up third-round linebacker Paul Dawson, fourth-round defensive back Josh Shaw, and fourth-round defensive tackle Marcus Hardison earlier this week (Twitter link).
Cowboys Sign Randy Gregory
12:51pm: The Cowboys have officially signed Gregory, the team confirmed today (Twitter link).
12:45pm: The Cowboys have agreed to terms on a rookie contract for second-round pass rusher Randy Gregory, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The agreement leaves Dallas with three unsigned picks, including first-round cornerback Byron Jones.
Gregory, the 60th overall pick out of Nebraska, was viewed as a probable top-10 pick based on talent alone, but a failed drug test at the combine and potential mental health concerns caused him to drop into the second round. Despite those off-field concerns, PFR readers were surprised not to see Gregory come off the board in round one — heading into the second round, he edged Landon Collins as the most surprising non-first-round pick in our poll.
Had Gregory been a top-10 selection, he would’ve been assured of a four-year contract worth upwards of $14MM fully guaranteed, with a signing bonus exceeding $8MM. After falling to No. 60, he’ll be in line instead for a four-year pact worth $3.815MM, with a signing bonus worth about $1.035MM, according to Over The Cap’s data.
While Gregory’s fall in the draft was an unfortunate turn of events for the young edge defender, it could turn out to be a boon for the Cowboys. After drafting Jones with their first-round pick, the Cowboys landed two more first-round talents, in Gregory and undrafted free agent La’el Collins.