Wilson Sees Cutler’s Deal As Starting Point
Russell Wilson is eyeing a contract with significant guarantees and views Jay Cutler‘s pact as a starting point, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Seahawks quarterback wants to avoid taking on a higher-risk deal like the ones signed by Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton.
Wilson’s former agent, Bus Cook, is the agent for Cutler. Even though Wilson and Cook parted ways – he is now with his former baseball agent Mark Rodgers – Cook convinced the Seahawks quarterback to push for a deal similar to Cutler’s. The Bears quarterback is in the midst of a seven-year, $126.7MM deal with $54MM guaranteed. The deal comes with a healthy $18.1MM average salary and, of course, gives him a great deal of security in the event of a performance drop-off or injury. Ideally, Wilson would like to top that dollar amount while keeping a similar structure.
Cole adds that Rodgers is under extra pressure when it comes to this deal thanks to the NFLPA. The union was so upset by the year-to-year guarantees of Kaepernick’s deal that they considered de-certifying his agent. As Rodgers looks to break into the football world, this will be a pivotal deal for him, his reputation, and his standing with the NFLPA.
NFL, Patriots Engaged In “Back-Channel” Talks
Things figure to get pretty ugly between Tom Brady and the NFL, but things might go a little bit smoother between the NFL and the Patriots. The two sides are engaged in “back-channel conversations” to see if the two sides can resolve their differences without an appeal or possible litigation, sources tell ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Patriots are still weighing their next move and they have until before Friday to file an appeal of their penalties. As it stands, the Pats stand to lose two draft picks (including a first-round choice) and a $1MM fine.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft and commissioner Roger Goodell – whose relationship appears to be on the fritz – are expected to attend the spring owners’ meetings, which start Tuesday in San Francisco. Schefter doesn’t explicitly say that the two will meet face-to-face there, but that sounds like a possibility from the outside.
AFC East Notes: Tannehill, Brady, Pats
The Dolphins bought themselves an extra four years with Ryan Tannehill for roughly what he was going to make over the next two, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. Earlier today, the quarterback agreed to a lucrative new deal worth up to $96MM over the course of six years. Here’s more on that plus other items out of the AFC East..
- Tom Brady‘s camp is furious that Roger Goodell will be hearing his appeal rather than a neutral arbitrator. They’re giving real thought to bringing a lawsuit against him as a result, but a final decision on whether that suit would happen before or after a ruling has not been made, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Litigation in 2012 pressured Goodell to appoint a truly neutral arbitrator to handle the player appeals in the Saints bounty case, so there is encouraging precedent for the Pats QB.
- When it comes to the appeal from Brady and a potential appeal by the Patriots, it’s important to remember that the burden would be to challenge Ted Wells’ process and not his conclusions, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets.
- The Dolphins now need to figure out how to protect their investment in Tannehill, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. The left guard position could be a turnstile for Miami and he sees that as their top weakness on the line.
Draft Signings: Steelers, Cardinals, Bills
The latest draft signings from rounds 3-7..
- The Steelers announced (on Twitter) that they have signed their third-round draft pick, wide receiver Sammie Coates. With the Auburn product in the fold, Pittsburgh has now signed seven of eight draft picks.
- The Cardinals signed third-round running back David Johnson and seventh-round tight end Gerald Christian, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets. Only first-round tackle D.J. Humphries remains unsigned.
- The Bills signed sixth-round linebacker Tony Steward, Wilson tweets. Now, top pick Ronald Darby stands as the last one unsigned.
- The Browns announced that they have signed fourth-round wide receiver Vince Mayle and seventh-round linebacker Hayes Pullard, as Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald writes. Running back Duke Johnson, picked in the third round, and safety Ibraheim Campbell, taken in the fourth round, are the only Browns picks unsigned.
- The Jaguars announced that they have signed fifth-round pick Rashad Greene. The FSU product was widely projected as a second-to-third round pick and the Jags are hoping that they got themselves a steal.
Minor Moves: Monday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Buccaneers have signed safety Derrick Wells, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter). The Lehigh, Florida native was one of the players in attendance for the team’s rookie mini-camp.
- The Cowboys welcomed back fullback Tyler Clutts on a one-year deal and cut Jed Collins, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. Clutts joined the Cowboys late in 2013 and played in every game last season, helping DeMarco Murray to an NFL-high 1,845 yards.
- The Giants removed Thomas Gordon from their injured reserve with an injury settlement, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets.
- The Patriots have said goodbye to Cameron Gordon and Devin Gardner, Wilson tweets. Gardner was a former quarterback at Michigan and was looking to transition to wide receiver in the NFL.
- Washington signed linebacker Alonzo Highsmith while waiving Brey Cook, James Gayle, LaKendrick Ross, wide receiver Tyler Rutenbeck, and quarterback Connor Halliday, as John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. Halliday’s release was just formality after he abruptly announced his retirement from football.
- The Saints announced the signings of linebacker Henry Coley, kicker Zach Hocker, offensive lineman Antonio Johnson, wide receiver Josh Morgan, and wide receiver Kyle Prater, as Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune tweets. To make room, offensive lineman Doniel Gambrell, guard Andrew Miller, and linebacker Stephon Sanders were shown the door while New Orleans waived/injured receiver Malcolme Kennedy (link).
- The Titans announced (on Twitter) that they have agreed to terms with tight end Tevin Westbrook and outside linebacker Dezmond Johnson. Running back Lache Seastrunk and outside linebacker Dontay Moch were waived.
- The Toronto Argonauts signed former NFL linebacker Brian Rolle, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Rolle, 27 in November, was drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. His last NFL gig was with the Steelers, who signed him on a futures/reserve contract in 2013. Meanwhile, the Argos said goodbye to wide receiver Mike Thomas and safety David Sims, who both have had multiple stops in the NFL (link).
- Wide receiver/kick returner DeShon Foxx has agreed to terms with the Seahawks, accoridng to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The 49ers signed Mylan Hicks and Justin Renfrow, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Seahawks signed Earnest Pettway and Charles Tuauu, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Chiefs cut Curtis Feigt with a non-football injury designation, Wilson tweets.
Dolphins, Ryan Tannehill Agree To Extension
3:43pm: The quarterback gets $21.5MM guaranteed at signing, Mike Florio of PFT tweets.
3:17pm: It’s a six-year, $96MM extension that includes $45MM guaranteed, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
3:04pm: The Dolphins and quarterback Ryan Tannehill have reached agreement on a contract extension, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). The deal will take Tannehill through the 2020 season (link). The Dolphins have confirmed the news via Twitter. The new pact will cover the last year of Tannehill’s rookie deal, his option season, plus four additional free agent years.
“Signing Ryan to this deal is important to our franchise,” added Dolphins General Manager Dennis Hickey in the team’s press release. “He is a proven quarterback in this league that combines a talented skillset with work ethic, passion, toughness, and a team first mentality. We are committed and believe in Ryan as our quarterback for the long-term and we are excited to be able to sign him to this extension.”
Tannehill is the first quarterback from the 2012 draft class to sign to a new deal. His deal could affect the market for Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson in different ways.
Tannehill, 27 in July, threw for a career high 4,045 yards in 2014, completing 392 out of 590 passes on the year. He threw for 27 touchdowns, a career high, with a career best 12 interceptions on the year. The eighth overall selection in the 2012 NFL draft, Tannehill started all 48 games in his three-year career and has completed 1,029-of-1,662 passes for 11,252 yards, 63 touchdowns and 42 interceptions, for an 84.0 passer rating. Additionally, he has totaled 145 rushing attempts for 760 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
We first heard rumblings of a possible extension between the two sides back in February, but conflicting reports indicated that the two sides hadn’t yet starting talking in earnest.
49ers’ Justin Smith To Retire
After months of speculation, the 49ers announced that defensive end Justin Smith has decided to retire.
Smith spent the last seven years in San Francisco after a seven-year stint with the Bengals. From his rookie season through 2014, he appeared in 221 total regular season contests, racking up 87 total sacks and earning spots in five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2009 to 2013. Last year, in his age-35 season, Smith totaled five sacks (giving him 87 for his career) and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him the NFL’s 11th-best 3-4 defensive end out of 47 qualifiers.
“Tough. Physical. Durable. Hard-working. Dedicated. Selfless. Justin embodies each of those qualities and brought even more with him to work each and every day,” said 49ers CEO Jed York in the press release. “Whether it was chasing down a wide receiver and forcing a fumble to seal a win, or driving a tackle back into the quarterback’s chest, he gave everything he had every play. Justin has earned the respect of the entire NFL community and he will always be remembered as one of the 49ers all-time greats.”
The former No. 4 overall pick has the unique distinction of having been named an Associated Press All-Pro at two different positions in the same year. In 2011, he ws named as a first-team defensive tackle and a second-team defensive end. Smith was also named Second-Team All-Pro at defensive tackle and defensive end in 2012.
During his career, Smith started 217 of 221 games played, including a streak of 185 consecutive starts from his rookie season through December of 2012. He finished his career with 1,370 tackles, 87.0 sacks, 16 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, three interceptions and 30 passes defensed.
Justin Smith To Announce Decision Today
Justin Smith has made a decision about his future, but it’s not clear which way he’ll be going. The 49ers defensive end tells Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee (on Twitter) that the verdict is in and an announcement is expected to come from the team later today. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link) adds that the news could come down at 1pm PT (3pm CT/4pm ET).
On Thursday, 49ers GM Trent Baalke said that he hoped to get a better grasp on Justin Smith‘s future on Friday. At the time, it sounded like the team didn’t gain any clarity on his decision. “As of right now, there’s not [any additional clarity on his situation],” coach Jim Tomsula said. “[Friday] morning, we were working and meeting and doing our thing. The guys were lifting. Then we came out here. So, no, I haven’t seen or talked to him.”
Smith has indicated that if he does come back, it would probably be for only one more season. Some speculated that the 49ers picking Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead was a sign that Smith was set to call it quits but, since Smith doesn’t intend on being around beyond 2015 anyway, that draft choice meant very little in terms of the veteran’s future. Smith has been the 49ers’ top defensive lineman since he arrived in free agency in 2008, but he has battled injuries in recent years, including a triceps injury in 2012 and a shoulder injury in 2013.
In 2014, his age-35 season, Smith totaled five sacks (giving him 87 for his career) and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him the NFL’s 11th-best 3-4 defensive end out of 47 qualifiers.
Cowboys Notes: Scandrick, Romo, Witten
Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News was surprised that the Cowboys landed LSU lineman La’el Collins. George understands that Collins wanted to join one of the league’s best offense lines, but he figured that, as a UDFA, the LSU would have instead chosen to sign with the team that would’ve had a greater need for him long term. Collins’ contract will come up at about the same time that the Cowboys will also be looking to re-sign Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick and Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin, so there might not be enough cash to go around. Here’s more out of Dallas..
- Orlando Scandrick is in attendance for offseason workouts today, Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star Telegram tweets. It was reported on Sunday that Scandrick would likely work out for Dallas today, barring any family obligations. Scandrick is scheduled to earn just $1.5MM in base salary in 2015, and $3MM in each of the following three seasons as part of a contract (and subsequent two-year extension) he signed in 2011. After grading out as the tenth-best corner in the league last season per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he at least has some leverage in talks.
- Cowboys QB Tony Romo is getting up there in years, but tight end Jason Witten isn’t thinking about how much time he has left playing with him, Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. Romo, for his part, has suggested that he has four or five years left in the tank. “If we do it like last year we can,” Witten said. “But I mean, I try not to look that far ahead. I think you just go one year at a time. For him, he played as well as he’s ever played. I think the way he’s handled the back and the way he’s on top of his body, I think he can play as long as he wants to play.”
- Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News says that the Cowboys could get by without Brandon Carr if Morris Claiborne is healthy enough to contribute at a high level. Owner Jerry Jones says that ironing out Carr’s contract situation is a priority for him, but it could be tough for the two sides to reach a compromise.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Manuel, Watson
As Robert Kraft and the Patriots look to fight the allegations against them, they have one significant problem, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. The Pats are looking to poke holes in the veracity of the Ted Wells repot, but the Pats signed off on Wells and the investigation in January. It’s not as though Wells came into the mix as a total unknown, so the Patriots might have a hard time disputing the findings. This week, Kraft spoke with Peter King of The MMQB and sounded off on the DeflateGate controversy. There’s no question that the Pats owner is angry, but he’s facing an uphill battle when it comes to swaying public opinion. Here’s more from the AFC East..
- Right now, the Patriots‘ stable of cornerbacks is comprised of Malcolm Butler, Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain, Logan Ryan, Justin Green, and Darryl Roberts. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter) opines that the Pats desperately need to add a veteran to the bunch. Earlier today, New England released cornerback Chimdi Chekwa, thinning out their group of cornerbacks even more.
- The Bills are at fault for drafting EJ Manuel in the first-round two years ago when he was really a third-round talent, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. Earlier today, we learned that Joe Buscaglia of WKBW has heard rumblings that Manuel might not make the Bills’ 53-man roster this year.
- Linebacker Dekoda Watson‘s deal with the Patriots calls for him to earn a $745K base salary on a one-year deal, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com tweets. He’ll carry a cap charge of $585K and will not collect a signing bonus. Watson has spent time with the Bucs, Jaguars, and Cowboys over the course of his career and played in 70 games.